Women-Centric Books Wild Star Reese Witherspoon Should Option Next

You may have noticed actress Reese Witherspoon has been on a bit of a tear recently, not only as an actress, but as a producer. Aside from Wild (in which she also starred), she produced Gone Girl and recently acquired the rights to Luckiest Girl Alive. Notice a trend? Witherspoon is using her celebrity power and decades of Hollywood experience to bring strong female characters to the screen. In an interview last year, she said that, since finding good roles is hard in an industry in which women seem to turn to dust after they hit 40, she had to become a producer to create them for herself and others. Thus far, Witherspoon has demonstrated incredibly good taste, which inspired us to think about the books she should acquire next. Here are five books with fascinating female characters that would be perfect for the screen.

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The world needs more characters like Ifemelu, both in books and in the movies. Beautiful, intelligent, and confident, Ifemelu flees chaotic Nigeria for the United States, where she uses her mind to find great success—but also has her first taste of American-style racism. Ifemelu is only half of this powerful story—her lover Obinze, barred from the U.S. due to post-9-11 paranoia, finds his own adventures in London until the couple is reunited in a newly democratic Nigeria.

Girl in a Band, by Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon is literally a rock star, as well as a painter, writer, and flat-out Cool Girl. A film based on her memoir, made by and with the right people, would make for an awesome viewing experience. Not only was she a cool cat in her younger days, starting Sonic Youth and writing some of the greatest songs of the post-punk generation, she continues to be awesome into her 60s, which would make the film version even more interesting: the producers would need to either cast three different women in the role, or find an actress capable of playing Gordon over the span of 40 years. Either way, Gordon is too legit not to have film adaptation of her life.

In a Dark, Dark Wood, by Ruth Ware
Ware’s debut would make a fantastic cinematic thriller: old school friends, once inseparable, who haven’t spoken in a decade come together for a wedding and a Hen Night at a cabin in the woods. As the night wears on, secrets are revealed and tension mounts as the politeness falls away, revealing the characters for what they really are. The fact that almost the entire cast is made up of women, and that the story explores feminine relationships, would allow Witherspoon to prove that a women-powered thriller could be a smash hit.

Those Girls, by Chevy Stevens
This is a book about women, sisterhood, and secrets that keeps you guessing throughout. The Campbell sisters grow up on a remote ranch in Canada under the thumb of their terrifying father. Then they finally take a stand against his abuse, killing him and going on the run—but their tragedy has just started. The story explores their bond, the way women still face oppression in the modern day, and how the sins of the past are never truly left behind. This would make for an incredible film with roles for three powerhouse actresses.

The Good Girl, by Mary Kubica
Kubica’s 2014 novel about a kidnapped woman who finds herself unable to remember her time with her captor is one of those twisty stories that will appeal to anyone, regardless of gender. When her kidnapper decides not to deliver her to his clients because he fears for her life, the two become embroiled in an unhealthy relationship. When he’s killed during her rescue, she’s left to sift through the clues to figure out what’s really going on—and no, you won’t guess it. Far from being a victim, the main character could provide a career-making opportunity for the right actress.