80 books like Fugitive Moon

By Ron Faust,

Here are 80 books that Fugitive Moon fans have personally recommended if you like Fugitive Moon. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel

Andrew Pearson Author Of The Dead Chip Syndicate

From my list on that should be adapted into movies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the MD of a Hong Kong-based software and AI consulting company, keeping me on top of all the latest AI technological developments. Previously, I worked in Hollywood, writing scripts, adapting novels, and working in production. My scripts have won awards at several prestigious screenwriting festivals throughout the world. However, wanting to expand my creative horizon, I wrote my first novel, The Dead Chip Syndicate, and quickly found a traditional publisher for it in 2022. Release is set for July 2023. It's the first in my Exotics series, which follows the exploits of an ex-pat navigating the Asian gambling world as he gets embroiled in one scandal and scam after another.

Andrew's book list on that should be adapted into movies

Andrew Pearson Why did Andrew love this book?

Another darkly comic thriller that is stunningly original and filled with cinema-worthy characters.

The book opens when an African American Marine meets a ghastly end inside a bolted-shut Mercedes that is filled with deadly cobras. Two cops arrive at the scene, but only one survives the ordeal. Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a devout Buddhist, watches his partner die from a cobra bite and vows revenge.

He teams up with an American FBI agent brought in to work the case. They chase a killer through the atmospheric streets of Bangkok, navigating through a world of illicit drugs, colorful prostitutes, and infinite corruption. Sonchai is a complex protagonist, filled with wry humor and a dogged determination that the reader will admire all the way to its intriguing end.

By John Burdett,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Bangkok 8 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In surreal Bangkok, city of temples and brothels, where Buddhist monks in saffron robes walk the same streets as world-class gangsters, a US marine sergeant is killed inside a locked Mercedes by a maddened python and a swarm of cobras. Two policemen - the only two in the city not on the take - arrive too late. Minutes later, only one is alive.

The cop left standing, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, is a devout Buddhist and swears to avenge the death of his partner and soul brother. To do so he must use the forensic techniques of the modern policing and his…


Book cover of The Sunday Macaroni Club

Andrew Pearson Author Of The Dead Chip Syndicate

From my list on that should be adapted into movies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the MD of a Hong Kong-based software and AI consulting company, keeping me on top of all the latest AI technological developments. Previously, I worked in Hollywood, writing scripts, adapting novels, and working in production. My scripts have won awards at several prestigious screenwriting festivals throughout the world. However, wanting to expand my creative horizon, I wrote my first novel, The Dead Chip Syndicate, and quickly found a traditional publisher for it in 2022. Release is set for July 2023. It's the first in my Exotics series, which follows the exploits of an ex-pat navigating the Asian gambling world as he gets embroiled in one scandal and scam after another.

Andrew's book list on that should be adapted into movies

Andrew Pearson Why did Andrew love this book?

Former US Senator, Augie Sangiamo, runs a political consulting company in Philadelphia, but his candidates are floundering.

When Augie agrees to take some illegal campaign donations from a local oil company, he gets his candidates within striking distance of victory, but this attracts the attention of the D.A., who wants Augie back in prison. However, the wily senator still has a few tricks up his sleeve. 

The dialogue is witty, the story filled with larger-than-life characters, and there’s a clever twist that sees the Philly goombahs pull a fast one on the feds. Ultimately, it’s a heartwarming tale of an old-time pol getting bailed out by his streetwise driver, whose paying Augie back for getting his father a job decades ago, an act that ensured Joey had a happy childhood.

By Steve Lopez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sunday Macaroni Club as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"It’s a city of bottom feeders. With no bottom." Assistant District Attorney Lisa Savitch has a problem. Her boss wants her to nail the Sunday Macaroni Club-five remnants of the old political machine led by Augie Sangiamino, a former U.S. Senator with a conviction for fraud, now a political consultant. Why are these has-beens so important when there are children in Philadelphia dying of leukemia in the vicinity of an oil refinery? As for Augie, it's like he says at grace on Sunday: "We thank you, Lord, for this wonderful macaroni dinner. But we could use a little help, to…


Book cover of The Jukebox Queen of Malta

Andrew Pearson Author Of The Dead Chip Syndicate

From my list on that should be adapted into movies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the MD of a Hong Kong-based software and AI consulting company, keeping me on top of all the latest AI technological developments. Previously, I worked in Hollywood, writing scripts, adapting novels, and working in production. My scripts have won awards at several prestigious screenwriting festivals throughout the world. However, wanting to expand my creative horizon, I wrote my first novel, The Dead Chip Syndicate, and quickly found a traditional publisher for it in 2022. Release is set for July 2023. It's the first in my Exotics series, which follows the exploits of an ex-pat navigating the Asian gambling world as he gets embroiled in one scandal and scam after another.

Andrew's book list on that should be adapted into movies

Andrew Pearson Why did Andrew love this book?

With some similarities to Catch 22, The Jukebox Queen of Malta follows American intelligence officer, Rocco Raven, when he arrives in Malta as part of I-3, “the intelligence inside Intelligence.”

Malta’s a chaotic and desperate place, with bombs falling day and night because the Germans are trying to crush the Maltese into submission. Rocco falls for the ethereal Melita, who delivers jukeboxes to local restaurants. She embodies the spirit of Maltese people, who, astonishingly, put on a brave face as their world crumbles.

It’s a mesmerizing tale of love amidst war, a story about the resiliency of the human spirit. The book is a profoundly moving exploration of the redemptive power of love even when the world is spinning out of control around you.

By Nicholas Rinaldi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Jukebox Queen of Malta as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Jukebox Queen of Malta is an exquisite and enchanting novel of love and war set on an island perilously balanced between what is real and what is not.
It's 1942 and Rocco Raven, an intrepid auto mechanic turned corporal from Brooklyn, has arrived in Malta, a Mediterranean island of Neolithic caves, Copper Age temples, and fortresses. The island is under siege, full of smoke and rubble, caught in the magnesium glare of German and Italian bombs.
But nothing is as it seems on Malta. Rocco's living quarters are a brothel; his commanding officer has a genius for turning the…


Book cover of Gypsy Hearts

Andrew Pearson Author Of The Dead Chip Syndicate

From my list on that should be adapted into movies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the MD of a Hong Kong-based software and AI consulting company, keeping me on top of all the latest AI technological developments. Previously, I worked in Hollywood, writing scripts, adapting novels, and working in production. My scripts have won awards at several prestigious screenwriting festivals throughout the world. However, wanting to expand my creative horizon, I wrote my first novel, The Dead Chip Syndicate, and quickly found a traditional publisher for it in 2022. Release is set for July 2023. It's the first in my Exotics series, which follows the exploits of an ex-pat navigating the Asian gambling world as he gets embroiled in one scandal and scam after another.

Andrew's book list on that should be adapted into movies

Andrew Pearson Why did Andrew love this book?

A laugh-out-loud funny book about an American scam artist looking for marks on the streets of Prague.

Posing as a successful Hollywood screenwriter, Nix swindles female tourists, but ends up stealing from the wrong woman as it attracts the attention of the woman’s fiancé, a local detective, whose soon sets his sight on Nix. When Nix spots a sultry young woman at the train station, he thinks he’s found his next victim, but she leads him on, then cleans him out. 

Thinking the two could be an unbeatable pair together, Nix tracks Monika down, but accidentally kills her pimp. The two team up, and Monika draws Nix deep into her web of lies. The book is filled with clever dialogue and two nihilistic characters, who will shock, fascinate, and entertain.

By Robert Eversz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gypsy Hearts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A darkly comic thriller tells the story of Richard Milhous Miller, a twenty-five-year-old American scam artist posing as a Hollywood screenwriter in Prague, who meets his match in the amoral half-gypsy Monika.


Book cover of The Mind and the Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches

Deborah Kasdan Author Of Roll Back the World: A Sister's Memoir

From my list on startling encounters with mental illness.

Why am I passionate about this?

When my older sister died, I felt a pressing need to tell her story. Rachel was a strong, courageous woman, who endured decades in a psychiatric system that failed her. She was a survivor, but the stigma of severe mental illness made her an outcast from most of society. Even so, her enduring passion for poetry inspired me to write about her. I sought out other people’s stories. I enrolled in workshops and therapy. I devoured books and blogs by survivors, advocates, and family members. Everything I read pointed to a troubling rift between the dominant medical model and more humane, less damaging ones. This list represents a slice of my learning.

Deborah's book list on startling encounters with mental illness

Deborah Kasdan Why did Deborah love this book?

Psychiatric medications are prescribed more judiciously than when my sister first took them, but still many people find them intolerable.

Bergner first encountered mental illness when his younger brother Bob was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after dancing on a ferry to the rhythm of the ocean. Sadly, his parents believed that dancing was a symptom to be eliminated with higher doses of lithium.

Bergner finds two others to share their experiences: a roller derby star turned peer counselor, who heard voices since childhood; and a lawyer who feels doomed to failure despite his achievements in important cases. All three discontinue medication, two of them successfully.

Interspersed with their stories is a short history of psychiatry with a focus on the limitations of neuroscience and serious missteps in psychopharmacology.

By Daniel Bergner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mind and the Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A profound and powerful work of essential reporting." —The New York Times Book Review

An important—and intimate—interrogation of how we treat mental illness and how we understand ourselves

In the early 1960s, JFK declared that science would take us to the moon. He also declared that science would make the “remote reaches of the mind accessible” and cure psychiatric illness with breakthrough medications. We were walking on the moon within the decade. But today, psychiatric cures continue to elude us—as does the mind itself. Why is it that we still don’t understand how the mind works? What is the difference…


Book cover of Moon! Earth's Best Friend

Brooke Lapides Author Of Financial Fun from A-Z

From my list on fun and educational books for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated with financial literacy for a long time. I have an MBA and have worked in banking and the mortgage industry for more than 15 years. I am passionate about helping people understand concepts and terms that, at times, are obfuscated. Now that I have a son of my own, I am constantly looking for books that expose him to a variety of topics, not just financial. I am always checking out library books for him that will educate him about the world around him. My list of books is curated to some of my favorite educational books that he and I both love!

Brooke's book list on fun and educational books for kids

Brooke Lapides Why did Brooke love this book?

I absolutely love reading this book to my son. No matter how many times we read it, he keeps asking for us to read it again! He went through a phase (pun intended!) where he was obsessed with the moon and wanted to learn all about it.

This book is educational and teaches kids about the moon, but it is still a fun and engaging read with adorable illustrations. 

By Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Moon! Earth's Best Friend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

From writer Stacy McAnulty and illustrator Stevie Lewis, Moon! Earth's Best Friend is a light-hearted nonfiction picture book about the formation and history of the moon―told from the perspective of the moon itself.

Meet Moon! She's more than just a rock―she’s Earth’s rock, her best friend she can always count on. Moon never turns her back on her friend (literally: she's always facing Earth with the same side!). These two will stick together forever. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Moon in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts…


Book cover of Moon's First Friends: One Giant Leap for Friendship

Katie Munday Williams Author Of Poet, Pilgrim, Rebel: The Story of Anne Bradstreet, America's First Published Poet

From my list on astronomy stories for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a nurse, mother, and writer, and as such, consider myself a life-learner. When my children come to me with questions, I love being able to grab a beautiful picture book to begin exploring whatever topic is on their minds. I can’t answer all their questions perfectly, but I enjoy searching for the answers with them and hope to impart that love of learning as they grow. Astronomy has always fascinated me, and the books I’ve picked do a fantastic job of discussing everything from gravity to aliens to the first African-American female in space. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have!

Katie's book list on astronomy stories for children

Katie Munday Williams Why did Katie love this book?

I absolutely adore this book for a few key reasons. I fell in love with the premise of a lonely Moon on the lookout for new friends--who hasn’t felt that way before? The author does an incredible job of weaving in facts about the first modes of transportation while keeping the book fun and relatable to children. The illustrations are beautiful and by the end of the book you’ll definitely be rooting for Moon to get her first visitors.

By Susanna Leonard Hill, Elisa Paganelli (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Moon's First Friends as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Bestseller!
A heartwarming story of a friendship-seeking moon that also celebrates the extraordinary 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing!
From high up in the sky, the Moon has spent her whole life watching Earth and hoping for someone to visit. Dinosaurs roam, pyramids are built, and boats are made, but still no one comes. Will friends ever come visit her?
One day a spaceship soars from Earth...and so does her heart.
Includes bonus educational pages about the moon mission!


Book cover of Once in a Full Moon

Anita Sanchez Author Of Wait Till It Gets Dark: A Kid's Guide to Exploring the Night

From my list on for exploring nature at night with kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer, I’m especially fascinated by plants and animals that no one loves. My books are intended to get kids excited about science and help them appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Many years of fieldwork, leading children on nature walks, have given me firsthand experience in introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature. I especially enjoy the beauties of the night, from fireflies to coyote howls to star-gazing!

Anita's book list on for exploring nature at night with kids

Anita Sanchez Why did Anita love this book?

I love to get kids excited about the night time and all the adventures that can be had when exploring the outdoors at night. Watching the moon is something kids can do even in a city filled with bright lights. This book focuses on the moon as the seasons go by, with the unique names for each full moon—Strawberry Moon, Cold Moon, Harvest Moon. Moon-gazing is the first step in getting kids to feel comfortable outdoors after the sun goes down.

By Carol Goodman, Mariia Luzina (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Once in a Full Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Once a month a full moon rises in the night sky. But every time, this big bright circle has a different name! Once in a Full Moon tells the stories behind this monthly visitor.


Book cover of Max and the Tag-Along Moon

Ciara L. Hill Author Of Shiloh and Dande the Lion: Embrace diversity, accept others, and courageously be yourself!

From my list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African American woman with an African-American son, on a mission to ensure that more books positively affirm black boys. Growing up, I moved every two years due to my father’s military service. Through those experiences, I grew up appreciating various cultures, diversity, and the importance of different voices having representation. As a licensed therapist in the mental health field for over 15 years, I see the incredible impact that books reflecting authentic representation can bring. I love reading and writing books featuring African-American protagonists for all children and families to read, love, and enjoy, hoping that readers will gain a new positive perspective.

Ciara's book list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences

Ciara L. Hill Why did Ciara love this book?

This is a beautifully written story highlighting young Max's tender relationship with his grandfather.

Before Max leaves to return home, his grandfather assures him that the tag-along moon will always be there and remind him of their time together, even if his grandfather is not physically with him.

Max and the Tag-Along Moon is comforting, peaceful, and a great reminder of unconditional love, acceptance, and positive familial relationships.

By Floyd Cooper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Max and the Tag-Along Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Experience the wonder of the moon following you home with a Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator! Great for Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day!

Max loves his grandpa. When they must say good-bye after a visit, Grandpa promises Max that the moon at Grandpa’s house is the same moon that will follow him all the way home. On that swervy-curvy car ride back to his house, Max watches as the moon tags along. But when the sky darkens and the moon disappears behind clouds, he worries that it didn’t follow him home after all. Where did the moon go—and what about…


Book cover of To the Moon and Back

KaliVictoria Author Of The Shadows of Heaven

From my list on centering Black women and Black girls in fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an own voice author, it is incredibly important for me to write characters that look like me, but it is exceptionally healing to find novels where I feel represented. My inner child yearns for more books that remind me of my adolescent wish to be a main character, to have a fleshed-out story, to be the hero or overpowered creature of the night. Being a main character means being seen and being heard, and I think now is the time to branch into every genre I can to know that any story, no matter how big or small the pages, can be done and can be Black. Happy reading! 

KaliVictoria's book list on centering Black women and Black girls in fiction

KaliVictoria Why did KaliVictoria love this book?

Very rarely are we given the voice of a Black woman unraveling the depths of the genre that is horror. Jean Nicole Rivers gives us exactly that with Black Water Tales: To the Moon and Back, a riveting thriller that follows Simone Parker, a protagonist that wants to break generational curses while protecting her family from a haunting town legend. This novel left me wanting more as soon as I put it down, and I was incredibly happy to know that this Jean Nicole Rivers is anything but finished in terms of making sure that Black women can be seen and written into horror stories. The Black Water Tales has become a favorite series of mine, and I look forward to what’s to come… 

By Jean Nicole Rivers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked To the Moon and Back as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As Simone Parker’s belly swells with baby number three, she is anxious to move her husband and two daughters to her childhood home in the picturesque town of Black Water, even if it was the site of her family’s massacre twenty-three years ago. Resettling there won’t be easy, but she is determined to break generational curses and reclaim her good memories. While dismissing the adolescent, town legend that her family was murdered by the Sandman, Simone cannot deny that some unsettling haunt remains. As the evil builds to a peak marked by the brutal birth of her son, Simone is…


Book cover of Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel
Book cover of The Sunday Macaroni Club
Book cover of The Jukebox Queen of Malta

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the moon, bipolar disorder, and Philadelphia?

The Moon 130 books
Bipolar Disorder 41 books
Philadelphia 89 books