Let’s talk about the books we all read in May!

Our fantasy pick was The Bone Ships by RJ Barker. I just finished this a couple of days ago and I unfortunately gave this one 2⭐️. I had a really hard time getting through this book. The beginning was extremely slow and it didn’t have a clear direction and story line until like 150pages into the book. The rest of the book was very slow moving until the very last like 10%. I can see the potential in this series and can understand why a lot of people love it, but personally the writing style and the pacing is not working for me so I will be DNFing the series ☹️

And speaking of DNFing… I did have to DNF our thriller pick, The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. I listened to this on audio and for the first two hours I was so extremely bored and kept zoning out so I decided to start over and try again. I then listened all the way to 80% and just couldn’t do it anymore. I was so extremely bored it felt like a waste of time by that point. I was very disappointed because the silent patient by this author is one of my favorite thrillers of all time. So I am so sorry to those of you who read this for Mays bookclub!

Recently Read: Started and finished Of Mice and Men the other day. This was my second reading of the book and WOW 🤯 can Steinbeck ever craft characters and an unforgettable story in under 120 pages with unique characters and voices.

Trigger warning - Hated the creature scenes. That stuff is never easy to read, but it had to happen for the story to fully develop and play out.

Have you read Of Mice and Men? Did you know that it is a frequently banned or challenged book?

Also....Damn Looney Tunes for representing George & Lennie in the most unforgettable way. If you know you know!

Now that May is over, I wanted to reflect on the month and all of the exciting things I did. Because I accomplished a lot, I’m kinda gagged.

First and most importantly, I turned 29 in May! I can’t believe I’ll be 30 next year and I can’t wait to have an existential crisis about that at a later date. I had an amazing time celebrating with my friends and family. I’m not one to care about my birthday, but this was a good one that I’ll remember fondly.

One of the things I did for my birthday was spend the day in NYC with friends. I had three goals for this day: go to the MET to see the costuming exhibit, see Chess the Musical, and eat at Din Tai Fung. I’m happy to report that I completed all of my goals! Slay. The costuming exhibit was amazing. The theme for this year was “Costume Art,” where they paired an article of clothing with a piece of art. A lot of the clothing provided commentary on abortion and female choice, and I thought the entire exhibit was rather profound and powerful. If you haven’t seen the exhibit, I suggest that you do before they take it down!

I’ve been wanting to see Chess the Musical since Lea Michele was cast because I’m a huge Glee stan. You bet I was front row when she was Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Kirk was right when he said, “she may be difficult, but boy, can she sing.” Man, did this show not disappoint. All three leads are incredible in their respective roles, and the show is SO funny. I laughed several times, you’re supposed to I promise. Also, I can confirm that Nicholas Christopher is incredible, and the note he holds is just as iconic as it seems on TikTok. I’m so devastated that Chess is closing on Broadway earlier than expected. If you haven’t seen this show, I highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed!

Finally, to wrap up this perfect day, I ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Din Tai Fung. This might be a basic take, but I don’t care—the food SLAPS. My favorite food items to order are the spicy wontons and shrimp fried rice. I could eat bowls and bowls of both. Did I have to eat Din Tai Fung at 10:30 a.m. because that’s the only time I could get a reservation? Yes, and what about it? We love eating Din Tai Fung at 10 a.m. in this house!

At the beginning of the month, I got to attend an event for Fonda Lee to celebrate the release of her newest book, The Last Contract of Isako! I have a review of this book on TikTok, Insta, and Goodreads if you’d like to check it out, but long story short, I loved it! Fonda Lee is such an icon and such an intelligent person. I could hear her talk for hours on end. I was able to get my ARC and other books signed, and overall, it was an amazing evening!

I was also lucky enough to attend a ThrillerFest party hosted by Cosmo Reads and Sourcebooks! This was also how I learned that there is a book festival called ThrillerFest that is hosted every year in NYC. I can’t say that I read a lot of thrillers myself, but I’m definitely more intrigued by the genre now, especially with the books that I took home because they all sound like a slay. I shall come back and update you on how these books are in the fall.

As many of you know, I was able to attend a Heated Rivalry event hosted by Spotify. I’ve already written a blog post about this experience, but to sum it up, it was amazing and one of the best events I’ve ever attended!

I saw The Mandalorian and Grogu this month, and I don’t care what people say—this movie slapped. I gave it 4.5/5 stars, and I stand by that rating. It was a great way to wrap up the series and these characters’ arcs. I cried in the theater, and I’m unapologetic about that. Because it was my birthday month, I got a free popcorn and drink, so overall, it was a great movie-watching experience. 10/10 would recommend.

Some other things of note: I won the Ticketmaster war and secured concert tickets to see Gracie Abrams next March! I lost the war for her last tour, and I’m so happy that I’ll get to see her live. The Secret of Us was one of my favorite albums of 2024 and I can’t believe I’m going to hear Close to You with my literal ears. I’m going to pass out.

I also bought tickets to see Evita starring Rachel Zegler! One thing about me is that I love “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” and another thing is that I’m a major Rachel Zegler stan. I saw her during her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet, and I’m so excited to see her in her next Broadway adventure! Fun fact: I’m seeing both Evita and Gracie within three days of each other, so that’s going to be a VERY busy week for me.

That was my May summed up! I didn’t realize how booked and busy I was, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. I had a wonderful May, and I’m so excited to see where life takes me as we enter June.

I'm excited to discuss a new book with you all: An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole. This book is in one of my all-time favorite sub-genres: dark academia. I'm a big nerd and I love to read out school (especially in my own free time when I have no such deadlines or stress on myself).

Here is my schedule for discussion:

• June 5: Part I, Chapter 1-9 (p.1-96)

• June 12: Part I, Chapter 10-18 (p. 97-182)

• June 19: Part II (p. 184-296)

• June 26: Part III (p. 296+)

So, now on to my thoughts on the first section.

I'm so glad that the section (that I had sectioned out on length) ends with the scene in the bookstore, because that scene is the one I best remember from my first read back in January. While we get a hint of the unknown creepiness that lurks in the tattoo in the mirror scene, it was when the backwards E pops back up that I knew we were in for a fun secret.

As this is my 2nd read, I am definitely reading with new eyes (but no spoilers from me for later sections!). On my first read, I remember having some issues with this section that do get cleared up satisfactorily later. So if you're on the fence, I'd recommend keep going.

A couple of themes that stood out to me:

Classism/privilege

While both classism and racism are prominent in this book, I do think it's helpful to address them separately. The classism discussion specifically seems to be around privilege: and how when we have privilege, we are often ignorant to the advantage we have.

Ellory sees this a lot in her classmates who assume she has the same background as them, and when they discover otherwise, see the difference as a burden (scholarship students? ewww).

Racism/tokenism

It is not shocking to any of us that Ellory would encounter racism at such an institution. But there were two specific instances that occur in this first section of the book that I think highlight a nuanced approach and can be particularly enlightening, especially to us white folk.

First, Ellory is absolutely tokenized at the institution. She is also seen first as Black and put into box with racist assumptions. They ask if her parents died of gun violence. They ask her about BLM as if its her movement (while also making clear that they're supportive only for appearance's sake).

I also think we see the all-too common assumption at the dinner party that an accusation of racism is worse than racism. Why do we white people focus on defending ourselves against the accusations instead of considering our words and actions? I surmise it's because we can only be accused of racism and not harmed by it, that we focus on the former.

Curious your thoughts on any of this, or anything else that stood out!

Hi friends! It’s time to begin populating our monthly newsletter with all the cozy, creative joy. This month’s theme is: Things Worth Lingering Over.

I love the thought of lingering, just taking your time and letting the moment really settle in. Lingering has this sense of presence, of appreciation, and I think that's worth prioritizing especially as we enter the summer season.

With that in mind, if you’d like to add something to our newsletter this month, here’s a list of what I’d love to include photos, a piece of writing, book recs, recipes, art, anything that sparks your imagination and suits the prompt. Here are some examples:

• A place you stayed longer than planned

• A book/series you never wanted to end

• A beautiful view or cozy corner

• A slow morning or chill summer evening

• A simple summer recipe you savor

Ready to submit? CLICK HERE to send in your photo, piece of writing, book rec, drawing, etc. by June 26th and I’ll do my best to include it.

I can’t wait to see what you submit!
Meg

Happy Friday, friends! I'm back with this week's edition of Friday Faves. Make sure to join my Discord server and share your own weekly faves with everyone there!

My favorite book I read this week was Shapes of Love by L.V. Peñalba. I read this for the "Aspec Rep" square on my Pride Reading Bingo board, and it totally blew me away.

This is a YA novel about Sasha, a teen girl whose music goes mega viral on TikTok and makes her an international star. Everyone is trying to figure out who the love songs are about, but Sasha is actually aroace and the songs are all about her favorite characters in TV, books, etc.

This book so beautifully covers the many nuances of aromantic and asexual identities. This is woven in with the bright spotlights of viral fame, being a woman, coming out (or not), and navigating changing friendships through it all.

I really loved how Sasha pushed hard against the idea that friend love can't be as meaningful and important as romantic love. The book lets her make some mistakes around that belief as well, which I liked. Everyone in this book makes mistakes, learns, and has complex conversations about it all.

It is vanishingly rare to get portrayals of queerplatonic relationships in novels, let alone traditionally published ones. I'm so glad that Peñalba included a plotline exploring the possibilities of QPRs, along with a few other types of nontraditional relationships among the secondary characters.

On top of alll that, the characters are racially diverse as well, adding yet another layer to the complexity of coming out. Layers on layers on layers!

I really hope to see more from L.V. Peñalba in the future. This book has such a unique voice, telling a story that is practically absent from YA literature.

My non-bookish fave this week is that I got to go to a The Big Cake Exchange event. Basically, 300+ people all bring a cake, and then you get to go around and take home slices of as many as you can get your hands on. It was joyful chaos, and I had so much fun seeing and tasting everyone's work.

✨ 3/5

What is Helena's story in The Iliad?

Shadows of Sparta is a fantasy romance retelling of The Iliad by C.R. Jane, but this time the focus is on Helena.

While reading, I realized that Helena was the trigger or rather the excuse used by the kings to wage this massive war, conquer Troy, and massage their egos. Yet nowhere is it clearly established whether she was kidnapped, ran away willingly, or was under some kind of spell. Homer says she ran away, but Homer has never been particularly good at representing women in his stories. Anyway, not to digress, Helena's story is not widely known.

C.R. Jane takes her character and weaves an interesting tale filled with magic, power, betrayal, love, and passion. I especially liked how Helena's beauty is used as a weapon or even how lust itself becomes a weapon. Menelaus is also a well-written character; as you read the book, you begin to hope for his death.

That said, this is the first book in a trilogy, which is why it feels more like an introduction than a complete story. Many elements remain unexplained, which I assume will be revealed in future books. Achilles also feels promising as a character, but it's still early. Not much about him has been revealed yet. I also didn't fully understand the Achilles-Helena arc in the book. Helena says that "he sees her," but nothing substantial has happened between them for him to make that claim.

To be honest, I loved Paris more. ;)

I think Book 2 will be a more exciting read. Secrets will be revealed, and there will be more action. I also hope to see Helena become a more powerful FMC rather than remain as helpless as she seems in Book 1.

Thank you so much @podiumentertainment for this copy.

Author - @crjaneauthor

#bookreview #bookrecommendation #booktok #shadowsofsparta

"You're doing it again," Doug says ...
"Doing what?" (Jett)
"(Looking at her) Like she's at the end of every road you drive down. Your center point."

GENRE: Romance
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook ARC
Tropes: Boss x Employee, Set in Australia, only one tent, forced proximity, PR relationship, ADHD and Dyslexia rep

Overall Impression: If Nicole Cubba writes it, I will read it and read it in less than 24 hours as well! I fell in LOVE with the story in Deep in Love and this second book in the series, Wild in Love was no exception to this 🥺

Review:

So Wild in Love follows the journey of both Jett and Sofía and OH MY GOD? I love them so much! Jett is very much an easy going person that we saw in book one and we get to learn so much more about him. His love for what he does carries through his POVs and that starts to translate for how he views Sofía as well. And oh my heart, watching them (well reading) fall in love together?

Jett is definitely what I would call kind of a golden retriever MMC? He is so gentle with everyone but he is ESPECIALLY gentle with Sofía, realising that she needs time to recover from what happened in her past and he helps her through it all emotionally. I loved how we got to see his journey with ADHD and dyslexia. As someone with ADHD, it was relatable read, especially watching Jett question his worth after being told he isn't worth it because he followed a different path in life.

And Sofía is our typical eldest sibling who took on the whole world and carries it all on her shoulders while not taking care of herself. Her POV is vulnerable, getting down to the root of it all while showing us that she is trying to maintain control of her life and manage it all for everyone too.

You can literally see their journey and how they come together. Sofía helps Jett see his worth and that he is perfect just the way he is, no matter what he did because he paved his own way in life. At the same time, Jett offers Sofía a space to be vulnerable and herself.

I genuinely love when we get to see relationships like this, ones that allow space for healing and falling in love at the same time and I cannot wait to read more from Nicole Cubba (and hopefully in this series🥹)

I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

May's Sad Rich Girl Salon dove into taste--

I could honestly do 10+ Salons on taste. People had so much to say and the convos were fascinating. The central question I posed was: Who gets to claim good taste? Who is excluded from having it (even when they adopt all the "right" signals and symbols)?

The reading/media below was not required by any means, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many people dipped into it (2 people told me they watched The Square which is one of the best disturbing/uncomfortable movies about elitist art/culture professionals).

Suggested Reading & Media

• Tasteslop by Emily Segal

• Little Nolitas Everywhere in The Cut

• Tech Bros Have Just Discovered Taste (reel)

• "I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America" in The Atlantic

• When Harry Met Sally wagon wheel coffee table scene

• American Dad! Season 10, Episode 2 “A Boy Named Michael” (on Hulu or Amazon Prime)

• Xavier’s Substack (he’s harsh & very funny. a lot of what he says is just saying the ugly parts of status/power out loud, which is uncomfortable to some people)

• T Magazine “How to be Cultured” (I hate this soooo much)

• “Bitches with taste” reddit

• Ruben Östlund's The Square (2017)

• Bourdieu’s 500 page tome Distinction (if you want to join my book club and read this with us, tell me but you have to take it seriously)

• David Brooks' Bobos in Paradise

• Chris Lehmann's Rich People Things

• Martha Stewart interview (full length, 1 min clipping on taste)

Discussion questions:

• Who was the first person that you thought had ‘good taste’?

• Can taste be faked?

• What are the typical metrics of good taste?

• What are the less-obvious, subtle signals of “good taste” that are used to gatekeep?

• What is taste really a euphemism for?

• Does taste look diff for women/men?

• What’s wrong with “learning” taste (if anything)?

• “Taste can’t be divorced from class, except when _________[fill in the blank]”

• What is it “pretentious” vs “tasteful”?

• Who in your life would you go to for recs about taste? (it could be yourself lol)

• Has "having taste" become more or less accessible?

We made a pact to walk 3 miles every day in June. So far so good! Watson gets about 1.3 miles with me in the morning. It’s an early start, but worth it to see the breaking dawn and woodland creatures (deer and rabbits mostly)

Not sure what he will do when it rains. 😂

I was going to start the Elmore Leonard books today, but opted for a Friday start instead.

I hope you are having a great day!

June is Audiobook Appreciation Month, and to celebrate, Libro.fm is hosting a global audiobook walk on June 13! Listening to an audiobook is my favorite way to read, and I want to know...what's your favorite audiobook?

My goal is to make a list of favorites from the Bindery community to share before the walk! I would be so grateful if you took a second to comment below with your favorite audiobook (bonus points if it's a rec for Pride Month!). 🥰

Wherever you are, I hope you also join me for the Audiobook Walk on the 13th! 🥳

Happy Audiobook Appreciation Month, and Happy Pride Month!

P.S. Please let me know if you'd like me to include your name and/or social handle with your recommendation. 🫶

Good morning Readers!!

I am so excited. I just placed an order for a bunch of Bindery books. I am so happy to finally have them at the shop and share them with my readers. We will have

House of Frank by Kay Synclair

Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil

Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase

Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

Our sisters Keeper by Jasmine Holmes

Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife by Deston Munden

To Bargain with Mortals by R. A Basu

Just to start! Ill keep you posted on when these increbible books come in.

Happy Trans Joy Thursday!

Today, I wanted to highlight 10 books that have not only brought me joy, but also made me feel seen, heard, validated and others that just... altered my brain in the best possible way. By no means are these like my all time favorites, but they come pretty damn close, and I find myself recommending them over and over again. I chose 5 nonfiction books, and 5 fiction books.

Before we get to the lists, though, I wanted to remind you that if you're local to Green Bay, Wisconsin, I'll be vending my first ever big Pride event at Proud Out Loud at Stage Ten Seventeen from 12-8pm. I will be a vendor indoors. I'll have Pride exclusives and tons of merch to shop, in addition to my book, of course. Here are the details if you're curious:

I hope I see you all there! One more house keeping thing, we have finalized our Quarter 3 Book Club Pick and our Behind The Book chat! We will be reading Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H(she/they), and will ALSO be talking with them July 31st from 7-8 pm CST/8-9pm EST. Quarter 3 will be July, August and September. So, we'll have 3 months to dive in and discuss this book along the way. I will also be holding a giveaway for the paperback UK edition. More details on that coming in July.

But Sawyer, you told us last time we are speaking with DeAndra Davis in July for the Beyond The Rainbow chat!? YES! We're talking to BOTH OF THEM IN JULY. And I'm so pumped. More details coming later this week.

NOW. For the books that changed my brain chemistry. Here are my Top 5 Nonfiction Reads:

In no particular order, these are my Top 5 Nonfiction books:

1. The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity by Dr. Kaila Story. This book gave me so much material to digest, I not only listened to the audiobook, I bought a physical copy to immediately reread to annotate. (I don't typically reread books. Let alone in the same month.) Dr. Kaila Story will also be with us Tuesday, June 16th from 12-1pm CST/1-2 pm EST to discuss this book, Pride, and everything in between. Zoom information coming soon.

2. Falling Back In Love With Being Human: Letters To Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom. This book was like reading a book of forgiveness to those that have wronged you. The book itself is broken up into different formats - poems, prayers, spells, letters, etc. Truly an eye opening book and one that has sat with me since it's release.

3. Black Boy Out Of Time by Hari Ziyad. Y'all. I had an e-copy of this book, purchased the audiobook, and still have yet to purchase the physical copy. But the way Ziyad writes letters to his younger self throughout the book, healed something inside of me. Ziyad discusses growing up as a queer Black kid with a religious upbringing and how he navigated that. It's a masterpiece that should be required reading.

4. Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. Seeing as how this book is our Q3 book club selection, it should come as no surprise that it also made my top 5 list. Growing up in an extremely (cultish) religious upbringing, I related to Lamya's stories about herself in relation to the Qur'an. Truly a must read if you can relate to navigating religion or religious trauma.

5. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. This book gave my adult self the ability to put words to my gender and identity that I was searching for. Truly a book that needs to be read by youth and adults alike. (The annotated edition was also just released in May, and I need it.)

Just typing out those 5 books, I thought of like 5 more I could've added. lol. Here are the Top 5 Fiction books that altered my brain:

I absolutely stay in my nonfiction bag, so branching out to fiction is way too hard for me. But when I do read fiction, it's usually queer books. These top 5 fiction books left me feeling some type of way about the characters, the plot, the storyline - they just left parts of me feeling seen. Looking at this list, I believe all but one of them are considered YA - I so wish I had these books in my youth. What a difference it could've made. I'm so thankful the kids today have access to stories that reflect them. Here are my Top 5 Fiction Books, in no particular order:

1. Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly. A book about a recent divorcee and a nonbinary individual? Sounds like Kelly wrote about me and Alisha. To the point Alisha called me London for a brief moment in time due to my shared awkwardness with the character. I will read Kelly's grocery lists. Their books just never miss. Ever.

2. Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore. Fun fact: This was the first book I ever won in a giveaway on Bookstagram. This book is about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to speak up for themselves and equality to their school administration. And honestly? Still applicable today. A must read for not only parents, but every single kid to know that their voice matters.

3. I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver. This book hit a little close to home, as it is about a nonbinary teen who got kicked out of their home after coming out to their parents. It follows Ben as they navigate school. anxiety, crushes, and the complexities of being a queer teenager. Deaver is also another author that just never misses.

4. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. Another fun fact: We named one of the cats Felix after this book. This book follows Felix, a Black, queer, trans teen who is attending an art program in NYC. The overall themes include self-discovery, loving yourself, and accepting the fact that you are deserving of love. Such a beautiful book.

5. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I have also read this book twice. (I'm sensing a correlation of books reread and my top 5. lol) I love the fact that this book explores coming out as trans and navigating it with family and belonging. Such a tender book. I cannot wait until Thomas releases the sequel, Espiritu, later this year.

And there you have it. My top 10 nonfiction/fiction books. I still could have added more books to both lists the more I sit here and think about them. But now I'm curious, if you could ONLY (yes, only) pick 5 books in each category, which books would you choose? Meet me in our Discord to tell me, or drop them in a comment below.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and a very happy day 4 of Pride.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Have you ever been halfway through a book and suddenly realized two completely unrelated details were connected? The throwaway conversation from chapter two. The strange symbol nobody explained. The character who seemed unimportant.

Then everything clicks into place, and you immediately want to flip back 100 pages to see what you missed.

That's the feeling conspiracy thrillers are built around.

Of all the thriller subgenres, these are the books most likely to turn readers into detectives. You're not simply following a story. You're constantly looking for patterns, clues, and hidden connections.

Every answer raises another question. Every discovery reveals another layer underneath it.

🔎 What Is a Conspiracy Thriller?

Most thrillers revolve around a problem: a murder, a missing person, a stalker, or a kidnapping. Conspiracy thrillers usually start with a problem too, but the real story begins when someone realizes the problem is connected to something much larger.

What begins as a single mystery slowly expands into a web of secrets, hidden agendas, and connections nobody saw coming. The deeper the protagonist digs, the bigger the story becomes. That's the hallmark of a conspiracy thriller.

🧠 Why Readers Love Them

I think conspiracy thrillers appeal to a very specific type of reader. The kind of reader who loves saying: "Wait a second..." The kind of reader who immediately starts theorizing.

A good conspiracy thriller makes readers feel like they're participating in the investigation. You're collecting clues right alongside the protagonist and trying to figure out how everything fits together.

There is something incredibly satisfying about reaching the moment when dozens of scattered puzzle pieces suddenly form a complete picture. Even if that picture is terrifying.

🗝️ Secret Histories, Hidden Truths, and Forbidden Knowledge

One thing you'll notice in a lot of conspiracy thrillers is that they're obsessed with hidden information: secret societies, classified documents, historical coverups, ancient artifacts, forgotten discoveries, and most importantly, buried truths.

Many conspiracy thrillers revolve around the idea that the world isn't quite what it seems on the surface. Whether that secret involves governments, corporations, religion, science, or history depends on the book, but the appeal is often the same: What if there was more to the story?

📚 What Makes Them Different From Other Thrillers?

A psychological thriller makes readers question people. A domestic thriller makes readers question relationships. A conspiracy thriller makes readers question information.

• Who knows the truth?

• Who is hiding it?

• Who benefits from keeping it secret?

The tension comes from uncertainty. Not just uncertainty about what will happen next, but uncertainty about what is actually true. That creates a very different reading experience.

📖 If You Usually Read Other Genres...

One of the reasons I think conspiracy thrillers have such broad appeal is that they overlap naturally with a lot of other genres.

❤️ Romance Readers

Start with: The Last Flight by Julie Clark

If your favorite books focus on character relationships but you want more suspense, this is a fantastic entry point. The emotional investment in the characters is every bit as strong as the mystery.

🐉 Fantasy Readers

Start with: The Will of the Many by James Islington

Fantasy readers often already love conspiracy stories without realizing it. Secret societies, political manipulation, hidden agendas, and unanswered questions are everywhere in this book.

🏛️ Historical Fiction Readers

Start with: The Eight by Katherine Neville

Historical mysteries, secret histories, and centuries-old puzzles make this an easy crossover for readers who love digging into the past.

🚀 Science Fiction Readers

Start with: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

The science-fiction elements are front and center, but the growing sense that something larger is happening behind the scenes will feel very familiar to conspiracy thriller readers.

🧩 Mystery Readers

Start with: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Love clues? Love puzzles? Love trying to solve things before the characters do? This is one of the easiest entry points into the subgenre.

📚 Beginner Pick

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

Two women swap plane tickets in an airport, setting off a story full of secrets, hidden identities, and unexpected connections.

Why it works:

• fast-paced

• highly accessible

• strong emotional core

• easy to binge in a weekend

This is the book I'd hand to someone who has never picked up a conspiracy thriller before.

📚 Advanced Pick

The Eight by Katherine Neville

A centuries-spanning puzzle involving a legendary chess set, secret societies, hidden knowledge, and layers upon layers of interconnected mysteries.

Why it works:

• complex plotting

• multiple timelines

• historical intrigue

• rewards careful readers

This is the kind of conspiracy thriller where every detail matters.

🌙 Final Thoughts

I think conspiracy thrillers appeal to the same instinct that makes us love puzzles, mysteries, and treasure hunts. We like discovering that seemingly random details weren't random after all.

Conspiracy thrillers take that feeling and stretch it across an entire novel. Every clue matters and every question leads somewhere. Plus, every answer reveals another secret waiting underneath, which is exactly why these books have a way of keeping readers up far later than they intended.

This month's book club pick is Next Time Will Be Out Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto. See what else we've read this year below!