We all know that books are often turned into films, but what about book-spotting in the films themselves? Showing a character reading or holding a particular book can serve as a cultural cue for the time period (for example, if someone's reading Twilight, it's probably the noughties). Or it can provide an insight into the character's personality - for better or worse, if they're reading To Kill a Mockingbird, you may form a different opinion of them than if they're reading Fifty Shades of Grey.
Either way, spotting reading on screen can be strangely exciting! Here are 10 of our favourite finds in TV and film. Click the links to read like your favourite characters.
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1. Elio in Call Me by Your Name
Elio is seen with books all through the film, often in Italian and French. This stack of books includes Il club dei Vedovi Neri (Casebook of the Black Widowers) by Isaac Asimov. It’s a collection of short stories featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers.
2. Rachel in Friends
Throughout all ten seasons of Friends, Rachel is often seen reading. When Rachel and Joey swap favourites, Rachel reads The Shining by Stephen King, while Joey reads Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Borrow The Shining. Borrow Little Women.
3. Don in Mad Men
Viewers of the hit TV show Mad Men can spot lots of books and publications that give great social and cultural insight into the 1960s. Don can be seen reading The Inferno, part one of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Completed around 1321, it’s widely considered one of the greatest works of Western Literature.
Borrow Dante’s Divine Comedy.
4. Laura in The Hours
Based on the book of the same name written by Michael Cunningham, The Hours follows three generations of women affected by the classic novel Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe. In this scene in Los Angeles 1949, we see Laura reading the book to escape her mundane life. The Hours was Woolf's original working title for Mrs Dalloway.
Borrow Mrs Dalloway.
5. Mark in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
In this science fiction romantic comedy, Mark is seen reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The novel echoes themes of the film itself, exploring the idea that the universe is vast and unpredictable, and that humans often struggle to find meaning in it.
Borrow The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
6. Prince Henry and Alex in Red, White & Royal Blue
The film itself is based on the popular novel by Casey McQuiston, and some viewers may have noticed a familiar book in this scene. While Prince Henry is engrossed in Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, Alex is reading another of McQuiston’s novels One Last Stop.
Borrow Girl, Woman, Other. Borrow One Last Stop.
7. Carrie in Just Like That
If you look hard enough, you can see Carrie is holding her New York Public Library membership card in an episode of Sex & The City spin-off Just Like That. You can also see the NYPL stamp on the edge of Carrie’s pile of books. In the bundle Carrie has borrowed is The Underground Railroad by Colston Whitehead, a gripping historical novel about the perilous journey of an escaped young slave.
Borrow The Underground Railroad.
8. Paula in The White Lotus
In the popular HBO series White Lotus, Paula and Olivia are often seen reading together, usually by the pool. In this scene, Paula is reading Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud. In the third episode, when challenged by another character about the books they read, Olivia replies that “they’re just props.”
Borrow books by Sigmund Freud.
9. Chris in The Pursuit of Happyness
Based on an astounding true story and best-selling memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the story of a homeless salesman determined to make good in the world of finance. Chris (played by Will Smith) is seen reading Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd while sitting with his young son.
Borrow Security Analysis. Borrow books on business.
10. Isaac in Heartstopper
Fans of Heartstopper, based on the books by Alice Oseman, will have noticed that Isaac loves to read. In season one alone we see him reading A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Dune by Frank Herbert, Proud by Gareth Thomas, and Radio Silence by Alice Oseman among many, many others.
Borrow A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Borrow Dune. Borrow Proud. Borrow books by Alice Oseman.
Looking for more reading inspiration? See all our book blogs here.
