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 July 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.
Declaration of Independence
July 8, 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, American Writers Museum
Get Lit happy hour event and reading
GET TICKETS HERE
There is no better time than now to read the Declaration of Independence! As the nation just celebrated its 250 anniversary over the weekend, the AWM continues the festivities on July 8 with a special edition of our Get Lit happy hour series. Beginning at 5:00 pm, we’ll join organizations and communities across the country in a live reading of the Declaration. Then, the happy hour fun begins! We have a fun mystery activity planned: an artifact has gone missing and we need your help! Solve riddles, follow clues, and interview suspects to determine where our prized artifact went. All while exploring our exhibits with an adult beverage in hand, including special pop-up exhibit Declarations: 250 Years of Writing Toward Independence.
—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.
A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost
Listen to AWM Author Talks: America at 250: Untold Stories here
From the publisher: “A sweeping and introductory Black queer history of the United States centering queer and trans contributions to the Black freedom movement from slavery to Black Lives Matter. Through storytelling and other narratives, Snorton and Bost show how the Black queer community has always existed, regardless of the attempts to stamp it out, and how those in it continue to fight for their rightful place in the world.”
Snorton and Bost were part of the “America at 250: Untold Stories” panel discussion at the 2026 American Writers Festival. They were joined by scholar Anna O. Law to discuss their work and explore America at 250 through lenses of migration, Black history, and queer liberation. Listen to it here or watch the program recording here!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The End of My Life is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker by Annabelle Gurwitch
AWM Author Talks: Annabelle Gurwitch coming soon
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,” will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR, and America at the Crossroads by Randall Sullivan
AWM Author Talks: Randall Sullivan coming soon
From the publisher: “Deeply researched and filled with remarkable characters—legendary players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Lefty Grove rubbing shoulders with Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, and Charles Lindbergh—Randall Sullivan explores the history of an American obsession and captures the moment when both the sport and the nation found renewal in a single spectacle of hope.”
Sullivan attended the 2026 American Writers Festival as well to discuss his book with comedian Joe Kilgallon. That conversation will be released later this month, just in time for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Stay tuned!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship: African Americans, Native Americans, and Immigrants by Anna O. Law
Listen to AWM Author Talks: America at 250: Untold Stories here
From the publisher: “A story of constitutional development that traces the confluence of the logics of slavery and settler colonialism in historical legal rulings and public policy about U.S. migration and citizenship. The book examines the division of labor between the national and state/local governments that endured for over a century, reasons why that arrangement changed in the late 19th century, and what the transformation meant for people subject to those regimes of control.”
Law was part of the “America at 250: Untold Stories” discussion at the 2026 American Writers Festival. She was joined by scholars C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost to discuss their work and explore America at 250 through lenses of migration, Black history, and queer liberation. Listen to it here or watch the program recording here!
—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!
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
From the publisher: “A young woman must shake off a family curse and the widely held belief that she is the reincarnation of her dead cousin in this wickedly funny, brilliantly perceptive novel about love, female rivalry, and superstition from the author of the smash hit My Sister, the Serial Killer… Cursed Daughters is a brilliant cocktail of vibrant humor and hard-won wisdom, romantic love and familial obligation. It asks us what it means to be granted a second chance, and how to live both wisely and well with what we’ve been given
—Courtney, Assistant Director of Education
Golden Goal edited by Miguel Salazar, Alex Shephard, Billy Lennon, and Andrew Tan-Delli Cicchi
Golden Goal is, as their Editors’ Note states, a magazine about the World Cup. They go on to say why: “No sporting event better embodies and reflects the world as it is now—fractured, corrupt, embattled, adrift—than the World Cup. This year’s tournament may be marred by immigration raids, visa bans, imperial threats, and general chaos, but it will also be, by FIFA’s projections, its most lucrative endeavor ever… Golden Goal is, ultimately, a magazine about both the least important and the most important things about the 2026 World Cup. We aim to reflect the experience, if not the emotional journey, of watching the tournament itself, to celebrate the sport’s beauty and diversity, and rigorously investigate its growing rot.” I have enjoyed reading Golden Goal in between matches (and if my bosses read this I am not watching any games during working hours, I swear).
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Goldilocks by Laura Lam
As a fan of space and feminist literature, I was drawn to this book after reading a review calling it The Right Stuff meets The Handmaid’s Tale. In a dystopian future where the planet is dying and the political climate is regressive, five female astronauts steal a rocket to save humanity. They believe that only they can complete the mission, but are they right, or have they doomed their species?
—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Land is a family saga about the mapping of post-Famine Ireland, the Devotional Revolution, and the lasting legacies of British power. Despite the intimate focus on one family, the book feels massive.
—Ainsley, Intern
Make Every Shot Count: How Basketball Taught a Point Guard to be a Surgeon by Bruce Rosenfeld
From the publisher: “From New Jersey’s rough and competitive world of playground basketball to the unforgiving, sleep-deprived reality of surgical training, Make Every Shot Count offers a gripping account of how a young boy with an overwhelming passion for basketball utilizes lessons learned on the court to overcome adversity and achieve his goals. Often hilarious and at times heart wrenching, this captivating and honest narrative leaves the reader mesmerized by a unique perspective on two very different worlds. A book for the underdog, the lessons of teamwork, discipline, and persistent practice are motivating and inspiring and demonstrate the importance of believing in your own potential while trusting your instincts to do what is right.”
—Carol, Assistant Director of Development
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
“From the publisher: “This unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist blends teen angst and unspeakable horrors into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller. The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
My Kind of Sound: The Secret History of Chicago Music Compendium by Plastic Crimewave (a.k.a. Steve Krakow)
Steve Krakow has been writing and illustrating the “Secret History of Chicago Music” column in the Chicago Reader since 2005, illuminating the underheard, unheard, and unheralded musicians that call this city home. This compendium includes over 200 of Krakow’s columns of mini-biographies of a variety of artists and bands. The musicians are listed alphabetically, with blues artists shouldering up against prog-rockers, folk heroes plugging their ears next to garage bands, jazz musicians at home next to punk bands.
More than just a collection of Krakow showing off his crate-digging abilities, the book provides insight into his process of putting the column together, from the illustrations, to growing the columns from 100 words to 350 words, to how he uses old-fashioned pencils, micron pens, Sharpies, scissors, gluesticks, and handwriting to bring each bio to life. He packs a lot of information into that small space – and while the subject is the musicians, Krakow’s tight and informative writing is itself a treasure. The book was published in 2015, and the column is still going strong, despite ups and downs at the now-monthly Reader. You can follow along all of the future secret history on the Reader’s website.
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
Olivetti by Allie Millington
What a wonderful story! And what a way to imagine all the words and thoughts that typewriters have been privy to. I had the good fortune to meet Allie when she was visiting the AWM for a Macmillan Publishers event during the American Library Association conference in Chicago and we talked about typewriters and how much fun they are to use and how enjoyable it is to teach others to use them too.
—Christopher, Director of Operations
On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo
A novelette, set in the Jazz Age, follows an orphan who stows away in the car of two skilled bank robbers, learning the ropes as they rob small banks across the country and escape along the mysterious fox roads. There are themes of identity and found family. I found this magical story charming and the writing lyrical. This was my introduction to Nghi Vo’s work, and I’m eager to read more.
You can also learn more about Vo and hear her discuss her writing as part of the AWM’s “Making New Gods” panel discussion. She was joined by N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, Nnedi Okorafor, and Michi Trota to share insights into the role of religion in speculative as part of the programming series for our special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, on display now.
—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate
Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
From the publisher: “From Brian K. Vaughan, NYT bestselling writer of Saga, and Cliff Chiang, legendary artist of Catwoman: Lonely City, comeshe time-travel adventure like any other, now collected in a smaller, wallet-friendly edition! In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls—Erin, KJ, Mac, and Tiffany—uncover the most important story of all time. Collecting the first two volumes (issues #1-10) of PAPER GIRLS, this new digest-sized collection is the perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Image Comics’ beloved series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity by Ellen van Neerven
Like much of the rest of the world, I’m keeping up with the drama and heartbreak of the World Cup. Needing a perspective beyond the television commentators, I recently read Ellen van Neerven’s Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity. Van Neerven’s early memories of playing soccer, watching games with family, and biking to practice set the scene, but this essay collection goes beyond any typical “win at all costs” narrative. They write about sports and how they intersect with race, gender, LGBTQIA+ issues, climate change, indigenous land rights, and First Nations athletic culture. There are essays about the author’s personal experiences and memories (like witnessing the Zidane headbutt in the 2006 World Cup), as well as interviews with non-binary and trans players. In addition to these essays, van Neerven also includes poems scattered throughout the collection, giving more room to breathe and reflect on the complexity of all these intertwining issues.
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee
Come summer, I am often seeking a good rom-com. Laura Piper Lee’s Pot Shot fulfilled and exceeded that need for me. To me, a romance novel stands out when a unique tone breaks through the formula of the genre. This is not to say that tropes and formulas are always bad. There is comfort in riding along with what works, and I LOVED the “second chance romance” element at play in Pot Shot, as well as the “enemies to lovers” tension. I am also here for its strong character development, chemistry between love interests, and humor that actually made me laugh out loud.
It is impressive to me when authors can combine the lighter, feel-good elements of this genre with conversations about more serious topics. In the beginning of the book, Nomi (a dispensary owner who has found relief from Crohn’s disease symptoms from marijuana) and Julien (a type-A Emergency Department doctor) disagree about the potential benefits of medicinal and recreational THC. Before Nomi and Julien fall in love, their fictional debate is more than just funny banter, though it is definitely also that. Their conversations exist in the shadow of a larger, very real nationwide one about cannabis use. By exploring these themes through flawed, human, and compulsively likeable characters, Laura Piper Lee just might change minds as she warms hearts.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
A spooky dark academia story about the world of medical schools and bodysnatching in 19th century Edinburgh.
More from the publisher: “In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy: A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland—when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh—as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.”
—Hunter, Storyteller
Santos Sisters, Vol. 1 by Greg & Fake
From the publisher: “One day while combing the beach in their hometown of Las Brisas, the Santos Sisters discover a pair of beautiful medallions. What happens next changes their lives forever. The medallions are imbued with the powers of a goddess, ‘Madame Sosostris,’ and can transform them at will into flying, gun-wielding, mask-wearing murder-heroes with hearts of, if not gold, then at least candy.
Follow Ambar and Alana, the Santos Sisters, as they balance spicy superheroics with the drama of their everyday lives in a playful mix of Archie Comics and Love and Rockets. The Santos Sisters fight crime, date guys, and try to just deal with day-to-day life as young women in a world of deadly assassins, roided-up footballers, zombie attacks, organized crime, and more.”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond by Kim Thayil with Adem Tepedelen
I’ve only ever been a casual Soundgarden fan. I kind of liked what I heard, but not enough to deep-dive into their whole catalogue. This bar I went to in college had a jukebox with the most random stuff on it, and I would play “Loud Love” by Soundgarden all the time. And of course I thought Chris was crazy talented (and hot), like everybody did. His death affected me. Anyways. Here’s my July book pick. And Chicago gets love too—Kim is from Park Forest!
—Annie, Administrative Associate
The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg
From the publisher: “A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.”
—Allison, Director of Programs
Silent Parade by Keigo Higashino
From the publisher: :Detective Galileo, Keigo Higashino’s best loved character from The Devotion of Suspect X, returns in Silent Parade, a complex and challenging mystery—several murders, decades apart, with no solid evidence.”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Sneakers (1992) screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson, Lawrence Lasker, and Walter F. Parkes
A movie chock-a-block with famous actors Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, Sir Ben Kingsley, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, and others. A cult classic from over 30 years ago that looks at early hacking culture. Blackmailed into stealing a dangerous decryption device, a security team is pursued by rogue government agencies and a shadowy cyber criminal. The witty dialogue delivered by skilled actors is what really resonates with me.
—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate
Stop! That! Train! (2026) screenplay by Christina Friel and Connor Wright
From Rotten Tomatoes: “STOP! THAT! TRAIN! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic ‘Stormaganza’ threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day in this wild ride of camp and comedy.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
A moving supernatural story about the trauma of World War 1.
More from the publisher: “During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
—Hunter, Storyteller
Whistler by Ann Patchett
When a writer has honed their craft, a certain confidence seeps through the prose. This is the case in Ann Patchett’s 10th and newest novel, Whistler. The apparent ease with which Patchett weaves familial relationships feels authentic yet singular. The dialogue between narrator Daphne and her former stepfather is naturally conversational, yet touching, and made more poetic by the depiction of both characters as avid readers and writers themselves. Compared to more complex plots and ambitious undertakings such as The Dutch House (2019) and Bel Canto (2001), Whistler could be interpreted as one of Patchett’s more understated works. This is not a shortcoming in my opinion, as Whistler was an easy five stars for me. If anything, the unassuming nature brought upon by the straightforward plot amplifies the emotional threads between distinct characters. Whistler is, at its core, an ode to family, storytelling, and the perseverance of love over time.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator
Widow’s Bay created by Katie Dippold
From Rotten Tomatoes: “A New England mayor trying to boost tourism on his island must navigate strange events suggesting it might be cursed… Katie Dippold successfully continues to invest in eccentricity with this outlandish horror-comedy that stokes the genre’s well-worn tropes to winning effect, bringing scares, laughs, and a game cast.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
—and Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Visit our Reading Recommendations page for more book lists.