Author Archive

32 Literary Thrillers You Can’t Put Down

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026
32 Literary Thrillers You Can’t Put Down from MomAdvice.com

A curated list of literary thrillers—where page-turning suspense meets rich prose, character depth, and thought-provoking themes that linger long after reading.

This week’s new book list dives into one of my all-time favorite genres: the beloved literary thriller. My reading tastes have certainly evolved over the years, and I’ve gone from devouring plot-driven stories to now seeking out novels with complex characters and layers that linger. There’s something about a great literary thriller that offers both a rush and a richness I keep coming back to, and now that my kids are grown, I have the mental space to really settle in.

What is a Literary Thriller?

Literary thrillers offer a rare breed—equal parts gripping suspense and literary finesse. These are the books that get your heart racing, but also make you linger over a beautifully crafted sentence or reflect on the knotty questions at the story’s core. I find they often offer readers more scene-setting, building atmosphere, and tension.

Where a typical “popcorn thriller” is engineered for pure, high-octane entertainment—think lightning-fast plots, short sentences, frequent paragraph breaks, shocking twists, and big-screen-ready action—literary thrillers invite a deeper engagement.

The thing that has always struck me is that popcorn thrillers, while delicious and sometimes just what I crave, they typically leave my brain as soon as I finish them. Literary thrillers, by contrast, stay with me.

32 Literary Thrillers You Can’t Put Down from MomAdvice.com (Book List)

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long.Patrons will receive a free printable copy of the checklist for today’s book list for you to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

32 Literary Thrillers You Can’t Put Down from MomAdvice.com

Literary Thrillers

Browse these 32 handpicked literary thrillers—details are purposely kept thin to preserve the surprises and twists that make these stories unforgettable. Happy reading, friends!

NEW LITERARY THRILLERS AND UPCOMING RELEASES

BACKLIST LITERARY THRILLERS

MODERN CLASSIC LITERARY THRILLERS

TELL ME: What are YOUR favorite literary thrillers? Please share any that I might have missed today!

Dur e Aziz Amna- A Splintering (Podcast)

Thursday, April 16th, 2026
Dur e Aziz Amna- A Splintering (Podcast)

Dur e Aziz Amna joins us to discuss A Splintering, a sharp, compulsive novel about class, ambition, and the cost of becoming who you believe you’re meant to be.

This week’s Book Gang conversation brings us together with award-winning author Dur e Aziz Amna to talk about A Splintering, a novel that pulls you in from its very first line and refuses to let the reader go. This novel made my Best Books of the Year list, and I’m so excited to celebrate this story today.

From a childhood shaped by poverty in rural Pakistan to the calculated, high-stakes world of social mobility, Amna introduces us to Tara—a narrator who dares you to judge her even as she demands to be understood. This is a story about ambition sharpened by circumstance, about the quiet and not-so-quiet ways women navigate power, and about what it means to reshape your life when the world has already decided your place within it.


In this compelling conversation, we discuss:

  • The making of a sharper, more unflinching novel: Dur e Aziz Amna reflects on the journey from American Fever to A Splintering, exploring how success reshapes creative pressure—and how this novel emerged as something darker, more daring, and more structurally ambitious in both voice and scope.
  • A narrator who challenges the reader’s loyalty: We dive into Tara’s arresting opening and what it means to build a story around a protagonist who is not asking to be liked, but understood. Through voice, structure, and intimate address, Amna redefines the relationship between reader and character, asking us to sit with discomfort rather than resolve it.
  • Class, ambition, and the cost of reinvention: From sibling dynamics shaped by patriarchy to marriage as a strategic turning point, this conversation unpacks the systems that shape Tara’s choices—and the psychological and moral fractures that come with upward mobility in a world where nothing is freely given.
The Best South Asian Books to Fall in Love With Now from MomAdvice.com


Don’t miss this week’s companion list featuring 29 South Asian Books—a mix of brand new novels and essential backlist books that pair beautifully with A Splintering. Patrons will receive a printable checklist to take along on their next library visit!

A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

A Splintering Book Summary

A perfect book club read for those who love morally gray women.

In a village in rural Pakistan, Tara is watching and waiting. The smell of dung and dust hangs over her world. She is desperate to leave her petty life in the village and escape the iron grip of her violent, unpredictable brother.

Marrying a middle-class accountant allows her to escape to the capital, but she soon finds that life as a respectable housewife is not enough. She wants what the rich mothers at her children’s school have. Her desire for wealth and freedom becomes an obsession—one for which she’ll push her marriage and herself to the brink. When her brother comes back into her life, dragging the specter of all she’s escaped, Tara must decide if there are any lines she won’t cross to live the life she deserves.

Set against a hypnotic, oppressive backdrop of political violence and natural disaster, A Splintering traces the class struggle of a woman stuck between province and metropolis, between motherhood and ambition. Disquieting and utterly gripping, it is an extraordinary achievement by Dur e Aziz Amna, an exploration of a complex and unforgettable character who will risk everything to carve out a life of her own.

Dur e Aziz Amna (A Splintering)

Meet Dur e Aziz Amna

Dur e Aziz Amna is the author of A Splintering, winner of the Stanfords Prize for Fiction and a BBC Book Club pick. Her debut novel, American Fever, received the South Asian Book Award and the APALA Award for Literature. Her writing has appeared in major publications, including the New York Times, Financial Times, and Al Jazeera, and she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022.Born and raised in Pakistan, she is a graduate of Yale College and the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan, and currently lives in the United States. A Splintering is available on bookstore shelves now in the U.S. and the U.K.

If You Loved Ferrante, Read This Next: A Splintering

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

My Best Books of 2025

NEW BOOK LIST: 29 South Asian Books to Fall In Love With

Sam Wachman Interview (The Sunflower Boys)

Join the April Book Club 4/30 at 8 PM ET (The Sunflower Boys)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

American Fever by Dur e Aziz Amna

The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante

Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein

Interviews with History and Conversations with Power by Oriana Fallaci

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29 South Asian Books to Fall in Love With

Thursday, April 16th, 2026
29 South Asian Books to Fall in Love With from MomAdvice.com

Are you ready to do a little armchair traveling? Today I’m so excited to share  a new book list that celebrates the heart and soul of South Asia—a region whose stories are as vibrant and layered as its landscapes. As we continue to bring more South Asian stories to the Book Gang podcast, I wanted to create a landing spot for some of my favorite reads (and a few on my wish list).

Here, we’re shining a light on books from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as the many voices of their global diasporas. Many of the books featured here are set in the United States, offering glimpses into the lives of South Asian families as they navigate new landscapes and build communities far from their countries of origin.

As I researched each author and traced the roots of their stories, I sometimes found myself piecing together geographical details that may not always be perfect. Any missteps in these origins are entirely my own, and I appreciate your understanding as we celebrate the rich tapestry of South Asian voices, wherever they find home.

29 South Asian Books to Fall in Love With from MomAdvice.com

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long.

Patrons will receive a free printable copy checklist for today’s book list for you to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

29 South Asian Books to Fall in Love With from MomAdvice.com

South Asian Books

Whether you’re craving sweeping epics, contemporary tales, or found family stories, today's collection of 29 books is your invitation to discover the richness and warmth of South Asian storytelling.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

NEW SOUTH ASIAN BOOKS

BACKLIST SOUTH ASIAN BOOKS

TELL ME: What South Asian books have you been loving lately?

Gill Paul- Scandalous Women (Podcast)

Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Gill Paul- Scandalous Women (Podcast)

Gill Paul discusses Scandalous Women, the 1960s publishing world, and the iconic female authors who redefined storytelling in this backlist feature.

Let’s get some literary hinges to our reading lives in this backlist feature. This week’s Book Gang conversation brings us together with international bestselling author Gill Paul to talk about Scandalous Women. Paul transports readers into the electric, high-stakes world of 1960s publishing, where two women didn’t just write bestselling books—they changed what women were allowed to write about at all.

If you’ve ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes of the books we love (the deals, the risks, the moments that quietly reshape an entire industry), this conversation is such a treat with a true insider.

In this fascinating conversation, we discuss:

  • From editor to international bestselling author: Gill reflects on her journey from working inside publishing to becoming a globally recognized novelist, sharing what she understands now about the industry that many writers and readers often misunderstand.
  • The “two Jackies” who changed publishing forever: We dive into the lives of Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins—their controversial novels, massive commercial success, and the backlash they faced for writing openly about female ambition and desire.
  • Recreating the 1960s publishing world from the inside out: Through research and the lens of a fictional editorial assistant, Gill brings to life the high-stakes, male-dominated publishing landscape where readers get an inside look at how the publishing industry worked in the 1960s.
Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing from MomAdvice.com

Don’t miss this week’s companion list featuring 43 Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing to celebrate Scandalous Women. I am including my all-time favorites and a few new releases I can’t wait to read. Patrons will receive weekly printable checklists for their next library visit!

Scandalous Women by Gill Paul

Scandalous Women Book Summary

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR FREIDA MCFADDEN: “[A] must-read… equal parts heartwarming and empowering.”

Mad Men meets the world of publishing in international bestselling author Gill Paul’s new novel about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, two dynamic, groundbreaking writers renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels, and the beleaguered young editorial assistant who introduces them.

1966, NYC: Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It’s steamy, it’s a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.

Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling—particularly since they have secrets they don’t want splashed across the front pages.

1965, NYC: College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls, she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting.

Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man’s world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most.

“A juicy and fun novel about the women who pioneered the sexy page-turner with Valley of the Dolls and Hollywood Wives.” — LIBRARY JOURNAL

Gill Paul

Meet Gill Paul

Gill Paul is the author of thirteen historical novels, which have sold over a million copies, hit the top five in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Toronto Globe & Mail bestseller lists, and have been translated into twenty-four languages. Her novel SCANDALOUS WOMEN is about Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann, and the misogyny of the 1960s publishing industry. Gill lives in London where she swims year-round in a wild pond, and speaks at libraries and festivals on topics ranging from Tutankhamun to the Romanovs.

The Scandalous Women Who Started It All

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

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Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

NEW BOOK LIST: 43 Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing

Join the April Book Club 4/30 at 8 PM ET (The Sunflower Boys)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

Scandalous Women by Gill Paul

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins

Lucky by Jackie Collins

Love Stories series

The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul

Lovely Me by Barbara Seaman

The World is Full of Married Men by Jackie Collins

Lady Boss

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Kanner’s Syndrome

Life with Jackie by Irving Mansfield

Sex and the Single Girl by Helen Gurley Brown

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

Jackie Collins on Loose Women

Barbara Cartland and Jackie Collins Confrontation

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

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Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing to Read Now

Sunday, April 5th, 2026

Browse this eclectic list of books about authors and publishing for the perfect literary escape. These 43 book titles include a mix of fiction and nonfiction.

Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing from MomAdvice.com

Ready to tumble down the rabbit hole of literary drama, dazzling debuts, and publisher power plays? I have had so much fun updating my Books About Authors and Publishing list filled with 43 fun, fresh picks that spill the tea on what really happens behind the scenes.

From juicy scandals and viral feuds to heartfelt journeys through writer’s block and the wild world of ghostwriting, every book here is a backstage pass to creativity, chaos, and the magic (and madness) of making stories. Whether you’re a die-hard bookworm or just love a peek behind the curtain, you’ll find plenty to delight, surprise, and inspire you on this rollicking tour through the book world’s best-kept secrets.

Books About Authors and Publishing from MomAdvice.com

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long.

Patrons will receive a free printable copy checklist for today’s book list for you to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

Books About Authors and Publishing from MomAdvice.com

Books About Authors and Publishing

Discover these 43 riveting stories of literary legends, the intricacies of the publishing world, and the creative process behind every page.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

NEW BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS AND PUBLISHING

LITERARY FICTION BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS AND PUBLISHING

MYSTERY & THRILLER BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS AND PUBLISHING

ROMANCE BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS AND PUBLISHING

HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS AND PUBLISHING

If you love books about books- don’t miss these other newly curated lists for your reading month!

Books about Books: Immerse yourself in novels that explore the magic and obsession of book lovers and the power of storytelling itself. This list includes books like Beach Read, The Wishing Game, and Seven Days in June.

Books about Bookstores: Step into the cozy world of bookshops where romance, mystery, and community thrive among the reading stacks. This list includes novels like The Book of Doors, The Bookshop on the Corner, and The Storied Life of AJ Fikry

Books about Libraries: Lose yourself in the public library shelves in these stories that celebrate my favorite place on earth. This list includes books like The Reading List, Funny Story, and The Book of Lost Names.

Books about Book Clubs: Join the lively discussions and deep friendships that unfold within the pages of novels centered around the novelty of book club dynamics. These novels include The Bromance Book Club, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Toni Morrison Book Club, and The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society.

What is the best book about authors and publishing that you have read? I’d love to expand our list with your favorites!

Sam Wachman- The Sunflower Boys (Podcast)

Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
Sam Wachman Interview: The Sunflower Boys (Podcast)

Author Sam Wachman joins us as our April MomAdvice Book Club pick to discuss The Sunflower Boys, a powerful coming-of-age story set during the war in Ukraine.

This week, Sam Wachman joins Book Gang to discuss The Sunflower Boys, our April MomAdvice Book Club pick. This story offers a remarkable blend of the tenderness of boyhood and the brutality of war, set against the backdrop of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, bringing to life its heartbreaking history.

As the brothers in this story undertake a harrowing journey across a war-torn landscape, a love of art becomes both guide and witness, leading these two boys toward hope and a desperate reunion with their father. Wachman offers a war chronicle and an intimate, profoundly human portrayal of the enduring spirit of family, deeply humanizing the Ukrainian struggle.

In this remarkable conversation, we discuss:

  • From the classroom to the page: Before writing The Sunflower Boys, Sam Wachman taught English to primary school students in Ukraine—an experience that deeply shaped the emotional core of this novel. We discuss how those relationships with Ukrainian youth helped him build Artem’s voice with such tenderness, specificity, and care.
  • Art as structure, memory, and survival: One of the most striking elements of this novel is its structure—100 chapters shaped by Artem’s sketches. Sam shares how this artistic framework guided not just the pacing of the story but also its emotional rhythm.
  • Writing war through a child’s lens: Drawing from his time working with Ukrainian families and refugees, Sam approached this story with a deep sense of responsibility. We talk about how he balanced honesty with restraint while writing from a 12-year-old’s perspective—capturing fear, confusion, and resilience without overwhelming the reader—and why that lens might be the most powerful way to understand the human cost of war.
Books About Siblings from MomAdvice.com

Don’t miss this week’s companion list featuring the best books about siblings, inspired by this week’s story of brothers. I am including my all-time favorites and a few new releases I can’t wait to read. Patrons will receive weekly printable checklists for their next library visit!

The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

The Sunflower Boys Book Summary

LAMBDA Literary Award Finalist for “Gay Fiction.”

“That rarest phenomenon: a war novel that feels at once timeless and precisely of the moment…” —Washington Post

A poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling with his sexuality as war breaks out in modern Ukraine.

In many ways, twelve-year-old Artem’s life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is normal. He spends his days helping on his grandfather’s sunflower farm, drawing in his sketchbook—a treasured gift from his father, who works in America—and swimming in the river with his little brother, Yuri. In secret, Artem has begun wrestling with romantic feelings for his best friend, Viktor. In a country where love between two boys is unthinkable, Artem has begun to worry that growing up, his life will never be normal.

Then, on a February night, Artem and Yuri are woken by explosions—the beginning of a war that will tear their life in two. The invading Russians destroy their home, killing their mother and grandfather, and leaving young Artem and Yuri to fend for themselves. Fleeing in hopes of somehow reuniting with their father, the brothers traverse the country their ancestors once fought and died for, with nothing but their backpacks and each other. Surrounded by death and destruction, Artem is certain of one thing—that whatever may come, he must keep himself and his brother alive.

A harrowing and gorgeous tale of love, identity, lost innocence, and survival set in a time of devastating war, The Sunflower Boys is a powerful, heartrending exploration of young queer love, the Ukrainian spirit, and a family’s struggle to survive.

Sam Wachman (Author Photo)

Meet Sam Wachman

Sam Wachman is a writer from Cambridge, Massachusetts with Ukrainian roots. His work has appeared in Sonora Review, Berkeley Fiction Review, and River Styx. Before writing The Sunflower Boys, he taught English to primary schoolers in central Ukraine and worked with refugee families across Europe and the United States. This deeply affecting novel is his debut.

April Book Club: The Sunflower Boys

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Gratitude to Our Show Patrons: This week’s episode is open to all listeners thanks to generous donations made through Buy Me a Coffee and your community memberships. If you’d like to keep the conversation going, you’re invited to join our Patreon Book Club chat on April 30th at 8 PM ET, where we’ll dive deeper into spoilers, themes, and reader reactions. Membership is $5 a month, or you can prepay for the year and save 10%.

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

Join the April Book Club 4/30 at 8 PM ET (The Sunflower Boys)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

Gays Reading Podcast

Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

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These 24 Books About Siblings Show The Ties That Bind

Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
These 24 Books About Siblings Show The Ties That Bind

Explore 24 books about siblings, capturing the rivalry, love, and family bonds. There is an unforgettable story of brotherhood and sisterhood for every reader.

No one knows us—or tests us—like a sibling. As luck would have it, I have a brother and a sister, so I know a little about these fierce, loyal bonds. It’s this lens that makes me pretty particular about what I love in books about siblings.  

While classics like Little Women, East of Eden, and The Brothers Karamazov have long defined the sibling story, this collection goes beyond the usual suspects. We’re embracing contemporary tales and fresh voices—including our MomAdvice Book Club pick, The Sunflower Boys—to showcase the full range of what sibling stories can be today.

Whether unraveling mysteries or healing after heartbreak, each of these 24 books explores the ways siblings challenge, support, and ultimately redefine one another. I’m excited to share this collection of books I can’t wait to read, along with some of the most memorable backlist picks on this topic.

These 24 Books About Siblings Show The Ties That Bind

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long. Patrons will receive a free printable copy of the checklist for today’s book list to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

These 24 Books About Siblings Show The Ties That Bind

Books About Siblings

Start reading and discover why these 24 sibling stories linger long after the last page.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

UPCOMING BOOKS ABOUT SIBLINGS

NEW BOOKS ABOUT SIBLINGS

BACKLIST BOOKS ABOUT SIBLINGS

TELL ME: What is YOUR favorite book about siblings?

Rebecca Lehmann- The Beheading Game (Podcast)

Thursday, March 26th, 2026
Rebecca Lehmann- The Beheading Game (Podcast)

Rebecca Lehmann discusses The Beheading Game, a lyrical reimagining of Anne Boleyn awakening after her execution to reclaim her story.

This week, we’re stepping into a story we think we know and unsettling it completely. Rebecca Lehmann joins Book Gang to talk about The Beheading Game, a bold and genre-bending debut, with Anne Boleyn awakening in her coffin, gathering herself—quite literally—and setting out into the world.

But rather than a fast-paced tale of revenge, this novel unfolds as a deeply moving, introspective journey through grief, motherhood, class, and the stories history tells about women. Together, we explore what it means to reframe a figure so often reduced to scandal, how poetic language shapes narrative, and why this story lingers in the quiet spaces of reckoning rather than spectacle.

In this fascinating conversation, we explore:

From Poet to Novelist: Rebecca shares how her background as an award-winning poet shaped the language and structure of this novel, what the Iowa Writers’ Workshop taught her about craft, and what she had to unlearn when stepping into long-form fiction.

Reimagining Anne Boleyn After Death: We dive into the unforgettable opening scene—Anne awakening in her coffin and sewing her head back onto her body—and what it meant to begin the story at the end. Rebecca discusses how she approached writing Anne not as a legend, but as a woman processing the collapse of her life, her marriage, and her legacy.

Motherhood, Memory, and Reckoning: At its heart, this is a story about a mother trying to make sense of what she’s lost. We talk about Anne’s longing for her daughter, Elizabeth —the emotional core of the novel —and how this reimagining invites readers to see her not as a cautionary tale but as a fully realized woman.

17 Tudor Books from MomAdvice.com

BONUS BOOK LIST: Don’t miss this week’s companion book list with 17 Tudor Books—perfect for readers who want to stay in this world a little longer. Patrons will receive a weekly printable checklist for their next library visit!

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann

The Beheading Game Book Summary

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously laid to rest in a makeshift coffin, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for being unable to give him a male heir and reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, she was ultimately executed based on trumped-up charges of adultery, incest, and high treason.

Anne escapes the Tower of London, sews her head back on, then sets out on a quest to kill Henry VIII before he can marry her own lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour. The stakes are high—if Jane gives birth to a rival heir, Anne’s daughter, Elizabeth, will lose her claim to the throne. Traveling the streets of London in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute who becomes a trusted friend (and perhaps something more), Anne soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world.

A fantastical journey through the wilds of England and Tudor history, filled with danger and magic and steeped in Arthurian legend, The Beheading Game is a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished. Now, thanks to debut novelist Rebecca Lehmann, nearly five hundred years after Anne Boleyn’s death, one of history’s most maligned women finally has the chance to tell her story.

Rebecca Lehmann (Author)- The Beheading Game

Meet Rebecca Lehmann

Rebecca Lehmann is an award-winning poet and essayist and the author of three poetry collections, including Ringer, which won the AWP Donald Hall Prize. She holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is an associate professor of English and Gender & Women’s Studies at Saint Mary’s College. Her work has appeared in The American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, NPR’s The Slowdown, and more. She lives in Indiana with her family.

The Beheading Game Reanimates Tudor History

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

NEW BOOK LIST: 17 Tudor Books to Explore the Original Royal Drama

Join the April Book Club 4/30 at 8 PM ET (The Sunflower Boys)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann

The Tudors

Wolf Hall Books by Hilary Mantel

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

Kelly Link

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

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17 Tudor Books to Explore the Original Royal Drama

Thursday, March 26th, 2026
17 Tudor Books to Explore the Original Royal Drama from MomAdvice.com

Discover 17 Tudor books that bring the original royal drama to life, from court intrigue and ambition to romance, betrayal, and the women who shaped history.

Philippa Gregory was my welcoming guide into the captivating world of Tudor books. I distinctly recall the anticipation of each new release from the author and the comfort those stories offered during the challenging days of early motherhood. Time and again, when life feels heavy, I find myself drawn back to the drama and intrigue of England’s most legendary dynasty to pull me away from the real world.

Honestly, the Tudor era is one of those moments in history that feels almost too dramatic to be real. Stretching from 1485 to 1603, it begins with the rise of Henry VII and ends with the death of Elizabeth I, and today, we are  diving into Tudor history to celebrate the release of The Beheading Game, where I hope to lure more readers into these stories of power, scandal, and transformation that shaped a nation.

17 Tudor Books to Explore the Original Royal Drama from MomAdvice.com

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long. Patrons will receive a free printable copy of the checklist for today’s book list to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

17 Tudor Books to Explore the Original Royal Drama from MomAdvice.com

Tudor Books

Whether you’re a lifelong history buff or just looking to dip your toes into the past, this book list is your friendly guide to the fascinating world of the Tudors.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

NEW TUDOR BOOKS AND UPCOMING RELEASES

BACKLIST TUDOR BOOKS

TELL ME: What is YOUR favorite Tudor book?

Sarah Ramey- The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness (Podcast)

Thursday, March 19th, 2026
Sarah Ramey- The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness (Podcast)

In The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness, Sarah Ramey shares her journey through chronic illness and the medical system’s blind spots she uncovered.

This week, we’re bringing forward a powerful 2022 conversation with Sarah Ramey, author of The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness, whose novel was selected as a MomAdvice Book Club Book the year that this conversation was recorded.

This discussion remains as urgent and resonant today as when it first aired, offering an unflinching look at chronic illness, medical bias, and the stories women are too often forced to carry alone. In this episode, we also discuss the complexities of the mind-body connection, the role of privilege in accessing care, and the turning point that led Sarah toward healing through functional medicine.

Anne Patchett featured The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness in her “If You Haven’t Read This Book, It’s New to You” series for Parnassus Books. She described it as crackling, electrifying, funny, and fast-paced—a book that will outrage you and one you won’t be able to put down.  I co-sign this recommendation and am proud to pull this out from our studio vault as we celebrate this month’s book club book, The Mad Wife, and the ways women’s health has been so misunderstood.

In this spoiler-filled conversation:

  • A deeply personal look at life before and after chronic illness: Sarah reflects on her “B.C.” life—before chronic illness—and what it means to lose, grieve, and reconstruct identity when your body no longer cooperates.
  • Unpacking medical gaslighting and gender bias in healthcare: From being dismissed as “mentally ill” to navigating systemic disbelief, we explore why women’s pain is so often minimized—and what must change within the medical system.
  • Listening to hundreds of women—and finding patterns in pain: Drawing from interviews with over 200 women, Sarah shares the common threads in their experiences, the emotional toll of carrying those stories, and how movements like #MeToo helped create space for this conversation.  
24 Medical Drama Books to Get Your Heart Racing

BONUS BOOK LIST: Don’t miss this week’s NEW companion list with 24 Medical Drama Books to Get Your Heart Racing, available to reserve now for your best weekend ever. Patrons will receive weekly printable checklists for their next library visit!

The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness Book Summary

The darkly funny memoir of Sarah Ramey’s years-long battle with a mysterious illness that doctors thought was all in her head—but wasn’t. A revelation and an inspiration for millions of women whose legitimate health complaints are ignored.

In her harrowing, defiant, and unforgettable memoir, Sarah Ramey recounts the decade-long saga of how a seemingly minor illness in her senior year of college turned into a prolonged and elusive condition that destroyed her health but that doctors couldn’t diagnose or treat. Worse, as they failed to cure her, they hinted that her devastating symptoms were psychological.

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness is a memoir with a mission: to help the millions of (mostly) women who suffer from unnamed or misunderstood conditions–autoimmune illnesses, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, chronic pain, and many more. Ramey’s pursuit of a diagnosis and cure for her own mysterious illness becomes a page-turning medical mystery that reveals a new understanding of today’s chronic illnesses as ecological in nature, driven by modern changes to the basic foundations of health, from the quality of our sleep, diet, and social connections to the state of our microbiomes. Her book will open eyes, change lives, and, ultimately, change medicine.

Meet Sarah Ramey

Sarah Ramey is a writer and musician (known as Wolf Larsen) living in Tucson, Arizona. She received an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and was a blogger for President Obama’s 2008 campaign.

She is the recipient of a Whiting Foundation grant for nonfiction, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation residency grant, and has been featured in The Paris Review, NPR, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Salon, Refinery 29, LitHub, and The Washingtonian. The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness was an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Memoirs, it was a starred selection for Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist, and it was chosen as one of the best books of 2020 by BookPage.

Sarah has been living with serious chronic pain and illness for seventeen years, and The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness is her first book.

When It Is Not All In Your Head (The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness)

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

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Mentioned in this episode:

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NEW BOOK LIST: 24 Medical Drama Books to Get Your Heart Racing

Join the March Book Club 3/26 at 8 PM ET (The Mad Wife)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

The Lady’s Handbook for Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

Ann Patchett on The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

Chronic Pain is Surprisingly Easy to Treat

Sarno

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Katherine May

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