Recs if you like The Briar Club...

Stories that feature DC, Maryland, or Virginia. (Statehood for DC!)

Books that include recipes from the stories

Requirements:

1. The Mc(s) is a tricksters or unreliable narrator who spends most of the book lying to, bluffing or otherwise misleading others or themselves.

2. They would continue lying even if they didn’t have to either they can’t help it or enjoy the game too much.

3. This causes situations that get unpredictable, chaotic or even completely ridiculous as the characters dodge or face consequences for their actions.

Hii, everyone ♡ I am a very big fan of the booktuber @caricanread so I thought I would make a list of all the books she has read this year! ✰

Usually with blunt force

Goodreads 80 of the Past Decade’s Very Popular Fiction from 2016 - 2025

2025 Broken Country - Isola 2024 The Women - Real Americans 2023 Tom Lake - Weyward 2022 Demon Copperhead - Diamond Eye 2021 Reading List - Cloud Cuckoo Land 2020 My Dark Vanessa - Vanishing Half 2019 Giver of Stars - Girl, Woman, Other 2018 Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Where the Crawdads Sing 2017 Stay with Me - 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 2016 Lilac Girls - Behold the Dreamers

the types of books that even though they’re not perfect, the mystery and twists keep you up all night because you have to know what happens next/in the end.

I can’t promise you a “good” book… but I can sure as hell vouch you’ll want to devour it in one sitting.

Fiction books that outright tackle misogyny, or have feminist undertones. For every reader out there who's tired of being met with toxic/misogynist behaviour in stories that is presented as acceptable, or even romantic, and those who want to learn about the female perspective. (For more horrory books, see my list "Feminist Horror", for YA, see my list "Feminist YA".)

Books where food is heavily involved or a core part of the story. Often cozy, but not required. (Recommendations always welcome!)

Books with recipes inside that aren’t cookbooks.

Goodreads Published List of Consistently > 4 ⭐️(by year published)

2000: Plain Truth - House of Leaves ‘01: Other Boleyn Girl - Secret Life of Bees ‘02: Fingersmith - Lamb ‘03: Shutter Island - Time Traveler’s Wife ‘04: Shadow of the Wind - Cloud Atlas ‘05: No Country for Old Men - Book Thief ‘06: Sharp Objects - Road ‘07: Terror - Thousand Splendid Suns ‘08: City of Thieves - Hunger Games ‘09: Maze Runner - Cutting for Stone

Ran out of room.. See Comments for full list!

Ok strictly speaking not all of these are about expats but they are about travel and cultural exchange to the point of being stuck between cultures or part of more than one.

Most (but not all) are fantasy/ scifi because that’s what I like; many tackle themes of imperialism/ control, some others focus on immigration or refugee experience or navigating unfamiliar cultures.

“Who’s a good boy?” The dogs in these books. No dogs die.

Books for an adult book club at your local library!

my personal cocaine, when a book has seemingly unrelated storylines that come together perfectly at the end ✨

Book club picks for multiple clubs 🤓