for you book series

Caroline Kepnes On Her Latest Joe Goldberg Novel, For You And Only You - Exclusive Interview

TV thriller "You" quickly found an audience on Netflix , making serial killer and eternal sad boy Joe Goldberg a household name in the process. With "Gossip Girl" icon Penn Badgley in the lead role, "You" found the sort of success that feels rare in the streaming age, inspiring a zillion memes and thirst tweets. But before "You" hit our screens, author Caroline Kepnes was deftly crafting the twisted character we've all come to love and hate.

With a background as a TV writer and entertainment journalist, Kepnes' talents were perfectly suited to novel writing. Every "You" novel is flawlessly infused with biting pop culture references and underpinned with a soul-crushing grief that makes protagonist Joe Goldberg impossible to forget. Now, Kepnes is back with the fourth book in the series, " For You and Only You ," which follows Joe Goldberg's journey to becoming a respected novelist in his own right. 

In an exclusive interview with The List, Caroline Kepnes revealed how she created Joe Goldberg, what it's like writing about murder for a living, and how she feels about Netflix hit "You" ending after five seasons.

Joe Goldberg came from a place of grief

Joe Goldberg is a cultural phenomenon. What inspired you to start writing about him, and where did he come from?

It's always the strangest thing because the short answer is: My dad died. He had this sick, dark sense of humor, was very loving, was very good to a lot of people, and also hated social media. He's sitting there dying and is like, "Don't put me on Facebook." That combination of things and then going through that loss at any time in anyone's life is a lot. 

But it was 2013 when it was all [happening], and I remember learning what Instagram was. It violates everything that I learned in childhood, like, "Don't talk to strangers, don't tell people where you are." It was a combination of things, but above all, it was experiencing that level of loneliness. Whether or not someone dies suddenly, or in my dad's case, there's an illness and it's long, there's nothing like those months after when you realize they're never calling again.

That loneliness is in Joe and was part of the tragedy for him. That's home to him, so that's what he's always going to go back to. Then, on the other side of it, [it's] wanting to have a laugh. My mom and my aunts were reading it. Joe made me laugh. It was fun. It was like, "This is a safe, good place to just imagine." The entertaining part of it was the main thing. It was my own little therapy project. What a miracle it is to have the books [take off] and to have this [Netflix] show come about and people getting obsessed with this character. That's when I get tongue-tied because I'm still like, "Oh my God."

To come out of a place of loss like that, I'm so sorry for that. I lost my mom a few years ago, so I understand the feelings you're describing. To put your grief into a book — that's incredible.

Initially, I did write a very first-person account about caregiving and cancer, and it was like, "I'm not ready for that yet." I want to go to a sick, funny, out-there, totally different place, but a place I will never go to except in a book.

Joe Goldberg's journey to becoming an author

In "For You and Only You," Joe is pursuing his own writing career, and he finds a new romance. What do readers need to know about the next chapter of his journey?

It's a little "be careful what you wish for" because we've been with him a long time, and we know he has issues with the elites. Also, for him, falling in love means falling into a kind of hatred of the love interest's friends and her people and the people around her. I loved putting Joe in the belly of the beast. It's wonderful to take away his right to be an outsider, and he immediately is right back where he started. He will find a way to take issue with everyone around him — nobody's perfect except Joe.

It's a new Joe in this book. He went through the pandemic like we all did. It was really hard and fun to think about him going through that experience and him writing a book and how that experience would change him a little bit and would give him a new confidence, a self-awareness, but he is still rationalizing everything. I liked realizing that he spent a lot of time alone. He did kidnap someone during the pandemic, because he's Joe. But I liked him going into this book, having done all of this reflection and done all of that work of putting it all through the filter, and coming out thinking he has empathy for everyone — but of course, it's empathy for himself.

Now he's a writer. That's even scarier.

I also loved that conflict because he's so all-or-nothing. There's a part in the book where he is like, "Sometimes it's terrible when a reader becomes a writer." It was great to let him think of it that way, the way someone can do one or the other. He's got this issue now. He wants to be this lofty author, and he thinks now he's the genius and too good for everything. [But it's] realizing that people love a lot of different things, and he's the ego-centric wounded soul who hears someone say that they love someone else's book and is like, "What about me?" I liked that combination of him having to be extra hard on people because he is a little smarter now — the way that reading a book, you see things about yourself you don't necessarily want to see.

Embracing Joe Goldberg's penchant for murder

You have to live with Joe Goldberg every day. Do you ever wish you could get rid of him?

It's why we have these pillows. [ holds up a pillow featuring Nicolas Cage's face ] I feel like I have soft, funny things everywhere. I have a lot of "Waiting for Guffman" stuff. I have "Veep" things that I bought when they were selling them at an auction. I love having Joe and I love having him in the back of my head, walking through the motions with me. Every book I read, [I'm] imagining him reading it. There's a book that's coming out by Alice Slater, "Death of a Bookseller," and it was so fun to imagine Joe reading it.

Other times, when I'm about to write, I get very grumpy and very mean. It's almost like PMS, and I'm like, "Okay, here it comes." I think I'm in a bad mood — "What is this mood?" — and then it's like, "Oh, I just need to do some Joe." It's weird for 10 years to develop [this character]. I hope that for readers and people who love the show, there's an element of that there too. We see all the memes of, "Put yourself first, you're good enough, you're worth it." If there's one thing you can say about Joe, he does believe in himself.

You write a character who murders a lot of people. What's it like writing about murder and coming up with all of the terrible things that he does?

I've always loved reading stories with murder in them. It was exciting in ["For You and Only You"] because he meets a woman who writes thrillers and is a professional at the art of murder but has never done it in real life. Without giving things away, I love the conflict that he's so good at [murder]. It's fiction, so he's gotten away with a lot. I love his outrage at other people writing about things that he's actually done. The one thing in this world he can't brag about is being able to kill people and coming up with very creative ways of doing it.

In this book, you see his past. It's always there in every book. His past is catching up with him a little bit. But this time around we've got a podcast, and there's so many good books about podcasts, and it's in the air in the way it's something that happens in real-time. To think of that person out there knowing that someone is trying to figure out what they did — I liked that energy, playing with that.

Flipping the romantic comedy genre in You

Your books skewer the romantic comedy genre. What inspired you to take that genre and turn it on its head?

I love romantic comedies so much. Right before I wrote this book, I watched "Pitch Perfect" maybe a thousand times. Because of everything going on with my dad and my life, I've been out of it. I thought a lot of the songs in [the film] were new. I couldn't believe — it was like, "Oh, that's a cover. What?"

I love [the romantic comedy] beats of that story. It's that "what if" thing that writers do of, "What if in 'Say Anything,' she didn't like him? What if the guy doesn't take no for an answer ...?" We are always taught with all those movies that the man has to not take no for an answer, and that's what makes it a love story — that the woman pushes him away and he chases after her. But it's insulting to everyone all around, because it's this thinking that the woman really needs someone to control her into a relationship to show that they're not giving up. The man has to hear the word "no" and refuse to accept it. It's like, "And you wonder why everyone's f***ed up?" I'm inverting those stories. I do that naturally in my head. When I was writing the first [book, "You"], it was like, "I know what I'm doing here."

"You've Got Mail" is one of my favorite all-time movies. [Tom Hanks' character] has the one-up on [Meg Ryan] the whole time when they're talking, and he knows but she doesn't know. She's like, "I wanted it to be you." Well, what if she didn't?

That's why I love your stories. You pick things out that we accept as normal that are actually quite creepy.

Love is a convenient fantasy in storytelling. We love when people fall in love, and that's what it turns out to be. But what if it's not a two-way street?

Watching Penn Badgley become Joe Goldberg

The Netflix show has been a huge hit all around the world. How did it feel to see Penn Badgley take over your character?

Oh my God, wonderful. I remember early on watching him on a little tape they sent and getting chills. Everything from his tone of voice, the way he holds a book — it was like he's embodying this character. In that kind of a role where there's so much voiceover, I remember being on set and watching him do those scenes for the voiceover where he's going through it all a couple of times because he is standing in front of the building thinking things. I was so impressed.

In that way, it was a thrill because it's a hard thing to pull off. It's one thing when you're reading a book; they're such different experiences. You're in someone's head; you're in Joe's head. I didn't picture him a lot — it was more like I'd go in the world [or see an old movie] and be like, "That's Joe. That could be him." To see Penn allow to have the story work this way, where you're actually watching Joe ... He nails it over and over. It's clear that everyone else thinks so too.

He's got that dangerous quality where he's lovable but also bad.

It's that Maya Angelou quote that's one of my favorites about how people don't remember what you say or what you did, but how you made them feel. In that way, he's got that way about him, where when you're watching him, he can do things and you do feel for him. That's the scary key.

Preparing for the end of You

The TV show's gone in a different direction now from your books. What's it been like watching the story take on this whole other life?

I live in Hollywood, and some days I'm here writing my book and it hits me that literally a couple miles away, there's a bunch of writers sitting around doing their Joe story. That thrills me because that's what started me as a storyteller, seeing things and wanting to make my own version of that. It's so exciting to see people play with a toy and have their own world. Who doesn't like a multiverse? It's also a great feeling [having created] this character who is that fun to play with. It's fantastic.

Are you excited to see how the show ends, or are you nervous?

It's taking me back to the first season when they started doing all the casting. I'm looking at Elizabeth Lail and Shay Mitchell. They're all "out of control" good. It's one thing when you write a novel and kill a character — it's heartbreaking, but it's private. You can still talk about it; you can bring them back to life. But in the show, I remember saying, "Guys, does he have to kill everyone? Look at this cast." They're like, "It's your f***ing book. This is what he does."

It's that feeling where I feel spoiled. In this day and age, to get five seasons, I'm completely grateful. On the one hand, I know that's amazing and great. But I'm like, "It's really going to end," because it's become this holiday over the years of the buildup, every step of it, the casting, seeing people get excited for it. It's that thing when you see people so excited for something.

On becoming a novelist

You worked in television before you became a novelist and you also worked as an entertainment journalist. How did those experiences play into you writing "You"?

Oh God, so much. With journalism to start, I loved being edited. I loved deadlines. I remember going to Entertainment Weekly from Tiger Beat, which was my first big journalism job, and they had fact-checkers and editors. They were like, "You're going to write this 300-word review of the show." I'm like, "300 words?" To see it go through round after round [of edits] and to learn firsthand, under that deadline ... I like journalism, especially back then. It was weekly and it felt intense. To write it, to get to immediately apply what you just learned to something else — that was the energy that I loved. To this day, I do that with my writing.

I love television and I love the entertainment, the way the story moves and moves. That experience was great too — getting to see how things play out in the simplest way of the difference between what's in the script [and] what an actor does with it when they read a line. With the audiobook, with the first book ["You"], when I heard Santino [Fontana], I'm like, "Oh my God, he's a genius." I love what he's doing with the words. When someone is that focused, they do bring a humanity, their own take on it. It felt natural for me with Joe that, because I have watched so much TV too, I'm like, "I want this to be as fun as watching TV." 

My very first creative job was at Conan O'Brien, where I was a script intern. That was every day, and I did not last long because that gave me a nervous breakdown. I always wanted to write books because I like how long you have to rewrite everything. It's why I'm very bad at Twitter. I like to rewrite. I like to walk away from it, go look back. Books feel good.

What do you hope fans will take away from your new book?

I hope that if they're reading and writing, they'll read and write more. With this book in particular, I hope they'll know that with bad things that happen to you, there is a way to make them good and let them reshape ... [and] make you come out better than before. It's a lesson of so many books. So many books with that theme have inspired me, and this is my dark, sick version of — without spoiling things — seeing Joe go into the dark and reemerge a little better.

" For You and Only You : A Joe Goldberg Novel" is out now from Random House.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

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For You and Only You : Book summary and reviews of For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes

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For You and Only You

A Joe Goldberg Novel

by Caroline Kepnes

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Published Apr 2023 448 pages Genre: Thrillers Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

New York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes, whose acclaimed You series inspired the hit show on Netflix, follows Joe Goldberg to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he earns a coveted place in a writing fellowship...and leaves crimson in his wake.

Joe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he's writing them. And he's off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe's genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree...where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth. Thankfully, Wonder Parish enters the picture. They have so much in common. No college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school. Just a love for literature. If only Wonder could commit herself to the writing life, they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey to their demons. Wonder has a tendency to love, to covet, but Joe is a believer in the rule of fiction: If you want to write a book, you have to kill your darlings. With her trademark satirical, biting wit, Caroline Kepnes explores why vulnerable people bring out the worst in others as Joe sets out to make this small, exclusive world a fairer place. And if a little crimson runs in the streets of Cambridge...who can blame him? Love doesn't conquer all. Often, it needs a little push .

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Reader reviews.

"Joe Goldberg might be a narcissistic, manipulative, murderous, utterly unreliable narrator, but he's damn entertaining." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Kepnes waggishly satirizes the publishing industry, and her outsized characters' egos and anxieties lay the foundations for delightfully deranged plot twists... Joe's stream-of-consciousness narration engages throughout, rendering readers both confidante and accomplice. Kepnes reliably entertains." — Publishers Weekly "Within this intensity, [Joe's] snark-laden observations about ego, love, and loyalty ring true." — Booklist

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Author Information

Caroline kepnes.

Caroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You , Hidden Bodies , Providence , You Love Me and For You and Only You . The Netflix series You is an adaptation of her Joe Goldberg/You novels.

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About The Book

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About The Author

Caroline Kepnes  is the author of  You ,  Hidden Bodies ,  Providence  and numerous short stories. Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of  You , currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and previously worked as a pop culture journalist for  Entertainment Weekly  and a TV writer for  7th Heaven  and  The Secret Life of the American Teenager . She grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and now lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (August 28, 2018)
• Length: 464 pages
• ISBN13: 9781501195433

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Raves and Reviews

"Hypnotic and scary...never read anything quite like it."

– Stephen King

“My most favorite thriller."

– Lena Dunham

"YOU is superb. So funny, apart from anything else, and properly clever. It is: different, hot."

– Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and The Other Woman's House

"This is one of the most unsettling books I’ve read this year, but despite being thoroughly creeped out, I couldn’t put it down even for a second. It’s narrated by the villain, which makes for a rather unnerving read. I even found myself accidentally rooting for him as he was about to commit pretty heinous crimes. Whoops."

"An impending sense of dread hangs over Kepnes' cleverly claustrophobic debut, in which love takes on a whole new meaning...Kepnes keeps the reader guessing."

– Kirkus Reviews

“Intense and deeply disturbing, You is a dark story told in a fresh voice, and an addictive read from beginning to end. Being inside Joe Goldberg’s head was both a thrill and a nightmare, and yet I didn’t want to wake up. I look forward to more from the very talented Caroline Kepnes.”

– Jennifer Hillier, author of THE BUTCHER

“Chilling...[Kepnes' YOU] will have readers looking over their shoulders.”

– Publisher's Weekly

"Chilling...unrelenting."

– USAToday.com

“A deeply dark yet mesmerizing first novel of two people caught in a romantic tangle with an ever-tightening knot.”

"Is Caroline Kepnes’ 'You' the next GONE GIRL? It'll take you inside a psychopath’s head... and might even make you like him. A mad and macabre love story."

– TimeOut Australia

"Could be the next GONE GIRL...a perverse suspense romance about obsession, sex, and secrets."

– PopSugar.com

“All-consuming – a book that will not release its hold on you, even when you are not actively reading it.”

– BoloBooks.com

“Be prepared to be chilled to the bone by this book. And remember to change your passwords, check your locks, and close the drapes."

– Vox Libris

“Kepnes’debut novel is gripping in both substance and style.”

– Closer Magazine

“If you liked GONE GIRL’S portrayal of a marriage in decline, the demented love story at the heart of YOU will have you gripped….This book will give you Stockholm syndrome."

– Harpers Bazaar (UK)

“ You by Caroline Kepnes completely blew me away…It’s an exceptional thriller that is chillingly passionate, dangerous, and quite often left me speechless.”

– The Book Ramblings

"Both original and compelling. If you only read one new thriller this year, make it this one. It will stay with you long after you have put it down."

– Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail (UK)

"A brilliant tale of obsessive love...it's GONE GIRL meets a sinister version of GIRLS."

– Marie Claire (UK)

"You think you know the story: girl meets boy, boy turns out to be a murderous stalker. US journalist Kepnes' debut is a fantastically creepy thriller...the kind of book you put your life on hold for."

"A page turner...clever and chilling."

– Elle (UK)

"This book is dark, disturbing, twisted, erotic, psychotic...just try to put it down. Fans of...Gillian Flynn will love this book."

– MomAdvice.com

“ You is the kind of book you will read whenever you have a spare moment. It is the book you will not be able to put down, and once you finish, you will want to start over again.”

– Huffpost Books

"I was immediately hooked—and read it in a matter of hours. Could. Not. Stop."

– Buzzfeed, "37 Books with Plot Twists that Will Blow Your Mind"

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Caroline Kepnes Kills Joe Goldberg’s Darlings in Fourth ‘You’ Book, ‘For You and Only You’

The author of the popular book series dishes on her latest installment and what’s next for pop culture’s favorite killer.

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“Kill your darlings” is a mantra for writers whereby they take the proverbial red pen to characters, plots, paragraphs, and lines that no longer serve the story arc. In the latest entry in Caroline Kepnes’ You series, For You and Only You , out April 25, Joe Goldberg takes that phrase literally when the former bookseller turned serial killer tries his hand at writing a novel after he somehow gets into a prestigious MFA program at Harvard, because Joe is nothing if not an upward failure.

But let’s backtrack a bit. Kepnes first conceived of Joe 10 years ago after writing for entertainment magazines and a stint as a screenwriter for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager . Her father was dying of cancer, and she wanted to create a character she knew would appeal to his dark sense of humor and who would be a balm to Kepnes and her family when they ultimately lost her father.

“Whether you lose someone suddenly or know they’re going to die, it’s their absence in the months after that’s this hollow shock that you can’t be prepared for — someone that’s been speaking to you since you were in the world to no longer be reaching out to you,” Kepnes tells Shondaland.

Writing was a coping mechanism of sorts, and Kepnes enjoyed writing the first book, simply entitled You (which was optioned for the Lifetime-turned-Netflix series of the same name), so much that she knew she had to write another one. The events of You follow New York City bookseller Joe Goldberg as he meets, falls in love with (to the extent that a sociopath can), entraps in his infamous glass cage, and kills Guinevere Beck, a somewhat aimless and entitled writing grad student herself but one who didn’t deserve to die.

“I had to go back in and really kill Guinevere Beck, and it was really painful, like I was killing my new best friend,” Kepnes says of her reluctance to end Beck’s story line.

Hidden Bodies is the next entry in the series and follows Joe to Los Angeles, where he meets and falls in love with Love, a bougie grocery store chain heiress. Love is one of the only, erm, love interests who get away, but not before she and Joe have a baby together. Now that’s going to be one effed-up kid if he’s ever privy to who his father is. In true deadbeat-dad style, Joe runs away to the Pacific Northwest in book three, You Love Me , which Kepnes says was supposed to be the collective title of the trilogy up to that point, but a Judd Apatow Netflix series threw a spanner in the works and forced Kepnes to change the name of the sophomore novel to Hidden Bodies .

So, it makes sense that Joe’s latest go-round would be a love letter to readers. During his writing workshop at Harvard, Joe decides to write a novel entitled Me because a) of course, he does, and b) of Kepnes’ aforementioned word nerdiness.

“ Me is the motherf--king Catcher in the Rye level of special,” Joe bloviates. If Netflix decides to run with this aspect of For You and Only You for the recently announced fifth and final season of the series, which has largely deviated from Kepnes’ books, especially during the latter two seasons, they had better call up Taylor Swift again for the rights to her 2019 song “Me!”

“[Reading is] my first bond with Joe. I don’t think I would have gotten through that first book if it didn’t come down to his love of reading and the good qualities that he has,” Kepnes says. “I wanted to give [readers] an experience that validates their attachment. This is going to be the book where Joe really gets into it with reading and writing and finds a reader and tries to love her.”

Enter: Wonder, Joe’s latest paramour/victim. (Where does Kepnes come up with these names? “They just kind of pop out of the sky one day. … I’ll never know!” she says.) Wonder is an endlessly sunny Goodreads girl who doesn’t want to upset anyone by rating a book less than five stars on the clunky social-networking app for readers.

Kepnes, like many authors, is not a user, but the feedback loop of validation and rejection that can come with our obsession with making our qualitative opinions publicly known is something she’s endlessly fascinated by and wanted to explore in For You and Only You .

“I love that conundrum. There is no winning. The more excited you get about someone liking you, the more clearly everyone can sense you’re someone who will be hurt by someone not liking you,” she says.

Without getting too into the weeds of how Joe grapples with that in For You and Only You — I’ll leave readers to find that out for themselves — it’s the perfect environment for the literature snob who you just know has told a female author how he’s always thought about writing a novel. Well, now he has. Unlike with Beck, who was also a writer/procrastinator (in the show, Joe finishes her musings for her and publishes them posthumously), now he’s in a relationship with Wonder, a bona fide wordsmith who has the potential to become the next Caroline Kepnes, if you will.

For You and Only You: A Joe Goldberg Novel

“Any relationship when one person is killing it or is simply better at being a part of the world and doing the art, it requires so many different parts of a personality to have a career,” she says. “There’s a difference between going off into the woods and writing your book, and functioning and carrying yourself through the world.”

Joe has enough sociopathic personality traits to fake functioning and carrying himself through the world, but Wonder is actually someone people like and, for the most part, want to succeed. For this reader, Joe is just another “aw, shucks” white guy writer like the professor who runs his writing workshop, whom Joe ultimately kills because, well, he’s Joe.

Also put in his path to literary superstardom is Sara Beth, a successful true-crime author and podcaster who has Joe’s number.

“I loved [juxtaposing] him with someone who absolutely sees him and has the confidence and the resources to follow up on her instinct,” Kepnes says.

Does Joe live to kill another day? While the show, for which Kepnes wrote a first-season episode, may be wrapping up, she was cagey about whether she has an end in mind for Joe on the page.

“It’s cool that we’re kind of in a multiverse because [the show has] got their Joe Goldberg, and I’ve got mine, and it feels natural,” she says. “Because it comes from losing my father to cancer, the cancer was always going to win. There was no suspense when my dad was sick because they caught it too late, so when those cancer cells are in motion, there’s nothing we can do to stop them, and that’s kind of how I think of Joe. The stories I tell about him are very much about his inability to be stopped.”

While the growing response to the show seems to be a push toward Joe finally getting his comeuppance that can probably only come with death , the somewhat troubling die-hard stans of the character will always have Paris whatever locale Kepnes chooses to send him to in the next installment in the book series.

Scarlett Harris is a culture critic and author of A Diva Was a Female Version of a Wrestler: An Abbreviated Herstory of World Wrestling Entertainment . You can follow her on Twitter @ScarlettEHarris .

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Season Four of Netflix’s hit show about everyone’s favorite serial-killing stalker might be wrapped, but that doesn’t mean you’ve seen the last of Joe Goldberg in 2023. Remember, the You series is based on the delightfully creepy novels by Caroline Kepnes , and the next book, For You and Only You , is out on April 25th. Rolling Stone has an exclusive excerpt.

While the previous books in the series dropped before their corresponding seasons, Kepnes’ new book and Season Four of the Netflix series were penned independently; all the Netflix crew knew was that the book Joe was headed to an academic setting. For You and Only You finds Joe enrolled in a prestigious writing program at Harvard, complete with a pompous instructor, his talented wife, and a writing prodigy/Dunkin’ employee named Wonder. Joe finds himself obsessed with both earning his instructor’s praise and the brash Wonder, and, well, we can see where this is headed. Read on as he plots his first of many crimes.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published in 1964 and we’re still talking about it today because Roald Fucking Dahl cracked the code of people. He knew how to kill off children !

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Most people are flawed. They’re not Charlie . They’re Mr. Dahl or Veruca Fucking Salt.

And how did he do it, Wonder? How did he kill off those terrible, irredeemable children? Easy-peasy. He used his fucking factory , his house. Houses kill people in a myriad of ways because all houses are booby traps. I know from personal, harrowing experience that houses can fucking kill. Hell, the woman I mistook for the love of my life met her end when she fell down the stairs in our house. RIP Mary Kay DiMarco was stubborn. Making like Tom Cruise in Risky Business and wearing socks on hardwood floors. There was no investigation into her death because the proof was in the pudding — socks meet floors, floors meet stairs, skull meets concrete — but Mary Kay DiMarco did not die in vain.

She is an angel on our shoulders . Because of her, I figured out how to kill Your Bobby — he’s gonna fall down the stairs — but don’t fret, my jealous darling Wonder. You helped too.

You wrote a short story called “Lost Marbles.” I found it online after we first met, and the story is set in Bobby’s aunt Ro’s house, the one where he now lives. You offered me vivid, useful descriptions of the house:

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Even in your early writing, you were coming to terms with being raised in a trap. Ro left the house to her “favorite nephew” and Your Bobby uses the house as fodder for Instagram — big-box TV, God bless ya, Ro — and you and countless other women see Bobby as a sentimental fool because he hasn’t changed a thing about the house since Ro passed away. He gripes about the dryer from hell and the world’s worst wallpaper and fact-check, Wonder! He isn’t “sentimental.” He’s a sexist bastard who expects you to renovate when he gets tired of stringing you along and invites you to move in with him.

And here’s another fact-check: Bobby’s brother and sister don’t think of him as a sentimental fool. To Mick and Ginnie Your Bobby is a greedy stubborn prick.

For a long time now Mick and Ginnie have wanted Bobby to sell Ro’s house. Yes, once upon a time, the Skellys were a donut fucking dynasty, your heroes across the street who sponsored Little League teams, opening one store after another. But times change. It’s like Mick screamed a couple years ago on Facebook: FUCKING AVOCADO TOAST?! WHAT NEXT? The Skelly family business has been sliding ever since Dunkin’ dropped the Donuts. They’ve closed stores, openly yearned for the times when it was Here’s your coffee, here’s your cruller, now go fuck your mother and come back tomorrow!

Bobby’s sister, Ginnie, projects positivity to the Globe when asked about rising costs at their central bakery, but the real estate records tell the story of a dynasty crumbling. Mick sold his lake house in New Hampshire and Ginnie’s family downsized, but what has Prince Bobby done to help the family?

Aunt Ro’s house is a cash cow, but Bobby won’t fucking milk it. Mick posts the Zillow link to Ro’s three-bedroom raised ranch in Braintree three, sometimes four times a week — Ideal teardown for a family! — and Ginnie is in all caps realtor mode — PRICE REDUCTION! BE THE LUCKIEST FAMILY AND BUY THIS LAND! IT’S A STEAL! — but Your Bobby has the keys to that castle, and he. Won’t. Sell.

So I did it. I channeled my inner Casey Affleck and I called Mick and told him that his brother is pissing me off because I want to buy that house in Braintree but I haven’t even gotten to see it because Bobby’s giving me the runaround and I’m leaving town tomorrow . I was good — David O. Russell wouldn’t cut me out of his fucking movie — and Mick called his flaky brother and demanded that Your Bobby leave your house to come to Ro’s house as in his house as in this house.

Yes, I got here first, and I pick up the fake rock on the side lawn and here’s the key and I’m in — mothballs and marbles — and it’s a PTSD-inducing doozy, the way this house even smells like the Bainbridge Public Library. I pick up a bowl of marbles and I am in your fiction, the words on the page inspired by the first and worst part of your life. I open the door to the basement and POW — kitty litter and Pine-Sol and man sweat, Bobby sweat — and you should have called your story “The Damp” but I know, titles are hard. I set up marbles on the steps that lead to the concrete floor, and this is a writer’s life. We take the terrible things that happened to us, and we pour them into our art.

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That beast is roaring and will I be collateral damage in my selfless quest to set you free?

I crouch behind old cardboard boxes — another fucking fire hazard, this house is a death trap — and no. The dryer won’t explode, not now. Things are going my way because I put in the work. Cherish already defriended Bobby on Facebook — that was fast — and I’m in charge of this house. I’ve pulled the strings and laid down the marbles and this is how Roald Dahl felt when he was executing those children off the page, in the recesses of the factory. The house will kill Your Bobby, not me. 

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How to read the 'You' series in order if you've binged season 4

The 'You' series differs on the page versus screen—here's how, and why you should catch up on the books

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The You series isn't just a televised one—yes, like Bridgerton , Lupin and Shadow and Bone before it, the thrilling Netflix show starring the character we love to hate, Joe Goldberg, is based on a book series by Caroline Kepnes. And her captivating page-turners have hooked fans from the get-go...even if the protagonist's obsessive ways left also them slightly disturbed.

Caroline Kepnes' 2014 bestseller You was the starting point for the series, which follows the head of a bookshop who becomes infatuated with a writer in the making, and stops at nothing to ensure that she becomes his. It's a literary love story that gets dark, and quickly—we're sold! If you've finished streaming You season 4 —which aired on the streamer between February 9 and March 9—and are looking for a way to tide yourself over until season 5 (the final season, sob!), then why not catch up with the novels that first brought Joe to life?

How to read the 'You' series in order:

Currently, there are three books in Caroline Kepnes' You book series: 2014's You , 2016's Hidden Bodies , and the most recently released You Love Me , which hit shelves on April 1, 2021. 

So if you want to dive into You (the Kepnes novel), this is the order you should read them in, in order to avoid getting the storyline mixed up!

What is 'You' the book about? 

The first book in the You series, You (obvs) introduces us to East Village bookstore manager Joe Goldberg. When he meets a beautiful aspiring wordsmith, Guinevere Beck, at the store, he becomes deeply entranced—and entirely too obsessive with her. 

And unfortunately, Beck's life is seemingly an open book, with social media posts all over the place. As you might have guessed, this makes it all the more simple for Joe to get exactly what he wants—even if requires does something immoral. 

You: A Novel (The You Series) by Caroline Kepnes RRP: $10.22 / £7.35

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What is 'Hidden Bones' about?

You clearly needed a sequel and author Caroline Kepnes delivered, much to thriller fans' delight. In this follow-up, we journey alongside the wicked bookseller as he heads to the West Coast, attempting to put his demons to rest. Will history repeat itself when Joe finds a new love interest in Los Angeles?

Hidden Bodies: A You Novel (The You Series) RRP: $13.74 / £6.99

What is 'You Love Me' about?

In the highly-anticipated third installment of the You series, readers find Joe attempting to move out of the city and set up shop in the California 'burbs. But his new routine starts to look oddly familiar when he finds himself falling for his fellow librarian Mary Kay DiMarco. If she's not willing to go along with his quest for love, how will things play out?

You Love Me: A You Novel (The You Series) RRP: $13.35 / £12.99

Will there be a fourth book in the 'You' series?

Yes, a fourth You novel is coming! Kepnes announced the new book, entitled For You and Only You , on Instagram in November 2022, writing: "I'm so excited to invite you back into Joe's head and I hope you love it in there!" 

The title will be available to purchase everywhere books are sold (online and in-store) on Thursday, April 13, 2023—so there's not long to wait now!

While people have been wondering about You book 5 as a hint to what season 5 of the TV series will bring, it's important to note that the Netflix show is actually one ahead of the book series. This means that season 4 and book 4—while similar—don't technically correspond (e.g. the 4th season wasn't directly influenced by the book), which means that the 5th season likely won't correspond to a book either. That is, unless Kepnes very quickly writes another!

However, fans might note that there are some similarities between You (Kepnes novel) and You (the Netflix show) when it comes to book 4 and season 4.

In the upcoming novel, Caroline Kepnes reveals that Joe has travelled from California to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has been accepted onto a writing fellowship. There, he falls into a seriously well-to-do, privileged crowd (sound familiar?) until he meets Wonder, who luckily, appears to be as down-to-earth as Joe. And soon, he'll do anything to protect her...

For You and Only You: A Joe Goldberg Novel RRP: $30 / £13.19

'You' series book versus show: how are they different?

Like any onscreen adaptation, storylines tend to change along the way. There are certain characters in the novels that we don't get to see in the TV series (like the professor who is also in love with Beck). And, conversely, there are characters, such as Annika, who exist on the show but not in the book. 

Without giving away any spoilers, particular characters who commit murder in the show don't do so in the book. Plus, a certain horrifying scene in the first season is something entirely new and not in the novel. 

It goes without saying that both print and TV need to be consumed—they're equally as engrossing and frightening! 

Catch up on You series 4, which is available to stream on Netflix now.

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.

Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 

When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again. 

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Meet caroline kepnes • times are local, reviews & news, caroline is a featured author on lisa’s book club.

Oct 18, 2023

Lisa’s Book Club was born out of a desire to bring our listeners together with a common interest in wanting to read more in a fun, social way.

Variety Exclusive: Caroline Kepnes Signs With CAA

Apr 20, 2023

Bestselling author and screenwriter Caroline Kepnes has signed with CAA, Variety can report exclusively.

Writers Ink Podcast: “What It’s Like to Have a Hit Netflix Show”

BookTrib is proud to present to our readers the Writers, Ink podcast, a show about the business of writing. Writers Ink Podcast asks Caroline Kepnes, "What It’s Like to Have a Hit Netflix Show Based on Her YOU Series".

Photo by Scott Joseph Anthony

About Caroline

Caroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence and You Love Me. Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up in Cape Cod, and now lives in Los Angeles.

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Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales

After 50 years, Stephen King knows his Constant Readers all too well. In fact, it’s right there in the title of the legendary master of horror’s latest collection of stories: “ You Like It Darker .” 

Heck yeah, Uncle Stevie, we do like it darker. Obviously so does King, who’s crafted an iconic career of keeping folks up at night either turning pages and/or trying to hide from their own creeped-out imagination. The 12 tales of “Darker” (Scribner, 512 pp., ★★★½ out of four) are an assortment of tried-and-true King staples, with stories that revisit the author’s old haunts – one being a clever continuation of an old novel – and a mix of genres from survival frights to crime drama (a favorite of King’s in recent years). It’s like a big bag of Skittles: Each one goes down different but they’re all pretty tasty.

And thoughtful as well. King writes in “You Like It Darker” – a play on a Leonard Cohen song – that with the supernatural and paranormal yarns he spins, “I have tried especially hard to show the real world as it is." With the opener “Two Talented Bastids,” King takes on an intriguing, grounded tale of celebrity: A son of a famous writer finally digs into the real reason behind how his father and his dad’s best friend suddenly went from landfill owners to renowned artists overnight.

That story’s bookended by “The Answer Man,” which weaves together Americana and the otherwordly. Over the course of several decades, a lawyer finds himself at major turning points, and the same strange guy shows up to answer his big questions (needing payment, of course), in a surprisingly emotional telling full of small-town retro charm and palpable dread.

With some stories, King mines sinister aspects in life’s more mundane corners. “The Fifth Step” centers on a sanitation engineer has a random and fateful meeting on a park bench with an addict working his way through sobriety, with one heck of a slowburn reveal. A family dinner is the seemingly quaint setting for twisty “Willie the Weirdo,” about a 10-year-old misfit who only confides in his dying grandpa. And in the playfully quirky mistaken-identity piece “Finn,” a truly unlucky teenager is simply walking home alone when wrong place and wrong time lead to a harrowing journey.

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A couple entries lean more sci-fi: “Red Screen” features a cop investigating a wife’s murder, with her husband claiming she was possessed; while in “The Turbulence Expert,” a man named Craig Dixon gets called into work, his office is an airplane and his job is far from easy. There’s also some good old-fashioned cosmic terror with “The Dreamers,” starring a Vietnam vet and his scientist boss' experiments that go terrifyingly awry. The 76-year-old King notably offers up some spry elderly heroes, too. One finds himself in harm’s way during a family road trip in “On Slide Inn Road,” where a signed Ted Williams bat takes center stage, and “Laurie” chronicles an aging widower and his new canine companion running afoul of a ticked-off alligator.

'Carrie' turns 50: Ranking iconic author Stephen King's best books turned films

King epics like “It” and “The Stand” are so huge the books double as doorstops, yet the author has a long history of exceptional short fiction, including the likes of “The Body,” “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” and “The Life of Chuck” (from the stellar 2020 collection “If It Bleeds” ). And with “Darker,” it’s actually the two lengthier entries that are the greatest hits.

“Rattlesnakes” is a sequel of sorts to King’s 1981 novel "Cujo," where reptiles are more central to what happens than an unhinged dog. Decades after his son’s death and a divorce results from an incident involving a rabid Saint Bernard, Vic Trenton is retired and living at a friend’s mansion in the Florida Keys when a meeting with a neighbor leads to unwanted visits from youthful specters. It both brings a little healing catharsis to a traumatizing read ("Cujo" definitely sticks with you) and opens up a new wound with unnerving bite.

Then there’s the 152-page “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” which leans more into King’s recent noir detective/procedural era. School janitor Danny gets a psychic vision of a girl who’s been murdered and he tries to do the right thing by informing the police. But that’s when the nightmare really begins, as he becomes a prime suspect and has his life torn asunder by the most obsessed cop this side of Javert. Danny’s all too ready to be his Valjean, a compelling sturdy personality who fights back hard – and the best King character since fan-favorite private eye Holly Gibney .

“Horror stories are best appreciated by those who are compassionate and empathetic,” King writes in his afterword. And with “You Like It Darker,” he proves once more that his smaller-sized tales pack as powerful a wallop as the big boys.

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Do You Know the Literary Influences of These Animated Films?

By J. D. Biersdorfer May 20, 2024

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Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about books and stories that have gone on to find new life in the form of movies, television shows, theatrical productions and other formats. This week’s quiz highlights animated films that draw inspiration and source material from beloved literature.

Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen adaptations.

“The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was first printed in 1901 and the book’s author turned down an offer from Walt Disney to adapt it as an animated movie in the 1930s. Film and television versions of the story later appeared, including a 2018 film that blended computer animation with live action. But who wrote the original book?

Lewis Carroll

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Beatrix Potter

Jane Austen

This classic children’s story, serialized and then published as a book in 1883, has been adapted for the screen several times, including by the filmmaker Guillermo del Toro in 2022. Who is the title character?

Oliver Twist

E.D. Baker’s 2002 children’s novel, “The Frog Princess,” was part of the inspiration for Disney’s 2009 animated feature “The Princess and the Frog,” along with older variations of the story that can be traced back to Europe. What was notable about the film adaptation, which was set in New Orleans?

It was the studio’s first film based on a book by a female novelist.

It was the studio’s first fully computer-animated feature.

It featured the first Black Disney princess.

It was Disney’s first 4-D animated film.

The 2008 DreamWorks film “Kung Fu Panda” and its sequels follow a clumsy bear who becomes a noble warrior through martial-arts training and discipline. The film’s script draws from many elements commonly found in which Chinese literary form (and its associated film genre)?

Which Roald Dahl novel was adapted into a 2009 stop-motion animated film directed by Wes Anderson and used the voice talents of George Clooney and Meryl Streep?

“The Witches”

“Isle of Dogs”

“James and the Giant Peach”

“Fantastic Mr. Fox”

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The end of 'Bridgerton' season three, part one features a book fan-favorite carriage scene between Penelope and Colin. Here's how the TV show compares.

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Bridgerton" season three, part one and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."
• The final scene in season three, part one, has been highly anticipated by fans of the book series.
• Here's how it differs from the book the season is based on.

" Bridgerton " season three, part one, rewards fans with a highly-anticipated carriage ride scene in the final moments of episode four.

In the new season of "Bridgerton," one of Netflix's most popular franchises, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is moving on from her hopeless crush on her close friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). However, in episode four, Colin realizes he is in love with Penelope and tries to stop her from marrying her suitor.

In the final scene of episode four, Penelope is forced to return home from the society ball alone after Colin scares off her suitor. Colin gets in her carriage before it can leave and admits his true feelings.

The pair then make out, with a string cover of Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" playing in the background, until they are interrupted by the carriage stopping outside Colin's house.

Undeterred, Colin asks Penelope to come inside with him.

"For God's Sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?" Colin says after Penelope is confused by his request.

This scene largely resembles Colin's proposal in " Romancing Mr. Bridgerton ," the book this season is based on. The TV adaptation is very different from the book, but "Bridgerton" showrunners are likely keenly aware that bringing in moments like this can send book fans into a frenzy on social media, creating more buzz for the series. Even ahead of the season, "Bridgerton" fandom was freaking out when a teaser clip hinted at a mirror sex scene from the book.

Here's how the proposal plays out in " Romancing Mr. Bridgerton " and what this may mean for season three, part two.

Colin proposes after finding out Penelope is Lady Whistledown

In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Penelope asks Colin to kiss her because she is worried she will never be kissed, similar to the scene in season three, episode two. However, the kiss leads to a disagreement because Penelope thinks Colin is only kissing her out of pity. Colin then leaves without apologizing.

A few days later, Colin goes to Penelope's house to apologize but sees her enter an unmarked carriage and decides to follow her. The carriages drive into the center of London, and once Penelope reaches her destination, Colin discovers she's Lady Whistledown , a notorious anonymous gossip writer.

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Colin is infuriated that Penelope lied to him, but he is also jealous of her talent and fears for her safety. Though Lady Whistledown has retired, London's society, the Ton, is trying to reveal her identity to win Lady Danbury's bounty of £1,000. If Penelope's secret is revealed, it could ruin her and her family's reputation.

Cressida Twombley, Penelope's bully, had tried to take credit for the gossip paper to win Lady Danbury's bet, and Colin catches Penelope writing her last gossip paper to discredit Twombley's claim.

On the carriage ride home, the pair fight about what she should do, but during the argument, Colin confesses that he thinks she's beautiful and kisses her.

Like in the show, the pair get hot and frisky in the carriage until it stops, but in the book, it is the middle of the day, and the carriage stops in front of Penelope's house.

Colin decides to go into the Featherington house, saying the same "Are you going to marry me or not?" line to Penelope.

But, when the lovers walk in, they find the whole Featherington family there. This leads to a long, awkward conversation before Colin can tell Lady Featherington he wishes to marry her daughter.

This change may mean there's a rocky road ahead for Polin

Season three of "Bridgerton" diverts from the book by not including the big search for Lady Whistledown. But Penelope is still keeping a big secret from her fiancée — that she is Lady Whistledown — which could lead to a fight between the couple when it comes out.

Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale), the city's modiste, and Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), Colin's sister, both know Penelope is Lady Whistledown and could accidentally reveal Penelope's secret.

In part one, Eloise tries to protect her family from Penelope, fearing she would gossip about them again, so she may use the secret to put a stop to Colin and Penelope's engagement.

Alternatively, Eloise has already shown her callous nature regarding secrets in season three, which could mean she could reveal it to her new best friend, Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen). Cressida already dislikes Penelope and would likely be more than happy to reveal the secret or blackmail Penelope, like she does in "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."

Penelope and Colin could still get in a fight without a big Lady Whistledown reveal. In the book, Colin is angry with Penelope when he discovers her secret identity because he feels inadequate compared to her. After all, she is an accomplished writer, and he has no legacy.

If he discovers Penelope's secret, that inadequacy could still be central to the couple's disagreement, even if Lady Whistledown's anonymity is not threatened.

"Bridgerton" season three, part two, premieres on June 13.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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41 new books for summer reading in 2024

For your summer reading pleasure, here is a selection of 41 new books to choose from, including ones by Wisconsin writers, with a subset of choices for children and teens. In each case, I've either read the book already or browsed it, or been impressed by a previous work from the same author, or had the new book recommended by a trusted source of information.

Thanks to my colleague Chris Foran for contributing pop-culture selections.

"Between the Lines: Steppenwolf’s Seagull and a Reluctant Actor’s Journey Back to the Stage" (Blue Jay Ink), by Eric Simonson. Despite his chronic stage fright, playwright Eric Simonson ("Lombardi," "Run Bambi Run" ) went back on stage as an actor — at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. The Milwaukee native and Lawrence University grad turns this adventure into a smart and sober reflection on that production, working on a show and the "golden age" of Chicago theater (which he defines as 1980-1995).

"Between You and Us" (WaterBrook) by Kendra Broekhuis. In this Milwaukee writer's novel, a woman lives alternative versions of her life where she experiences a loving relationship with either her husband or her daughter, but not both.

"Birding to Change the World: A Memoir" (Ecco), by Trish O'Kane. Ornithology meets environmental activism in O'Kane's book, which includes the work she did to preserve Madison's Warner Park as a home for birds while she was earning her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin.

“The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv and the Making of an American Film Classic” (Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press), by Daniel de Visé. This blow-by-blow accounting of the making of “The Blue Brothers” movie (including an infamous scene shot in Milwaukee) also serves as a dual biography of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.  

"The Brides of High Hill" (Tordotcom), by Nghi Vo. The new entry in a Milwaukee writer's exceptional fantasy series. A traveling cleric accompanies a young bride-to-be to the dilapidated estate where she is to be married. Hint: Some scary things are happening.

"Broiler" (Soho Crime), by Eli Cranor. An exploited worker at an Arkansas chicken plant strikes back with a kidnapping, which leads to other brutal events in Edgar winner Cranor's crime thriller.

"A Chance Meeting: American Encounters" (New York Review Books), by Rachel Cohen. Grounded in research, seasoned with mild speculation, Cohen writes about real meetings and encounters between American literary, artistic and public figures from 1854 through 1967. To mention a few names: Matthew Brady, Willa Cather, James Baldwin, Richard Avedon. Her deftly written essays interlock in fascinating ways.

"Chaos in Kinshasa" (Catalyst), written by Thierry Bellefroid with artwork by Barly Baruti, translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger. In this intense graphic novel, a Harlem street thug at the Ali-Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974 gets mixed up in a lethal coup attempt.

"Chasing the Stars: How the Astronomers of Observatory Hill Transformed Our Understanding of the Universe" (Wisconsin Historical Society Press), by James Lattis and Kelly Tyrrell. In this friendly book for general readers, the authors explore the role University of Wisconsin researchers and the Washburn Observatory have played in 20th century astrophysics.

“Cocktails With George and Martha: Movies, Marriage and the Making of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’” (Bloomsbury), by Philip Gefter. In retrospect, casting newlyweds Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor as the battling spouses in Edward Albee’s searing drama seems like a no-brainer. Gefter shows it was anything but in this richly told history. 

"Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil" (Tor, on sale June 18), by Ananda Lima. After a woman has a thing with the devil, she keeps writing stories and keeps running into him. Brazilian writer Lima, who lives in Chicago now, will speak at 6:30 p.m. June 25 at Boswell Books.

"Dear Readers and Riders: The Beloved Books, Faithful Fans, and Hidden Private Life of Marguerite Henry" (Trafalgar Square Books), by Lettie Teague. Henry, author of "Misty of Chincoteague" and many other horse-centered books for children, was a Milwaukee native. Teague's biography includes a substantial number of photos as well as choice letters from Henry's fans. Teague will speak at 6:30 p.m. June 5 at Boswell Books.

“Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls” (St. Martin’s Press, on sale June 18), by Susan Seidelman. Seidelman made her filmmaking debut with “Smithereens,” a DYI indie that debuted at the Cannes Film Festival; her first Hollywood movie, “Desperately Seeking Susan,” rode and fueled Madonna’s skyrocketing career. She gives the inside stories on those, and on a life just ahead of the pop-culture curve while still trying to comprehend it, in this personable (and tune-filled) memoir.  

"The Downloaded" (Shadowpaw Press), by Robert J. Sawyer. In this Canadian science fiction master's new novel of uploaded minds and space settlement, astronauts and criminals have to find a way to work together after a disastrous event. The Audible audiobook of Sawyer's novel is a full cast production starring Brendan Fraser.

"Familiaris" (Blackstone, on sale June 11), by David Wroblewski. A prequel to Wroblewski's hit novel "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," "Familiaris" is a mammoth read with Wisconsin and the human-dog connection at the heart of it.

“From the Moment They Met It was Murder: ‘Double Indemnity’ and the Rise of Film Noir” (Running Press/Turner Classic Movies), by Alain Silver and James Ursini. Billy Wilder’s 1944 crime classic “Double Indemnity” didn’t invent film noir, but Silver and Ursini make an excellent case for the movie’s foundational role in this rich, well-written history.  

"Hip-Hop Is History" (AUWA, on sale June 11) by Questlove with Ben Greenman. A personal history of the musical genre from one of its great musicians and thinkers.

"I Cheerfully Refuse" (Grove) by Leif Enger. The author of "Peace Like a River" brings his meditative style to a near-future dystopian novel set around Lake Superior.

"I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition" (Penguin Press), by Lucy Sante. A prominent cultural writer braids the story of her later-life transition with an account of the earlier years that shaped her personality.

"Look Away: A True Story of Murders, Bombings, and a Far-Right Campaign to Rid Germany of Immigrants" (Grand Central), by Jacob Kushner. Xenophobic neo-Nazi terrorists stoked anti-immigrant violences in Germany unchecked for years — in the 21st century. Kushner details this real-life horror story with an eye on surging anti-immigrant rhetoric in this country. Kushner, a University of Wisconsin alum, will speak at 6:30 p.m. May 16 at Boswell Books.

"Monsters We Have Made" (Vintage), by Lindsay Starck. Inspired by the Slender Man case, Milwaukee native Starck's literary novel with an undercurrent of horror fiction looks deeply at the parents of one of the perpetrators, who are alarmed about the apparent return of the monster.

"The Moviegoer & Other Novels 1961-1971" (Library of America), by Walker Percy. The first three novels by a one-of-a-kind philosopher-novelist, including his debut "The Moviegoer," a surprise winner of the National Book Award in 1962.

"Music Stories" (Everyman Pocket Classics), edited by Wesley Stace. This winning anthology of classic and contemporary fiction, chosen by a notable writer-musician, covers the gamut of musical situations in killer stories by Ian McEwan, Vikram Seth, Langston Hughes, Dana Spiotta and others.

"My Life in Seventeen Books: A Literary Memoir" (Monkfish Publishing), by Jon M. Sweeney. A spiritually minded bibliophile's account of books that mattered so much to him he carried them around for a long time. "A few of these chapters tell stories of how I organize business and work around locating secondhand bookstores," the Milwaukee writer confesses.

"One Perfect Couple" (Scout Press), by Ruth Ware. In a new suspense novel from the author of "The Woman in Cabin 10," five couples competing in a reality show are trapped on a deserted island with a killer. English writer Ware will speak at 7 p.m. May 24 at Boswell Books in conversation with Milwaukee novelist Carole E. Barrowman. Tickets for this event, at $23.99 plus tax and fees, include a copy of Ware's new book. Get tickets via boswellbooks.com .

“The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story” (Harper), by Sam Wasson. Coppola is the ultimate American dreamer in this passionate portrait of the Oscar-winning filmmaker during two of his most ambitious projects: “Apocalypse Now,” which wrecked him physically, and “One From the Heart,” which wrecked him financially.  

"The Price You Pay" (G.P. Putnam's Sons), by Nick Petrie. In the eighth novel in Shorewood writer Petrie's action series, lethal sidekick Lewis turns to Peter Ash for help when shadowy figures comes after Lewis for vengeance. Parts of this book are set in Riverwest and in northern Wisconsin.

"Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring" (Harper), by Brad Gooch. Haring packed an incredible amount of art, music and life into his 31 years., Gooch's sympathetic biography deepens the picture of Haring as a Warhol-like genius.

"Real Americans" (Knopf), by Rachel Khong. Three generations of Chinese-Americans try to find their way in an ambitious novel that touches everything from the Chinese Cultural Revolution to gene editing. Khong will speak at 6:30 p.m. May 15 at Boswell Books, 2559 N. Downer Ave.

"Restoring Prairie" (Cornerstone Press), by Margaret Rozga. Former Wisconsin poet laureate Rozga's new environmentally oriented collection includes a number of poems inspired by the UWM at Waukesha Field Station, a decades-long effort to restore native plants and animals to acres near Waterville Road.

"Strangers No Longer: Latino Belonging and Faith in Twentieth-Century Wisconsin" (University of Illinois Press), by Sergio M. González. A Marquette University professor traces a century of Latino life in Wisconsin, with a focus on the roles played by churches and religious movements.

"Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story" (Akashic Books), by Daniel Rachel. A chronicle of the comet-like record label that brought the world the ska-meets-punk sounds of The Specials, Selecter, Madness and The Beat.

“What Have We Here? Portrait of a Life” (Knopf), by Billy Dee Williams (Knopf). Williams is so smooth on the screen – in star turns ranging from “Brian’s Song” to “The Empire Strikes Back” — that he’s underestimated. But he’s also an artist, a thinker, a lover (yes, he names names) and more, as he shows in this charm-wrapped memoir.  

“Wisconsin for Kennedy: The Primary that Launched a President and Changed the Course of History” (Wisconsin Historical Society Press), by B.J. Hollars. The state’s 1960 primary, which set the stage for John F. Kennedy winning the Democratic nomination, is retold by focusing on the stories of the Kennedy clan and the Wisconsin players who rallied to their candidate.  

“The World Is Yours: The Story of ‘Scarface’” (Hanover Square Press), by Glenn Kenny. Kenny goes down the rabbit hole on the 1983 crime spectacle “Scarface,” crafting a making-of story with a critical eye and lengthy interviews to get at how a violent, over-the-top remake of a 1932 gangster movie became a touchstone of our time, for good and ill.  

New books for children and teens

"Caged" (Kokila, on sale May 28), by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Khou Vue. In this picture book written by a prominent Minnesota writer, a young Hmong girl born and raised in a refugee camp wonders what life could be like outside. For readers 4 to 8 years old.

"Being Home" (Kokila), by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Michaela Goade. A young Cherokee girl and her mother pack up their home in the city and move to the Cherokee Nation Reservation, where they are warmly welcomed. For readers 6 to 10 years old.

"Painting the Game" (McElderry), by Patricia MacLachlan. In the late MacLachlan's final novel, the daughter of a minor league pitcher practices in secret, trying to master the knuckleball. For readers 8 to 12 years old.

"Tales From Cabin 23: The Boo Hag Reflex" (Balzer + Bray), by Justina Ireland. The author of the acclaimed alt-history horror novel "Dread Nation" delivers a spooky story for middle graders. A grieving girl at summer camp finds out that monsters preying on old people in a trailer park are more than legends. For readers 8 to 12 years old.

"Moonstorm" (Delacorte, on sale June 4), by Yoon Ha Lee. In this science fiction novel rooted in Korean culture, a teen and her classmates are rushed into training to pilot robot warriors, only to learn of problems that threaten everything. For readers age 12 and older.

"Brownstone" (Versify, on sale June 11), by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia. Teen Almudena is sent to the city to live with her Guatemalan father for the summer, where she copes with a million changes, including the question of how she fits in. For readers 14 and older.

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Daniel Handler Gets Real in New Memoir: 'If You're Not Scared, You're Not Really Writing' (Exclusive)

The "Series of Unfortunate Events" author, who is also known as Lemony Snicket, reveals mental illness and his path to art in his new book, out now

Meredith Heuer; Liveright Publishing

Even if readers don’t know Daniel Handler’s name, they’re likely at least passably familiar with his alter ego, Lemony Snicket . Since 1999, the author has introduced generations of readers to the delightfully depressing world of the Baudelaire orphans. The 13-book series has sparked a movie, a TV series, a video game and countless imaginations. 

Now, Handler’s new memoir And Then? And Then? What Else? , out May 21 from Liveright Publishing, lets readers into a new kind of world than they've come to expect from Handler: His own.  

“I think to a certain extent if you're not scared, you're not really writing,” says the author, when asked how he feels about the book coming out. 

Liveright Publishing

“Previously, people have suggested that I write a memoir, and all I could think of was books with, ‘Chapter one, I am born. Chapter 187, what I had for lunch last week,’” he adds. “And so I didn't want to write a book like that, but as soon as I saw that the book could be guided by the literature that I love, that was interesting to me.” 

True to form, the book explores Handler’s own experience with a mysterious mental illness that gave him hallucinations, his sexuality and path toward becoming a writer, as well as lots of cultural exploration, stories and tasty literary tidbits along the way. The book's format fits with the way the author, and people in general, gather material from the world around them by living in it, he explains.

“A favorite topic of conversation at a dinner party is to hear from people what they remember or scared them when they were young that really, really kept scaring them,” Handler says. “A little scene in a movie that they were not old enough for or a trailer or something strange on a cover of a book or anything like that.”

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Looking back at his own books, it was easy for Handler to see how “some couplet in a pop song or some little anecdote that somebody says, some little comic strip” found their way into his work. “And just the idea that our minds pick these things up and then oftentimes you end up using them in some way you're hardly aware of, it's interesting to me.” 

Even though the Series of Unfortunate Events universe has found quite an array of followers — his books have been translated into 41 languages and sold over 60 million copies worldwide — Handler hasn’t lost the nervous feeling that putting work out there instills in just about all creatives.

“There's always a moment where the publisher will say to me, ‘Okay, this is it. We're drawing up the drawbridge. There's nothing else you can change. Are you ready?’ Handler muses. He admits that he tells them he is, but he isn't always sure."I say, ‘Yeah, absolutely, it's great.’ And then usually about 10 minutes later I think, ‘Oh no, I should have changed this part.’"

One of the toughest parts of the writing process for Handler is knowing when to let his work go out into the world, even if it isn't flawless in his mind.

"I just have to do a self-hypnosis of, ‘Remember it was the best you could do at the time. Time marches on,’” he explains. “I just have to know that that is, for me at least, part of the process of being a writer is to still struggle with work that I did and still try to figure out if it's as good as I want it to be.”

Duhamel/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

The fact that this book tells his own mental health journey for the first time adds another layer to that, too. But Handler says he’s gratified by early responses he’s gotten from sharing his story. 

“I think I just hit a point where I felt ready to talk about it,” he says. “I've already heard from several people who have said, ‘This really was important to me. I've been through this and I've been through something similar, and I never knew anyone had anything like this, and thank you so much for telling me.’ So that feels worthwhile to me.”

He hopes that the book finds readers who fall in love with it just like they have with his Lemony Snicket creations. 

“You can have that feeling that the reality of the book is more pressing to you, more immediate than the actual world,” Handlers explains. “You can think, ‘I can't wait to be done with the stupid stuff that I'm doing so I can go back and reopen the book and see how it is.’ …I just think that ought to be a kind of goal for every writer because it's such a powerful experience.” 

And Then? And Then? What Else? is out May 21 from Liveright Publishing Corporation.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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For You (A Morgan Cross FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One) Kindle Edition

• Book 1 of 14 A Morgan Cross FBI Suspense Thriller
• Print length 202 pages
• Language English
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• Publication date May 26, 2023
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C25YDDKW
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ (May 26, 2023)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 26, 2023
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
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About the author

Blake pierce.

Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty-eight books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books; of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books; of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising sixteen books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising eleven books; of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the CAMI LARK mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FIONA RED mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the FAITH BOLD mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the JULIETTE HART mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the MORGAN CROSS mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), and of the new FINN WRIGHT mystery series, comprising five books (and counting).

ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1), LEFT TO DIE (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book One), A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—Book 1), CITY OF PREY (An Ava Gold Mystery—Book One), and HER LAST WISH (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

MORGAN CROSS MYSTERY SERIES

FOR YOU (Book #1)

FOR RAGE (Book #2)

FOR LUST (Book #3)

FOR WRATH (Book #4)

FOREVER (Book #5)

JULIETTE HART MYSTERY SERIES

NOTHING TO FEAR (Book #1)

NOTHING THERE (Book #2)

NOTHING WATCHING (Book #3)

NOTHING HIDING (Book #4)

NOTHING LEFT (Book #5)

FAITH BOLD MYSTERY SERIES

SO LONG (Book #1)

SO COLD (Book #2)

SO SCARED (Book #3)

SO NORMAL (Book #4)

SO FAR GONE (Book #5)

FIONA RED MYSTERY SERIES

LET HER GO (Book #1)

LET HER BE (Book #2)

LET HER HOPE (Book #3)

LET HER WISH (Book #4)

LET HER LIVE (Book #5)

DAISY FORTUNE MYSTERY SERIES

NEED YOU (Book #1)

CLAIM YOU (Book #2)

CRAVE YOU (Book #3)

CHOOSE YOU (Book #4)

CHASE YOU (Book #5)

AMBER YOUNG MYSTERY SERIES

ABSENT PITY (Book #1)

ABSENT REMORSE (Book #2)

ABSENT FEELING (Book #3)

ABSENT MERCY (Book #4)

ABSENT REASON (Book #5)

CAMI LARK MYSTERY SERIES

JUST ME (Book #1)

JUST OUTSIDE (Book #2)

JUST RIGHT (Book #3)

JUST FORGET (Book #4)

JUST ONCE (Book #5)

JUST HIDE (Book #6)

JUST NOW (Book #7)

JUST HOPE (Book #8)

NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

ALL MINE (Book #1)

ALL HIS (Book #2)

ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

ALL ALONE (Book #4)

ALL FOR ONE (Book #5)

ALL HE TAKES (Book #6)

ALL FOR ME (Book #7)

ALL IN (Book #8)

CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

UNDONE (Book #1)

UNWANTED (Book #2)

UNHINGED (Book #3)

UNSAID (Book #4)

UNGLUED (Book #5)

UNSTABLE (Book #6)

UNKNOWN (Book #7)

UNAWARE (Book #8)

MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NEVER RUN (Book #1)

NEVER TELL (Book #2)

NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)

NEVER FORGET (Book #8)

NEVER LET GO (Book #9)

NEVER PRETEND (Book #10)

NEVER HESITATE (Book #11)

PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

THE GIRL HE WANTED (Book #7)

THE GIRL HE CLAIMED (Book #8)

VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

NO MERCY (Book #1)

NO PITY (Book #2)

NO FEAR (Book #3)

NO SLEEP (Book #4)

NO QUARTER (Book #5)

NO CHANCE (Book #6)

NO REFUGE (Book #7)

NO GRACE (Book #8)

NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)

HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)

HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)

HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

HER LAST REGRET (Book #9)

HER LAST HOUR (Book #10)

AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)

CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)

CITY OF VICE (Book #6)

A YEAR IN EUROPE

A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)

GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)

GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)

GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)

GIRL, HIS (Book #11)

GIRL, LURED (Book #12)

GIRL, MISSING (Book #13)

GIRL, UNKNOWN (Book #14)

LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)

ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)

ALREADY LOST (Book #8)

ALREADY HIS (Book #9)

ALREADY LURED (Book #10)

ALREADY COLD (Book #11)

EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)

LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)

THE AU PAIR SERIES

ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)

THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)

THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)

THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)

THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)

THE PERFECT RUSE (Book #25)

THE PERFECT VENEER (Book #26)

THE PERFECT PEOPLE (Book #27)

THE PERFECT WITNESS (Book #28)

CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

HOMECOMING (Book #5)

TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

IF SHE HID (Book #4)

IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

WATCHING (Book #1)

WAITING (Book #2)

LURING (Book #3)

TAKING (Book #4)

STALKING (Book #5)

KILLING (Book #6)

RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE GONE (Book #1)

ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

ONCE LURED (Book #4)

ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

ONCE PINED (Book #6)

ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

ONCE COLD (Book #8)

ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

ONCE LOST (Book #10)

ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

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Binged ‘Bridgerton’ already? Read these historical romances next.

These eight novels from Jenny Holiday, Joanna Lowell and others feature all of the dukes, spies and political intrigue you could want.

Netflix released the first half of the third season of “Bridgerton” Thursday. But viewers won’t see Colin, the third Bridgerton son, and Penelope Featherington, a wallflower hiding her secret identity as the gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, get their happily ever after until next month.

Fortunately for anyone pining for more historical romance, there are tons of books featuring dukes, spies, political intrigue and more.

“Ana Maria and the Fox” by Liana De la Rosa

After Ana Maria Luna Valdés flees to London in the early 1860s after Napoleon III’s invasion of Mexico, she hopes to enjoy a break from her controlling father and bolster the British elite’s view of her home country. Gideon Fox, a rising political star trying to ban the Atlantic slave trade, needs to focus on work but finds it increasingly difficult when he keeps crossing paths with the alluring Ana Maria. A perfect mix of slow-burn romance, geopolitical maneuvering and sisterly antics. Read it now before the sequel, featuring Ana Maria’s sister Isabel, comes out in June. (Berkley)

“The Duke Who Didn’t” by Courtney Milan

Three years before Milan’s story begins, its protagonist, Chloe Fong, gave her childhood sweetheart, Jeremy, an ultimatum: Grow up or leave her be. He disappeared hours later but has returned to the small English village where Chloe lives, and he’s harboring two secrets. First, he’s in love with Chloe and stayed away to become the responsible man she wanted. Second, he’s the town’s absentee duke, a fact he’s hidden from everyone for years. Over three days, Jeremy tries to come clean to Chloe and win her for good. “The Duke Who Didn’t” shows us why Milan is one of the reigning queens of historical romance. (Independently published)

“Earls Trip” by Jenny Holiday

Readers who adore the banter between the “Bridgerton” brothers will want to grab “Earls Trip,” starring three longtime male friends and the pair of sisters who crash their annual vacation in the early 19th century English countryside. Despite the interruption, Earl Archibold Fielding-Burton rekindles his childhood friendship with Clementine Morgan. When Clementine, determined not to marry, asks Archibold to teach her about “carnal pleasure” before she settles into spinsterhood, he says yes — out of politeness, of course. Holiday, a veteran contemporary romance author, brings her trademark humor to her first historical novel. (Kensington)

“Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend” by Emma R. Alban

While plotting in Victorian-era London ballrooms, friends Gwen and Beth think they’ve found a solution to all their problems: They need to convince Beth’s penniless mother to marry Gwen’s wealthy, rakish father. Then, all three women will have the protection that comes with riches and a title. As they try to set up their squabbling parents, their friendship grows. But when an affluent viscount begins to court Beth, the women realize their feelings for each other run deeper than mere friendship. A Victorian-era “Parent Trap,” with two romances, “Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend” is a strong debut from Alban. (Avon)

“Hotel of Secrets” by Diana Biller

“Hotel of Secrets,” set in the lush world of 1870s Vienna, includes sparkling gowns, dazzling balls, deadly spies and plenty of scandal. Eli Whittaker, an uptight U.S. Treasury Department investigator, expects to arrive in Vienna, identify a double agent and return home. Instead, he saves Maria Wallner’s life from an assassination attempt — twice. Maria, the owner of the hotel where Eli is staying, just wants to restore her business to its former glory. But she finds herself distracted both by the threats to her life and the intriguing investigator. (St. Martin’s Griffin)

“The Midnight Bargain” by C.L. Polk

Polk puts a magical twist on regency courtship rituals in “The Midnight Bargain,” which takes place in a society that makes all married women wear collars that repress their natural magic powers. Beatrice Clayborn dreads the prospect, and despite societal expectations — not to mention the cost to her family — she is committed to becoming a full-time magician. Then, Ianthe Lavan, a businessman who sees her for who she is, throws her plans into disarray. Polk weaves a compelling love story with a strong message about reproductive rights. (Erewhon Books)

“Never Blow a Kiss” by Lindsay Lovise

The first in a new Victorian-era series about a clandestine ring of governesses who spy on their corrupt employers, “Never Blow a Kiss” establishes Lovise as a romance writer to watch. The winsome Emily Leverton is a member of the network of governesses who hopes exposing wrongdoing will make up for the sins of her past. Her work intersects with an investigation Zach Denholm, a former railroad tycoon now working for London’s Metropolitan police, is conducting into a serial killer targeting sex workers. When he discovers her secret, it threatens not only to undermine their budding relationship but also to turn both their lives upside down. (Forever)

“A Shore Thing” by Joanna Lowell

Since transitioning, trans artist Kit Griffith can’t paint and instead spends his days selling bicycles along the sea in 1880s Cornwall. He agrees to pick up his brush again, though, after botanist Muriel Pendrake hires him to illustrate her seaweed collection — on one condition: Muriel must demonstrate to an all-male cycling club that women can bike as well as men. As Kit teaches Muriel to ride and they spend days bicycling around the city, their flirtation grows into something more. A refreshing reminder that the Victorians weren’t quite as Victorian as we pretend. (Berkley, June 18)

Elizabeth Held is a writer in D.C. Her weekly newsletter “ What To Read If ” recommends a wide range of books.

More from Book World

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Check out our coverage of this year’s Pulitzer winners: Jayne Anne Phillips won the fiction prize for her novel “ Night Watch .” The nonfiction prize went to Nathan Thrall, for “ A Day in the Life of Abed Salama .” Cristina Rivera Garza received the memoir prize for “ Liliana’s Invincible Summer .” And Jonathan Eig received the biography prize for his “ King: A Life .”

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Find your favorite genre: Three new memoirs tell stories of struggle and resilience, while five recent historical novels offer a window into other times. Audiobooks more your thing? We’ve got you covered there, too . If you’re looking for what’s new, we have a list of our most anticipated books of 2024 . And here are 10 noteworthy new titles that you might want to consider picking up this April.