Books
4 Of Shonda Rhimes's New Shows Are Based On Books — And You Should Definitely Read Them
There’s good news for folks who just can’t get enough of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. Shonda Rhimes has eight new TV series coming to Netflix, and half of them are based on books. I’ve put together a short list of books you should read to prepare for Shondaland’s takeover of Netflix, so keep scrolling to find out more about what’s coming from Rhimes’ production company to a screen near you.
After a lengthy term at ABC Studios, Rhimes signed a $150 million deal with Netflix in 2017, and details of what “Shondaland 2.0” will produce for the streaming service have just come to light. I examine five (four based on books; one based on an essay) of Rhimes’ eight upcoming Netflix series below, but let’s take a look at the other three, shall we?
The new Shonda Rhimes series hail from different places and times in the world. Set in 1840s California, then a part of Mexico, Pico & Sepulveda traces the beginnings of the Mexican-American War. The dark comedy Sunshine Scouts will follow “a ragtag group of teenage girls at sleepaway camp who must then summon their moxie and survival skills to weather the fallout and ensure all that remains of humanity abides by the Sunshine Scout Law,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. In what is probably the only docuseries in the Shondaland 2.0 lineup, Hot Chocolate Nutcracker will go inside the Debbie Allen Dance Academy for a behind-the-scenes look at their production of The Nutcracker.
Check out the books you should read before Shondaland 2.0 comes to Netflix below:
'The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House' by Kate Andersen Brower
Kate Andersen Brower’s nonfiction title focuses on the staff who keep the White House’s residence afloat — the maids and cooks and florists who make sure the First Family’s day-to-day business runs smoothly. The Residence tells stories from inside some of the White House’s most private areas, spanning every president from JFK to Barack Obama.
'Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change' by Ellen Pao
Ellen Pao first rose to nationwide prominence in 2012, when she sued her former employer, a Silicon Valley venture-capital firm, for gender discrimination. Pao lost her suit, but later went on to cause major upset at Reddit, where she banned revenge porn as CEO before departing in 2015. In her 2017 memoir Reset, Pao examines sexism and racism in the tech world, and puts forth a game plan for a brighter future.
'The Warmth of Other Suns' by Isabel Wilkerson
Another nonfiction title, The Warmth of Other Suns is a microhistory, if you can call a chronicle of the 55-year Great Migration a “micro” anything. Through the stories of three African-Americans who moved across the Mason-Dixon line between 1937 and 1953, Isabel Wilkerson examines not only the northward journeys of millions, but also the impact of their relocations on the national landscape.
The Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn
In the first of eight novels in Julia Quinn’s Regency romance series, Daphne Bridgerton hatches a marriage plot with Simon, her brother’s best friend. The plan is simple: being courted by a duke-to-be will undoubtedly earn Daphne some suitors, and pretending to be engaged will get a lot of pressure off of Simon’s back. But now Daphne’s falling hard for Simon, and their scheme may be spiralling out of her control.
"How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People" by Jessica Pressler
Arrested last year on larceny charges, Anna Sorokin — at right, above — scammed New York City businesses out of money by crafting a new identity as "Anna Delvey," a member of the city's wealthy elite.
