Recs if you like The Wife Upstairs...

A selection of contemporary Southern Gothic titles exploring the decay, despair, and trauma of the reconstructed American South. Come for the palpably atmospheric settings and descriptions, stay for the literary commentary on the legacy of the South's oft-romanticized past.

As a note: I did not include the most well known writers in the genre, e.g. Truman Capote, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, etc. as the list is more focused on the resurgence of Southern Gothic in contemporary literature.

Here's every book so far from BOTM's monthly shortlist since February 2015 for anyone who wants to read them all like I do!

This includes book that have either mystery or thrillers as a primary or secondary genre. If you have recommendations to add please comment and I'll happily add them 💕

Inspired by Women's history month and my local library! Ever get annoyed when headlines include the man's full name and then 'so&so's wife'? Then this is the list for you! These are books that include "wife" in the title and are often about a lot more complex and dynamic women than just 'someone's wife'. open to recommendations

Tried to include a range of diverse genres/culture/background/time period! Though I haven't read them all, I did look up every book and evaluated for consideration.

Qwordy's Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 Familial Terms Prompt You must find five books with DIFFERENT familial terms in the title. You can use other languages, but once you use it in another language, you cannot use it again This is an on going list and always open for recommendations

sometimes the secrets buried under family relationships and everyday routines are unearthed and it goes poorly for everyone involved

Hardest Reading Challenge You’ll Ever Do! Subject to changes since I’m fickle. All 150 books plus the 2 bonus! I’m probably crazy for trying 🫠 I have repeated authors mostly because I’m trying to use books I already own. I’m not sure if that’s taboo or not…

Retellings of the classic Charlotte Brontë novel.

It takes a strong reader to admit that they liked a Colleen Hoover book- but if that book is Verity, and you read another CoHo book for more thriller romance, you might be realizing that's not usually her cup of tea. So read these books instead.

i <3 multi-pov (includes the first book in the series that contains at least 3 perspectives)

Books according to people on the internet (reddit/facebook) that scratch a similar itch to the show Desperate Housewives.

Read a book set in each state

Books set in Alabama or written by Alabama authors