Reading Recommendations from the staff of the American Writers Museum.
We can’t recommend these books highly enough! Check back every month for more reading recommendations, from classics that we reread over and over to new favorites. If you’re looking for your next book, you came to the right place.
Our August staff picks are also available on Bookshop.org, which benefits independent bookstores. We also strongly encourage you to support your local bookstore by visiting them in person or ordering online through them directly.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
From the publisher: “Lorraine Hansberry’s award-winning drama about the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of Black America—and changed American theater forever. The play’s title comes from a line in Langston Hughes’s poem ‘Harlem,’ which warns that a dream deferred might ‘dry up/like a raisin in the sun.'”
On August 22, 2024 we honored the lasting legacy of Hansberry and celebrated her new statue at Navy Pier! Playwrights J. Nicole Brooks and Natalie Y. Moore discussed how Hansberry influenced their own work, the city of Chicago, and American theater with Ericka Ratcliff, Artistic Director of the Congo Square Theatre. Co-presented by the Lorraine Hansberry Initiative. We recorded this program and it will soon be available to watch on our YouTube channel or listen to on the AWM Author Talks podcast.
—Nate, Digital Content Associate
A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean
From the publisher: “The finely distilled product of a long life of often surprising rapture—for fly-fishing, for the woods, for the interlocked beauty of life and art—A River Runs through It has established itself as a classic of the American West… Based on Maclean’s own experiences as a young man, the book’s two novellas and short story are set in the small towns and mountains of western Montana. It is a world populated with drunks, loggers, card sharks, and whores, but also one rich in the pleasures of fly-fishing, logging, cribbage, and family. By turns raunchy and elegiac, these superb tales express, in Maclean’s own words, ‘a little of the love I have for the earth as it goes by.'”
—Christopher, Director of Operations
The Briar Book of the Dead by A .G. Slatter
From the publisher: “Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic… Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie’s cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build.”
—Allison, Program Director
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
From the publisher: “From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie’s reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it’s also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery—from the Big Bang through the end of time.”
—Cristina, Storyteller
Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
From the publisher: “When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.”
—Allison, Program Director
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
From the publisher: “In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies… Earthy and otherworldly, antic and sexy, queer and caustic, comic and deadly serious, Her Body and Other Parties swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment. In their explosive originality, these stories enlarge the possibilities of contemporary fiction.”
—Brian, Intern
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
From the publisher: “The spectacular, history-making first novel about a young man’s coming of age by literary legend Thomas Wolfe, first published in 1929 and long considered a classic of 20th century literature. A legendary author on par with William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor, Wolfe published Look Homeward, Angel, his first novel, about a young man’s burning desire to leave his small town and tumultuous family in search of a better life. It gave the world proof of his genius and launched a powerful legacy.”
I recently had the pleasure of researching and reading Wolfe for the most recent episode of our podcast Nation of Writers. We were joined by scholars and members of the Thomas Wolfe Society, and you can find some of their books on this list below. Check out the episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
—Nate, Digital Content Associate
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
I saw Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: The Musical at the Goodman recently, which I really enjoyed, especially having watched the panel discussion with John Berendt and Taylor Mac. This makes me want to go back and re-read the book, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
—Carol, Institutional Giving Manager
Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Marc Simont
In this beloved children’s book series, which is based on events of my own life, kid detective Nate the Great solves various mysteries and helps his friends with the assistance of his dog Sam Spade. A must-read for fans of mystery and intrigue, and anyone who wants to know how I solved so many cases as a junior sleuth.
I’m just kidding. I’m not Nate the Great and I never wore a trench coat as a child (that I am aware of). However, I am not kidding when I say we had a blast at Get Lit: Kid Detective Club earlier this month for a happy hour event celebrating Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Scooby-Doo, and many more kid detectives you remember from childhood. Our next after hours party is Get Lit: Rise of the Dragons on October 8. See all upcoming Get Lit events here.
—Nate, Digital Content Associate
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) developed by Upper One Games, published E-Line Media
I have not finished this game yet, but I have really enjoyed playing it so far. It is a puzzle-platform game in which you play as both a young girl and her Arctic fox companion. Both characters have to work together to get through the levels. One of the coolest things about this game for me is that it is based on an Iñupiaq story, and the entire game is in the Iñupiaq language. Along the way, you pick up pieces of knowledge that you can watch from the main menu to learn more about traditional practices and the living Iñupiaq people in Alaska. I’ve learned quite a bit and I’m excited to learn more while having fun.
—Ari, Assistant Director, Operations & Exhibits
Nobody Is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey
From the publisher: “Without telling her family, Elyria takes a one-way flight to New Zealand, abruptly leaving her stable but unfulfilling life in Manhattan. As her husband scrambles to figure out what happened to her, Elyria hurtles into the unknown, testing fate by hitchhiking, tacitly being swept into the lives of strangers, and sleeping in fields, forests, and public parks. Her perilous and often surreal encounters with the people and wildlife of New Zealand propel Elyria deeper into her deteriorating mind. Haunted by her sister’s death and consumed by an inner violence, her growing rage remains so expertly concealed that those who meet her sense nothing wrong. This discord between her inner and outer reality leads her to another obsession: If her truest self is invisible and unknowable to others, is she even alive?”
—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion
From the publisher: “A ruthless dissection of American life in the late 1960s, Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays captures the mood of an entire generation, the ennui of contemporary society reflected in spare prose that blisters and haunts the reader. Set in a place beyond good and evil—literally in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the barren wastes of the Mojave Desert, but figuratively in the landscape of an arid soul—it remains more than three decades after its original publication a profoundly disturbing novel, riveting in its exploration of a woman and a society in crisis and stunning in the still-startling intensity of its prose.”
If you are interested in learning more about Joan Didion, I also recommend listening to our Nation of Writers podcast episode about her with guests Cady Lang, staff writer for TIME Magazine; and Evelyn McDonnell, author of The World According to Joan Didion. Listen to the episode here or wherever you get podcasts!
—Christopher, Director of Operations
The Return by Roberto Bolaño
From the publisher: “The Return contains thirteen unforgettable stories that seem to tell what Bolaño called ‘the secret story,’ ‘the one we’ll never know.’ Bent on returning to haunt you, Bolaño’s tales might concern the unexpected fate of a beautiful ex-girlfriend, or soccer, witchcraft, or a dream of meeting the poet Enrique Lihn: they always surprise. Consider the title story: a young partygoer collapses in a Parisian disco and dies on the dance floor. Just as his soul is departing his body, it realizes strange happenings are afoot around his now dead body—and what follows next defies the imagination (except Bolano’s own).”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Saga: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples
From the publisher: “Romeo & Juliet meets Star Wars in this sexy, subversive fantasy and sci-fi space opera about star-crossed lovers from enemy worlds. An epic for mature readers, Saga is the story of Hazel, a child born to star-crossed parents from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war. Now, Hazel’s fugitive family must risk everything to find a peaceful future in a harsh universe that values destruction over creation. The multiple award-winning, critically acclaimed masterpiece and one of the most iconic, bestselling comic book series of its time begins here in the first volume collecting issues #1-6.”
—Cristina, Storyteller
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
From the publisher: “Jean McConville’s abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it… Patrick Radden Keefe’s mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.”
—Karie, Director of Marketing
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh
From the publisher: “1986. Ghana’s prestigious Aburi Girls Boarding School. Queen Bee Paulina and her crew excitedly await the arrival of the Miss Ghana pageant recruiter. It’s clear that Paulina is in top position to take the title until her place is threatened by Ericka—a beautiful and talented new transfer student. As the friendship group’s status quo is upended, who will be chosen for Miss Ghana and at what cost? Bursting with hilarity and joy, this award-winning comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls around the world.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Thomas Wolfe and Lost Children in Southern Literature by Paula Gallant Eckard
From the publisher: “First published in 1937, Thomas Wolfe’s The Lost Boy gives name to the theme of lost children that has permeated much of southern literature and provides a template for telling their stories. In Thomas Wolfe and Lost Children in Southern Literature, which grew out of many years of teaching The Lost Boy and other works of southern literature, Paula Gallant Eckard uses Wolfe’s novel as a starting point to trace thematic connections among contemporary southern novels that are comparably evocative in their treatment of lostness.”
Eckard is one of three Wolfe scholars from the Thomas Wolfe Society featured in our recent episode of Nation of Writers, which you can stream here. Eckard is also Editor of The Thomas Wolfe Review.
—Nate, Digital Content Associate
Thomas Wolfe Remembered edited by Mark Canada and Nami Montgomery
From the publisher: “A rich, multifaceted portrait painted by those who knew Thomas Wolfe (casually or intimately), loved him (or didn’t), and saw, heard, and experienced the literary (and literal) giant. This volume gathers in one place for the first time dozens of reminiscences by friends, family members, colleagues, and casual acquaintances, adding color and fine details to the self-portrait the author created in his novels… Some are endearing, others are disturbing, and many are comical. All provide glimpses into the vibrant, haunted, boyish, paranoid, disheveled, courteous, captivating, infuriating, and altogether fascinating giant who was Thomas Wolfe.”
Canada is also one of three Wolfe scholars from the Thomas Wolfe Society featured in our recent episode of Nation of Writers, which you can stream here.
—Nate, Digital Content Associate
Thousand Year Old Vampire by Tim Hutchings (role-playing game)
A solo role-playing game that delves deep into the timeless existence of a vampire. The game invites players to step into the shoes of a vampire who has lived for a millennium, exploring themes of memory, identity, and loneliness.
—Noelle, Education Program Coordinator
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
I’d never read any Steinbeck (save seeing a middling performance of The Grapes of Wrath my junior class put on in high school) until now, and, wow, am I glad I did. Travels with Charley isn’t typical of Steinbeck’s writing—it leans more memoir and musing than novel, recounting Steinbeck’s three-month road trip around the perimeter of the United States in 1960. He set out to scratch his itch for travel, and answer questions he saw as central to the work of his life: What are Americans like? And: is there one American identity? The journey, in Steinbeck’s own admission, perhaps raised more questions than it answered. His writing is colorful, delightful, and at times even funny. He reflects on his country with equal parts reverence and healthy skepticism. A must-read for writers, Americans, or poodle-lovers.
—Jules, Intern
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
From the publisher: “A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one things for sure: Sam Westing may be dead…but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Visit our Reading Recommendations page for more book lists.