Book cover of Bitters

Book description

The giant metal man has stood for hundreds of years, head tilted back, mouth open. All the dead of the town are disposed of this way, carried up the long, staircase that winds around him and tipped in. At his toe emerges the Bitters, the lifeblood of the town, keeping…

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

Why read it?

1 author picked Bitters as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The intoxicating promise of such an elaborately different world to our own immediately drew me in from the cover. What was this gigantic statue, and who were the people living beneath it?

The history of the ‘metal man’, as revealed in the first few pages, was enough to make me want to read more, but the character of McNubbin kept me there. After noticing ‘broken girl’ after ‘broken girl’, he’s driven to speak up and take action, as we all should in an ideal world. I love writing characters who take action myself! The ending is beyond perfect.

If you love Bitters...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Bitters?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Bitters.

Browse books like Bitters

Book cover of Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
Book cover of Hive
Book cover of This Is Shyness

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

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

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Bitters, you might also like...

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

Book cover of Tsunami

Tsunami by LeeAnn Pickrell,

On the morning of December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people across fourteen countries, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Thailand to the Maldives to India and all the way to East Africa.…

5 book lists we think you will like!