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 October 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.
The Essential Poems by Micheal O’Siadhail
Poetry Reading with Q&A
October 8, 11:00 am
REGISTER HERE
From the publisher: “With an illustrious literary career that has spanned over fifty years, renowned poet Micheal O’Siadhail has cemented his place on the international stage. From his debut collection, The Leap Year (1978), to his latest collection, Desire (2023), O’Siadhail captures evolving struggles with love, faith, and humanity. Here, spanning the entirety of his outstanding career, is the essence of his masterful body of work.”
Join us on October 8 for an afternoon poetry reading and Q&A with O’Siadhail, who will read from and discuss this collection with Parneshia Jones, Director for Northwestern University Press. If that doesn’t entice you enough, there will be light snacks and refreshments provided! Learn more and sign up to attend here.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song edited by Kevin Young
Black Poetry Day Readings & Reflections
October 17, 1:00 pm
REGISTER HERE
From the publisher: “Across a turbulent history, from such vital centers as Harlem, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, Black poets created a rich and multifaceted tradition that has been both a reckoning with American realities and an imaginative response to them. Capturing the power and beauty of this diverse tradition in a single indispensable volume, African American Poetry reveals as never before its centrality and its challenge to American poetry and culture.”
Join us for poetry readings on National Black Poetry Day, recognized annually on October 17 to celebrate the contributions of Black poets and writers throughout this country’s history. Presented in partnership with the Guild Literary Complex, local Chicago poets will present readings from their favorite Black poets, emceed by Faylita Hicks. Learn more and sign up for free here!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers by Taisia Kitaiskaia, illustrated by Katy Horan
Get Lit: Witch Please
October 20, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
LEARN MORE AND GET TICKETS HERE
From the publisher: “Literary Witches reimagines visionary writers as witches: both are figures of formidable creativity, empowerment, and general badassery. Through a series of thirty lyrical portraits, Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan honor the witchy qualities of well-known and obscure authors alike, including Virginia Woolf, Mira Bai, Toni Morrison, Emily Dickinson, Octavia E. Butler, Sandra Cisneros, and many more.”
This book will be the perfect companion to bring to our next happy hour event, Get Lit: Witch Please. Enjoy refreshing adult beverages as you put your knowledge to the test with witchy trivia, show off your best magical look in our costume contest, get creative with spellbinding crafts, and dive into the folklore, literature, and legends behind some of fiction’s most iconic witches. Get your tickets here!
—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.
Bad Company by Sara Paretsky
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Free Speech Today” here
From the publisher: “Meet Lily. Once the CIA’s most effective field agent, she’s now the target of a Company womanhunt designed to silence her. She’s in her 70s. Can she call on her old field skills to save her life? (Coming November 2026).”
Paretsky, who is also an outspoken advocate for freedom of speech, attended the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss this important topic with Jacob Mchangama, the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and research professor at Vanderbilt University. This conversation is available to watch online here, or listen to on the podcast here.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Beneath a Broken Sky by Joshua Moehling
“AWM Author Talks: Writing Thrillers” coming soon
From the publisher: “From USA Today bestselling author Joshua Moehling comes a tense, atmospheric thriller about one detective’s search for a mysterious killer in the chaos following a deadly storm…”
Moehling joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the program, “Writing Thrillers,” alongside Mindy Mejia and Tracy Clark. The three novelists discuss how to write a breathtaking thriller, from pacing to twists to turns and everything in between. This episode will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Blacktail by Scott Hawkins
“AWM Author Talks: Horror Writing – Books & Podcasts” coming soon
From the publisher: “The long-awaited second novel from the author of the cult hit The Library at Mount Char, a one-of-a-kind dark fantasy in which a wolf sets out on an epic journey of revenge.”
Hawkins also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the panel “Horror Writing: Books & Podcasts.” He was joined in conversation by novelist Quan Barry, podcasters Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink, and moderated by writer A.V. Bach. This episode will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Edge: A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller by Tracy Clark
“AWM Author Talks: Writing Thrillers” coming soon
From the publisher: “When a tainted drug starts claiming lives across the city, Detective Harriet Foster and her team race to track down the source…before it takes one of their own. Chicago’s finest are scouring the city for a tainted new opioid making the rounds, but they’re coming up empty. With five people already dead―a college kid, a new mother, and three poker players―all they really know is the drug’s name: Edge. Where it’s coming from is still anyone’s guess.”
Clark also joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival as the moderator of the program, “Writing Thrillers,” with Joshua Moehling and Mindy Mejia. The three novelists discuss how to write a breathtaking thriller, from pacing to twists to turns and everything in between. This episode will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy’s Most Essential Freedom by Jacob Mchangama & Jeff Kosseff
Listen to “AWM Author Talks: Free Speech Today” here
From the publisher: “Argues for a reinvigorated, global commitment to open dialogue. Mchangama and Kosseff advocate nonpartisan, civic-minded solutions that resist both government overreach and corporate silencing. They offer a compelling case for how free speech can meet modern challenges without abandoning its foundational role in sustaining democracy, human rights, and shared understanding.”
Mchangama also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss the state of free speech today with beloved novelist and free speech advocate Sara Paretsky. That conversation is available to watch online here, or listen to on the podcast here.
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Route 66 Recipes: A Culinary Cruise Along the Mother Road by Amy Bizzarri
“AWM Author Talks: Route 66 Recipes” coming soon
From the publisher: “Author Amy Bizzarri serves up recipes―each paired with a side of history―that capture the essence of the classic diners, cozy chili parlors, welcoming inns, old-school soda shops, tasty burger joints, and unforgettable dive bars that have fueled generations of travelers.”
Bizzarri joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival to discuss her latest travelogue and cookbook, which was perfect timing given that this year is the 100th anniversary of Route 66. This program will be released later this month as a podcast episode, and we highly recommend listening to it while you make one of the recipes in the book!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Unveiling by Quan Barry
“AWM Author Talks: Horror Writing – Books & Podcasts” coming soon
From the publisher: “A genre-bending Black literary horror novel exploring abandonment, guilt, and survival in the shadow of America’s racial legacy, The Unveiling follows a group of tourists turned disaster survivors on an Antarctica cruise over Christmas Eve. With sharp social satire, Quan Barry questions the limits of human bonds, the masks we wear, and the truths we hide even from ourselves.”
Barry also attended the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the panel “Horror Writing: Books & Podcasts.” She was joined in conversation by novelist Scott Hawkins, podcasters Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink, and moderated by writer A.V. Bach. This episode will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Welcome to Night Vale created by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink
“AWM Author Talks: Horror Writing – Books & Podcasts” coming soon
From the publisher: “Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.”
Cranor and Fink both attended the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the panel “Horror Writing: Books & Podcasts.” They were joined in conversation by novelists Quan Barry and Scott Hawkins, and moderated by writer A.V. Bach. This episode will be released later this month!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia
“AWM Author Talks: Writing Thrillers” coming soon
From the publisher: “Nicknamed ‘the dark voice of the Heartland,’ Edgar nominee and Silver Falchion Award finalist Mindy Mejia picks up the trail from the USA Today bestselling Iowa Mysteries series in The Whisper Place, a new suspenseful thriller showcasing her expertise with the Midwest and teeming with ’80s pop culture references.”
Mejia joined us at the 2026 American Writers Festival as part of the program, “Writing Thrillers,” alongside Joshua Moehling and Tracy Clark. The three novelists discuss how to write a breathtaking thriller, from pacing to twists to turns and everything in between. This episode will be released later this month!
—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!
Actually, Nevermind: Essays by Taylor Tomlinson
From the publisher: “As she approaches thirty-four—the same age her mother, Angela, was at her death—Tomlinson grapples with fear and ambition, identity and doubt, and all the ways her mind has changed since the day her mom died. In these sharply observed, uproariously funny, and moving original essays, Tomlinson leads readers through a tour of her brain and her shifting opinions about everything from love and relationships, mental health and therapy, religion and sex, food and body image, being the eldest daughter and the only woman in late-night TV, to ghosts, morning people, and more.”
Tomlinson recently visited the AWM (pictured here) on her latest stop in Chicago! We were thrilled to show her around, especially her inclusion in the “Holiness & Humor” section of our special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture. Tomlinson was raised in a conservative Christian household and this informs her stand-up comedy, as she talks openly about topics such as religion, sexuality, mental health, and more. I highly recommend catching her next show in a city near you, as well any and all of her stand-up specials that are available to stream. Plus, add this essay collection to your to-be-read pile and you won’t be disappointed when you read it!
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Animal Control created by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg & Dan Sterling
This workplace comedy set in a Seattle animal control department stars Joel McHale and is rife with slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and just enough heart to keep you from rooting against our anti-heroes. Season five just premiered, Sundays on Fox.
—Annie, Administrative Associate
Donut County developed by Ben Esposito
From the Nintendo store: “Donut County is a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole. Raccoons have taken over Donut County with remote-controlled trash-stealing holes. You play as BK, a hole-driving raccoon who swallows up his friends and their homes to earn idiotic prizes. When BK falls into one of his own holes, he’s confronted by his best friend Mira and the residents of Donut County, who are all stuck 999 feet underground…and they demand answers!”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
Often recommended for fans of Yesteryear, Fallow is perfectly oriented to be one of fall’s buzziest novels. The novel addresses subjects that are both popular in our current zeitgeist and timelessly important to interrogate—such as trad wives, motherhood, and the corporate American labor force. While many may gravitate toward Fallow because of these pertinent themes, I am certain readers will be even more entranced by Anderson’s unique voice and command of satire. Anderson is a recent graduate of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan. This prestigious MFA program recently received the Beyond the Page Award at the American Writers Museum’s 2026 OnWord Annual Benefit.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator
Hollywood, Ending by John Green
When I first discovered John Green’s YA fiction as a teenager, I was struck by the visceral humanity of his writing. Hollywood, Ending is Green’s first work of fiction for adults. It tackles topics Green is known for, including how our upbringings shape who we become and the healing power of unconditional love, with a refined maturity. As a former teenager from the generation that obsessed over Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, reading a new John Green novel in my 20s was a gift. I especially enjoyed Green’s commentary on fame in the age of immediacy.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
From the publisher: “An acclaimed journalist takes readers on a true adventure deep into the Honduran rainforest in this riveting narrative about the discovery of a lost civilization—culminating in a stunning medical mystery… Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn’t until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease. Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, The Lost City of the Monkey God is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century.”
—Allison, Director of Programs
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
From the publisher: “The Flynn family is coming undone. Catherine and Bud’s open marriage has reached its breaking point as their daughters spiral in their own chaotic orbits: Abigail, the eldest, is dating a man in his twenties nicknamed War Crimes Wes; Louise, the middle child, maintains a secret correspondence with an online terrorist; the brilliant youngest, Harper, is being sent to wilderness reform camp due to her insistence that someone—or something—is monitoring the town’s citizens. Casting a shadow across their lives, and their small coastal town, is Paul Alabaster, a billionaire shipping magnate. Rumors of corruption circulate, but no one dares dig too deep. No one except Harper, whose obsession with a mysterious shipping container exposes a criminal conspiracy that unwittingly endangers her family—a crisis that just may bring them closer together.”
—Carol, Assistant Director of Development
Primetime screenplay by Ajon Singh, directed by Lance Oppenheim
From Rotten Tomatoes: “In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history… Turning the camera’s scrutinizing eye back onto To Catch a Predator’s journalistic legacy, Primetime interrogates the slippery boundary between justice and lurid spectacle with crackling style and an outstanding Robert Pattinson.”
—Matt, Community Engagement Manager
Rasputin Swims the Potomac by Ben Fountain
From the publisher: “Reporter Clarence Thomas Jr. is looking for a great story, former country music teen star Faith Spack has parlayed her fame into a job at the White House, and the two-term incumbent president is campaigning for a constitutionally dubious third term… Desperate to retain power, he enlists the mystical pro wrestler Rasputin to help ensure his reelection and guarantee additional seasons of his presidential reality TV show, The Real West Wing. But as Rasputin’s appeal threatens to exceed the president’s, and the wrestler’s supposedly supernatural powers start to seem like the real thing, the campaign finds itself trapped in a spandex-clad destiny no number of executive orders can control, one in which both Clarence and Faith are compelled to play increasingly large parts. Hilarious, compelling, and tragically relevant, Rasputin Swims the Potomac is both an escape and a warning, a scathing satire that explores the twists and turns of American democracy as it hurtles toward authoritarianism.”
—Annie, Administrative Associate
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein
From the publisher: “An out-of-work actress gets a job as a tour guide for an ultra-luxury time travel company—only to discover her trips to the past could upend her present… Despite Ash’s tendency toward cynicism, she finds herself swept up in her dazzling new job. Sure, Ash isn’t the actress she’d always dreamed she’d be. But isn’t this so much better? It’s like Ash’s life is a movie, complete with an impossible love triangle. How is she supposed to choose between her mysterious office crush and the handsome private eye pursuing her in 1937? For the first time in years, Ash’s life feels enviable—so she’d really rather not pay attention to the strange things happening to her memory and relationships outside Retro. But as her trips threaten to unravel her real life, she confronts an unsettling truth: Escaping into the past was never really an escape at all.”
—Nate, Content & Exhibits Manager
Scream screenplay by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven
Scream is an annual October revisit for me. Aside from being a seminal horror movie that revamped the slasher sub-genre in the 1990s, I find Scream’s script incredibly strong, particularly through its characterization. From protagionst/final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), to relentlessly ambitious reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), to secondary antagonist—but chaotically lovable—Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), all of Scream’s characters feel multi-dimensional in a way that is uncommon for horror movies. For me, this pushes the initial Scream installment from just a campy Halloween staple to something more, regardless of my feelings about how the franchise may have devolved with time.
—Sydney, Systems Operations Coordinator
Songs In The Key of Life – The EP by Stevie Wonder
One of the best albums ever by one of the most talented songwriters in American history apparently had a few leftovers and Stevie Wonder is sharing them in honor of the 50th anniversary of this classic recording. These are previously unheard songs that were recorded during the very sessions that garnered the Album of the Year award at the Grammys but didn’t make it on the double album. In a statement Stevie said, “We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it. They bring me back to that time in my life, and now they get to become part of yours.”
—Christopher, Director of Operations
The Tijuana Book of the Dead by Luis Alberto Urrea
From the publisher: “Celebrated author Luis Alberto Urrea was inspired to create this work largely in response to the book bannings and abolition of Mexican-American studies in Arizona and as a cry against the current political climate for immigrants. Weaving English and Spanish languages as fluidly as he blends cultures of the southwest, Urrea offers a tour of Tijuana, spanning from Skid Row, to the suburbs of East Los Angeles, to the stunning yet deadly Mojave Desert, to Mexico and the border fence itself. Mixing lyricism and colloquial voices, mysticism and the daily grind, Urrea offers a deep and moving meditation on the blurring borders in a melting pot society.”
—Andrew, Institutional Giving Manager
The Wonderful Visit by H. G. Wells
Not what you might expect from this author, but what a bit of fun storytelling.
More from the publisher: “Prepare for a whimsical journey that blends fantasy with social satire. This classic novel explores the extraordinary events that unfold when an angel unexpectedly arrives in a quiet, unsuspecting English village. The vicar, a man of faith and reason, finds his world turned upside down by this otherworldly visitor. Wells, known for his science fiction and imaginative storytelling, uses this fantastical premise to offer a sharp and humorous commentary on societal norms and human nature. Experience the clash between the celestial and the mundane as the angel’s presence disrupts the tranquility of the village, forcing its inhabitants to confront their own prejudices and limitations.”
—Christopher, Director of Operations
Visit our Reading Recommendations page for more book lists.