Five titles that make you root for con artists, grifters, and tricksters

Lana Harper is the New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch and the rest of the Witches of Thistle Grove series. Writing as Lana Popovic, she is also the author of YA novels Wicked Like a Wildfire, Fierce Like a Firestorm, Blood Countess, and Poison Priestess. Harper was born in Serbia and lived in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania before moving to the United States, where she now lives in Naperville, Illinois, with her family. Jilly Gagnon is the author of eight novels, most recently What if it's You? Her humor writing, personal essays, and op-eds have appeared in Newsweek, Elle, Vanity Fair, Boston Magazine, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, among others. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts, with her family and two black cats.

Harper and Gagnon's new mystery is Cards on the Table.

At CrimeReads the authors tagged five "delightful stories of grifters, tricksters, and cons," including:

Frank Abagnale, Catch Me If You Can

It’s impossible to pull together a list of ultimate con artist stories without a hat tip to Frank Abagnale’s memoir of his years-long series of scams, forgeries, and international run-ins with the law. The ultimate charismatic con, Abagnale pulled off his many heists with breathtaking chutzpah, earning millions from check forgeries, passing himself off variously as a hospital supervisor, an attorney, a college professor, and a PanAm pilot—committing so fully to the bit that he actually co-piloted a commercial plane. Perhaps most impressive of all, he claims to have managed all these feats before he even reached his twenty-first birthday.

As charming a writer as he must have been when practicing his first “art,” Abagnale’s memoir reads like fiction…and some of it might be (after all, he was in the business of fakery for years). Honestly, though, does it really matter? Whether or not every heist he describes is fully “true,” the story is unputdownable.

Read about the other entries on the list at CrimeReads.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ten literary SFF titles that offer hope for the future

Chloe Benjamin is the author of The Immortalists, a New York Times bestseller, and The Anatomy of Dreams. A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, LibraryReads favorite, and #1 Indie Next pick, The Immortalists was named a best book of 2018 by NPR, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and others. The Anatomy of Dreams received the Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award and was longlisted for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Originally from San Francisco, CA, Benjamin is a graduate of Vassar College and the M.F.A. in fiction at the University of Wisconsin.

Her new novel is Under Story.

At Lit Hub the author tagged ten literary-leaning science fiction and fantasy titles that offer hope for the future. One title on the list:

Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey, Vita Nostra

My friend Brittany Cavallaro gives me some of the best book recommendations, because she knows that what I crave most is immersion. Reading Vita Nostra—written by a Ukrainian couple and set in Russia—means being immersed in a metaphysical magic school: rain and streetlights and clanking radiators, enigmatic professors and strange gold coins, overnight trains, the smell of damp leaves, mortal danger, and the kind of mind-bending that reminds you how little we know of reality after all. The novel follows teenager Sasha Samokhina’s matriculation at the Institute of Special Technologies. The Institute’s professors teach something utterly mystifying: for years, neither Sasha nor her classmates can figure out exactly what it is. While reading Vita Nostra, I felt like a fellow student at the Institute, studying their materials, experiencing my own metamorphosis. The full reveal is as satisfying as any fantasy concept I’ve encountered.

Read about the other books on Benjamin's list at Lit Hub.

Vita Nostra is among Liberty Hardy's five top sci-fi and fantasy books set at school, Caroline Wolff's seven mysterious and unsettling novels set on campuses, and Olivie Blake's five books about regretting that cult you joined.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five great SFF titles set at schools

At Book Riot Liberty Hardy tagged five top sci-fi and fantasy books set at school. One entry on the list:

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

After being caught and imprisoned for thieving and illegally using magic, Clara Graysword thinks her life will be spent in a cell. Instead, she’s approached by the head of Arcana Academy, who has a mission for her. In exchange for her freedom, he wants her to steal a tarot card from the king. And in order to pull off this job, Clara must first enroll in the academy, full of magic, danger, and prying eyes.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven titles that reflect on 9/11 and its lasting impact

The She Reads Editors tagged seven "stories [that] remind us of not only what transpired, but the long-lasting ripple effects of 9/11." One novel on the list:

The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Kyle Donohue watches a plane crash into the first tower. Fleeing the mayhem, he encounters a girl covered in ash, unable to convey what has happened to her. In a spontaneous decision, he brings her home to see if he can help. Can she remember anything? He begins to bond to her as they endure the tragedy together, strangers, but connected.

Read about the other titles on the list.

The Page 69 Test: The Memory of Things.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five exciting adaptations of classic myths and legends

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of critically acclaimed fantasy and science fiction novels, including These Violent Delights, Immortal Longings, and Coldwire. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and she was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for 2024. Gong graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City.

Her new novel is Eyes of Kings.

At People magazine Gong tagged five of her favorite retellings of classic myths and legends, including:

Scions by Josephine Angelini

A prequel to her Starcrossed series, which follows the reborn heroes of the Trojan War in the modern day, Josephine Angelini’s romance duology tells the story of Daphne and Ajax as the latest iteration of star-crossed lovers in an endless war.

Read about the other titles on the list.

Also see John Wiswell's six stellar Greek mythology retellings, Mark Skinner's nineteen top Greek myth retellings, Christine Hume's ten top feminist retellings of mythology, and the B&N Reads editors' twenty-four best mythological retellings.

--Marshal Zeringue

Eight gothic horror titles set across the globe

Courtney Rodgers has been reading and collecting books almost as long as she's been alive. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Creative Writing.

At Book Riot she tagged eight top gothic horror books set across the globe, including:

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

In the slums of 18th-century Paris, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with an extraordinary sense of smell. As a perfumer’s apprentice, Grenouille learns to distill and mix scents. He is obsessed with perfecting the exact scent of grass, wood, and, then one day, the scent of a beautiful young woman. Driven by his obsession, Grenouille hunts down women to distill their body odor for his ultimate fragrance. This German novel reads like a dark and beautiful fairytale.

Read about the other books on the list.

Perfume is among Heather Parry's five novels featuring monstrous men, Liz Nugent's top ten first lines in fiction, Liz Boulter's ten best novels about France, Glenn Skwerer's top ten real-life monsters in fiction, four books that changed Meg Keneally, four books that changed Katrina Lawrence, Karen Runge's five (damn-near) perfect (dark) novels, and Lara Feigel's top ten smelly books.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven titles about writerly rivalry

Laurie Petrou is an award-winning, internationally published author. She is also a Professor at the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson). She has a PhD and Master's in Communication and Culture (York and TMU), a diploma in New Media Design (Sheridan), and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in painting (Queen's). She lives in Niagara.

Her new novel is The Rayburn Affair.

At Lit Hub Petrou tagged seven of her favorite "books that feature creative people and their relationships with other artists or writers." One title on the list:

R.F. Kuang, Yellowface

R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface is plotty, commercial fiction, demonstrating her deft ability to move between genres. In this novel, she offers a deliciously biting critique of the publishing industry, including the ways in which readers employ social media and how agents, editors, and other members of the industry address issues surrounding diversity. Jealousy and entitlement steer the actions of middling white writer June Hayward, who brazenly steals the manuscript of her much more talented friend, Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, after being the sole witness to Athena’s death. June has long been deeply jealous of Athena’s success, and continues her brand of entitled ownership, pretending to be racially ambiguous and calling herself Juniper Song. Haunted by someone she becomes convinced is Athena’s ghost, June digs herself ever deeper, adamant that she deserves the fame that she long coveted of Athena. We see echoes of stories within the past few years of white authors making attempts to claim the backgrounds—if not the stories—of writers of colour in order to capitalize on what they see as the new direction of publishing, or to excuse their own appropriation within their writing after the fact. Kuang’s book will ring true for anyone who pays attention not only to books, but to the world surrounding those books, and will delight in the anticipation of watching it crash down on June.

Read about the other entries on the list at Lit Hub.

Yellowface is among Marisa Walz's six titles featuring the most unhinged women in fiction, Disha Bose's five novels that explore and center female friendship, Taylor Hutton's five top novels with tantalizing anti-heroes, Elizabeth Staple's eight books about youthful mistakes that come back to haunt you, Lauren Kuhl's eight top novels about toxic relationships, Elly Griffiths's top ten books about books, Toby Lloyd's seven books that show storytelling has consequences, Sophie Wan's seven top titles with women behaving badly, Leah Konen's six top friends-to-frenemies thrillers, and Garnett Cohen's seven novels about characters driven by their cravings.

--Marshal Zeringue

Six crime titles with astonishing narrative turns

Gillian McAllister is the New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time, Caller Unknown, Famous Last Words, Just Another Missing Person, Everything but the Truth, The Choice, The Good Sister, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time.

At CrimeReads McAllister tagged six top novels in which you should guess the twist but probably won't. One title on the list:

Tana French, The Witch Elm

Toby Hennessy is an easy-going PR guy from Dublin who is living a charmed life until he is brutally assaulted by two burglars in his apartment and left with a brain injury and memory loss. He moves into his dying uncle’s home to recuperate and what follows is a surprising and astonishing unravelling of long held family secrets and loyalties when some human bones are discovered. As Toby grapples with his returning memory, we watch him begin to question everything he thought he knew.

Beautifully written and perfectly paced, I loved the way this novel gradually revealed itself. The ending ticks the perfect twist box for me of being both surprising and totally, damningly inevitable.

Read about the other entries on the list at CrimeReads.

The Witch Elm is among Jane Cockram's seven books in which families are destroyed by their own secrets, Scarlett Harris's eight books about male protagonists by female authors, and Ani Katz's top ten books about toxic masculinity.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven pulse-pounding reads for thriller fans

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the Chief of Staff for Riot New Media Group and a co-host of the Book Riot Podcast.

At Book Riot she tagged seven "pulse-pounding reads for thriller fans." One title on the list:

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

If you like your thrillers with a side of sci-fi, you’ll love this brain-bending novel that blends quantum mechanics with string theory and existential angst.

Jason Dessen is a college professor living a pretty unremarkable life when he is abducted and knocked unconscious. When he comes to, the world around Jason looks the same, but his life is…not his life. He’s married to the wrong woman. His son doesn’t exist. And he isn’t a professor but a rockstar scientist being celebrated for a history-making discovery. But is he happy?

Also named as one of the best thrillers of the century, Dark Matter was adapted into a series starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly, available on Apple TV. Season 2 drops August 28.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Dark Matter is among Lois Melbourne's six sci-fi thrillers about AI and John Marrs's seven novels that effortlessly blend travel and crime.

--Marshal Zeringue

Six books that will make you feel something

Darianne Schramm grew up in Gainesville, Florida listening to the sounds of the woods and the music of Tom Petty. When she’s not writing stories about grief, love, and characters who are slightly nihilistic, you can find her eating the darkest possible chocolate and playing overly aggressive games of Scrabble. She has a BA in Philosophy from Elon University and her Masters from the University of Southern California where they reluctantly let her write her thesis on rock and roll lyrics. She is currently getting her PhD in New Zealand where she lives with her husband, daughter, and goldendoodle.

Schramm's YA debut is 72 Hours Of You.

At The Nerd Daily the author tagged "six books that make you feel deeply and widely," including:

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

You’ll Feel: The Sads

Last but not least… You didn’t think we could have a list about feeling things deeply and not include a John Green book did you? Couldn’t be done. The Fault In Our Stars is a certified YA classic for a reason. This book has it all: angst, teenagers that talk like they’re mid-doctorate, and death. Just when you think “Perhaps I will not fall victim to the cryfest everyone else seems to be having, maybe, I am made of steel!” this book will kick you square in the gut. If you want to laugh, cry, ponder life, and then cry harder this is the book for you. Just be prepared to stare at a wall for 3-5 business days afterwards.

Read about the other titles on the list.

The Fault in Our Stars is among Boutayna Chokrane's ten top YA books, Nicole Hill's nine favorite meet cutes in YA history, Lara Williamson's ten top goodbyes in children’s literature, the Off the Shelf Staff's eight great books told by child narrators, Luke Kelly's five top YA novels, and Sophie McKenzie's five favorite Young Adult books that appeal to teenagers.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven books that explore the bonds between brothers

Carson Markland is a writer and filmmaker from South Carolina. Her first novel, Men Like Us, was published by Algonquin/Little, Brown in July 2026. Her short stories have appeared in Breakwater Review and SmokeLong Quarterly, have been included in the Best Microfiction anthology, and have been longlisted for the Disquiet International Literary Prize.

At Electric Lit Markland tagged seven books in which "we see a variety of brothers and permutations of this thorny relationship—some younger brothers who look up to the older, some who want nothing to do with them, all inextricably bonded to a person who understands them (or doesn’t) like no one else in the world." One title on the list:

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Salvage the Bones follows siblings Randall, Skeetah, Esch, and Junior as they prepare for Hurricane Katrina in their rural Mississippi town. Although the novel juggles multiple threads, including the coming storm and Esch’s unexpected pregnancy, one of the most compelling arcs for me centers on Skeetah—the second son—and his place within the family. While his older brother Randall is a talented basketball player whose skill offers a possible route out of their town, Skeetah devotes himself to a completely different path with the same intensity: pitbull fighting. With the two, Ward captures the subtle tension that can exist between younger and older brothers—less an outright, declared rivalry than an unspoken attempt by the younger brother to carve out a unique identity for himself. The result is an understated but no less powerful example of how birth order can shape the identities of brothers themselves.

Read about the other books on the list.

Salvage the Bones is among Bonnie Kistler's five novels that use hurricanes to heighten the drama, Kai Harris's six top portrayals of Black girlhood in fiction, Christine Hume's ten top feminist retellings of mythology, Michelle Sacks's five books with complex and credible child narrators, Amy Brady's seven books that provocatively tackle climate change, Jodi Picoult's six recommended books, Peggy Frew's ten top books about "bad" mothers, and Jenny Shanks's five least supervised children in literature. 

--Marshal Zeringue

Six great uplifting titles

Jeffrey Davies is a professional introvert and writer with imposter syndrome whose work spans the worlds of pop culture, books, music, feminism, and mental health. His work has appeared on HuffPost, CBC Arts, Collider, Slant Magazine, PopMatters, and other places.

At Book Riot Davis tagged six great uplifting books. One title on the list:

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Patrick has always loved being a guncle, or Gay Uncle Patrick, to his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant, whenever they come to visit him in Palm Springs, or he goes home to Connecticut for the holidays. But as far as his actual caretaking skills, he doesn’t really know what he’s doing — but he’s going to have to figure it out. When Maisie and Grant suddenly lose their mother, and their father is going through a crisis of his own, Patrick has to step up and look after them as their primary guardian. Although he already has a set list of “Guncle Rules” to follow, Patrick struggles to admit that he might be out of his league on this one, having never gotten over the loss of his own great love nor his stalled acting career. Not to mention being used to a lifestyle that doesn’t usually cater to young children.

As Patrick learns the hard way that sometimes parenting isn’t as easy as weekend visits, he might also learn some valuable lessons about his own life, too.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue