Fans pick 44 books like Red Team Blues

By Cory Doctorow,

Here are 44 books that Red Team Blues fans have personally recommended if you like Red Team Blues. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Daisy Darker

C.L. Pauwels Author Of Fatal Errors

From my list on for the puzzle-solving reader.

Why am I passionate about this?

I inherited a love of puzzles from my mother, and we still share crossword clues, looking for answers. I also shared her love of reading mysteries and trying to solve crimes, from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton. So, when I started writing, it was only natural that I create my own literary puzzles. Add in an ingrained sense of justice–so often missed in society–and I love it when the bad guy (or gal) gets their comeuppance. I also love the mental workout I get when I need focused logic to puzzle out the ending before the final pages.

C.L.'s book list on for the puzzle-solving reader

C.L. Pauwels Why did C.L. love this book?

I was hooked from the moment young Daisy Darker–she of the “broken heart”–introduced me to her grandmother’s tidal island family home, complete with a wall of clocks. I generally prefer first-person novels like this, and Daisy’s perspective kept this story moving. A bizarre cast of characters navigate questionable relationships–family…yes? No?–from Daisy’s unique point of view that eventually crumbles into the sea. And the mysterious messages that show up on the kitchen blackboard each morning…what a puzzle! Too bad I couldn’t solve it before the end.

I’m sure Feeney must have given readers some clues along the way that I managed to miss, so I’ll likely re-read this one when my teetering #TBR pile isn’t quite so high.

By Alice Feeney,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
"Alice Feeney is great with TWISTS and TURNS." —Harlan Coben

The NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of Rock Paper Scissors returns with a locked-room mystery when a family reunion leads to murder in a delightfully twisty and atmospheric thriller, as seen on the TODAY show.

“A dysfunctional family meets Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with a truly gasp-inducing twist. This is the book you've been looking for.” —Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of 56 Days

Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. Now after years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire…


Book cover of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

C.L. Pauwels Author Of Fatal Errors

From my list on for the puzzle-solving reader.

Why am I passionate about this?

I inherited a love of puzzles from my mother, and we still share crossword clues, looking for answers. I also shared her love of reading mysteries and trying to solve crimes, from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton. So, when I started writing, it was only natural that I create my own literary puzzles. Add in an ingrained sense of justice–so often missed in society–and I love it when the bad guy (or gal) gets their comeuppance. I also love the mental workout I get when I need focused logic to puzzle out the ending before the final pages.

C.L.'s book list on for the puzzle-solving reader

C.L. Pauwels Why did C.L. love this book?

Because I love Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy five-book trilogy (trust me!), his down-to-earth detective Dirk Gently was an immediate attraction. The layers of mystery take quite a bit of untangling, and I was hooked all the way through. This is my reliable go-to when I need a break from reality that won’t take me too far from home. Or does it? Somehow, with the help of Thor’s hammer, his characters travel from London to the Great Hall of Valhalla and back again. But Avengers, this is not! 

I read this more than once before parts of the intricate plot really made sense, but what a journey! And its precursor, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, has a permanent spot on my bookshelf, too.

By Douglas Adams,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Beloved, bumbling Detective Dirk Gently returns in this standalone novel from Douglas Adams, the legendary author of one of the most beloved science fiction novels of all time, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

When a check-in desk at London’s Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the event is said to be an act of God. But which god? wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently. And how is this connected to Dirk’s battle with his cleaning lady over his filthy refrigerator…or to the murder of his latest client? Or are these events just another stretch of coincidences in…


Book cover of Look Closer

C.L. Pauwels Author Of Fatal Errors

From my list on for the puzzle-solving reader.

Why am I passionate about this?

I inherited a love of puzzles from my mother, and we still share crossword clues, looking for answers. I also shared her love of reading mysteries and trying to solve crimes, from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton. So, when I started writing, it was only natural that I create my own literary puzzles. Add in an ingrained sense of justice–so often missed in society–and I love it when the bad guy (or gal) gets their comeuppance. I also love the mental workout I get when I need focused logic to puzzle out the ending before the final pages.

C.L.'s book list on for the puzzle-solving reader

C.L. Pauwels Why did C.L. love this book?

The perfect murder is not possible, right? Well…this book may have changed my mind! I don’t generally like brooding, self-absorbed characters, but Simon–ah, Simon, odd and way past cute-quirky. But somehow, Ellis makes him a compelling character. And the twists in what at first glance is a typical murder mystery with a spurned lover, a big trust fund, and lots of lies make a sharp 180-degree turn in the final pages.

As puzzles go, this book has it all. Dark history, long-held grudges, cross, double-cross…is triple-cross a thing? If not, it should be after this ending. And beware the Grim Reaper next Halloween!

By David Ellis,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Look Closer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Wildly entertaining.”—New York Times Book Review

From the bestselling and award-winning author comes a wickedly clever and fast-paced novel of greed, revenge, obsession—and quite possibly the perfect murder.

Simon and Vicky couldn’t seem more normal: a wealthy Chicago couple, he a respected law professor, she an advocate for domestic violence victims. A stable, if unexciting marriage. But one thing’s for sure: absolutely nothing is what it seems. The pair are far from normal, and one of them just may be a killer. 

When the body of a beautiful socialite is found hanging in a mansion in a nearby suburb, Simon…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor By FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan. The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced, it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run the…

Book cover of The Cartographers

Audrey Lee Author Of The Mechanics of Memory

From my list on AAPI women with self-saving female protagonists.

Why am I passionate about this?

I used to get in trouble (nightly) for eating with my book propped against my plate. Yet with all the books I devoured, there was never one about a kid that looked like me with a family like mine. The single anomaly was Blubber, which absolutely thrilled me to see a supporting character named Tracy Wu. And while the YA world has thankfully become more diverse, BIPOC authors and protagonists are still the exception in adult literature. I’m excited to share this list of badass female AAPI authors who write equally strong protagonists because, though we’ve come a long way since Tracy Wu, we still have further to go.

Audrey's book list on AAPI women with self-saving female protagonists

Audrey Lee Why did Audrey love this book?

As a child, I used to sit in the shoe closet, waiting for it to open up to Narnia. This book brought me back to this feeling of magical longing; only the irresistible hook is secrets hidden in ordinary maps.

It is expertly plotted, magical, and mysterious, and the characters are dynamic and diverse. My tastes usually tend toward dark thrillers, but this one snuck its way into my heart. Important: when you finish, read all the way through the acknowledgments.

By Peng Shepherd,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Exquisitely written ... Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey' Brad Thor, #1 bestselling author of Black Ice

'A story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire [and] the people who would do anything to find them ... A vastly rich experience' Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year

There are some maps you can lose yourself in...
Nell Young has lived her life in and around maps. Her father, Dr. David Young, was one of the most respected cartographers in the world. But this morning he was found dead - or murdered? - in…


Book cover of Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon

Douglas Rushkoff Author Of Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires

From my list on understanding how tech billionaires think.

Why am I passionate about this?

I believed the Internet would be as colorful a cultural phenomenon as LSD. But before I was even able to convince people that something wonderful was on the horizon, big business swooped in and recontextualized the digital renaissance as a business revolution and the Silicon Valley mindset was born: Companies should grow exponentially forever! Any tech problem can be solved with more tech! Humans on Earth are just larvae–maggots–while wealthy tech bros will get to Mars or upload their minds to the cloud. This list of books is meant to show how these guys think and why they’re taking us in the wrong direction. 

Douglas' book list on understanding how tech billionaires think

Douglas Rushkoff Why did Douglas love this book?

This book is about the ultimate pyramid scheme, written largely from the perspective of someone who fell for it. Michael Lewis tells a story like nobody else. It is about Sam Bankman Fried, the crypto billionaire who is now in jail for defrauding everybody.

Only it was written before Fried was convicted, and some reviewers felt Lewis had himself been charmed and hoodwinked by Fried. But that’s precisely the reason I love this book: the author falls under the spell of a Silicon Valley accelerationist and techno-utopian.

We get to experience the logic of “effective altruism” and the cult of exponential growth from the inside rather than the cynicism of how it all turned out.

By Michael Lewis,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Going Infinite as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world's youngest billionaire and crypto's Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?

In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system.…


Book cover of Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency

Andrew Chow Author Of Cryptomania: Hype, Hope, and the Fall of Ftx's Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire

From my list on understanding crypto in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Crypto’s rollercoaster journey has given rise to some of the most thrilling real-life tales of the last two decades. These tales teem with personal drama and reveal much larger truths: about our fractured global moment, about the ripple effects of well-intentioned technological systems, and about the massive divide between how we want society to function and how it actually does. 

As much as some people wish it dead, crypto is not going away any time soon. Many of its followers have adopted a religious-like belief that it will transform humanity and bring unlimited wealth to its followers; others simply believe it to be a good investment. Their collective trust in these strange digital currencies means that crypto will continue to shape the world in unpredictable ways. 

Andrew's book list on understanding crypto in 2024

Andrew Chow Why did Andrew love this book?

Like The Departed or No Country For Old Men, Andy Greenberg’s book is a cat-and-mouse thriller in which tireless law enforcement officials chase shrewd criminals across the globe, eventually revealing the horrifying human toll left in their wake.

The cryptocurrency industry isn’t synonymous with crime, but it has facilitated vast amounts of illegal activity. Greenberg, however, shows that the unique qualities of the blockchain have also made it shockingly easy for the feds to chase down their targets. 

By Andy Greenberg,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Tracers in the Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the award-winning author of Sandworm comes the propulsive story of a new breed of investigators who have cracked the Bitcoin blockchain, exposing once-anonymous realms of money, drugs, and violence. “I love the book… It reads like a thriller… These stories are amazing.” (Michael Lewis)

Over the last decade, a single innovation has massively fueled digital black markets: cryptocurrency. Crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely—whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking—than their analog counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting not in dollars or pounds but in currencies with anonymous ledgers,…


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Book cover of Spoliation

Spoliation By Ian J. Miller,

To hide a corporation’s failure to properly service a space ship, Captain Jonas Stryker is prosecuted but saved from imprisonment by a dying man, who hires Stryker to collect asteroids for their mineral content. Stryker soon finds he must stop a shadowy corporate group called The Board, who employ space…

Book cover of Proof Of Stake: The Making of Ethereum and the Philosophy of Blockchains

Andrew Chow Author Of Cryptomania: Hype, Hope, and the Fall of Ftx's Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire

From my list on understanding crypto in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Crypto’s rollercoaster journey has given rise to some of the most thrilling real-life tales of the last two decades. These tales teem with personal drama and reveal much larger truths: about our fractured global moment, about the ripple effects of well-intentioned technological systems, and about the massive divide between how we want society to function and how it actually does. 

As much as some people wish it dead, crypto is not going away any time soon. Many of its followers have adopted a religious-like belief that it will transform humanity and bring unlimited wealth to its followers; others simply believe it to be a good investment. Their collective trust in these strange digital currencies means that crypto will continue to shape the world in unpredictable ways. 

Andrew's book list on understanding crypto in 2024

Andrew Chow Why did Andrew love this book?

Crypto’s perhaps most important thinker is Vitalik Buterin, the 30-year-old founder of the blockchain Ethereum. Buterin is not only a technological savant but also a deft philosopher and political theorist; he is driven by the desire to improve not just financial systems but many other unjust structures in the world.

This collection of essays over a decade shows Buterin’s maturation as his ingenious ideas collide with harsh realities. 

By Vitalik Buterin, Nathan Schneider (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Proof Of Stake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The new book from one of TIME's 2021 most influential people
Author was in Forbes 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame

"A crucial contribution to development of a new technology that will impact all of our lives.” –Laura Shin, host of the Unchained podcast and author of The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze

“Vitalik Buterin is one of the most influential creators of our generation....Like most of his work, it is sure to become a must-read.”–Camila Russo, author of The Infinite Machine, founder of The Defiant

The ideas behind Ethereum in the…


Book cover of Cryptocommunism

Joshua Davila Author Of Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It

From my list on understanding the radical potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the primary writer and podcaster behind The Blockchain Socialist, a platform for exploring the intersection of crypto and left politics. I’ve published over 35 blogs for my website and on the web3 native blogging platform Mirror as well as for outlets like FWB and Outland Magazine. I’ve also recorded over 150 podcasts which included incredible guests with a wide ranging spectrum of political views and expertises like Vitalik Buterin, Cory Doctorow, Douglas Rushkoff, Nick Srnicek,  Lawrence Lessig, and many more. And I don’t just talk about but I do it as I am also a co-founder of Breadchain Cooperative where we make blockchain applications from a post-capitalist perspective.

Joshua's book list on understanding the radical potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency

Joshua Davila Why did Joshua love this book?

When I first entered the crypto space, I found that one of the biggest issues was the dominance of free market fundamentalist ideology even when trying to learn about things completely technical. I desperately searched for writing that aligned more with my political leanings, and this book was the first one I found.

In the book, Mark argues that the significance of cryptocurrencies goes well beyond cryptoanarchism. In so far as they allow us "to appropriate, collectively, the means of monetary production," to paraphrase Marx, and to replace "the government of persons by the administration of things," as Engels advocated, they form the basis for a political regime that begins to look like a communism which has, at last, come to fruition–a cryptocommunism. 

By Mark Alizart, Robin Mackay (translator),

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Cryptocurrencies are often associated with right-wing political movements, or even with the alt-right. They are the preserve of libertarians and fans of Ayn Rand and Friedrich Hayek. With their promotion of anonymity and individualism, there's no doubt that they seamlessly slot into the prevailing anti-State ideology. But in this book Mark Alizart argues that the significance of cryptocurrencies goes well beyond cryptoanarchism. In so far as they allow us 'to appropriate collectively the means of monetary production', to paraphrase Marx, and to replace 'the government of persons by the administration of things', as Engels advocated, they form the basis for…


Book cover of Absolute Essentials of Ethereum

Joshua Davila Author Of Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It

From my list on understanding the radical potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the primary writer and podcaster behind The Blockchain Socialist, a platform for exploring the intersection of crypto and left politics. I’ve published over 35 blogs for my website and on the web3 native blogging platform Mirror as well as for outlets like FWB and Outland Magazine. I’ve also recorded over 150 podcasts which included incredible guests with a wide ranging spectrum of political views and expertises like Vitalik Buterin, Cory Doctorow, Douglas Rushkoff, Nick Srnicek,  Lawrence Lessig, and many more. And I don’t just talk about but I do it as I am also a co-founder of Breadchain Cooperative where we make blockchain applications from a post-capitalist perspective.

Joshua's book list on understanding the radical potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency

Joshua Davila Why did Joshua love this book?

The Ethereum blockchain ecosystem is arguably the largest and likely to keep that position for the time being therefore making it an important technology to have a firm grasp and understanding of. This includes not just the hard technical aspects of it, but also its history and culture.

Dr. Dylan-Ellis has been involved in the Ethereum ecosystem and teaching cryptocurrency courses at the University College Dublin, and as someone who has similarly been involved in the Ethereum space for so long and watching its political and cultural evolution, this textbook offers a good intro for anyone wanting to get up to speed on Ethereum.

By Paul Dylan-Ennis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Absolute Essentials of Ethereum as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Absolute Essentials of Ethereum is a concise textbook which guides the reader through the fascinating world of the emerging Ethereum ecosystem, from the basics of how its blockchain works to cutting-edge applications.

Written by an experienced educator, each chapter is designed to progress potential students from class to class. Technical concepts are clearly explained for those new to the topic and readers are supported with definitions and summaries in each chapter. Real-life case studies situate the overviews in a contemporary context. Topics covered include the Ethereum Execution and Consensus layers, Ethereum governance and community, Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs), Decentralised Finance…


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Book cover of The Yamanaka Factors

The Yamanaka Factors By Jed Henson,

Fall 2028. Mickey Cooper, an elderly homeless man, receives an incredible proposition from a rogue pharmaceutical company: “Be our secret guinea pig for our new drug, and we’ll pay you life-changing money, which you’ll be able to enjoy because if (cough) when the treatment works, two months from now your…

Book cover of The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum

Brady Dale Author Of SBF: How The FTX Bankruptcy Unwound Crypto's Very Bad Good Guy

From my list on cryptocurrency, aka, magic space money.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing about cryptocurrency since 2015, and full-time since 2017. I’ve worked for the biggest crypto news site in the world, CoinDesk, but now I write about it every day for a more mainstream audience. Cryptocurrency fits at a nexus at the kind of things I’m drawn to: It’s technological, it’s economic and it freaks people out. Unlike a lot of people who write about crypto, I’ve actually played around with the stuff. I’m not an investor, but I have used it. Using it is really the only way anyone gets to the point of grokking it, and I grok the stuff.

Brady's book list on cryptocurrency, aka, magic space money

Brady Dale Why did Brady love this book?

The Infinite Machine is the beach-read Ethereum book.

Ethereum is the second-largest blockchain out there. It’s the one that’s sometimes referred to as The World Computer, because it can function like an actual computer, but no one owns it. Thousands of people are running it.

If that sounds very abstract and weird, well: it is. Cami Russo walks readers through how that functionality got used in the early days, plus a couple of the really big screw-ups made with this complex global machine. 

It’s a fun book, for as abstract as it all is. She manages to go out and find a bunch of the relevant characters from those early events and bring them to life. 

Most of the talk about cryptocurrency in the mainstream is about Bitcoin, but, the truth is, most of the activity that drives that conversation happens on Ethereum. If you want to understand the weird…

By Camila Russo,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Written with the verve of such works as The Big Short, The History of the Future, and The Spider Network, here is the fascinating, true story of the rise of Ethereum, the second-biggest digital asset in the world, the growth of cryptocurrency, and the future of the internet as we know it.

Everyone has heard of Bitcoin, but few know about the second largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, which has been heralded as the "next internet."

The story of Ethereum begins with Vitalik Buterin, a supremely gifted nineteen-year-old autodidact who saw the promise of blockchain when the technology was in its earliest…


Book cover of Daisy Darker
Book cover of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Book cover of Look Closer

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in cryptocurrency, money laundering, and e-commerce?

Cryptocurrency 28 books
Money Laundering 16 books
E-Commerce 16 books