Did you know that several of 2025's Oscar nominated films started as novels? If you loved The Nickel Boys, Dune 2, Wicked or Conclave then good news – there are incredible books that inspired them.
But if reading those isn't quite enough, or you had a different favourite, here are my recommendations for other great books that strike the same chord as some of the past year's best films.
If you loved A Complete Unknown,
Read You Don't Need a Weatherman
by Chris O'Connor
Whether you've been a long time Bob Dylan fan, or if Timothée Chalamet's performance in A Complete Unknown has unlocked a new interest for you, this book is a must-read. You Don't Need a Weatherman is an exploration of Bob Dylan's music and its lasting cultural impact, that's equally suited to both die-hards and newcomers.
Learn about the various stages of his career and how Dylan both reflected and impacted popular culture, through decades of social and poltical revolution.
If you loved Emilia Pérez,
Read The Night of Baba Yaga
by Akira Otani, translated by Sam Bett
Emilia Pérez is in many ways a unique film – a musical exploration of a notorious cartel leader's journey to finally transition and live life as a woman – so you might think there isn't a book that can measure up. O, ye of little faith! The Night of Baba Yaga is admittedly not a musical, but in every other way it will satisfy fans of Emilia Pérez!
Exploring queerness and reinvention against a backdrop of the criminal underworld, and lead by complex female characters, The Night of Baba Yaga is a gripping thriller with impressive emotional depth.
If you loved Wicked,
Read Sleep Like Death
by Kalynn Bayron
While fans of the Wicked movie can of course also read Gregory Maguire's original book, if you're looking for something else to scratch the Wicked itch until the next movie comes out, try this retelling of Snow White from New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron.
With a diverse cast and a complex and atmospheric world, a lot of audiences' favourite things about the Wicked movie are also here! Plus, there's a lot of crossover in themes, with rebellion and the struggle for power playing a major part in this reinvention of a beloved classic.
(You can also check out our recommendation for what to read based on your favourite character from Wicked here.)
If you loved Nosferatu,
Read Thirst
by Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary
Vampires are back in a big way, so there's actually a slew of vampire books you can turn to if Nosferatu has left you with a craving. But the top of your reading list should be Thirst, for another erotic horror-thriller that echoes and reimagines gothic tropes.
Following a human woman and a century-old vampire whose chance encounter in a Buenos Aires cemetery irrevocably changes both of them, this is a tense and fiery exploration of agency and desire.
And after reading Thirst, pick-up Dracula which heavily inspired Robbert Egger's updated version of Nosferatu and is a classic for any reader with a love for the gothic!
If you loved The Substance,
Read Youthjuice
by E.K. Sathue
If loved The Substance's body-horror laced take on beauty culture and ageism, then follow it up with Youthjuice, a novel that explores the horror hiding beneath the glossy pink front on the beauty industry.
Sophia has curated her life to tick all the right boxes, but still feels there's something missing. When she starts working at HEBE, a luxury skincare & wellness company with a charismatic and glamorous founder, she hopes this might finally be the answer to what she's been missing. But there's a sinister side to HEBE, and an untold cost to trying to stay beautiful forever ...
If you loved Gladiator II,
Read Imperium
by Robert Harris
It's hard for a book to offer a jaw-dropping set piece on par with filling the colosseum with water and sharks, but in terms of drama, mystery and political manouvering, Imperium measures up to and surpasses Gladiator II.
Following an ambitious senator and a man determined to hold corrupt Roman politicians to account, Robert Harris' political thriller explores the allure of power – what some will do to get it, what those with it will do to hold on to it, and perhaps most importantly, how it can be misused.
