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 November 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.
Turning Pages: The Life and Times of a Bookseller by Roberta Rubin
Author Talk with Q&A
November 3, 6:00 pm
REGISTER HERE
Longtime independent bookstore owner and AWM Founding Board Member Roberta Rubin stops by to discuss her new memoir Turning Pages. For more than thirty years, Roberta owned and ran The Book Stall at Chestnut Court in Winnetka, Illinois—one of the nation’s most admired independent bookstores. In this warm and inspiring memoir, she reflects on the journey that transformed a neighborhood shop into a nationally respected cultural destination and a beloved cornerstone of community life.
We are thrilled to celebrate Roberta and her new memoir at the AWM on November 3! We hope you can join us for a night to remember, as Roberta shares her story right outside the gallery in the AWM that bears her name. Learn more and sign up to attend here!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Mexodus created by Brian Quijada & Nygel D. Robinson
Writer Talk with Q&A
November 5, 6:00 pm
REGISTER HERE
Told through live looping, bold storytelling and sick beats, Mexodus reimagines the Underground Railroad heading south to Mexico—unearthing a powerful, untold chapter of American history. This groundbreaking musical follows a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally as they forge a remarkable bond that transcends borders. Co-creators and performers Quijada and Robinson will discuss the historical and musical inspirations behind this show, how they create the entire soundscape of the musical live each night, and what they learned diving into this lesser-known story from America’s past.
We hope you can join us for an enlightening discussion on the craft of playwriting and the fusion of hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and bolero in musical theater! Before its highly anticipated run at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Quijada and Robinson will discuss their work with Emmy Award-winning arts and culture reporter LeeAnn Trotter. Learn more and get tickets here!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Flubber screenplay by John Hughes and Bill Walsh, directed by Les Mayfield
Get Lit: Weird Science
November 10, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
REGISTER HERE
From Rotten Tomatoes: “Professor Philip Brainard is experimenting with new kinds of energy, and he thinks this project will save struggling Medfield College, where his girlfriend, Sara, is president. But when he discovers a lively, rubber-like substance dubbed flubber, he gets so excited, he absent-mindedly misses his own wedding. Sara dumps him, so he tries to use his discovery to win her back; unfortunately, the mischievous flubber seems to have a mind of its own.”
This is a great film to watch as research ahead of our next happy hour event, Get Lit: Weird Science. Enjoy refreshing adult beverages, trivia, hands-on activities, and experiments inspired by the strangest, silliest, and most spectacular science found in books, movies, and our wildest imaginations. Plus, the night’s signature cocktail is called THE GOO, which may or not be sentient like Flubber…. There’s only one way to find out, GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Dreams of Ruin by Emma Noyes
Author Talk with Q&A
November 16, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
REGISTER HERE
From the publisher: “Love, magic, gods, and monsters collide in the thrilling conclusion to the Soul of Shadow trilogy, a romantic fantasy for fans of Twilight and Teen Wolf… Dreams of Ruin by Emma Noyes is the thrilling conclusion to the Soul of Shadow trilogy, where the only thing worse than becoming a nightmare, is loving one.”
We hope you can join us for a special off-site event with Emma in Wilmette, IL, her hometown! AWM President Carey Cranston will interview Emma about her books and the writing process at Towne & Oak (921 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, IL 60093). Copies of Dreams of Ruin will be gifted to guests, and Emma will sign books after the program. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Learn more and register here!
—Linda, Director of Development
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.
Freak Lip by Julia Cohen
“Nation of Writers: Louise Glück” coming soon
From the publisher: “Why are some sentences impossible to speak aloud? When they become snared inside us, unsaid, how do they have such an impact on our relationships with others—and with ourselves? In Freak Lip, these sentences often relate to firsts: first period, first serious medical diagnosis, first sexual experience, first love. Cohen explores the often-isolating divide between what we easily express to ourselves internally and what’s unbearable to articulate to another person. Finally expelling Cohen’s own long-kept secret sentences in lyric essays that pair critical thought with everyday accumulations—dialogues with literary voices like Gertrude Stein, break-up emails, AirBnB reviews, and text-message threads—Freak Lip does more than document how the act of withholding jeopardizes our connection to others and ourselves. Refusing shame, it spills forth all that’s unspeakable—our blood, our sex, our bodies, our truths.”
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Cohen, along with poet and professor Peter Streckfus, about the life and legacy of Louise Glück, who they both cite as an influence. Glück was a beloved poet and essayist whose many achievements include the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, National Humanities Medal, and many more, as well as the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature. We had a fun and fascinating conversation about poetry, language, and Glück’s indelible legacy. This episode will come out later this month, so keep you eyes and ears open!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Phoebe Variations by Jane Hamilton
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Jane Hamilton & Sahar Mustafah” here
From the publisher: “A stunning coming-of-age novel about friendship, mothers, and finding one’s way in the world. Set in an Oak Park, IL-ish place in the 1970s. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World.”
Hamilton joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the program, “New Novels,” alongside Sahar Mustafah with Arionne Nettles interviewing. The two novelists discuss the craft of the novel, how to get past writer’s block, and the intricacies of their latest works. This episode was released earlier this month, you can check it out here.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Proofs & Theories: Essays on Poetry by Louise Glück
“Nation of Writers: Louise Glück” coming soon
From the publisher: “Like her poems, the prose of Glück, who won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1993 for The Wild Iris, is compressed, fastidious, fierce, alert, and absolutely unconsoled. The force of her thought is evident everywhere in these essays, from her explorations of other poets’ work to her skeptical contemplation of current literary critical notions such as ‘sincerity’ and ‘courage.’ Here also are Glück’s revealing reflections on her own education and life as a poet, and a tribute to her teacher and mentor, Stanley Kunitz. Proofs & Theories is not a casual collection. It is the testament of a major poet.”
Glück is the subject of the next installment in our Nation of Writers podcast series. This episode will come out later this month and we examine Glück’s writing and legacy with writers Julia Cohen and Peter Streckfus. Coming soon to a podcast streaming service near you!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey
“AWM Author Talks: Ask A Ghostwriter” coming soon
From the publisher: “George Stephanopoulos, the legendary political news host and former advisor to President Clinton, recounts the history-making crises from the place where twelve presidents made their highest-pressure decisions. The Situation Room is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people—the famous and those you’ve never heard of—who have made history within its walls.”
Lisa Dickey, who ghostwrote this book, also joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival for a fun program, “Q&A: Ask a Ghostwriter.” This conversation with Dickey about the ins and outs of ghostwriting, working with major celebrities, and writing for someone else comes out later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Slightest Green by Sahar Mustafah
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Jane Hamilton & Sahar Mustafah” here
From the publisher: “In the middle of dinner one evening, Intisar Jaber receives a phone call that will upend her quiet life in Chicago: her father is dying and she must go to Palestine to pay her final respects. But Intisar hasn’t seen or heard from Hafez for nearly two decades, ever since he abandoned her and her mother to join the resistance. She will have to face her fierce grandmother Sundus whose battle to save her land is suddenly thrust upon Intisar. Will Intisar claim it, or turn her back as her father had done to her? Powerfully etched in Sahar Mustafah’s honest and lyrical prose, The Slightest Green explores the place—and people—we call home and how far we will go to reach them.”
As stated previously, Mustafah also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the program, “New Novels,” alongside Jane Hamilton with Arionne Nettles interviewing. The two novelists discuss the craft of the novel, how to get past writer’s block, and the intricacies of their latest works. This episode was released earlier this month, you can check it out 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!
Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
From the publisher: “The critically acclaimed author of the ‘crazily enjoyable’ (New York Times) 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.”
Kraus was also a featured speaker at the 2026 American Writers Festival! He joined acclaimed author Susan Orlean as part of the program, “Adaptations,” in which the two discuss the process of adapting their own work for the screen. You can listen to this conversation here, or watch the video here!
—Hunter, Storyteller
Carrie developed by Mike Flanagan, based on the novel by Stephen King
Carrie, the novel by Stephen King, gets another adaptation, this time as a TV show developed by Mike Flanagan. It just got renewed for a second season, so it will be interesting to see where the story goes, considering that the original novel was a standalone book. The soundtrack is one of my favorite parts of the show, as it heavily showcases the work of Haute & Freddy. One of the final scenes actually got adapted after Flanagan heard their song “Shy Girl,” which was still unreleased at the time.
—Andrea, Education Program Coordinator
Devil Boys from Beyond by Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliott
From the publisher: “Flying Saucers! Backstabbing Bitches! Muscle Hunks and Men in Pumps! Wake up and smell the alien invasion in this outrageous comedy by the author of the smash off-Broadway hit play The Crumple Zone.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Digger screenplay by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman; directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu
From the studio: “Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns with his original film DIGGER, starring Tom Cruise in the title role. The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything. Cruise stars alongside Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Haunted Mansion (2023) screenplay by Katie Dippold, directed by Justin Simien
Special Halloween shout out to the 2023 Haunted Mansion movie, also written by Katie Dippold (who created Widow’s Bay, see below) and in my opinion underrated.
More from the studio: “A single mom named Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.”
—Hunter, Storyteller
Mud by Remi Wolf
From Pitchfork: “The pop singer’s dynamic but uneven third record provides a portrait of semi-reformed adulthood, powered mostly by her sheer charisma and impressive voice.”
—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate
North Woods by Daniel Mason
From the publisher: “A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries—’a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic’ (Washington Post). This magisterial and highly inventive novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason brims with love and madness, humor and hope. Following the cycles of history, nature, and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about secrets and destinies, but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless question: How do we live on, even after we’re gone?”
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
From the publisher: “In this New York Times bestseller, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan. In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant—and that her lover is married—she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. Profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty.”
—Christopher, Director of Operations
Santos Sisters, Vol. 2 by Greg & Fake
From the publisher: “Ambar and Alana, aka the superhero duo Santos Sisters, are back! And now, with an Eisner Award under their collective belt in addition to being imbued with the powers of the goddess Madame Sosostris, they’re even better prepared for whatever comes their way! Whether it be foiling disastrous plots to take down the local power grid, rescuing boyfriends from jealous supervillains, saving senior citizens from drug addiction, or battling the duo’s ever-expanding rogue’s gallery of supervillainery, Amber and Alana always bring the comic book fun in this healthy conflation of four-color nostalgia, action, and laughs!”
—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager
Stitched by Eli McCann
Two young gay men join a Golden Girls-esque quilting circle in advance of a national competition. This one is a cozy little slice-of-life complete with messy friendships and plenty of small-town gossip—it’s a fun, breezy read!
—Annie, Administrative Associate
Switzy by Emma Cline
The critically acclaimed author of The Guest and The Girls returned this fall with a novel that reads as a courageous departure from her usual subject matter. Switzy explores aging through a narrator grappling with Alzheimer’s. The disease renders his first-person account fragmented and unreliable as he grapples with memory loss in real time. Through the extravagantly wealthy, out-of-touch David, Emma Cline creates a character who is often unlikable but unflinchingly human in light of his condition.
—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.”
—Hunter, Storyteller
Wildwoman by Kat Sandler
From the publisher: “As the young newlywed of King Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici thought her life at court would be a fascinating forum of political discourse. Instead, the palace is a cruel and disturbing place where her singular function is to be a baby-making machine for male heirs. Even the other women at her side, a scheming lady-in-waiting and the king’s power-hungry mistress, seem to mostly fend for themselves. The only kinship she finds is with the paperback-romance hot, head-to-toe hairy wildman kept in the dungeon as one of the king’s collection of caged oddities. His friendly and feral presence gradually awakens Catherine’s own wild side, and once she unleashes it, no one is safe from her vengeful wrath. Based on the shocking true story that inspired Beauty and the Beast, Kat Sandler brings her trademark rapid-fire wit to this salacious saga of an infamous bad girl who could not be tamed.” A viciously funny and sexy thrill ride, WILDWOMAN is about what happens when we let the monster out. Being bad never felt so good.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
You Can See Everything directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim
Like most people who have been to the movies this month, I am singing this experimental documentary’s praises to anyone who will listen. In You Can See Everything, Fielder and Oppenheim push genre boundaries with a shockingly immersive glimpse into the daily lives of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her strangely red-pilled fiancé, Billy Evans. Fielder’s affinity for the uncomfortable is the perfect match for Holmes’ (possibly feigned) naivety and awkwardness. Moviegoers will question reality right alongside the film’s production crew, but entertainment is a guarantee, even when truth is called into question.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator (and also Matt, Community Engagement Manager)
007 First Light video game by IO Interactive
A video game of James Bond’s origin story, with the emphasis on story. So fun I can’t stop thinking of how to solve the next mission.
—Christopher, Director of Operations
Visit our Reading Recommendations page for more lists.