Almost every major film winning (and/or being nominated for) awards lately, from Slumdog Millionaire to Frost/Nixon, and even The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, seems based on an equally successful book. But what about next season's big winners? To highlight 10 books we feel would have amazing film adaptations, we've put together this list.

The Political Drama -- The Weight of a Mustard Seed
Infiltrate Saddam Hussein's brutal regime through the story of one of his most loyal aides. Wendell Steavenson spent five years with General Kamel Sachet and his family, slowly uncovering a man torn by his own conscience, a wife lost to her sense of duty, and sons whose frightful fanaticism grows increasingly dangerous. A current, compassionate, and honest book, The Weight of a Mustard Seed explores the emotional side of the current conflict in Iraq.

The Period Piece -- The Other Queen
With every Tudor formula already tried and tested, it's time to discover those other salacious Royals: the Stuarts. After being forced out of her land, Mary, Queen of Scots takes refuge in England, kingdom of her Protestant cousin Elizabeth. But her new home is not quite fit for a queen, as the charismatic Catholic is kept under the close guard of Elizabeth's cunning advisers. Author of the bestselling The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory delivers another novel with her irresistible brand of historical fact and corseted scandal.

The Blockbuster -- Next
Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 2% of their DNA. Is that why an adult human resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? Welcome to the fast, furious world of genetics. This is not the world of the future -- it's the world of now. The late Michael Crichton has already brought us Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain. Now, he delves into a new world where nothing is as it seems, and where your sense of reality is challenged at every turn. Genetic change is closer than you think. Get used to it.

The Foreign Film -- First Darling of the Morning
Acclaimed journalist Thrity Umrigar paints a colorful picture of her childhood in Bombay, with an emotionally detached and abusive mother, an overly-docile father, and a loving aunt who is a substitute for both. Vivid details of Indian culture, history, and politics make this book an all-rounder, as readers (and potential viewers) feast on the sights and sounds of India's most cosmopolitan city, and the fragile characters that inhabit it.

The Action-Drama -- Bel Canto
In the heart of South America, an American opera diva is entertaining guests at a lavish party in honor of Japanese businessman Mr. Hosokawa -- until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. And what begins as a terrifying hostage situation turns into an exploration of culture, love, music, and friendship, as guests from all walks of life begin to form bonds and find the common ground that brought them together that evening.
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