Reading, watching, listening, and gaming recommendations from the staff of the American Writers Museum.
We can’t recommend these books, films, shows, plays, albums, and games highly enough! Check back every month for more entertainment recommendations, from classics that we revisit over and over to new favorites. If you’re looking for your next book or movie or show or whatever, you came to the right place.
Many of our August book recommendations 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.
This month at the American Writers Museum! The titles below correspond to upcoming programs, author talks, and events hosted by the AWM. Follow the links to learn more and register to attend, and view all upcoming events here.
Scholastic Book of World Records 2026
Get Lit: Summer Book Fair
August 11, 5:30 pm, happy hour event
GET TICKETS HERE
Picture this: you’re back in elementary school and your teacher just told you the Scholastic Book Fair is happening this week. You burst with excitement. Just think of all the gel pens, glittery pencils, shiny stickers, and zany erasers you’re about to get your hands on. Not to mention the latest titles from your favorite series and—yes—the most recent book of world records.
Now picture this: a book fair just like that but it is only for grown-ups. And you are allowed to enjoy a refreshing adult beverage as you peruse the offerings from Chicagoland bookstores. And also it is at the AWM and all of our exhibits are included with admission. And admission also includes two drinks (NA options available). If any of that sounds like fun, then I hope to see you at Get Lit: Summer Book Fair, on August 11, 5:30-7:30 pm. The next event in our monthly happy hour series is sure to be a blast, get your tickets here. Just make sure you do your chores so you earn enough allowance for the fair…
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
New episodes from the AWM Podcast Network! These writers and their works were recently featured or will be featured soon on one of our popular podcast series, either as guests and/or subjects. Follow the links to learn more and listen to each episode, and visit the AWM Podcast Network Hub for more.
The American Short Story: The Nineteenth Century edited by John Stauffer
“AWM Author Talks: Lauren Groff & John Stauffer” coming soon
From the publisher: “A landmark short story collection: More than 100 short stories by 51 different 19th-century writers redefine the great American literary form. Incudes both literary masterpieces—including classic stories by Poe, Hawthorne, Twain, James, and Wharton—and new rediscoveries.”
Stauffer joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the “Masters of the American Short Story” panel, alongside Lauren Groff. Moderated by writer and professor Peter Coviello, the two accomplished writers discussed the craft of the form, Groff’s latest collection, and the history of short stories in this country. This episode will arrive later this month! In the meantime, check out all our podcasts here.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Daniel Kraus & Susan Orlean” here
From the publisher: “The critically acclaimed author of the Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war. Winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.”
The Pulitzer Prize-winning book! Kraus also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss his work, more specifically to chat about adaptations with author Susan Orlean. Kraus adapted his hit novel Whalefall into a feature film coming out in October. Based on this conversation, I can’t wait for it! Give it a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Brawler: Stories by Lauren Groff
“AWM Author Talks: Lauren Groff & John Stauffer” coming soon
From the publisher: “A stunning, fierce collection from a master of the short story and one of the most important writers of our time. Read alone, each story in Lauren Grof’’s electric collection is an individual triumph, bold, agile, and packed with power. Read together, they hum in exhilarating resonance. Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region—from New England to Florida to California—these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans’ dark and light angels.”
Groff’s appearance at the 2026 American Writers Festival, as part of the “Masters of the American Short Story” panel alongside John Stauffer, will be released on the AWM Podcast Network later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The End of My Life is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker by Annabelle Gurwitch
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Annabelle Gurwitch” here
From the publisher: “In this hilariously and deeply affecting meditation on mortality, the actress and activist illuminates life with chronic disease, inequities in care, and celebrates tiny victories, the crusty ends of baguettes, the discreet pleasure of sucking at a hobby, and the unshakable bond of female friendship. She upends the notion of living each day as if it were your last, as she discovers you can carpe too much diem, embracing, instead, the extraordinariness of the ordinary.”
Gurwitch also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival and her program with stand up comic Chelsea Hood, “Comedy & Memoir,” is now available to stream here or wherever you get your podcasts!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Escape! by Stephen Fishbach
“AWM Author Talks: Suspense & Humor” coming soon
From the publisher: “A propulsive debut novel following a has-been reality TV star and a disgraced producer who get one last shot at redemption on a show set on a remote island, only to discover that the plot twists are beyond what they ever imagined.”
Fishbach, a former contestant on the show Survivor, was also a speaker at the 2026 American Writers Festival! Fishbach was part of a fascinating panel, “Suspense & Humor,” with fellow funny masters of mystery Nicolas DiDomizio and Tiffany Hanssen. This program will be released on AWM Author Talks later in August!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio
“AWM Author Talks: Suspense & Humor” coming soon
From the publisher: “The Guncle meets Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies in this fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve.”
DiDomizio also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss his craft! DiDomizio was joined on the “Suspense & Humor” panel by novelists Stephen Fishbach and Tiffany Hanssen. This program will be released on AWM Author Talks later in August!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
My Name Was Gerry Sass by Tiffany Hanssen
“AWM Author Talks: Suspense & Humor” coming soon
From the publisher: “The Sopranos meets Six Feet Under in My Name Was Gerry Sass, a thrilling debut crime novel about the killing of a hitman-for-hire, his daughter who wants revenge, and a priest who accidentally witnessed everything.”
Hanssen, an on-air host at public radio station WNYC in New York City, was also at the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss her first novel! Hanssen was part of the “Suspense & Humor” panel alongside Nicolas DiDomizio and Stephen Fishbach. Thier conversation will be released as an episode of AWM Author Talks later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Daniel Kraus & Susan Orlean” here
From the publisher: “The ‘eccentric, illuminating, [and] hilarious’ (New York Daily News) true story of beauty and obsession in the swamps of Florida and the impassioned individuals who risk everything for the ultimate prize: a rare ghost orchid. The basis for the film Adaptation directed by Spike Jonze and starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep.”
Orlean visited Chicago for the 2026 American Writers Festival as well, speaking alongside Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Kraus in a discussion about the process of adaptation. Orlean is uniquely suited for this, as The Orchid Thief was adapted into the film Adaptation, aptly enough. You can listen to this episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The full list of AWM Staff Picks! Here is what we’ve been into recently. Let us know what writing has captivated you in the comments!
Archduke by Rajiv Joseph
From the publisher: “Belgrade, 1914. Three hungry young men are offered something to eat (and the chance to change the course of history). Their mission: kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand and set the century alight. Sharp, funny and dangerously timely, Archduke blends biting wit with mounting tension in a thrilling new production for an age of restless young men.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Bread of Angels by Patti Smith
Last week, I finally started reading Patti Smith’s newest memoir, Bread of Angels. The first part goes into Patti’s early days, her earliest memories of being born in Chicago, her many illnesses, and the books she read as a child that set her on the path toward poetry. Coincidentally, she met with fellow Chicagoan Pope Leo in the Vatican last week. It may seem like an unlikely meeting, but it wasn’t her first time at the Vatican, having performed for Pope Francis previously.
Smith is featured in our American Prophets exhibit in “Spirituality & Song” for her rendition of “Gloria,” which begins: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.” As we note in the exhibit, “many read Smith’s lyrics as anti-religious. But for Smith it is about the freedom to connect with God on one’s own terms. With this song she aimed to offer a different spiritual approach and give people ‘a chance to be blasphemous through me.'” And while we don’t have the Pope in our exhibit per se, Mary Ann Ahern did speak at length about her experience covering his journey to the Vatican, which you can watch here or listen to here.
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
The Height of the Scream by Ramsey Campbell
From the publisher: “Ramsey Campbell is perhaps the world’s most decorated author of horror, terror, suspense, dark fantasy, and supernatural fiction. He has won 4 World Fantasy Awards, 10 British Fantasy Awards, 3 Bram Stoker Awards, and the Horror Writers’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and has been named a Grand Master of Horror. He’s been called ‘The master of a skewed and exquisitely terrifying style’ (Library Journal) and ‘A horror writer’s horror writer’ (Publishers Weekly). Long out-of-print, The Height of the Scream collects 18 of his stories.
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Truthful Look at History Under the Influence by Sam Kelly
A fun and light summer read and it might surprise some readers with how many historical figures were on drugs.
More from the publisher: “Sam Kelly introduces us to the history our teachers never told us, offering up irreverent and insightful commentary as he sheds light on some truly bizarre aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece (“The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes”) to modern times (“Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High”), Kelly’s research covers all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs.”
—Christopher, Director of Operations
The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable
From the publisher: “Music, intoxication, and betrayal combine in this ‘immersive, impassioned’ (The Guardian) debut novel inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi and ultimately became his star musician—and his biggest muse… For fans of The Queen’s Gambit and Fingersmith, The Instrumentalist is an ‘enthralling, passionate, vivid’ (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies) exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.”
—Carol, Assistant Director of Development
Invisible Helix by Keigo Higashino
From the publisher: “Detective Galileo, Keigo Higashino’s best loved character from The Devotion of Suspect X, returns in a case where hidden history, and an impossible crime, are linked by nearly invisible threads in surprising ways… It’s up to Galileo to find the nearly hidden threads of history and coincidence that connect the people around the bloody murder—which, surprisingly, connect to his own traumatic past—to unravel not merely the facts of the crime but the helix that ties them all together.”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia developed by Rob McElhenny and Glenn Howerton
If you’re new to the adventures of “The Gang”—twins Dennis and Dee Reynolds, their friends Charlie and Mac, and their father Frank—you don’t have to know a whole lot before the 18th (!!!) season begins airing on FX on August 17. Together, they run the unsuccessful Paddy’s Pub and try to get rich by any depraved means possible, often with disastrous (and hilarious) results. They’re horrible people doing horrible things, and it’s pretty darn funny. Full series on Hulu/Disney+.
—Annie, Administrative Associate
The Love Boat created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes
From Rotten Tomatoes: “‘The Loooooove Boat’ is the familiar refrain that greets viewers at the start of each episode of this long-running series. The romantic-sounding Love Boat promises—and delivers— something for everyone. Specifically, it promises a cavalcade of famous guest stars (including many film stars making rare TV appearances), breezy plots, stories of love and plenty of laughs. Join the members of the Pacific Princess crew, headed by Capt. Stubing (Gavin MacLeod), as they greet passengers for the trip of a lifetime. Three made-for-TV movies were made before the series premiered in 1977.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Museum by Tina Howe
Recently, myself and other AWM staff members attended the Association of Midwest Museums conference. It was great to learn from and connect with museum colleagues across the region. To further get in the mood, I read the play Museum by Tina Howe. The one-act play follows a cast of 44 around the closing day of an exhibit of three contemporary artists. It’s a light and comedic play, with bursts of absurdity, further pronounced by Howe’s encouragement to have actors play multiple roles. The lone constant character is The Guard, who is determined to make sure patrons follow the rules, primarily that no one can take photos, or even sketch, without the museum director’s permission (don’t try to sniff the art either).
The play was first performed in 1976, and while the photography in a museum is commonplace, some of the issues and characters are timeless. A voiceover at the beginning shares how Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” was shot 18 times at the Uffizi Gallery in Italy, bringing to mind some of the recent protests against climate change. Patrons of the exhibit discuss funding challenges for museums (ahem) and increased admission fees; pretentious college art students are as pretentious as ever; out of touch patrons don’t understand the abstract art; audio tours experience technical difficulties. Same as it ever was.
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
Noctuary by Thomas Ligotti
From Goodreads: “Noctuary is the third volume of Thomas Ligotti’s horror stories to appear in a revised, definitive edition from Subterranean Press. The first two collections in this series, Songs of a Dead Dreamer (1986) and Grimscribe: His Lives and Works (1991), are now collector’s items. Like its predecessors, Noctuary received numerous plaudits from reviewers upon its initial appearance. Noctuary is ‘another colorful collection of horror stories…which spring on the unsuspecting reader the combination of supernatural characters, natural props, and ‘weird’ circumstanced.'” (Library Journal). As Booklist observed, “The most disturbing terror comes from within, springs unexpectedly from bland or half-formed memories of the past. This is the terror that Ligotti cultivates in the rich evocative tales of Noctuary… For those willing to immerse themselves in Ligotti’s world, the rewards are great.”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
The Odyssey adapted for film by Christopher Nolan
From Rotten Tomatoes: “Odysseus, king of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the Trojan War. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea with his fellow soldiers, they soon find themselves battling not only the elements, but an array of deadly obstacles and mythical creatures along the way… Reinvigorating an ancient adventure with majestic sweep and sterling work by its colossal ensemble, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey imbues myth with primal human feeling.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
The Power and the Glory: The History of the World Cup by Jonathan Wilson
From the publisher: “A comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini’s Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar. Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.”
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews
Two estranged sisters, each with money troubles, reunite after the death of their mother and decide to honor her dying wish—take a trip to their ancestral home in Ireland. While their mother was hoping for sisterly bonding and reconnecting, the sisters have another motive—solve the mystery behind a painting that’s been in the family for generations that could be worth millions. Added to the mix are handsome Irishmen, beautiful scenery, a family curse, and a sinister cold case. May Kay Andrews is a New York Times bestselling author and former journalist who’s penned 30 novels.”
—Annie, Administrative Associate
Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt
From the publisher: “It is spring. A young woman, left by her husband, starts a new life in a Tokyo apartment. Territory of Light follows her over the course of a year, as she struggles to bring up her two-year-old daughter alone. Her new home is filled with light streaming through the windows, so bright she has to squint, but she finds herself plummeting deeper into darkness, becoming unstable, untethered. As the months come and go and the seasons turn, she must confront what she has lost and what she will become. At once tender and lacerating, luminous and unsettling, Yuko Tsushima’s Territory of Light is a novel of abandonment, desire, and transformation. It was originally published in twelve parts in the Japanese literary monthly Gunzo, between 1978 and 1979, each chapter marking the months in real time. It won the inaugural Noma Literary Prize.”
—Deanna, Storyteller
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
It’s obviously not a hot take that Didion is a great writer, but I think she’s at her best with this book, a memoir about her dealing with her husband’s death and her daughter’s prolonged illness. Underneath her matter-of-fact, almost clinical writing style, Didion is incredibly vulnerable about her grief and her love for both of them.
—Ainsley, Intern
Visit our Reading Recommendations page for more book lists.