100 books like Paper Ghosts

By Julia Heaberlin,

Here are 100 books that Paper Ghosts fans have personally recommended if you like Paper Ghosts. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Psych 101: Psychology Facts, Basics, Statistics, Tests, and More!

Jana Louise Smit Author Of How to Kill an Earworm: And 500+ Other Psychology Facts You Need to Know

From my list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a South African author and avid miner of trivia nuggets. Psychology has always fascinated me and for the past decade, I’ve been lucky enough to make a living writing about the odd and the puzzling, most notably at Listverse.com. I love sharing the most jaw-dropping facts about the human mind, plainly to change the notion that psychology is a dry academic topic. I hope you’ll enjoy the books I’ve suggested - there is something for everyone; from fiction, trivia, and well-being, to a book that puts Batman on the therapy couch!

Jana's book list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day

Jana Louise Smit Why did Jana love this book?

I chose this book for a trip because it’s compact (easy to pack) and brimming with psychology facts.

Instead of staring at the plane’s ceiling for hours, I disappeared into a fun refresher course on the core ideas of psychology. It’s a great read for anyone who wants to brush up on their foundational concepts in a way that feels natural and entertaining.

By Paul Kleinman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Psych 101 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A hands-on approach to exploring the human mind

Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy theories, principles, and experiments of psychology into tedious discourse that even Freud would want to repress. Psych 101 cuts out the boring details and statistics, and instead, gives you a lesson in psychology that keeps you engaged - and your synapses firing.

From personality quizzes and the Rorschach Blot Test to B.F. Skinner and the stages of development, this primer for human behavior is packed with hundreds of entertaining psychology basics and quizzes you can't get anywhere else.

So whether you're looking to unravel the intricacies…


Book cover of How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life

Jana Louise Smit Author Of How to Kill an Earworm: And 500+ Other Psychology Facts You Need to Know

From my list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a South African author and avid miner of trivia nuggets. Psychology has always fascinated me and for the past decade, I’ve been lucky enough to make a living writing about the odd and the puzzling, most notably at Listverse.com. I love sharing the most jaw-dropping facts about the human mind, plainly to change the notion that psychology is a dry academic topic. I hope you’ll enjoy the books I’ve suggested - there is something for everyone; from fiction, trivia, and well-being, to a book that puts Batman on the therapy couch!

Jana's book list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day

Jana Louise Smit Why did Jana love this book?

What sets this book apart from others on the topic is that the author doesn’t drown you in background information.

She focuses on practical steps which even helped a lazy individual like myself (a natural hygge person?) to stick to habits that consistently bring more joy and positivity into my life. 

By Signe Johansen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Hygge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The “Danish coziness” philosophy is fast becoming the new “French living” in terms of aspirational lifestyle books and blogs. There are countless viral articles comparing the happiness levels of Americans versus Danes. Their homes are more homey; their people are more cheerful. It’s an attitude that defies definition, but there is a name for this slow-moving, stress-free mindset: hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”). Hygge values the idea of cherishing yourself: candlelight, bakeries, and dinner with friends; a celebration of experiences over possessions, as well as being kind to yourself and treasuring a sense of community.

How to Hygge by chef and author…


Book cover of Mensa Mind Benders: 100 Logic Games and Puzzles to Improve Your Memory, Exercise Your Brain, and Keep Your Mind Sharp

Jana Louise Smit Author Of How to Kill an Earworm: And 500+ Other Psychology Facts You Need to Know

From my list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a South African author and avid miner of trivia nuggets. Psychology has always fascinated me and for the past decade, I’ve been lucky enough to make a living writing about the odd and the puzzling, most notably at Listverse.com. I love sharing the most jaw-dropping facts about the human mind, plainly to change the notion that psychology is a dry academic topic. I hope you’ll enjoy the books I’ve suggested - there is something for everyone; from fiction, trivia, and well-being, to a book that puts Batman on the therapy couch!

Jana's book list on for psychology fans to curl up with after a busy day

Jana Louise Smit Why did Jana love this book?

On some evenings, I like to curl up in bed with a brain-squeezing puzzle.

What I appreciated about this activity book are the various game genres and degrees of difficulty. This allowed me to select a puzzle based on my interest and focus level of the moment.

Overall, it’s a hearty collection of challenges for anyone who loves getting lost in riddles, mazes, and numbers.

By David Millar,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Mensa is a huge international organization with hundreds of thousands of members worldwide; it is the oldest and largest High-IQ society, and very well-respected. We have the exclusive right to publish these books with American Mensa. Each of our books will be branded with Mensa's name and logo, and they will help promote the books. This new series will be upbeat, fun, and more attractive than older Mensa publications, along the lines of Mental Floss' series.


Book cover of Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight

E. Paul Zehr Author Of Chasing Captain America: How Advances in Science, Engineering, and Biotechnology Will Produce a Superhuman

From my list on the superhero in you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I got hooked on superheroes from a very early age. My mom grew up in the Golden Age of comics and loved superheroes. She'd bring home a random assortment of adventures—Batman, Iron Man, Flash, Avengers, Justice League, Iron Fist, Captain America. I was especially keen on the martial arts mayhem so many could bring to bear. That got me started (and I've never stopped since) in martial arts as a teen and took me into a career in science. I bring my own interest, my knowledge of martial arts, and my extensive career and training as a sensorimotor neuroscientist as I explore the science of human achievement through the lens of comic book superheroes.

E.'s book list on the superhero in you

E. Paul Zehr Why did E. love this book?

We've all got an opinion on the musings, motivations, and state of mind of Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Instead of just idle musings, Travis Langley goes on a deep dive into the tormented and traumatized (or is it really?) life of the Dark Knight. Reading Batman and Psychology gave me a different perspective on the blurry lines separating Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Highly recommended read!

Book cover of Even If I Fall

Rachel Bowen Author Of Thin Lines

From my list on romance with a chaotic family and friend groups.

Why am I passionate about this?

I didn’t grow up with a close family, but I yearned for one. Which is why I gravitate towards books with a cast of characters who are family, or a found family. I also prefer romantic plots or subplots. Combining romance and amazing side characters that are close automatically hooks me. That’s why I always include these dynamics in the books I write. I write my books for my own entertainment and hope others who love romance with swoony leads and a fun cast of characters will find my book and enjoy it as much as I do. 

Rachel's book list on romance with a chaotic family and friend groups

Rachel Bowen Why did Rachel love this book?

This book. The love story and the scenes between the leads had me swooning.

Seriously, I loved every second of the tension between the main characters: Brooke and Calvin. Brooke’s brother is in jail for murdering his best friend, who was also Calvin’s older brother. And no one knows why he did it.

They live in a small Texas town and their families have, for obvious reasons, become enemies. Their love is forbidden, but they can’t stay away from each other, even when their families are so important to them.

At the same time, the shadow of Brooke’s brother murdering Calvin adds a complication to their budding romance. This book has love, family, and a mystery to unravel and I loved every second of it. 

By Abigail Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Even If I Fall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

“A moving, captivating story about the bonds of family and the restorative power of love.”
—Tamara Ireland Stone, New York Times Bestselling author of Little Do We Know 

Brooke and Heath should never have become friends, let alone fallen in love.

A year ago, Brooke Covington lost everything when her beloved older brother, Jason, confessed to the murder of his best friend, Calvin. Brooke and her family became social pariahs, broken and unable to console one another. Brooke’s only solace remains the ice-skating rink where she works, but she no longer lets herself dream about a future skating professionally.

When…


Book cover of Blood and Money

Suzy Spencer Author Of The Fortune Hunter

From my list on money-loving, murdering Texans.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve written four true crime books about Texas murders. The first, Wasted, was about the murder of a rich lesbian in Austin, Texas. It was a New York Times bestseller. My last, The Fortune Hunter, was about the murder of a multi-millionaire media mogul. It was the basis of the Lifetime TV movie Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer. I have since started writing memoir. Secret Sex Lives: A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality was about my journalistic exploration into the worlds of alternative sex practices, written through my uptight, prudish Texan, wide-opened eyes. It was featured on Katie Couric’s talk show, Katie.

Suzy's book list on money-loving, murdering Texans

Suzy Spencer Why did Suzy love this book?

In my view, fellow Texan Tommy Thompson is the best true crime writer around.

That’s why I recommend Blood and Money, which paints a vivid picture of boom and bust Houston, Texas café society with all of its charity balls, gossip columns, infidelities, and murders.

Dr. John Hill, a social-climbing but not particularly hard-working plastic surgeon, was accused of killing his stunning wife, Joan Robinson, renowned for her show horsemanship and platinum blonde ponytail. Joan was also the daddy’s girl of oil baron Ash Robinson, who had a conniving history of breaking the law.

So when Ash’s freeloading son-in-law was set free, thanks to a hung jury and the slick work of famed attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, the city’s headlines were quickly filled with another murder—that of Dr. John Hill.

By Thomas Thompson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Power, passion, oil money, murderall the ingredients of a fast-paced, gripping mystery novel drive this true-crime story that on its original publication leapt onto best-seller lists nationwide. To that mix, add glamorous personalities, prominent Texas businessmen, gangland reprobates, and a whole parade of medical experts. At once a documentary account of events and a novelistic reconstruction of encounters among the cast of colorful characters, this anatomy of murder first chronicles the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death in 1969 of Joan Robinsonthe pampered daughter of a Texas oil millionaire and the wife of plastic surgeon Dr. John Hillthen examines the bizarre…


Book cover of Texas Crime Chronicles

Cathy Pickens Author Of Charlotte True Crime Stories: Notorious Cases from Fraud to Serial Killing

From my list on true crime for those who don’t like true crime.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I started writing mysteries, beginning with St. Martin’s Malice Award-winning Southern Fried, I wanted to get the medical, investigative, and courtroom details right. What better resource than good first-hand accounts from professionals who do those things every day? I must admit that, over several decades now, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. Real life is full of stories that, if told as fiction, would leave readers rolling their eyes in disbelief. The gruesome and cruel don’t interest me. I’m drawn to the storytellers who can capture the worst moments and turn them into finely written, compelling, accurate stories, showing us the complexity of life. 

Cathy's book list on true crime for those who don’t like true crime

Cathy Pickens Why did Cathy love this book?

I discovered Texas Monthly magazine and its in-depth crime reporting when one of my sisters lived in Fort Worth. I was hooked. Writers Skip Hollandsworth, Mimi Swartz, Mark Seal, Gary Cartwright, and others dig into each story. This isn’t “just the facts, ma’am” reporting. It’s why it happened and how it affected people. Some made international headlines (the military school cadets convicted of an odd love-triangle murder or the cheerleader’s mom who plotted to kill her daughter’s rival). Some could only happen in Texas. All are memorable, well-told tales.

By Texas Monthly,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Texas Crime Chronicles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Nobody does it bigger than the state of Texas, whether it is a matter of cattle ranches, pro linebackers...or true crime. From EL Paso, from Dallas from tiny Channelview come tales of murder, mischief, and malice - complete with new epilogues on their dramatic final chapters - that have been torn out of the pages of the award - winning Texas Monthly magazine and still succeed in rocking an almost shockproof nation. Included are true tales of: * Charles Whitman, the University of Texas tower sniper who blew away sixteen lives. * The Cheerleader mum who planned to thwart her…


Book cover of Best Kept Secrets

B. G. Howard Author Of Thicker Than Blood

From my list on where characters see the end before the end.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a past award-winning weekly newspaper columnist turned business owner, I eventually embraced the love of writing following an auto accident that necessitated more than eight years of rehabilitative therapy. Scripting my first novel proved more of a therapeutic undertaking and it was released in 2020 to moderate success. That experience then compelled me to learn more about the craft of being a novelist. Two years later, the original work was modified and Revised Edition Family Ties: Thicker Than Blood was launched in June of 2022. 

B. G.'s book list on where characters see the end before the end

B. G. Howard Why did B. G. love this book?

Twenty-five years before Alexandra “Alex” Gaither graduated law school; her mother, Celina, had been brutally murdered. After being raised by her grandmother and graduating law school, the exceedingly attractive and equally accomplished attorney returns to the small rural Texas community in search of answers to secrets, it is soon discovered, that are best left uncovered. With permission from the Travis County District Attorney, her superior, Alex only has thirty days to walk a tightrope in the quest to find the killer; a feat that could serve to disrupt every aspect of life in the economically stressed town of Purcell. 

Alex has to push the buttons of the two suspects who have matured into well-known, influential citizens to include the sheriff and the son of the town’s wealthiest businessman. But she has very little concern about their positions, status, or reputations and is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to find…

By Sandra Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Best Kept Secrets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alexandra Gaither is an attorney who finally has the power to get the justice she needs. Twenty-five years before, her mother had died a scandalous death. Alex believes one of three powerful men murdered her. She will risk everything to uncover their secrets.


Book cover of A Likeable Woman

Suzy Spencer Author Of The Fortune Hunter

From my list on money-loving, murdering Texans.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve written four true crime books about Texas murders. The first, Wasted, was about the murder of a rich lesbian in Austin, Texas. It was a New York Times bestseller. My last, The Fortune Hunter, was about the murder of a multi-millionaire media mogul. It was the basis of the Lifetime TV movie Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer. I have since started writing memoir. Secret Sex Lives: A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality was about my journalistic exploration into the worlds of alternative sex practices, written through my uptight, prudish Texan, wide-opened eyes. It was featured on Katie Couric’s talk show, Katie.

Suzy's book list on money-loving, murdering Texans

Suzy Spencer Why did Suzy love this book?

After reading a lot of true crime, I need a break from reality. That’s when I escape into murderous thrillers by May Cobb, an author many people call the Jackie Collins of Texas.

Whereas Jackie wrote about the glamorous and cosmopolitan, May writes about the small-town scions of East Texas, who think they’re glamorous and cosmopolitan.

A Likeable Woman, which comes out July 11, 2023, revolves around Kira, who has believed since she was 12 years old that her mother was murdered. Everyone else in Longview, Texas, including her grandmother and sister, knows that Sadie Foster committed suicide.

Decades later, Kira learns that her grandmother holds an unpublished memoir written by Sadie that indicates Kira might have been right all along.

A Likeable Woman contains everything that drives my writing passions—murder, memoir, and East Texas—and reads at breakneck speed. 

By May Cobb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Likeable Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kira’s back in her affluent hometown for the first time in years and determined to unravel the secrets of her mother’s death--hidden in the unpublished memoir she left behind-- even if it kills her. . . .

After her troublemaker mother’s mysterious death, Kira fled her wealthy Texas town and never looked back. Now, decades later, Kira is invited to an old frenemy’s vow renewal celebration Though she is reluctant to go, there are things pulling her home. . . like chilled wine and days spent by the pool . . . like her sexy teenage crush, Jack. But more…


Book cover of The Ex Who Wouldn't Die

M. E. Bakos Author Of Fatal Flip

From my list on quirky character-driven mystery authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write cozy mysteries about a house flipper turned sleuth in fictional Crocus Heights, Minnesota. My father was a carpenter, and I was his helper. My childhood was spent on a farm, with the biggest event of the week being a trip to the local library, where I checked out seven books. I would prop my library book in front of my school book and read in class whenever I could. My favorites were mysteries, and later romances, and now cozy mysteries, which combine a bit of both. I am always fascinated by people and their motivations, and that is what I enjoy in all the authors I recommend.

M.'s book list on quirky character-driven mystery authors

M. E. Bakos Why did M. love this book?

I loved the author’s snarky comments on the problems with an ex-husband that she can’t seem to shake despite his death. I loved her independent cat, who plays a role in her life, along with her observations about her quirky neighbor, who appears very security conscious and buttoned down in his personal life. Her café partner’s troubled past is revealed through the author’s eyes. 

By Sally Berneathy,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Ex Who Wouldn't Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book 1, Charley's Ghost series
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
When Amanda's lying, cheating, scam-artist husband, Charley, saves her life in a near-fatal motorcycle accident, she can almost forgive him for dragging his feet on their divorce. Then she discovers he'd been dead for several hours at the time she thought he rescued her. And not just dead…murdered.

On the good side, at least they are no longer married.

But she's the primary suspect in Charley's murder and, as if that isn't bad enough, Charley's ghost shows up in her apartment. He was rejected, kicked back, not allowed to go into…


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