Let Your Favorite Board Game Choose Your Next Read

May 28 2020
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In the midst of this pandemic, lots of people are picking up new hobbies and sources of entertainment. I mean, you can’t binge Netflix forever, right? Board games, which have seen a resurgence in popularity in the last decade, are a great way to entertain yourself, whether you’re sheltering with family, friends, or partners. If you’ve recently discovered, or in some cases rediscovered, a new favorite game, we’ve got some great books to pair them with.

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

The Majesties
by Tiffany Tsao

For fans of Monopoly:

If you’re like me, Monopoly was one of the first games you ever played, mostly because it was the only “grown-up” game your family owned that you understood how to play. Hours and hours of going to jail, collecting your $200, and secretly stealing from the banker definitely didn’t help teach you money management, but it did give you a taste of financial power. And that power can corrupt, as in the case of Gwendolyn and Estella in The Majesties. See, both sisters belong to a well-off Chinese family empire in Indonesia, wanting for nothing. One day, however, Estella decides to poison their entire family, though Gwendolyn manages to survive. In this twisting tale of wealth masquerading as unhappiness, Tiffany Tsao builds a glittery world of opulence that slowly rots into something horrifying and dark. You’ll never look at buying property on Pennsylvania Avenue the same way again.

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The Majesties
Tiffany Tsao

In this riveting tale about the secrets and betrayals that can accompany exorbitant wealth, two sisters from a Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with the past after one of them poisons their entire family.

Gwendolyn and Estella have always been as close as sisters can be. Growing up in a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful family, they’ve relied on each other for support and confidence. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their whole clan.

As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to this shocking and brutal act. Was it their aunt’s mysterious death at sea? Estella’s unhappy marriage to a dangerously brutish man? Or were the shifting loyalties and unspoken resentments at the heart of their opulent world too much to bear? Can Gwendolyn, at last, confront the carefully buried mysteries in their family’s past and the truth about who she and her sister really are?

Traveling from the luxurious world of the rich and powerful in Indonesia to the most spectacular shows at Paris Fashion Week, from the sunny coasts of California to the melting pot of Melbourne’s university scene, The Majesties is a haunting and deeply evocative novel about the dark secrets that can build a family empire—and also bring it crashing down.

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Things in Jars
by Jess Kidd

For fans of Scrabble:

Whether you play it old-school with wood tiles and pen-and-paper scorekeeping, or use app versions like Words with Friends, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as weaving your way through a complex jumble to earn triple points. For puzzle-minded word nerds, Things in Jars will supply the mystery, and the vocabulary, you’re looking for. Bridie Devine, a detective in alternate and fantastical Victorian England, must solve the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, a supernatural child who has attracted some not-so-friendly attention. Bridie joins a cast of colorful characters on her mission as more and more turns of phrase—and plot—are thrown her way. This quirky novel, which is sure to keep you on your toes, may even inspire some new winning words.

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Things in Jars
Jess Kidd

A January Book of the Month Pick

“Miraculous and thrilling…A few pages in and I was determined to read every word Jess Kidd has ever written.” —Diane Setterfield, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a River

“An impossible wonder: a book for everyone, and yet somehow a book just for you...A sumptuous tour of Victorian London, resurrected here with a vigor and vibrancy to rival The Crimson Petal and the White...Utterly magical.”—A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

“A perfect mix of hilarity, the macabre, and a touch of romance, Things in Jars is ridiculously entertaining, all as it sneaks up and makes you feel things…Simply: Jess Kidd is so good it isn’t fair.” —Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation and Light from Other Stars

In the dark underbelly of Victorian London, a formidable female sleuth is pulled into the macabre world of fanatical anatomists and crooked surgeons while investigating the kidnapping of an extraordinary child in this gothic mystery—perfect for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation.

Bridie Devine—female detective extraordinaire—is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times.

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The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett

For fans of Settlers of Catan:

Many a friendship has been laid at the altar of Settlers of Catan, the historically themed resource management strategy game that is easy to pick up and hard to put down. So why not pair it with a historically themed story of resource management that’s also hard to put down? The Pillars of the Earth follows the building of a cathedral in medieval England, and the lives of those who are entangled in its creation. Author Ken Follett’s expansive tale follows royalty, clergy, and peasantry as they toil, with the construction progress (and lack of it) marking the passing of time. This sprawling tome has plenty of political intrigue, drama, romance, and war to satisfy readers who also love to happily sit and figure out how best to set up their colonies and get those sweet, sweet victory points.

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The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett

For fans of Settlers of Catan: Many a friendship has been laid at the altar of Settlers of Catan, the historically themed resource management strategy game that is easy to pick up and hard to put down. So why not pair it with a historically themed story of resource management that’s also hard to put down? The Pillars of the Earth follows the building of a cathedral in medieval England, and the lives of those who are entangled in its creation. Author Ken Follett’s expansive tale follows royalty, clergy, and peasantry as they toil, with the construction progress (and lack of it) marking the passing of time. This sprawling tome has plenty of political intrigue, drama, romance, and war to satisfy readers who also love to happily sit and figure out how best to set up their colonies and get those sweet, sweet victory points.

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MENTIONED IN:

Let Your Favorite Board Game Choose Your Next Read

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Luck, Love & Lemon Pie
by Amy E. Reichert

For fans of Candyland:

Ah, the sweet innocence of childhood. Many of us spent hours looking at the delicious artwork of various candy locations as we moved plastic figures on that rainbow road. If you’re looking for something sweet, with games of luck and chance thrown in to boot, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie is your sure bet. MJ picks up poker to try to get her husband, Chris, to spend more time with her and less at the casino. The plan doesn’t quite work, but it turns out MJ is a natural at the game and starts winning big. Like, impressively big. She leaves her home, her teenaged kids, and her marriage behind to find herself in the glittery world of Vegas—where she attracts the eye of a renowned player who’s going all in on her. Light, witty, and vibrant, this book will have you feel like you’re on a sugar high.

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Luck, Love & Lemon Pie
Amy E. Reichert

When MJ Boudreaux took up poker to reignite her marriage with her gambler husband, she never expected to have a knack for it. As MJ’s newfound talent takes her deeper into the world of professional poker and further from her family, she must play her hand carefully…or risk losing it all.

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The Lying Game
by Ruth Ware

For fans of The Resistance:

Who doesn’t love a little game of “suss out the spy”? For those who enjoy the ultimate test of wits known as The Resistance, Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game will give you similarly sneaky satisfaction. Four girls, Kate, Isa, Fatima, and Thea, all used to attend the same boarding school where they would play The Lying Game, which involved fibbing to faculty and students alike. However, their game isn’t so innocent, and years later as adults, they have to deal with the consequences of their deceptions. Ware is a master of both suspense and character, which makes every reveal along the way feel like a sucker punch. Can you figure out what’s really going on before the end? The only way to find out is to play the game yourself.

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The Lying Game
Ruth Ware

Praise for Ruth Ware’s instant New York Times, USA TODAY, and Los Angeles Times bestseller:

“So many questions....Until the very last page! Needless to say, I could not put this book down!” —Reese Witherspoon

“Once again the author of The Woman in Cabin 10 delivers mega-chills.” —People

“Missing Big Little Lies? Dig into this psychological thriller about whether you can really trust your nearest and dearest.” —Cosmopolitan

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 comes a chilling new novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play.

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten, along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister…

The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isa—receive the text they had always hoped would never come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty. But their little game had consequences, and as the four converge in present-day Salten, they realize their shared past was not as safely buried as they had once hoped…

Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill to keep you wrong-footed, The Lying Game is told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, lending itself to becoming another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

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While You Sleep
by Stephanie Merritt

For fans of Betrayal at House on the Hill:

Betrayal at House on the Hill is one of the few games that is different every time you play, since the final scenario is dictated by a series of random circumstances. The game’s creepy aesthetic and ever-expanding nature make it feel truly sinister and haunted. Stephanie Merritt’s While You Sleep captures that eerie atmosphere and foreboding haunted house in a way that fans will appreciate. Zoe Adams stumbles into the McBride house after coming to terms with her failing marriage, but the townspeople’s rumors about “the incident” leave her wandering its Scottish mansion halls, trying to see if she’s really not alone. Steeped in Gothic goodness, the book has several dark twists that will keep readers awake through the night.

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While You Sleep
Stephanie Merritt

A modern-day ghost story set on a remote Scottish island, While You Sleep is a page-turning, chillingly erotic Hitchcockian thriller evoking the dark atmosphere of a house that may be more than it seems . . .

It begins, they say, with a woman screaming . . .

On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.

For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing events: nighttime intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.

The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides’ dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?

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MENTIONED IN:

Let Your Favorite Board Game Choose Your Next Read

By Sara Roncero-Menendez | May 28, 2020

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