We are so excited to welcome Meagan Church back to the Book Gang podcast to celebrate this story as our March MomAdvice Book Club.

The Mad Wife offers readers a haunting and unforgettable journey into the pressures of womanhood and motherhood in the 1950s.

Set in the manicured suburbs, Lulu Mayfield has spent five years crafting the perfect life: a dutiful wife, a devoted mother, and the queen of molded salads.

But after the birth of her second child, the veneer begins to crack. When a seemingly picture‑perfect new neighbor arrives, and Lulu’s curiosity deepens, unsettling truths emerge that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her world — and herself. It's an unforgettable reading experience that I can't wait to discuss with you!

Related- 2026 Book Club (JOIN NOW)

Related- Meagan Church Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Books With Good Plot Twists

Linli thought she’d finally escaped her mother’s chaotic orbit, until a medical crisis pulled her back home to Los Angeles. For decades, Fanny has chased beauty through risky, underground cosmetic procedures, leaving behind a trail of infections, debt, and increasingly dangerous surgeries.

Now Linli must manage the fallout while confronting a new twist. Her mother has signed up for a reality show where contestants with botched procedures compete for reconstructive surgery.

Sharp, unsettling, and darkly funny, this debut explores how far we’ll go to reshape ourselves—and the emotional cost of loving someone who can’t stop.

Release Date- 12 May 2026

Related- Page-Turning Influencer Books

Breast cancer survivor, Pepper Mills, has a little fender-bender, spiraling into her not only losing her license, but her home, and her independence when her grown children relocate her to the Vista View Retirement Community.

Encouraged to make friends and be social, she meets another resident, the charming Moth Holden, who becomes her first "Senior" prom date at one of the assisted living social events, and the man who loves an ice cream cone and an evening walk as much as she does.

As the two spend time together off the page in the evenings, weeks later, nausea and lightheadedness have led her kids to schedule a doctor's appointment, where she discovers she's pregnant at seventy-seven.

Of course, she wants to terminate the pregnancy, but as a Texas resident navigating strict abortion laws, the worries about a procedure like this on someone at this age become a page-turning medical drama (with heart) that I could not put down. I am so excited to have Laurie joining our show to celebrate this novel that's full of surprises.

Release Date- 5 May 2026

Related- Laurie Frankel Interview (Sundays With Writers Series)

Related- Books With Older Protagonists

Ingrid, an aging and increasingly irrelevant Hollywood producer, is desperate to reclaim not just her youth, but her authority in the male-dominated space she's held ranks in until her aging demise pushed her into different waters.

When she’s presented with an experimental anti-aging procedure involving blood transfusions from a young donor, the opportunity to escape her wrinkles feels too perfect to resist. What she needs is a donor willing to commit to weekly transfusions over the course of ten weeks from someone young, healthy, discreet, and, crucially, expendable.

Maggie, a struggling writer, discovers Ingrid’s carefully worded ad—offering flexible hours, proximity to a prominent Hollywood producer, remote work, and an explicit request for a BIPOC applicant that lands exactly where it’s meant to. When Maggie discovers more about what Ingrid is proposing, it becomes an offer she can’t afford to refuse.

As the transfusions begin, it becomes evident that Ingrid isn’t just siphoning Maggie’s blood. Maggie’s writing, that's deeply personal and shaped by her immigrant family’s trauma, becomes a resource that Ingrid can’t help but covet. This is a perfect one for readers chasing more themes like The Substance.

Release Date- 14 April 2026

Related- 2026 Book Releases (47 Fresh Book Ideas)

Related- Debut Books 2026

Related- Books By AAPI Authors to Read Now

If Jodi Picoult's courtroom dramas are your jam, this book is your next best bet.

On an ordinary morning in London, Leila's life is already a balancing act, juggling her high‑powered career with the responsibilities she’s shouldered since childhood.

But when her sister's family asks her to drop off her three‑year‑old son, Max, on the way to work, a small favor becomes the heartbreak no one could have foreseen for a family who already lost one child due to a devastating medical disease.

Hours later, the unthinkable has happened. Max is found dead in Leila’s car. Forgotten in the scorching heat.

What begins as a family tragedy explodes into a high‑profile trial that will pit sister against sister, invite a merciless media spotlight, and force everyone to confront their deepest fears and dark secrets. I could not put this down- a huge thank you to Leighann for this book suggestion!

Related- Page Turners About Motherhood

Dr. Maya Rao seems to have it all. Three young children, a loving marriage, and a respected career as a gynecologist. After a troubling encounter with a patient forces her to walk away from the city hospital where she has spent her professional life, Maya finds herself at a professional crossroads.

That’s when an unexpected meeting with a charismatic entrepreneur leads her to join a luxe concierge wellness clinic where house calls, vitamin infusions, and healing crystals are the norm for affluent clients.

At first, the flexibility and promise of a better balance between work and family seem perfect, until Maya begins to see cracks in the picture‑perfect world she’s stepped into while dealing with her family’s own medical crisis.

Related- Compelling Books About Doctors

This book defines my taste and is one of my top ten novels I’ve ever read.

The first year of marriage always comes with challenges, but none could be more complicated than being diagnosed with a genetic mutation that takes away elements of your humanness.

Wren and Lewis are devastated when Lewis receives the diagnosis that he will evolve into a  great white shark due to his genetic mutation.  

As Wren struggles to make peace with their new reality, they do their best to support Lewis through his diagnosis as he struggles to maintain normalcy in his work and home life, all while his predatory nature and needs begin to emerge.

We are given a heartbreaking, hopeful, and even (at times) humorous portrait of their marriage. Wren finds new ways to incorporate joy into Lewis's daily life, evolving their menu plan to meet the needs of a shark diet, finding a pool for him to get in the water, and even concocting schemes to stay together after his final evolution.

Told in three shifting timelines, we discover a troubling backstory that offers insight into a problematic past involving a mutation of another kind and how that shaped her. It’s unforgettable.

Related- Emily Habeck Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Readers are pulled into Brammer’s story with this opening line: "The first time I watched someone die, I was five."

Clover Brooks offers death doula services in New York, acting as a liaison for families, facilitating last wishes and companionship as people near their death. She is so good at it that even when not hired for a job, the hospital will call upon her as a volunteer when families cannot be present.

While she's empathetic and emotionally attuned to people in their final days, she seems unable to replicate this for others in her life. Clover's never dated, never been kissed, and needs help understanding social cues, especially when it comes to friendship.

But everything changes when she attends a death café and meets Sebastian, a gentle soul navigating the impending loss of his beloved grandmother. Through this serendipitous encounter, Clover is drawn into the orbit of Claudia—a woman facing terminal cancer, weighed down by secrets she’s never had the courage to share with her family.  

Fueled by this newfound connection, she helps unravel the mystery that will change their lives. If you need a sweet escape, this has been a hit with so many of our readers.

Related- Books on Grief and Loss

This short, satisfying read is beautiful on audiobook.

A terminal cancer brings two lifelong best friends face to face with the inevitable; they respond the only way they know how: with fierce love, humor, and an unbreakable bond.

As one woman prepares to say goodbye and the other struggles to imagine life without her, their hospital room becomes a place for heartfelt confessions, uproarious laughter, and the kind of honesty only decades of friendship can sustain.

Heart-wrenching and unexpectedly funny, this debut captured the messy, tender ways we show up for the people we love most.

Related- Best Books to Read From 2022 (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- 17 Stunning Friendship Stories

In war-torn Homs, Syria, eighteen-year-old Salama has been forced to grow up far too quickly. Once a pharmacy student with dreams of the future, she now spends her days in a hospital overflowing with the wounded, performing medical procedures she was never trained to do as the Syrian revolution rages around her.

Haunted by grief and survivor’s guilt after losing much of her family, she is determined to get her pregnant sister-in-law, Layla, out of the country before the violence claims them too. But leaving Syria means abandoning the people she feels responsible for saving.

As fear manifests as an imagined companion urging her to flee, Salama must decide whether courage means staying to help the dying or risking everything for a chance at survival. When she meets a young activist named Kenan, hope begins to flicker amid the devastation.

Related- Unforgettable Midwife Books

Related- Captivating Books About Nurses

In one unforgettable summer in 1934, Florence Adler, a gifted swimmer, trains for a dream of breaking a record and crossing the English Channel.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, the Adlers make a desperate choice. They will keep the devastating news a secret from Florence’s older sister, Fannie, who is confined to bed with a risky pregnancy. What begins as an act of protection quickly spirals into a fragile web of silence as each member of the family struggles to carry the weight of what has been lost.

Told through multiple perspectives and inspired by a true story from the author’s own family history, Florence Adler Swims Forever is a poignant portrait of the complicated ways families try to shield one another from heartbreak.  I adored this story!

If you’re a fan of Black Mirror, you might remember the episode where potential mates are scientifically paired—a concept at the heart of this addictive thriller.

Here, DNA matching promises to find your perfect partner, but what unfolds is a tangled web of desire, heartbreak, and every gray hue of morality.

The novel weaves together multiple, compelling storylines: a straight man flounders with being matched to another man; a woman learns her soulmate died before they could meet; another woman discovers her match is terminally ill; the mastermind behind the entire matching system faces her own romantic dilemmas—and, to top it off, a serial killer is using the service to track down victims.

I listened to this on audiobook, and the narration brought every twist and turn to life. Each storyline is gripping, and the plot twists kept me hooked from start to finish.

Related- Best Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Related- 30 Fictional Serial Killer Books to Read Now

Jane has an exceptional mind and a distinct skill for cataloging events and dates and remembering every detail in any space she inhabits. That's why when this young mother begins experiencing strange episodes of amnesia, premonitions, and hallucinations, her life spirals into an unfathomable mystery.

Found unconscious in Brooklyn's Prospect Park with no recollection of the previous day, a psychiatrist is drawn into a case unlike any he's encountered. Jane reports vivid hallucinations of a man she knew decades earlier, now warning her to flee the city.

But his initial theories are quickly challenged as a series of revelations blurs the line between psychological symptoms and something far more profound. Part psychological mystery, part speculative puzzle, this eerie story is perfect for mystery genre fans.

Related- Immersive Speculative Fiction Books

It seems the perfect time to revisit this Picoult favorite that helped put her illustrious career on the map. Picoult recently announced that her upcoming thirtieth novel, Hollow Bones, will bring back beloved characters from My Sister's Keeper, with many more twists and turns.

When thirteen‑year‑old Anna Fitzgerald learns she was conceived to be a genetic match for her sister Kate, who suffers from leukemia, she makes a life‑shaking decision.

She sues her parents for medical emancipation so she can control her own body and future.

This emotionally charged novel alternates perspectives as it explores family loyalty, autonomy, and the agonizing complexity of medical choices. I count it among my favorites from the author.

If there’s one Wally Lamb novel that stands out to me, it’s this sweeping, deeply affecting story of brotherhood.

At its heart is Dominick, a man weighed down by his own scars while fiercely loving and caring for his identical twin, Thomas, whose struggle with paranoid schizophrenia is both raw and heartbreaking.

Their lives are upended when Thomas, in a moment of anguish, commits a shocking act of self-harm in a public library. This single act propels Dominick into a labyrinth of pain, loyalty, and revelation.

Lamb masterfully examines the tangled bonds of family, the relentless search for hope amid suffering, and the ways we try to piece together meaning when life feels unendurable.

Related- Books About Twins That Double the Drama

After contracting leprosy as a child in 1891, Hawaii, young Rachel Kalama is sent to the isolated leper colony at Kalaupapa.

There, she grows up among other exiled patients and witnesses not just the physical devastation of an incurable disease but the social stigma, lost family bonds, and unexpected community that forms in exile. Brennert’s novel brings to life both the historical realities of leprosy and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of physical and emotional hardship.

I have never forgotten this fascinating story that should have been a book of heartbreak, but has you walking away with such heartwarming feelings on our surprising ability to endure.

Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson is living in a hospital ward, facing a future she knows will be far shorter than it should be. But when she meets Margot — a fiercely independent eighty-three-year-old fellow patient — an unexpected friendship sparks between two women at opposite ends of life.

Together, they realize something remarkable. Between them, they’ve lived one hundred years. Determined to make those years count, Lenni and Margot begin painting 100 pictures that capture a story from their lives, from moments of joy and rebellion to love, loss, and everything in between.

As the paintings accumulate, so do the memories, revealing the surprising ways two strangers can shape each other’s final chapters. Tender, funny, and quietly profound, it turned out to be a perfect fit for our book club.

Related- Books About Art and Artists

Related- 2022 Book Club Books

Despite reading countless books about the Holocaust, I’m always struck by how much remains unfathomable—the sheer scale of suffering, the individual stories lost to history. Mischling brought that reality into sharp, unforgettable focus for me.

The novel follows twins Sasha and Pearl, swept into the notorious "Mengle’s Zoo"—the experimental group of twins imprisoned at Auschwitz under Dr. Mengele’s cruel watch. Families, desperate to spare their children, sometimes even claimed twins in hopes of protection, not knowing that this supposed salvation led to a new nightmare of medical experimentation.

Through alternating points of view, Konar gives voice to both sisters as they endure separation and inhuman tests designed to break their bond in this beautifully researched story. Her lyrical, almost otherworldly prose illuminates even the darkest moments.

Related- Affinity Konar Interview

At fifty‑plus, renowned linguistics professor Alice Howl has built a life as a brilliant researcher, a devoted family member, and a sharp, independent mind. But when early‑onset Alzheimer’s begins to unravel her memory, her identity, and everything she holds dear, Alice is faced with a terrifying truth that she may forget the very things that make her who she is.

Still Alice is an achingly honest and deeply emotional portrait of life with dementia,  told from the inside out, that reminds us that love can endure even when memory fades.

Taylor Harris’s unforgettable memoir begins with a frightening morning when her lively toddler, Tophs, wakes listless and lethargic—a moment that launches a years-long struggle through pediatric appointments, specialists, and unanswered questions.

As Harris navigates glucose crashes, developmental delays, and the evasive trail of diagnoses, she confronts not only the fragility of her son’s health but also the strain of advocating for him within health care and education systems often stacked against Black families like hers.

I'm a big fan of this writer and her incredible family.

Related- 2023 Book Club Books

Related- Books About Faith and Church

In this raw and unflinching memoir, Stash recounts Robbins’s secret, spiraling addiction to alcohol and Ambien during the unraveling of her marriage and a looming custody battle for her children.

With prescriptions from multiple doctors and a habit that climbed to more than thirty Ambien pills a day (chased with hard alcohol), Laura still tried to maintain the appearance of a normal, high-functioning life. She does school drop-offs, family obligations, and the careful performance of a mother who had everything under control.

But when the prescription pads around town begin to run dry, the truth becomes harder to outrun.

Then Laura discovers a photo on her husband’s phone. A picture he has taken of her hidden stash of pill bottles. In an instant, the secret she’s been fighting to conceal becomes the very evidence that could cost her custody of her children.

Forced to confront the reality she has long avoided, Laura enters a recovery center to detox from pills and alcohol, the only Black patient in the facility, where she must face not only the brutal work of sobriety, but the deeper truths about survival.

Relate Best Memoirs for Nonfiction November

In this deeply insightful memoir, Sarah Ramey chronicles more than a decade of battling a mysterious chronic illness that doctors initially dismissed as “all in her head.”

Her pursuit of diagnosis, meaningful care, and real answers becomes a page‑turning medical investigation that sheds light on how women’s symptoms can be misunderstood or minimized, offering sharp commentary on modern medical practice and patient advocacy.

This book lead to one of our most impactful book club chats and I am so glad that I got to hear Sarah's story.

Related- Best Reading Hacks for Chronic Pain (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Cozy Reading Guide for Chronic Pain (Incredible Advice)

Shortly after graduating from college, Suleika moves to Paris to become a war correspondent. There, she begins exhibiting unusual symptoms that lead her to a devastating diagnosis for her, her boyfriend, and her parents.

This deeply profound and meditative examination of a young life interrupted by illness showcases a wise woman beyond her years as she navigates her unusual pause in life while acknowledging that the world around her continues to spin.

Throughout this journey, she begins to chronicle her experience through a newspaper column that connects her with unlikely people. These letters, which sustained her through treatment, later inspired her to take a trip to meet them. Over the course of a 100-day, 15,000-mile road trip across the country with her dog, she meets these strangers and finds a connection with them. It was a beautiful read!

Related- Best Books About Road Trips

Related- Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing

Journalist and poet Melissa Bond delivers a vivid memoir of her accidental descent into prescription benzodiazepine dependence after being prescribed sleep medication during a period of unbearable insomnia and life stress.

As the doses escalate and her body begins to fail, Bond faces the terrifying reality of overprescription and the gaps in medical understanding around long‑term benzodiazepine use.

I found it to be a riveting recovery story that I imagine will be a great conversation starter as we familiarize ourselves with these newer growing struggles, just as we did with the opioid crisis. The ending took some surprising turns I didn't expect.

Schatz dedicates her adult debut novel to her mother, and that love radiates from every page of this deeply compassionate coming-of-age story.

Where the Girls Were follows a teenage prodigy nicknamed Baker, just two months shy of graduating as her high school valedictorian and heading to Stanford.

At a party with her cousin, she impulsively sleeps with an unremarkable boy. Weeks later, Baker finds herself at her first OB-GYN appointment, where a doctor confirms she is thirteen weeks pregnant and coldly admonishes her to keep her long legs shut in the future. In an instant, her parents’ dreams of her carefree summer vanish. Baker is to be sent away to a maternity home—what happens there, no one explains.

At the maternity home, Baker adjusts to suffocating rules and rigid routines. Girls arrive and leave without explanation, but nothing unsettles her more than a handwritten message hidden inside a closet wall: “KITTY WAS HERE.” Beneath it, in smaller letters: “but she didn’t want to be.”

That message becomes a kind of portal, pulling Baker—and the reader—into the novel’s adventurous and revelatory second half of this gorgeous story. You can meet Kate Schatz this week on the Book Gang podcast and hear more about her writing process for this beautiful story.

Related- Kate Schatz Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Coming-of-Age Books

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon.

And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft loses contact, and he and his fellow astronauts are feared dead. For his wife Vivian, it’s a nightmare come true. As the nation waits and mourns, she quietly relives their unforgettable love, refusing to believe it’s really over.

As the investigation blames operator error for Joe’s lost spacecraft, Vivian is determined to clear his name and solve the mystery.

When she starts receiving messages she believes only Joe could send, she wonders if their love can truly cross space and time—and she’ll do anything to bring him home.

Release Date- 7 July 2026

What happens when we make mistakes that can’t be fixed? How do we keep going without clear answers? These questions lie at the heart of M. L. Stedman’s powerful new novel, A Far-flung Life.

The story begins in the late 1950s with a tragic truck accident, then follows the family through the 1960s as they deal with trauma and hidden secrets.

The MacBrides have lived for generations on a huge sheep station in remote Western Australia. One ordinary day on a quiet road beneath a vast blue sky, Phil swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In an instant, the MacBride family’s lives are shattered.

Then, tragedy deepens as unexpected consequences unfold in this gripping family saga. Be sure to be aware that this novel includes several trigger warnings worth investigating to see if it is a good fit for your reading life.

In the summer of 1966, three women, shattered by the revelation that their husbands were serial killers, find themselves cast out in shame. Refusing to fade quietly, they forge an unexpected bond and turn their pain into resolve—banding together to hunt a killer themselves.

Arnott, an acclaimed journalist with a deep background in true crime, writes with insight and purpose, shifting the focus onto the women’s strength and agency. I am so excited to dig into this story.

Related- 30 Fictional Serial Killer Books to Read Now

It’s the summer of ’69. While her friends enjoy free love and rock and roll, Suzannah is home from college, tucked away in her conservative Southern household. But everything changes when her free-spirited best friend, Livy, resurfaces, urging Suzannah, a talented singer, to join her for three days of peace and music in upstate New York.

Fed up with her father’s rules and fearful for her brother’s fate in Vietnam, Suzannah agrees to the road trip and unlocks  a journey of self-transformation.

Set in 1964 California, Meet the Newmans follows America’s beloved TV family as cultural upheaval shakes their polished world, forcing everyone—from stars to scriptwriters—to confront changing roles for women and men.

When patriarch Del is sidelined by a mysterious accident, Dinah invites an ambitious reporter to shape the show’s farewell. Ambition and tradition collide, and the shifting landscape of women’s work brings both new opportunities and fierce pushback.

Related- Family Drama Books

Related- 2026 Book Releases (BIG LIST)

Related- Jennifer Niven Interview (Sundays With Writers Blog Series)

Where do you get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, especially if your small town’s midwife goes to the same church as your parents?

For seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, the answer is Atlanta, where her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, calls upon her brash, wealthy childhood best friend, Sylvia, for help.

While waiting to hear from the doctor who has agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but drawn to, the people who move in and out of Sylvia’s orbit: celebrities whom Doris has seen in the pages of Jet and Ebony, civil rights leaders such as Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash, women who dance close together, boys who flirt too hard and talk too much, atheists! 

And even more shocking? Mrs. Lucas seems right at home.

These Heathens is a funny and touching story about Black women’s duties and dreams, what we owe ourselves, and how stepping outside your comfort zone—even for one wild weekend—can change everything.

Related- Black History Monh Books (To Read ALL YEAR LONG)

Related- Compelling Books About Doctors

Related- Unforgettable Midwife Books

Set in 1961 in the Netherlands, this acclaimed debut and 2025 Women’s Prize winner follows Isabel (Isa), a careful recluse who cares for her family’s ancestral home. When her brother’s girlfriend Eva comes to stay for the summer, Isa’s strict routines and hidden grief are shaken as a surprising romance grows.

It’s a tender story of love, change, and self-discovery in the shadows of the past. Prepare for a beautiful story twist! I ate this story up.

Related- Books With Good Plot Twists That Will Make Your Jaw Drop

Related- Best Literary Fiction Books For Character-Driven Adventures

Johnson offers a beautifully researched story that pulls readers into 1960s Nashville and 1990s Chicago, following a mother and daughter as they confront the social justice movements that shaped modern America.

In the earlier timeline, Freda grows up sheltered within her affluent Black family until her arrival at Fisk University exposes her to the harsh realities of segregation and the rising tide of activism that challenges everything she's been taught.

Her daughter Tulip's 1990s storyline echoes those same questions of privilege and responsibility as she witnesses the Rodney King trial and steps into the work of justice through her PR expertise, even when it costs her personally.

Johnson masterfully harmonizes the music of mothers and daughters, weaving an intimate yet sweeping story that offers readers a soul-stirring portrait of the powerful ties that bind across time.

Related- Nancy Johnson Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- 2026 Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Related- Dual-Timeline Books

Related- Unforgettable Campus Novels

This sweeping historical novel toggles between past and present as Beth — a woman living a quiet life on a sheep farm in 1950s–60s Dorset, England — finds her world upended when Gabriel, her long‑lost first love, returns.

Old passions and secrets rise to the surface, drawing her into a harrowing web of romance, jealousy, and moral reckoning that culminates in dramatic consequences.

With twists of thriller pacing and deep emotional stakes, the story explores how early love and loss can reverberate across decades, pushing Beth to face both danger and her own heart’s desires.

Related- My Top Celebrity Book Club Picks

Related- Books About Authors and Publishing

I loved Di Maio's novel, which features full-cast narration, bringing to life two women in the 1960s who escape their circumstances through a rigorous training program to become Pan Am stewardesses.

From wearing an identical shade of vibrant lipstick in Revlon's Persian Melon no matter their skin tone to their matching uniforms that cost $300 and that must be purchased with their own money to begin their careers, you will delight in all the illuminating details that Camille gathered through interviewing real stewardesses, taking care to showcase women as industrious trendsetters who also happened to be incredibly attractive to boot.

Related- JOIN THE PATREON FOR MY MONTHLY READING GUIDES

Related- The Best Prime Reading Guide

This haunting slow-burn mystery unfolds between the early 1960s and the mid‑1970s, centering on the disappearance of young Bear Van Laar in 1961.

Years later, the trail gone cold, his sister Barbara returns to the woods where he vanished, confronting buried memories, grief, and the possibility of redemption. Moore’s evocative storytelling weaves atmospheric suspense with emotional depth across decades.

I read the novel with the paper copy and audiobook in my ears, and that would be the ONLY way to go, as each POV shift offers timelines beneath each character's name that would be a nightmare to track. The novel also offers a detailed map of the grounds, where mystery readers can follow locations as they move through the property. 

Related- Atmospheric Books to Get Lost In

Pete Cross delivers an impeccable audiobook performance in this autofiction novel, which explores Lofton's experiences growing up as a gay boy in the Deep South in the 1960s and 1970s.

Philbet is a tender-hearted boy who doesn’t notice his physical differences until a cruel family comment breaks his innocence. From then on, his misshapen chest becomes a quiet source of shame, shaping how he moves through life.

As he comes of age, he begins to understand his attraction to boys—especially one older boy who stirs feelings he can't ignore—adding another layer of secrecy in a town where difference is dangerous.

Despite the weight of judgment and isolation, Red Clay Suzie is ultimately a story of resilience, full of humor, heart, and the stubborn hope of a boy learning to love himself just as he is.

Related- Jeffrey Dale Lofton Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Disability Pride Books

Related- LGBTQ History Month Books

If you don't mind traveling through a few decades, Read's moving story takes place roughly between 1948 and the early 1970s, covering the destruction of the town of Iola in the 1960s to make way for the Blue Mesa Dam.

Victoria meets Wilson Moon, a Native American drifter, and their bond faces the harsh realities of racism in their close-knit community. These consequences later force her to make a devastating decision that alters her life and those of another family, unexpectedly intertwined.

Spanning decades, this spellbinding novel beautifully captures the backdrop of a captivating mountainous landscape that becomes her sanctuary and a force that shapes her destiny. As the government's plans to flood the area shift, Victoria becomes resolute in preserving her family's beloved peach orchard no matter what. I loved this story so much!

Related- These Books About Food Hit the Sweet Spot

I have been so immersed in this spirited novel that brings together the real-life literary icons Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins through the eyes of a young editorial assistant chasing her own dreams.

Wit, ambition, and audacious sex-textual storytelling collide in 1960s and ’70s New York and London, where no rule book for women writers existed, much less one they couldn’t break. The result is a glamorous, brassy tribute to female defiance and success that's delightfully juicy on audiobook.

Don't be surprised if you see this in our summer reading guide this year!

Related- Books About Books

The Great Reclamation sweeps readers into a transforming Singapore, where gentle-hearted Ah Boon grows up in a vibrant fishing village and discovers his gift for finding hidden, shifting islands.

As he and spirited Siok Mei grow up together, their childhood bond and his unique abilities shape both their futures and the fate of their community. When war and change come, their friendship is tested by loss, loyalty, and the sacrifices required in a nation on the brink of rebirth.

Lush and evocative, this coming-of-age story is on my contender list for next year’s book club.

Related- Books By AAPI Authors to Read Now

Related- Enthralling Books Set on Islands

Fader's juicy historical fiction novel follows three friends in nursing school during the Vietnam War. The story's most surprising element is how a nursing career collides with a job on a Hollywood set.

This story's flashback sequences are told partly through journal entries and partly through a surprise funeral guest who remembers one of these women all too well. It turns out our mothers can have a whole life without us!

Fader's writing shines as she vividly depicts the challenges these nurses faced and how women were treated in the early days of these nursing programs, an eye-opening account drawn from Molly's mother's experiences.

Related- Molly Fader Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Books About Nurses

Related- Best Books About Old Hollywood

And They Called It Camelot traces the remarkable journey of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, beginning with her ambitious start as a “photo girl” at the Washington Times‑Herald and following her through the dizzying heights and devastating depths of a life lived in the national spotlight.

The story smartly follows the story into her second marriage, after this loss, with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, a union that suffered immensely under the fierce weight of public scrutiny, making this story altogether more fascinating.

The details from this part of her life were entirely unfamiliar to me and quite revelatory in how this seemed to be a union of security rather than a fairy-tale romance. I am so glad I read this one for Women's History Month. I learned so much.

Hill's novel is not set solely in the 1960s, but centers a good portion of its story around the 1968 Chicago protests.  

Samuel, a disillusioned professor, has his world upended when he learns his estranged mother has been arrested for assaulting a politician. It’s a shocking headline—especially since Samuel hasn’t spoken to her in over twenty years.

With his own career on the rocks and desperate for a new book idea, Samuel agrees to write a memoir about his mother’s life, forcing him into an unexpected journey through her past and their fractured relationship. Hill masterfully weaves together timelines, jumping from the free-spirited 1960s to a 2011 present day with great cinematic flair.

McBride's novel, set in 1969 Brooklyn, has been on my reading bucket list for ages.  THIS IS THE YEAR.

The story brilliantly ignites with an improbable act when an elderly church deacon shoots a local drug dealer in broad daylight.

The ripple effect of that moment brings a vivid cast together — from churchgoers to cops to gang members — in an unforgettable portrait of community, chaos, and redemption. Readers love the author's signature blend of humor and heart, which makes this a moving snapshot of life on the margins and the ties that bind us.

This page-turner, set in the 1960s, examines the era with fresh eyes as Lorraine, a gifted teenage girl, navigates an unexpected pregnancy during her senior year of high school.

When Lorraine discovers the pregnancy, she receives little information about what is happening in her body or the process. Instead, sent to a maternity home for teen girls, and the parents pray that no one will ever know of her shameful secret. Lorraine's shame is palatable, but for the boy involved, this is barely a blip in his promising future.

As societal expectations and familial pressures ground Lorraine,  Church examines the underbelly of perfect picket fences and suburban dreams. We then realize everyone has a shameful secret that could have grounded them at some point.

Related- Meagan Church Interview

Related- Best Fiction Books of 2023

Related- The Best Book Club Books to Discuss Now

All the Children Are Home is a deeply moving family saga set against the shifting landscape of the late 1950s and 1960s, brought to life in a beautifully immersive full-cast audiobook, which was a big surprise when I listened to this one last month.

Through the eyes of the Moscatelli foster family and the children they take in — especially six-year-old Agnes, torn from everything she’s ever known — Patry Francis crafts a tale that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful, in equal measures.

Patry Francis, who passed away in July 2022 after battling pancreatic cancer, poured her deep empathy and understanding of family into this and her other works. It was a joy to interview the author in our Sundays With Writers series.

Related- Patry Francis Interview (Sundays With Writers Series)

On a stormy night, an unlikely couple knocks on a stranger’s door. Lynnie, a woman with an intellectual disability, and Homan, a Deaf man, have run away from a brutal institution where they have been placed because of their disabilities.

A friendly schoolteacher  finds that she has opened the door to a journey she never could have anticipated. As the police begin to bang on the door looking for them, Lynnie hands her a brand new baby and utters just two words to the teacher, “Hide her.”

Simon’s story is tender and quietly powerful, centering love in a decade not always known for compassion toward difference. The story beautifully chronicles forty years in the lives of these characters as their paths take unlikely turns through this slow, winding story.

This historical thriller has been described as "Jurassic Park meets Evelyn Hugo," and now I can’t wait to check this out.

When Katie Barstow, an A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they do not expect a kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers, guns to their heads.

Bohjalian delivers a blistering story of fame, race, love, and death in 1964.

Spanning two generations and musical eras, this soapy Jewish family drama traces Judie Zingerman’s ascent as one half of a folk-rock duo in the 1960s, then shifts to her daughter Emma, who chases alt-rock stardom in the 1990s.

Emma’s journey is transformed when she discovers her mother’s old notebooks and unreleased songs, unraveling the sacrifices Judie made at the height of her fame.

Seltzer delivers a lyrical, emotionally layered exploration of songwriting, legacy, and the ways music passed from parent to child can both heal and haunt its inheritors. I couldn't put this one down!

Related- Books About Music

Related- Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

This time-travel epic drops a modern-day teacher into 1960 with one mission: stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

As he settles into small-town life, falling in love and absorbing the era's rhythms, history begins to push back. King recreates early-60s America in vivid detail — diners, dance halls, and the looming shadow of Dallas.

It’s part love story, part political thriller, and wholly immersive. I promise you will be on a suspenseful journey filled with unexpected plot twists in this Stephen King adventure story. I could not put it down!

Related- The Best Time Travel Books to Escape Real Life

Julia Whelan delivers an impeccable performance on Hannah's historical fiction novel, offering an earnest portrayal of the lives of nurses who served in the Vietnam War but were seemingly forgotten.

This novel celebrates nurses and their service during the Vietnam War, a detail few Americans think about, showcasing the sacrifices they made and the disbelief they faced upon returning home. It delivers on the book's goals while encompassing a signature soapier spin perfect for fans of her earlier work on Firefly Lane.

I appreciated the accurate portrayal of PTSD on returning and the haunting nature of caring for patients in this environment.

Be sure to tune into this week’s Book Gang podcast to hear more behind Rachel Hochhauser’s incredible writing journey.

This hypnotic debut offers readers a fresh slant on the Cinderella story, reframing the evil stepmother with unseen challenges and motivations on the infamous night of the ball, flipping the well-known fairytale on its head.

Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley has lost two husbands and is now left to maintain a run-down manor and secure futures for her daughters. When a royal ball promises a way out of poverty, she gambles everything—only to discover hope in the most unanticipated alliance.

Hochhauser's writing feels as timeless as the story itself, shining in details that could only be captured by a mother, the ultimate observer and protector of her children. As the narrative escalates into a soapy crescendo, we glimpse behind palace walls where nothing is as it seems.

Contemplating what truly makes a happily-ever-after anyway, Lady Tremaine gazes at her daughters as they observe the natural world, ever ready to protect them from any threat. "I want to reach for them. Pull them close. But I do not have enough hands to hold them all. So, instead, I watch them. Absorb each detail. Twin sable braids and blond curls. Freckles and scars and mud."

This distinctive catalog is one any mother will know well, and it feels as if someone took a scalpel to my heart and peered inside to see how I observe and love my own children. This story is pure magic and establishes Rachel as a talent to watch.

Related- Rachel Hochhauser Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Ward delivers a harrowing tale in this new Peter Pan retelling.

Set deep in the unforgiving Colorado Rockies, the story begins when Riley, a resourceful young teen, awakens in the dead of night and flees with her little brother, Oliver, from their abusive home.

They’re chasing whispers of Nowhere,  an abandoned ranch once owned by a reclusive movie star now whispered about as a refuge for runaways.

What Riley discovers is that Nowhere isn’t just a hideout, but a place with ghosts in the ashes, guarded by fiercely territorial children and steeped in secrets.

Told through multiple interwoven perspectives — including the siblings and documentary filmmakers — you can chase the legend of Nowhere together.

Though not a direct retelling of a single classic tale, The Swan's Daughter earns its fairy-tale adjacency through its swan-maiden mythology, cursed royalty, enchanted competitions for marriage, and the kind of lyrical, fate-driven romance that feels pulled from the oldest storybooks.

Prince Arris fears marriage because a wish to a sea witch dooms every ruler of Malys to die and turn into a tree the day after their wedding. In this kingdom where love and death mix, the tournament of brides offers both hope and danger.

Then there’s Demelza, a veritas swan whose song reveals hidden truths. Forced into hiding but full of sharp wit and courage, she makes a deal with Arris—her truth-telling for his protection.

Their journey leads through sparkling caves, risky courts, and dances where love and danger blur.

This dark, twisted retelling of The Goose Girl mixes eerie magic with sharp humor and real danger.

Fourteen-year-old Cordelia has never had a normal life. Under her mysterious sorceress mother’s strict rule, she’s been trained to be silent and “obedient,” with only her horse Falada for comfort.

When her mother’s plans bring them to a wealthy squire’s grand manor and his watchful sister Hester, Cordelia finds a rare chance for freedom—and a frightening way out of the only home she’s known. As secrets come to light and threats grow, Cordelia must face what it costs to escape her mother’s magic and what it means to protect those she cares about.

Marissa Meyer takes the chilling Bluebeard legend and turns it into a captivating mix of romance, mystery, and ghostly suspense.

Mallory Fontaine is a con artist who uses her ghost-sight and a family story she doesn’t really deserve. She and her sister sell fake charms and lead tours of the infamous House Saphir, where Count Bastien Saphir committed grisly murders.

When Armand Saphir—the count’s handsome heir—hires them to clear his ancestral home of restless spirits, Mallory jumps at the chance for easy money and maybe some respect. But old and new murders, clever ghosts, and hidden monsters turn the job into a deadly game.

Between teasing ghosts and a growing attraction to Armand, Mallory must decide if her heart is worth risking—even if the house might never let her go.

Related- Captivating Books on Con Artists

Described as a reimagined Beauty and the Beast, Ivey spins a dark yarn in her mesmerizing third novel, which left me in a puddle of tears after I finished the final page.

Single mother Birdie struggles to get by in a rough Alaskan town while waiting tables, often with her young daughter, Emaleen, by her side at a local inn.

When Arthur Neilsen—a reclusive stranger with a haunting backstory—rescues Emaleen from the woods, Birdie is drawn to both him and the untamed world he inhabits.

Against all warnings from wary locals, she and Emaleen follow him deep into the remote mountains, where life begins in his dusty, neglected, moss-covered home, which the girls immediately fill with great care and love.

But the dream unravels when Emaleen spots Arthur through a pair of binoculars roaming the woods wearing only a bear skin.

This eerie detail shifts the novel's trajectory, leading to a haunting exploration of Arthur's chilling origin story as a child—crafted with the same depth and wonder that defined Ivey's magical realism debut, The Snow Child.

Related- Eowyn Ivey interview

Related- Best Magical Realism Books

Adelmann's page-turning plot depicts an unusual support group meeting in a New York City basement with women who have been victims of fairy tales. Some women are true fairy tale characters, like Little Red Riding Hood. Others are modern-day fairy tale characters, like Ashlee E. on a Bachelor reality dating show series.

Each victim gets the floor (and a chapter) on what has happened to them. When viewed through a modern lens, we have a more sympathetic and layered account that makes us even more uncomfortable than the original tale.

For example, think about Gretel's sugar addiction and dental problems after her traumatizing capture. How would this change their eating habits? What if the story wasn't even true, and there was a completely different version of this commonly told fable?

Thanks to the chapter setup, it reads like a short story series. It was as addictive as any reality TV show, but be mindful of the warnings about the fairy tale crimes and the graphic repercussions of each fictional victim.

If Pinocchio met Wall-E with a side of Swiss Family Robinson, you'd get something like this quirky, heartwarming sci-fi fairy tale.

In a world where machines rule and humans are all but extinct, Victor and his misfit family of robots live a peaceful, hidden existence—until their past catches up with them.

TJ Klune brings his signature blend of humor and found-family warmth to this story, making it both a whimsical adventure and a quietly profound meditation on love, identity, and what it means to be human.

FUN FACT: Klune spent six months interviewing individuals on the autism spectrum to authentically portray Victor, aiming to contrast human complexity with the robots surrounding him.

Related- Books With Autistic Characters

Related- Cozy Fantasy Books to Lower Your Stress Levels

A dark and mesmerizing reimagining of Baba Yaga, this story follows estranged siblings Bellatine and Isaac Yaga, who inherit a house with chicken legs—yes, actual chicken legs.

As they embark on a cross-country puppet show tour, a sinister force known as the Longshadow Man pursues them, unraveling long-buried family secrets.

Thistlefoot combines Eastern European folklore, Jewish myth, and real history into a compelling family saga.

This lush retelling of The Goose Girl follows Princess Alyrra, who welcomes an arranged marriage to escape her cruel family—until she's betrayed and magically stripped of her identity.

Forced to survive as a lowly goose girl while an imposter takes her place, Alyrra must decide whether to fight for the throne or choose the quiet life she's come to love.

In a note to readers, Initsar shared, "If you are looking for a kick-butt heroine who takes names, Thorn is not the book for you. I wrote this story for myself, because I am not a kick-butt heroine, and if it came down to that, I would most certainly not save the day. But I truly believe that regular girls can save the day--girls who have seen the worst of humanity, who have faced sorrow and fear and hopelessness and were pretty sure they didn't have what it would take, and yet kept on going."

Intisar is the author of the Dauntless Path books (beginning with Thorn) and The Sunbolt Chronicles.

Marissa Meyer's Heartless is a standalone novel that serves as a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, focusing on the backstory of the Queen of Hearts.

Meyer's gives us context to Wonderland's most fearsome ruler, following Cath as she navigates court politics, a forbidden love with a charming joker, and the crushing weight of royal expectations.

Meyer's is an expert at breathing new life into classic tales, and this Alice in Wonderland retelling is no exception—equal parts whimsical and heartbreaking. This origin story proves that even the most infamous villains were once just hopeful girls with hungry hearts.

This One Thousand and One Nights retelling is the kind of sweeping, romantasy that you'll want to devour in one sitting.

When Shahrzad volunteers to marry the monstrous boy-king who murders his brides each dawn, she plans to take her revenge—until she realizes there's more to him than the rumors suggest.

Lush prose, slow-burning romance, and a heroine who wields stories as both weapon and shield make this a must-read for anyone who loves fairy tales with a bite.

FUN FACT: The Wrath & the Dawn is the first book in a duology, followed by The Rose & the Dagger. The series has been praised for its rich Middle Eastern cultural context and intricate world-building, earning a spot on the New York Times bestseller list!

The second installment in Alix E. Harrow's Fractured Fables series throws us back into the multiverse of fairy tales, this time with a twist on Snow White that questions what happens after the happily ever after.

Zinnia Gray has made a career out of fixing fairy tales, but when she gets pulled into a mirror and face-to-face with an aging Evil Queen who refuses to go quietly, she starts to wonder if villains deserve a second chance, too.

Harrow's writing is as sharp and enchanting as ever, giving us a meta, feminist, and another wildly fun take on fractured fairy tales.

Related- Books About Parallel Universes & Multiverse

Maas has shared that the A Court of Thorn and Roses romantasy series was inspired by three of her all-time favorite fairy tales: Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and Tam Lin.

Feyre, a young huntress, is taken captive by the fae after killing a wolf and must navigate the dangers of the fae realm. As she grows closer to the mysterious Tamlin, she learns that there is much more at stake than her own freedom.

Maas's world-building is rich, and the romance and intrigue will captivate readers, making this an essential read for fans of magical retellings.

This popular book series includes five novels. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and have been published in thirty-seven languages!

Gregory Maguire is the master of fairy tale subversion, peeling back the layers of familiar stories to reveal something darker, richer, and undeniably human.

Wicked flips The Wizard of Oz on its head, giving us a deeply imagined backstory for Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch of the West. In Maguire's Oz, politics, prejudice, and power struggles shape a world far more complex than the one Dorothy saw.

This novel explores what it means to be labeled a villain when you're just trying to survive. But it is important to know that the stage adaptation is very different from this novel, which focuses more heavily on the politics of Oz.

Inspired by The Wild Swans, Princess Shiori'anma harbors a forbidden secret: magic courses through her veins.

On the day of her betrothal ceremony, an accidental display of her powers catches the attention of her stepmother, Raikama, who curses Shiori and her six brothers.

Transformed into cranes, her brothers can only regain their human forms at night, while Shiori is rendered voiceless; each word she utters will result in one of her brothers' deaths.

Banished from her kingdom, Shiori embarks on a perilous quest to break the curse, relying on her resilience, a sentient paper crane named Kiki, a shapeshifting dragon, and the very boy she was betrothed to marry.

Lim weaves a tale with stunning world-building, an irresistible slow-burn romance, and a heroine who refuses to break. This is a must-read.

What if Cinderella's happily ever after became a nightmare for every girl who came after her? In this fiercely feminist retelling, girls in the Kingdom of Lille are forced to attend an annual ball where men select their wives—or else they disappear.

Unwilling to accept this fate, Sophia flees and discovers the truth about Cinderella's legend, igniting a revolution that could change everything.

With queer romance, sharp social commentary, and a heroine who refuses to be silenced, this is a Cinderella story like you've never seen before.

FUN FACT: Kalynn Bayron, the author of Cinderella Is Dead is also a classically trained vocalist!

Red Riding Hood meets the apocalypse in this brutal, gripping retelling.

In a world ravaged by disease and violence, Red is determined to survive and reach the safety of her grandmother's house—but the journey is treacherous, and the biggest threat isn't the virus but the predators who roam the woods.

Along the way, she confronts the dangers of the wild and the darker side of humanity, challenging those traditional notions of vulnerability and strength.

FUN FACT: Christina Henry is renowned for her dark retellings of classic fairy tales, including Alice and Lost Boy, which reimagine the stories of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, respectively.

West African mythology meets The Little Mermaid in this lush and lyrical fantasy. Simi is a Mami Wata, a mermaid tasked with guiding souls lost at sea to the afterlife—until she saves a drowning boy and defies the gods in the process.

With its rich mythology, breathtaking world-building, and a story that blends adventure with deep emotional stakes, this is a must-read for Children of Blood and Bone fans.

FUN FACT: Natasha Bowen, of Nigerian and Welsh descent, drew inspiration from her heritage and African folklore to craft this compelling narrative. Her dedication to authenticity led her to consult with an Ifá priest to deepen her understanding of Yoruba culture and the Orísha deities, enriching the novel's cultural depth.

This haunting historical retelling sets Hansel and Gretel against the horrors of WWII.

As the war draws to a close, a Jewish father and stepmother make the heart-wrenching decision to abandon their two children in a dense forest, hoping to increase their chances of survival.

Renaming themselves "Hansel" and "Gretel" to conceal their Jewish identities, the siblings wander through the woods until they encounter Magda, an elderly woman labeled a "witch" by local villagers. Magda takes them in, and together they navigate the perils of a land ravaged by war, confronting both human cruelty and the enduring spirit of hope.

Related- 53 Historical Fiction Novels to Read Now

Cinder kicks off the Lunar Chronicles with a futuristic, action-packed twist on the classic tale, featuring a heroine who's as much mechanic as a princess.

Set in a futuristic world plagued by a deadly disease, the story follows Linh Cinder, a skilled mechanic who is also a cyborg—a status that makes her a second-class citizen.

When Prince Kai brings his broken android to her for repair, Cinder becomes entangled in a web of secrets and conflict. As she uncovers truths about her past, she faces choices that could shape the future of Earth and its colonies.

FUN FACT: Marissa Meyer began developing the concept for Cinder during the 2008 National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) contest, where she initially wrote a story focusing on a futuristic version of Puss in Boots. This early work laid the foundation for her later decision to create a series of fairy tale retellings set in the future.

What happens when the girl who once flew to Neverland grows up? In Wendy, Darling, A.C. Wise gives us a feminist, psychological take on Peter Pan, in which Wendy—now an adult and a mother—must return to Neverland to save her kidnapped daughter.

But this time, she sees through the magic to the dark truths hidden beneath. If you've ever wondered what happens after the fairy tale ends, this haunting and beautifully written novel will stay with you.

Arden's memorable debut novel retells a Russian fairy tale about Frost, a blue-eyed winter demon.

Vasilisa, a young girl who can see the ancient spirits of the forest, finds herself caught between the old ways and the new.

After her mother dies, her father brings home a bride who forbids the family from honoring the household spirits. This refusal leads to a series of unfortunate events, and Vasilisa must defy everyone she loves and use the gifts she has long concealed as her village falls under the grip of an oppressive winter.

FUN FACT: The novel is the first in Arden's Winternight Trilogy, with the subsequent books being The Girl in the Tower and The Winter of the Witch. The trilogy was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Series.

This Beauty and the Beast retelling gives us a fierce, no-nonsense heroine and a cursed prince trapped in a brutal time loop.

Harper, a young woman from Washington, D.C., living with cerebral palsy, is unexpectedly transported to the magical land of Emberfall. There, she encounters Prince Rhen, who is bound by a curse that repeatedly forces him to relive the same season, each cycle ending with his transformation into a monstrous form.

Harper becomes entwined in Rhen's quest to break the curse, facing challenges that test her resilience and perceptions of heroism.

With action, romance, and a fresh take on familiar tropes, this is perfect for readers who love their fairy tales with a side of high-stakes fantasy.

Related- Best Time Travel TV Shows & Movies

Related- Best Time Travel Books

Related- Books About Alternate Realities

Related- Time Loop Books

In this Rumpelstiltskin retelling, Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders. Her dad has been far too kind to those he has loaned money to, and Miryem decides to step up on his behalf. Due to her ability to bring in the riches, she soon becomes known as the girl who spins silver into gold.

When her boasting attracts the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—she unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl whose father plans to wed her to the Tsar.

But the Tsar isn't who he seems, and his secret threatens to consume them all. Torn between these choices, Miryem, along with two unlikely allies, embarks on a quest to save the world.

FUN FACT: Naomi Novik expanded Spinning Silver from a short story she originally published in 2016, transforming it into a novel that garnered several prestigious awards, including the 2019 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

This Peter Pan reimagining asks: What if Wendy's granddaughter had a daughter of her own—one who's gone missing—and Peter Pan is the reason why?

Holly has established herself as a successful skincare entrepreneur, cherishing her son, Jack, while keeping the tragic events of her past at bay. However, her life takes a wild turn when she learns that her daughter, Eden—who has been in a coma for nearly a decade—has mysteriously vanished.

Suspecting the involvement of the real and perilous Peter Pan, Holly launches a daring quest to rescue Eden, confronting the haunting legacy of her family's history

Be sure to check the content warnings on this novel before reading.

FUN FACT: The inspiration for Darling Girl was drawn from the life of the Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie, particularly the profound impact of his brother David's tragic death on his perspective of love and eternal youth.

Elle Wittimer, a devoted fan of the cult-classic sci-fi series Starfield, finds solace in her late father's cherished show while navigating the challenges posed by her unsupportive stepmother and stepsisters.

When Elle discovers a cosplay contest at ExcelsiCon—a convention founded by her father—she seizes the opportunity to honor his memory and connect with her beloved fandom. The contest offers a chance to meet the actor playing Prince Carmindor in the upcoming Starfield reboot.

Teen heartthrob Darien Freeman, selected to play Prince Carmindor, struggles with the pressures of fame and fears of not meeting the expectations of die-hard fans. But, through a series of anonymous text messages, Elle and Darien find a bond unlike any other.

In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, Beauty is no conventional heroine, but when she takes her father's place in the Beast's castle, she finds herself unraveling the mysteries of his curse and discovering love where she least expects it.

Published in 1978, this novel marked McKinley's debut and has since become a beloved classic in the realm of fairy tale retellings.

Interestingly, some readers have noted similarities between McKinley's portrayal and Disney's 1991 animated adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, particularly in Beauty's love for books and the enchanted household items, sparking discussions about possible influences.

Cinderella meets reality TV in this body-positive, charming romance.

Cindy, a plus-size aspiring designer, joins a Bachelor-style dating show—only to realize that the prince might actually be falling for her. With Julie Murphy's signature humor and heart, this is a delightful, empowering take on happily ever afters.

If you are on the hunt for more books like this, Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone shared their favorite plus-size characters on the Book Gang podcast to celebrate their latest romance collaboration adventures.

Related- Best Second Chance Romance Novels

Related- Best One Bed Trope Books

What happens when fairy tale princesses are programmed to serve—and what happens when one of them starts to want something more?

The Kingdom is a Disney-meets-Westworld fever dream set in a futuristic theme park where android princesses exist to make guests' dreams come true.

But when one of them is accused of murder, we're thrown into a gripping mystery that questions autonomy, humanity, and the cost of happily ever after.

Related- Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Revisiting this novel for book club was such a treat this past year. I forgot how beautifully Frankel weaves a fairy tale into her gorgeous family drama.

While I hesitate to frame the acceptance that is showered upon this child as they explore their gender identity feels like a fairy tale, I hope one day it is a story that feels more grounded in everyone's reality as the years go by.

In This Is How It Always Is, Penn's bedtime fairy tales also serve as a profound parallel to the family's real-life experiences. These stories, woven throughout the novel, mirror the journey of their youngest child, Claude, who identifies as Poppy.

As the family navigates the journey of gender identity, the evolving fairy tale reflects their challenges and growth, pulling the story together in the best little happily ever after.

Related- Join the 2025 Book Club

Related- 2024 Book Club Books

This novel offers a spellbinding audiobook experience, making it an unforgettable fairy tale adventure.

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent their lives on the run, constantly dodging the streak of bad luck that seems to haunt them.

Alice's mother is kidnapped by a figure from the Hinterland, a cruel supernatural realm inspired by her grandmother's stories, leaving behind a chilling warning for Alice to stay away from the Hazel Wood.

Ignoring her mother's advice, she launches a perilous quest to find the magical Hazel Wood, accompanied by a classmate and die-hard fan of her grandmother's work. As you may guess, secrets are uncovered and truths revealed.

Related- Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing

Related- 26 Incredible Books About Books

Fans of Erasure will find much to love in this gorgeous debut that we are celebrating this week on the Book Gang podcast.

Layla and her husband, Eli, are struggling after eight years together when Layla accepts a choreographer job in a mostly white community, leaving Eli behind. The position, meant to provide stability for a hoped-for family, quickly becomes complicated when Layla is pushed by her boss, Margot, to infuse her work with political meaning.

Growing uncomfortable with her direction, she is tasked with directing an all-Black dance troupe where a comedy of manners and microaggressions ensue.

Meanwhile, the distance between her and Eli grows, and Layla learns she is finally pregnant after past heartbreak. As she confronts challenges at work and in her marriage, she learns to stand up for herself and to embrace an important role in her own Black identity.

In a satisfying and slim 256 pages, Morrow brings the story together with a revelatory flourish in this grown-up “coming of age” narrative in which our main character finds her voice and, ultimately, discovers that choosing yourself is far more rewarding than choosing the visions of someone else, even the well-intentioned people in our lives.

Related- Lauren Morrow Interview (Book Gang Podcast)

Related- Books About Midlife

Related- Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Guillory makes a joyful leap into young adult fiction with a contemporary story that twirls ballet into a summer of self‑discovery and first love.

Senior‑year hopeful Kat “Kitty” planned on a quiet summer of college prep and freedom before she was sent to a California desert camp where she can’t escape the memory of the ballet she once loved and reluctantly left behind.

When she stumbles upon a staff party filled with spontaneous dancing that stirs something in her she thought she’d quit, she's drawn back to movement... and to Jordan, the magnetic hip‑hop instructor who challenges her to let go and just feel the music.

Balancing her past devotion to ballet with new rhythms and a budding romance, she must ask what she’s really willing to risk to reclaim the joy of dance and define her own path forward.

Release Date- 26 October 2026

Ballard's spicy, dance‑filled romance introduces readers to Allegra Hart, a devoted ballerina with her eye on the principal role at Ballet New York who’s determined to prove she has what it takes to lead the next big production.

When her director suggests she lacks the sex appeal for the part she’s dreamed of since childhood, she enlists the help of Cord Donovan, a stunningly talented former dancer turned leader of an all‑male revue, to teach her confidence and stage presence that go beyond classical technique.

As they swap lessons, rehearsals, and late nights, their connection begins to shift offstage as well as onstage. As we have many Fallon Ballard fans, I am sure this is an anticipated read for many of our readers!

Release Date- 10 March 2026

Related- One-Bed Trope Books

Related- Second Chance Romance Novels

Rym Kechacha conjures a haunting, one-day-long fantasy where a traveling ballet company performs an ancient, otherworldly show for faerie princes, imps, and sprites who might just snatch performers into the Otherworld at any moment.

As dawn breaks on All Souls’ Day, the troupe aboard the mysterious steam train, the Pearl, prepares for their ballet that binds them to their art and to each other.

Atmospheric, surreal, and rich with folklore-tinged tension, this novel turns the discipline of dance into a spellbinding exploration of art and sacrifice.

Related- Cozy Fantasy Books

Related- Circus Books

If the book Tell the Wolves I'm Home was your favorite coming-of-age story, this is your next best bet.

In this slim story, Howrey turns the world of ballet into a haunting novel of ambition and forgiveness as a choreographer returns to the dance-filled past she once ran from.

Born to ballet parents and raised on summers in a Greenwich Village apartment steeped in art and the devastation of the AIDS crisis, Carlisle’s early drive to follow in her mother’s Balanchine-trained footsteps shaped the artist she became — and the daughter she couldn’t fully be.

When a phone call announces her estranged father’s impending death, she confronts the long-buried choices that fractured her family and her dreams of dance and belonging. Howrey is a former dancer herself, bringing beauty and authenticity to every page. I ate this book up.

If you have a dancer lurking inside you, you'll love these imagined choreographed dances and behind-the-scenes dance dramas. I know that I did!

Related- LGBTQ History Month Books

Related- Coming of Age Books Any Adult Will Love

Kim's fierce, gorgeous world of Russian ballet is brought to life through the eyes of a once-renowned prima ballerina, which came highly recommended by my co-host on our Patreon show, FULLY BOOKED.

Natalia returns to St. Petersburg two years after a career-ending accident she can’t yet let go of. Haunted by her meteoric rise from a working-class kid accepted into a prestigious ballet academy, she faces a new crossroad.

When a former rival offers her the chance to dance her signature role at the Mariinsky, she must confront the ghosts of lovers, competitors, and the pain that first drove her to achieve greatness.

Related- Join My Patreon (Buzzy Book Show & Book Club Fun)

Related- My Top Celebrity Book Club Picks

Tammy Greenwood was a past book club book author (Rust & Stardust) who described this book as very different from her earlier work, offering readers a soapy Dance Moms-inspired drama perfect for escaping real life.

Greenwood drops readers into the fiercely competitive, beautifully grueling world of pre‑professional ballet where three devoted moms and their daughters vie for a life‑changing opportunity.

A celebrated but controversial French ballet master arrives at a Southern California conservatory with a documentary crew in tow and promises one student a full scholarship to the Académie de la Ballet de Paris.

As auditions, rehearsals, and biting jealousy spin like a perfect pirouette gone awry, the girls and their mothers grapple with the sacrifices, ambitions, and heartbreaks that come with raising a child in a world defined by pointe shoes, rehearsals, and relentless pursuit of perfection.

Related- 2025 Book Club Books

Esmé Foster, a former ballerina whose promising professional career was cut short by injury, returns to her Massachusetts hometown to care for her ailing father and reckons with ghosts she thought she’d left behind.

What should be a quiet homecoming instead greets her with the shocking discovery of her childhood friend’s body in the woods behind her family’s house, setting off a tense, atmospheric mystery that blurs past dreams with present danger.

This novel is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone police procedural that unfolds as a slow-burning mystery.

Related- Unlikely Amateur Sleuths

Related- Atmospheric Books

Marra’s interwoven stories trace decades of Russian history, where the echoes of a prima ballerina’s grace ripple through generations of lovers, soldiers, artists, and dreamers.

It begins in Stalinist Leningrad, where a government censor tasked with erasing dissent becomes captivated (and haunted) by the image of a disgraced ballerina, her presence defying the regime’s efforts to obliterate art and identity.  

As disparate characters intersect across time and place, Marra’s lyrical prose celebrates how art offers an anchor and a testament to what refuses to be forgotten despite our government.

Doesn't that sound timely?

Related- Anthony Marra Interview (Sundays With Writers Blog Series)

Seventeen‑year‑old Laure has spent years mastering her technique at the Ballet Academy of Paris, only to be repeatedly overlooked because of her background and skin color, and she’ll do anything to convince the world she belongs center stage.

When rumors of eldritch power lurking in the Catacombs beneath the city reach her, she makes a pact with forces that promise influence and adoration beyond her wildest dreams — but at a cost that twists her body, her rivals, and even her dreams into something quite monstrous.

As she claws her way toward stardom, the story’s haunting horror edges become an unflinching metaphor for the brutal sacrifices ballet demands.

Related- These Social Horror Books Will Make You Think

This is one of my favorite Maggie Shipstead novels, and I loved it so much that I reached out to interview the author after I finished it.  

Early in her career in Paris, Joan helps charismatic Soviet ballet star Arslan Rusakov defect to the West (even driving the getaway car), but when his fame eclipses hers, she retreats from the spotlight and settles into suburban life as a wife and mother.

Ballet never fully releases her, though, and when her son Harry shows extraordinary promise as a dancer, she's pulled back into the exacting world she once tried to leave behind.

Related- Maggie Shipstead Interview (Sundays With Writers Blog Series)

Kiester delivers a heartfelt, page‑turning experience that I rated 5-stars the year it came out.

Once a rising ballet talent who gave up the lead role in a major production to start a family, June’s disappearance forces her husband Ben to confront not just the mystery of where she went, but the deeper questions about who she always wanted to be and the sacrifices she made along the way.

Told in alternating perspectives, the novel reveals June’s internal struggle as the reader journeys to understand her motives, exploring a rarely examined topic in literature. To tell you what this is, though, would rob you of the beauty in this read.

Related- Best Page-Turners About Motherhood

Three women whose lives were shaped and scarred by their shared years at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School are brought to light in this slow-burning story.

Thirteen years after leaving Paris for a new life in St. Petersburg, former soloist‑turned‑choreographer Delphine returns to the legendary Palais Garnier with a new production and a hope that reuniting with her old friends Lindsay and Margaux will finally heal old wounds.

But as rehearsals unfold and memories resurface, long‑buried secrets threaten to upend everything they’ve built.

I loved the commentary on how women fight the aging process, the contrast between men's and women's expectations in the dance world. I gave this 5-stars when I read it, and I still think about this story’s themes often.

Related- Me Too Books

Bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova tells the powerful story of a Boston family confronting the devastating diagnosis of Huntington’s disease and the ripple effects it sends through their tightly knit lives.

Patriarch Joe O’Brien, a devoted police officer, watches with heartbreak and fear as his symptoms emerge and his sense of control dissolves, while his children — including Meghan, a dedicated ballet dancer with the Boston Ballet whose movement once defined her identity — grapple with the possibility that they too may inherit the cruel illness.

By inviting readers into both the ritual of performance and the intimate moments behind closed doors, Inside the O’Briens shows that even when the body betrays us, courage remains.

I thought this was a beautiful read that should be depressing but ends with a lot of hope & positivity for the reader.

Related- Books on Grief and Loss

Related- Dual-Timeline Books

I fell in love with Milena McKay’s sapphic romances a few years ago, and highly recommend giving this indie author a spin in your stack. This novel offers a passionate, ’80s-set tale where the glittering world of Paris ballet becomes the stage for rivalry and desire between two extraordinary dancers.

Juliette Lucian-Sorel, the celebrated “Princess of Paris” and reigning star of the Palais Garnier, lives a life that seems as polished and secure as her pointe work.  When Katarina Vyatka, a defector from the legendary Bolshoi Ballet, steps into her world with fierce ambition and secrets of her own, she finds her world turned upside down.

As the two formidable ballerinas twirl from competition to intimacy, their fiery chemistry ignites a dangerous choreography set against the backdrop of Cold War intrigue.

Related- Books About Spies

It is impossible to talk about ballet without addressing disordered eating to maintain those perfect lines.

This lyrical novel shares the story of Anna Roux, who once lived through her body. A dancer in Paris, she’s trained to pursue grace, discipline, and flawlessness at any cost.

When an injury ends her career, that same devotion to control curdles into anorexia, and she finds herself in a residential treatment house with other women fighting to survive their own battles.

As she navigates recovery, dance lingers like a ghost: in her memories of movement, in the rigid standards she internalized, and in her fear of inhabiting her body again.

Set almost entirely within the walls of 17 Swann Street, the novel traces the slow, painful choreography of healing. It’s a gorgeous, haunting read!

Best friends Marine and Kate navigate their final, make‑or‑break year at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School.

Trained side by side since childhood and bonded by shared family tragedies and a fierce devotion to dance, they now compete not just for The Prize — a coveted spot in the Opera’s corps de ballet — but for the attention of their dazzling classmate known only as “the Demigod,” whose talent can make or break a partner’s chance at success.

When a body is discovered in the dorms just before the year begins, paranoia and pressure seep into every rehearsal, forcing the girls to confront how far they’ll go for the life they’ve dreamed of since they first laced up their pointe shoes.

Related- Unforgettable Campus Novels

Related- Books About Theater

I am such a sucker for a sister story, and I gave this novel 5 glowing stars the year that I read it, way back in 2012.

Buchanan's atmospheric novel follows the van Goethem sisters in 1878 Paris as they struggle to rise above poverty by entering the rigorous, unforgiving world of the Paris Opéra Ballet.

While Marie’s persistence wins her a place in the ballet and the attention of Edgar Degas (who immortalizes her as the model for Little Dancer Aged Fourteen), Antoinette’s choices pull her toward dangerous liaisons that threaten her future on and off the stage.

Related- Books About Art and Artists

Kelly Bishop invites readers behind the curtain, tracing her path from classical ballet training to Broadway and beloved roles on screen.

Raised in Colorado with informal ballet lessons that sparked a lifelong love of performance, she moved to New York at 18 to pursue dance, eventually joining the Radio City Music Hall corps de ballet before becoming a Tony-winning performer in A Chorus Line.

As Bishop pivoted from dancing to acting, her memoir reflects on the ways ballet taught her resilience, grace under pressure, and the courage to continually reinvent herself in a notoriously demanding industry.

Related- Best Memoirs to Read for Nonfiction November

Vlaby excavates a hidden chapter of American ballet history by telling the powerful story of five pioneering Black ballerinas whose artistry helped shape the Dance Theatre of Harlem at the height of the Civil Rights era.

Weaving together vivid portraits of Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton, we discover the women who defied a segregated dance world and earned international acclaim on stage, from the White House to European tours.

Far more than a dry chronicle, this deeply researched narrative celebrates the elegance, grit, and sisterhood that sustained these dancers through both dazzling performances and the marginalization that nearly erased their legacy from ballet’s story.

To fully appreciate the stunning images of their performances and better understand the plot, I suggest obtaining a physical copy of the book. The story comprises a large cast of characters, and having a hard copy would help you keep track of all these incredible women. I loved this book immensely.

Related- Essential Black History Month Books

Related- 2024 Summer Reading Guide

We can't have a list of ballet books without honoring Misty Copeland.

In this riveting memoir, the trailblazing ballet star whose unlikely rise from a chaotic childhood to becoming one of American Ballet Theatre’s most celebrated dancers defied every expectation in the classical dance world.

Copeland recounts discovering ballet at thirteen, mastering complex roles in record time. As one of the first African‑American women to break barriers at ABT and dance iconic ballets with grace and power, readers go on a journey through the early years of her career.

I highly recommend reading The Swans of Harlem first, where Copeland makes a surprising cameo that really comes full circle.