Books You’ll Enjoy If You Loved Watching These Films

Story hangovers are a thing! You often find that you’ve mentally immigrated to a fictional world until further notice after watching a mesmerising movie or reading an incredible book. Well, fear not! I have the perfect remedy to ease your story hangover. Scroll through the following curated list of books you’ll enjoy if you loved these films. You will definitely find another story to replace the one that put you in a story coma in the first place. 

Historical Fiction

If you loved films like Malik and Kammattipadam, you are obviously looking for explorations of society, politics, power dynamics and relationships. 

You’ll probably enjoy these books – Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Salt Houses by Hala Alyan and Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys 

Tropes they have in common:

1. Political intrigue
2. Set in an international historic perspective
3. Character-driven stories
4. Trans-national, suspended time narrative 

Women-centred Fiction

If you loved films like Sara’S, Aami and June, you are probably on the hunt for a female-centred novel, with a badass protagonist who leads through not just her power and independence, but her femininity as well. You are looking for female lived-in experiences and issues centred around gender and feminism. 

You’ll probably enjoy Parachutes by Kelly Yang, Circe by Madeline Miller, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo and Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado.

Tropes they have in common:

1. Retellings of forgotten women in myths
2. Discussions of agency and gender
3. Women and their experiences of immigration 
4. Search for an all-female identity
5. #MeToo 
6. Domestic violence 

Romance 

If you loved films like Mayanadhi, Luca and Annayum Rasoolum, you are a sucker for heart-wrenching, gripping stories of love and desire. You are choosing to be wrecked, so proceed with caution!

You’ll probably enjoy Normal People by Sally Rooney, Loveless by Alice Oseman and Breathless by Jennifer Niven.

Tropes they have in common:

1. People who are desperately in love with each other
2. Slow-burn romances 
3. Tragic stories of loss 
4. Beautiful, imperfect and human characters
5. Finding yourself through love 
6. Healing, supportive, interpersonal relationships

Mythology and Retelling 

If you loved films like Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, Oru Vadakan Veera Gatha and Joji, you are a mythology nerd like me! And that’s perfectly okay. Mythology and fairytales are often distorted as they are retold over generations and you are most definitely looking for a different perspective on stories we are already familiar with. 

You’ll probably enjoy Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Warth and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill and Stepsister by Jennifer Donelly 

Tropes they have in common:

1. Faraway atmospheric settings
2. Altered perspectives of famous stories
3. Explorations of international mythology
4. Retellings of global fairytales

Travel and Fun 

If you loved films like Banglore Days, Rani Padmini and Kilometers and Kilometers, I can tell you are sick of the pandemic, waiting to go out and explore the world. In these stories, we find families beyond blood, while people, lost in the midst of nowhere find themselves.

You’ll probably enjoy Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Beach Read by Emily Henry, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and Flaneuse: Women Who Walk The City  

Tropes they have in common:

1. Epic, life-altering adventures
2. Enemies to lovers 
3. Found family
4. Discussions on healing and change
5. Cities (its position, exploration and role)

Motivation

If you loved films like Finals, Kho Kho, and Godha, you are probably looking for a sign, somebody to tell you to not give up, to chase your dreams and to keep fighting. I hear you! In a world where we are smothered by self-help books, find some motivation through relentless protagonists in the pursuit of perfection. 

You’ll probably enjoy Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab, The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson, Radha and Jai’s Recipe For Romance by Nisha Sharma, The Otherside of Perfect by Mariko Turk and Life is What You Make It by Preeti Shenoy 

Tropes they have in common:

1. Diverse protagonists with unique experiences
2. High Stakes 
3. Ambitious goals (ft. Olympic swimming, competitive dancing and art galleries)
4. Well-developed characters with complex relationships

Thriller

If you loved films like Robin Hood, Cold Case, Nizhal and Drishyam, you also love a gripping mystery, a suspense-filled environment, atmospheric settings and obviously, a cat and mouse hunt. 

You’ll probably enjoy A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Milkman by Anna Burns, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak 

Tropes they have in common

1. Dark, atmospheric settings
2. Mysteries
3. Hide and seek hunts 
4. Fragmentary narratives
5. Lyrical prose 

LGBTQIA+

If you loved films like Moothon and Njan Marrykutty, you are in search of diverse protagonists and inclusive fiction. You want to see yourself represented in stories and I’ve got you covered!

You’ll probably enjoy Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver, Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin, Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar and The Carpet Weaver by Nemat Sadat 

Tropes:

1. LGBTQIA+ lead protagonists
2. Addresses issues of hetrosexual privilege
3. Self-reflection and sel-discovery
4. Postive stories of hope, love and desire 

Hope you find these books worth your time. Above all, go tackle that story hangover! Don’t forget to mention your favourite books in the comments below!