Here are 100 books that Girl Targeted fans have personally recommended if you like
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Scary books and movies hooked me early in life and never let go. Iām fascinated by the themes that are explored in all of the various sub-genres of horror. Iām intrigued by the lore thatās created, and Iām impressed with the imagination of so many horror creators. Horror remains and always will be one of the most popular genres of storytelling.
I read this as a teenager, just as I was diving into the horror genre. I already knew at this point that I wanted to be a storyteller. What struck me while reading It was the jumping back and forth between time periods.
I had never read a book structured that way, and it seemed that every chapter ended on a cliffhanger, forcing me to keep reading. There arenāt many books that I would say I had a hard time putting down (I get bored easily), but It was certainly one of them!
This tie-in edition will be available from 16 July
TIE IN TO A NEW MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, IT: CHAPTER 2, ADAPTED FROM KING'S TERRIFYING CLASSIC
27 years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back...
Derry, Maine was just an ordinary town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part, a good place to live.
It was a group of children who saw- and felt- what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread. Sometimesā¦
Iāve been fascinated with the theme of Identity since I was young. Identity influences so many of our decisions and how we live our lives. In a thriller setting, novels allow readers to see how identity drives our best and worst impulses and showcase what humanity itself is. I always add elements of this theme into my books, as I did with I Was an Evil Teenager, but Identity proved to be the story that solidified this theme as a driving force for my storytelling. I am also a book blogger and have been honored to read and explore many novels from established and indie authors within this genre and theme.
The author of this book did an incredible job of using a horrifying villain and shocking moments to showcase the power of identity and the struggles that can come from not knowing your own identity. I feel the power of the mind and how the manipulations of others cause these moments of self-doubt and mistrust are crucially tied to the theme of identity.
I loved the exploration of mental health and how those who suffer from it are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators. It is a big theme in this book, which plays well with the themes of my novel greatly. The idea that identity can be changed or played with by others is one of the more chilling themes that makes this novel stand out so much.
Martie Rhodes, a happily married, successful video games designer, takes an agoraphobic friend to therapy sessions twice a week. Each trip is a grim ordeal, but the experience has brought the two friends even closer together.
Then, one morning, Martie experiences a brief, irrational but disquieting fear of... her shadow. When autophobia - one of the rarest and most intriguing phobias known to psychology - is diagnosed, suddenly, radically her life changes, and her future looks dark.
Martie's husband, Dusty, loves her profoundly, and is desperate to understand the cause of her autophobia. But as he comes closer to theā¦
Iāve been fascinated with the theme of Identity since I was young. Identity influences so many of our decisions and how we live our lives. In a thriller setting, novels allow readers to see how identity drives our best and worst impulses and showcase what humanity itself is. I always add elements of this theme into my books, as I did with I Was an Evil Teenager, but Identity proved to be the story that solidified this theme as a driving force for my storytelling. I am also a book blogger and have been honored to read and explore many novels from established and indie authors within this genre and theme.
I love any genre that incorporates noir thrillers, bringing that iconic 40ās era detective mystery that showcases the mysterious figures and identities that the detective has to uncover. That was the promising theme that brought me to this book by Alan McGill. The author greatly impressed me with this story, as the futuristic, sci-fi setting only helped elevate the noir storytelling style.
The clown killers in this story haunted me as they came up against the protagonist, and the identity of the mysterious woman hanging on the edge of the main characterās periphery will add a depth of personal conflict that I, as a reader, found so engaging.
In the future, Las Vegas is nearly destroyed. Rebuilt under a dark cloud that blocks all sunlight, Sin City takes on a whole new meaning. Beneath the neon, The Pagliacci Serial Killers are on the loose and a new drug called āColorsā, infused with nanotechnology, is killing thousands. Violence erupts as the mutant population take to the streets to protest working conditions and the disappearance of their loved ones. Big Tech, the wealthy elite, and corrupt politicians attempt to cover it up. They canāt allow anything to interfere with the elections, profits, or their plans. Can hard-nosed detective Alton Coldā¦
Iāve been fascinated with the theme of Identity since I was young. Identity influences so many of our decisions and how we live our lives. In a thriller setting, novels allow readers to see how identity drives our best and worst impulses and showcase what humanity itself is. I always add elements of this theme into my books, as I did with I Was an Evil Teenager, but Identity proved to be the story that solidified this theme as a driving force for my storytelling. I am also a book blogger and have been honored to read and explore many novels from established and indie authors within this genre and theme.
A form of Identity I love to see explored in thrillers is the classic suburban thriller or the domestic thriller. Thatās why this recently released book was next on my list. I just loved the adult suspense of it all, with the mystery behind the former owners of the home and their ties to this world of seductive āadult partiesā that this neighborhood became known for, giving me a twisted give and pull behind the mystery of these characters.
The power dynamics between the couples in this cul-de-sac and the tension that mounts as the protagonists are drawn into the neighborās world kept my adrenaline pumpingāall earmarks of a great story.
Welcome to Connelly Court. A secluded, old money neighborhood, harboring a web of desires and deceit behind pristine facades and manicured lawns, where the lives of a group of neighbors, bound by their shared secrets and unconventional lifestyle, are about to unravel.
Michael and Amelia Ross move into their dream home, and get drawn into the seductive allure. But their house once belonged to a family whose lives were seemingly ruined by their participation, which leads Amelia to question everything about her new-found friends. Suspicions run rampant as the close-knit group turns on each other. Lies, betrayals, and hidden agendasā¦
Iāve always been fascinated by books that explore the slow, painful unraveling of the human psyche. In part, I think because itās something so many more of us either fear or experience (at least to some degree) than anyone really wants to admitābut itās also just such rich material for literary unpacking. I also love books with strong, angry female protagonists who fight back against oppression in all of its forms, so books about pissed-off madwomen are a natural go-to for me. Extra points if they teach me something I didnāt know before-which is almost always the case with historical novels in this genre.
For me, this is another masterful interweaving of historical fact and wildly creative imagination. Itās a prime example of in-depth research wielded to tangibly ground the reader in the bookās world; you learn about everything from 19th-century psychological theory and forensics to quilt-making and housecleaning techniques.
Part of what I really love about the novel, though, is that unlike in The Handmaidās Tale, here Atwood deliberately blurs the lines between āgoodā and āevilā and āvictimā and āvillain.ā Grace isnāt entirely likable, and sheās pretty much entirely unreliable. So, embodying her perspective as a reader is a continual guessing game of whether or not sheās telling the truth about her role in the murders at the bookās center. At the same time, itās also a kind of ethical guessing game, for even if Grace is guilty, Atwood makes the role society and class play in her downfall so painfully clearā¦
Sometimes I whisper it over to myself: Murderess. Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt along the floor.' Grace Marks. Female fiend? Femme fatale? Or weak and unwilling victim? Around the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery.
'Brilliant... Atwood's prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin' Hilary Mantel
'The outstanding novelist of our age' Sunday Times
I've read mysteries of all types since I was young. Unfortunately for my publishers, I like to write in several different genres too. Everyone loves a mystery, a puzzle, sussing out the hidden. If you think you donāt like mysteries, then I think you just havenāt found your genre yet. Reading a mystery is like treasure hunting, we all want to find the gold. I love clever dialogue, characters you want to meet in real life, and accompany them while solving a mystery. All the books I have recommended have an overarching mystery element. I write like that too, also, one element links all my books regardless of genre. Happy treasure hunting!
In this cozy mystery Mable and Violet are fast friends and have odd adventures. I think everyone needs a partner in crime, so to speak. This is a series; each book has a different theme, which I like. This story is set in a theatre, a one-act play competition in small town Saskatchewan, Canada. From my experience in little theatre odd things do happen. Like in my writing, this story has humour, intrigue, and enduring friendship. The added bonus, a theatre critic who has it coming. I like figuring out who had the biggest axe to grind and what motives each character is hiding.
Murder is a hard act to follow. All the drama does not take place on the stage at the Glenhaven Drama Festival. A collection of amateur actors with big egos land in Mabel Havelockās hometown. And Mabelās acting debut is not the only thing on her mind. Mysterious accidents and sabotage are plaguing the festival.
Mabel and her best friend Violet Ficher are determined to ferret out the culprit. The problem is why? Who has anything to gain? And why did Sherman have to die?
I have been reading mysteries since childhood. You know the sort of thing: Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, Enid Blyton books, The Bobbsey Twins. The desire to profoundly understand the battles of good versus evil, the delicious gathering of clues, and the hope of solving the cases never left me. As I grew, I began to read the adult-themed greats, and dominantly the women of crime fiction. I couldn't possibly count the number of mysteries I have read. Then, seven years ago, I was violently moved to write them as well. My ārealā job as a journalist was little different. In a way, every story, every interview subject, has been a little mystery to unravel.
To begin with, I was immediately drawn to this novel because (bless the author) it is located in my own hometown. For those in New York or Paris, this may not be a big deal; but if you live in a relatively small Canadian city, thatās quite exciting. The main character, Joanne Kilbourn, was also named for me. And yes, I have thanked Gail Bowen for this gift.
All right, thatās not actually true, but one can dream. Joanne is a strong but gentle cozy detective with intense motherly instincts and an extremely sharp mind. I adore her.
As a child Joanne was friends with Sally Love and her parents, but the friendship languished after Sallyās father died and she moved away, eventually becoming a very controversial artist. When the Mendel Gallery opens an exhibition of Sallyās work, Joanne is eager to attend and to renew their friendship. But itās not so easy being Sallyās friend anymore, and soon Joanne finds herself ensnared in a web of intrigue and violence. When the director of a local private gallery is brutally murdered, Joanne finds that the past she and Sally share was far more complicated, and far more sordid,ā¦
As a cozy-style mystery writer, I get to live in a world where I know that everything will work out as it should in the end. I look for this in the books that I read and recommend. Do they give the reader something interesting to ponder as they go along with the sleuth (amateur or āreal detective)? My father was a police captain, and I grew up looking at things through the eyes of āthe lawā, I admit. Most people find comfort reading about a small town where nothing will go too wrong. The bad stuff and the bad people are kept at armās length, and all is well.
Written in the style of M.C. Beaton, this book is a perfect English murder mystery.
The idea of a village fete itself has always been alluring to me. I put myself in the story and Iām right at home in the village and celebration at Berrywick House. I blame my British DNA. As in any good cozy, the most irritating member of the community ends up dead, and no exception here.
The main character, Julia, is not only concerned with a murderāor two, but sheās also afraid their peaceful village will be forever ruined. Like all great amateur sleuths, she gets involved. Bird paints a picture of a perfect English village. Add a dog, her Labrador, Jake, and well, sign me up.
Julia Bird canāt wait to attend the annual village party at the local stately home, with its tea tents, cake stalls, andā¦ dead body in the maze?
The annual village celebration at Berrywick House is underway, complete with over-decorated cake stalls, fiercely contested flower competitions, and even a maze for the disappointed losers to hide in. Julia Bird, now a well-known ā even notorious ā member of the community, with her trusty Labrador Jake, has thrown herself headlong into the festivities. But her reputation for adding drama to any event stands up yet again when she discovers a dead bodyā¦
As a writer of suspense/thrillers and psychological thrillers, Iāve always loved thrillers and suspense books where I canāt guess the ending. And this list of books is additionally close to my heart because of the way they made me feel when I read them: breathless; restless to know how they were going to end; and most of all, they made me think about and question the psychology of the characters. I hope you will like them as much as I did!
I inhaled this gripping thriller in one sitting! It really made me go, wait, what? The author did a phenomenal job keeping me focused on certain details, while twirling other important details in the background. So when it all pieced together, I was truly in awe.
The twists in the book kept me hooked all through. Just when I thought, ah, I think I know where this is going, the very next chapter would make me change my mind. The pacing of this book added to the thrills.
I loved the writing and the characterization. This book, to me, is a great example of combining a most-loved genre while representing important voices and exploring and debunking assumptions. The main character is Filipino-American and I loved reading about the experience through the characterās eyes and told over many years so thereās a clear arc of the changes that time has broughtā¦
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom-covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her-she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murderā¦
I have always been fascinated by religion from an intellectual perspectiveāthe way it can be such a powerful force for both good and evil and is such a constant facet of humanity, regardless of the time or place. Iām also interested in community and the complexity of human relationships, so itās only natural that Iām particularly excited about books set within religious communities. And, as much as I appreciate a true crime cult expose, I am a lover of great fiction first and foremost, so novels that explore religion with intelligence and artistry are my personal holy grail.
I loved this book because it was one of the most powerful books I read in 2024āand because I wasnāt expecting that at all! Haven is different from everything else Iāve read from Emma Donoghue, which is a very long list at this point.
Itās remarkably clever and subtle, lulling you into thinking itās just an adventure tale at first. But then it develops into a book that offers such a sharp, intelligent insight into religion as a compelling, corrupting, and blinkering force that it almost hurts to keep reading it.
In this beautiful story of adventure and survival from the New York Times bestselling author of Room, three men vow to leave the world behind them as they set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them.
In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monksāyoung Trian and old Cormacāhe rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, theā¦