10 Popular Authors Whose Previous Books You May Have Missed

You may be familiar with Anthony Doerr’s bestselling historical novel ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, set in both France and Germany during World War II. But if you’re looking to read more of his work, let Doerr take you to Rome with him in this touching memoir. FOUR SEASONS IN ROME follows the author through personal ups and downs as well as explores this ancient city’s art and literature, drawing together people and places across time. From sweet vignettes, like taking his newborn twins to the Pantheon to wait for snow to fall, to the everyday interactions with butchers and bakers that reveal more of Rome’s character, this book will give you wanderlust like nothing else will.

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Taylor Jenkins Reid writes beautifully written works of historical fiction, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and DAISY JONES & THE SIX. But before either of those hit the scene, there was ONE TRUE LOVES, a book about the nature of love and fidelity. Emma Blair is lucky enough to marry her high school sweetheart, Jesse, with whom she leads a life of fun and adventure until he goes missing on their first wedding anniversary. Years later, Emma falls in love again, this time with her old friend Sam. But just when Emma is finally happy and ready to marry Sam, Jesse reappears, having spent the years apart longing to come home. Torn between the two great loves of her life, Emma is faced with an impossible choice, one that will lead readers to tears no matter whom she picks.

Susan Orlean is best known for her work in discovering the real, if somewhat bizarre stories of orchid poachers in THE ORCHID THIEF and the mysterious fire that burned down the Los Angeles Public Library in THE LIBRARY BOOK. Orlean brought that same level of research, dedication, and passion to RIN TIN TIN, the story of an international movie-star dog who appeared in twenty-seven films throughout the 1920s. She captures the story of this canine catapulted into fame through his relationship with his rescuer, the American soldier Lee Duncan, who trained him to act. Touching on fascinating subjects such as the use of dogs in the war effort, the heyday of silent films, and the strength of human bonds with animals, this book will have you reaching for the tissues and giving your pets extra love.

If you were in a book club, bookstore, or library at any point in the last year or so, you’ve seen, if not already read, THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig. After exploring all the winding paths life has to offer in Haig’s newest book, you should now consider life from the perspective of someone not from this world. THE HUMANS follows professor Andrew Martin, a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, who is, in reality, an alien. At first, “Andrew” is disgusted by what he finds here and ready to head back to his utopian home world, but from peanut butter to rock music to the intricate relationship of family, he comes to see the beauty of human existence. Sometimes, there’s nothing like seeing your world through the eyes of someone else.

Before the fantastical GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW and the terrifying MEXICAN GOTHIC, author Silvia Morena-Garcia was mixing magic and music in SIGNAL TO NOISE. Meche’s childhood in 1980s Mexico City was all about music in its many forms, a passion she shared with her DJ father and her friends Sebastian and Daniela. It is through this audio obsession that she realizes she and her friends can cast spells by listening to songs, changing their lives with a simple change in the soundtrack. But things get complicated, and it is only when Meche returns twenty years later to attend her father’s funeral that she can try to untangle the messed-up mixtape of her past.

Lisa Jewell made waves on the thriller scene with hits like THEN SHE WAS GONE and WATCHING YOU. If you were finally able to put those two books down, the next one you reach for should be THE TRUTH ABOUT MELODY BROWNE. Melody has no memory of her childhood before the fire that took her home and her family’s possessions, but after an encounter with a hypnotist, she starts remembering fragments of her lost past. Little by little, she begins investigating locations and places full of people who seem to know her, to try to piece together her life while raising her son as a single mom. With the same signature twists and turns that made her famous, Jewell weaves a tale of intrigue and family drama sure to delight and keep readers up at night.

You might have picked up Jennifer Weiner’s BIG SUMMER, the romantic drama about a plus-sized social media influencer attending her nasty frenemy’s wedding that turns into a murder mystery partway through. If you’re looking for the same heart but maybe with less murder, LITTLE EARTHQUAKES could be your next read. Following a group of friends as they navigate the transition into being moms, each woman confronts her own set of challenges: Becky has the mother-in-law from hell; Kelly is trying to manage her career and her kid while her unemployed husband takes it easy; Ayinde’s basketball-playing husband throws their family into the spotlight after secrets are revealed; and the mysterious Lia has left her whole life behind to start anew. Funny, sweet, and sometimes frustrating, this book captures the chaos and majesty of motherhood.

Colm Tóibín is best known for the heart-wrenchingly beautiful bestseller BROOKLYN, but this Irish author has a number of great other great novels as well. Case in point: THE HEATHER BLAZING may seem like a simple account of one man’s summer, but Tóibín’s writing takes it to the next level. Eamon Redmond is a successful judge in Dublin who travels to his vacation home in Ballyconnigar. Throughout the course of the season, Redmond reflects on his past, including the hole left by the passing of his mother at a young age, and his experiences with his father and his wife. The novel deals with themes of suffering, family, and the inability to communicate with those we love, and the kind of lyrical writing in Tóibín’s most famous work that captured the imaginations of so many readers is waiting between the covers of this book.

With a bibliography as lengthy and genre-crossing as Stephen King’s, you’re bound to have a few great books that get overshadowed. So if you’ve finished classics like THE SHINING and SALEM’S LOT, why not check out one of his underrated novels (and one of my personal favorites), THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON. Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland is having a hard time dealing with her parents’ divorce, and when her mom and brother break out into yet another vicious fight while hiking, Trisha decides to slip away, only to end up lost in the mountains. Thankfully, she’s got her wits, determination, and a functioning radio that lets her listen to Boston Red Sox games and follow her hero, Tom Gordon. But something dark is lurking in the woods, and it’ll take everything Trisha has to make it back home alive.

Essayist and author Kiese Laymon seemed to burst onto the scene with his memoir HEAVY, a book detailing his journey from a complex childhood to even trickier adulthood. That work navigates themes of race, abuse, addiction, and weight, plus his complicated relationship with his mother, all in haunting and unrelenting prose that can’t help but hold your attention. Laymon’s book, LONG DIVISION—which was originally published in 2013 and was rereleased this June—highlights that mastery of language and character by weaving together the real and the fantastical. In 2013, Citoyen “City” Coldson achieves Internet fame in one of the worst ways possible: a very public meltdown on national TV. But that’s not the strangest thing to happen to City, as he then receives a book without an author called Long Division that seems to star him, but in 1985 as a time-traveler who steals from a girl in the future—a girl who, in the present, has gone missing. Funny, inspiring, and deeply insightful, this novel is a must-read for anyone in need of a little revelation.