Most avid readers will agree: The book is always better than the movie. But that does not mean that the movie or television adaptation won’t be pretty good, too! It seems that there is always a new spate of book adaptations on the horizon; here are some recent notable adaptations.

Hulu has adapted Lawrence Wright’s “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” as a series starring Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the five-decade story of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and Al Qaeda as well as the failures in U.S. intelligence that led to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. The first season is currently available on Hulu.

Stephanie Danler’s debut novel, “Sweetbitter,” was adapted as a television series by Starz and premiered on May 8. “Sweetbitter” is the story of Tess, a 21-year-old transplant to New York City who takes a waitressing job and quickly becomes wrapped up in the hard-partying lifestyle of her peers and learns a few tough life lessons along the way.

Sarai Walker’s debut novel, “Dietland,” was adapted as a television series by AMC and premiered on June 4. “Dietland” is the story of Plum Kettle, a 300-pound advice columnist ghostwriter who finds herself entangled in the vigilante justice of an underground feminist movement when it takes a stand against violence against women.

Paul Rudd will star in the adaptation of Nicholas Dawidoff’s “The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg.” Berg was a major league baseball player who later worked for the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency. The film is scheduled to release on June 22.

Amy Adams will star as journalist Camille Preaker in the adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects,” which focuses on Preaker’s return to her hometown to investigate a series of murders of teen women. Preaker’s relationships with her mother and stepsister complicate her investigation and make the reader question her ability to complete her story. The HBO miniseries premieres on July 8.

Constance Wu, who made a splash on ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” stars in “Crazy Rich Asians” as Rachel Chu, a native New Yorker who discovers just how rich her boyfriend is when she meets his family in Singapore. This romantic comedy is based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan and will be in theaters on August 15. The 2013 novel received quite a bit of buzz, and the film is highly anticipated.

Stop by the library if any of these books, movies or series pique your interest. If you don’t have access to the streaming services or networks mentioned, New Ulm Public Library can help you request a DVD copy when it is released and get you a copy of the book to tide you over!