Here are 24 books that Worth Saga fans have personally recommended once you finish the Worth Saga series.
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Iâm a lifelong sci-fi/fantasy reader who loves the way speculative fiction helps us explore who we are, what we could become, and how to troubleshoot the future before we get there. As a parent and active community member, Iâm looking for fresh perspectives on how to tackle the increasingly complex challenges of our time, perspectives that go beyond simplistic solutions like finding bad guys and killing them in climactic battles. I hope books that showcase nonviolent social change in all its complexity can help us imagine better ways to make a difference in our own lives.
Another nonfiction book, Healing Resistancedoes a splendid job showing the philosophical connections between nonviolence on an interpersonal level and nonviolent social change movements. Drawing on the tradition of Kingian nonviolence, this book is a useful starting place for anyone who wants to understand what nonviolence is and isnât as well as how it works. Itâs also chock full of recommendations for other books and is a great jumping-off point for further reading. Sometimes nonviolence doesnât look like what we expect.
An expert in the field offers a mindfulness-based approach to nonviolent action, demonstrating how nonviolence is a powerful tool for personal and social transformation
Nonviolence was once considered the highest form of activism and radical change. And yet its basic truth, its restorative power, has been forgotten. In Healing Resistance, leading trainer Kazu Haga blazingly reclaims the energy and assertiveness of nonviolent practice and shows that a principled approach to nonviolence is the way to transform not only unjust systems but broken relationships.  With over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching Kingian Nonviolence, Haga offers us a practical approachâŚ
I began advocating for the rights of California prisoners and their families while incarcerated. As co-director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC), in 2003, I cofounded All of Us or None (AOUON), a grassroots movement of formerly incarcerated people working on their own behalf to secure their civil and human rights. AOUON is now the policy and advocacy arm of LSPC, which I have led as executive director since 2011. Collective victories include ending indefinite solitary confinement in California, expanding access to housing and employment for formerly incarcerated people, and restoring the vote to those on parole and probation.
The restorative justice movement didnât start until after I got out of prison. We were mandated not to contact victims of our crimes. No one can think clearly when theyâre under the threat of force and fear, so it took me many years to find true remorse.
When I was ready to write to the victims of my crime, as I reflected on my life while writing my book, I relied on Danielleâs book and Danielleâs personal guidance. She helped me see where I was minimizing or in denial, and I crafted my letter of repair for three weeks.
Her book helped me hold two ideas as true at the same time: I was participating in an act of harm when I was part of the group that robbed a liquor store and caused the man behind the counter to die, and I had to own that I was aâŚ
The award-winning "radically original" (The Atlantic) restorative justice leader, whose work the Washington Post has called "totally sensible and totally revolutionary," grapples with the problem of violent crime in the movement for prison abolition
A National Book Foundation Literature for Justice honoree
A Kirkus "Best Book of 2019 to Fight Racism and Xenophobia"
Winner of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Journalism Award
Finalist for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice
In a book Democracy Now! calls a "complete overhaul of the way we've been taught to think about crime, punishment, and justice," DanielleâŚ
As a queer fantasy author, my work strongly focuses on detailed plots and lush world-building, but as a reader, I have to admit that the things that hook me on a story are vibrant charactersâparticularly when they come in couples. After all, itâs the characters that explore their lush worlds and who bring detailed plots to life. One of my absolute favorite reading experiences is following a dynamic couple as they play off each otherâs strengths and defend one anotherâs weaknesses to overcome all odds. Itâs just the best feeling, in my opinion. So if youâre looking for a great fantasy bookâor seriesâfeaturing gay couples, here are five of my favorites!
The first book in the Kingston Cycle series, Witchmark is set in a magic-powered
Edwardian era just after the end of a World War. I loved the balance of soaring
magic and gritty realism as well as the unexpected revelations surrounding each
of the characters.
Miles â a witch who is desperate to keep from being used as a
power source by mages â has faked his death and lives in hiding as a military doctor.
However, when Tristan Hunter brings a dying man to Milesâ hospital, Milesâ secrets
are threatened. But Tristan isnât interested in blackmailing or exposing him.
Instead he needs Miles to help him to track down a murderer and uncover an epidemic
threatening to destroy all the magic in their world.
Obviously, the setting and premise had me from the start but
the real fun of the book was following Miles and Tristan as they triedâŚ
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a world war, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own. Moving at a brilliant pace and pulsing with deadly intrigue and unforgettable characters, Witchmark grabs readers and doesn't let go until the thrilling conclusion.
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be a slave to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to warâŚ
I firmly believe that literature exists to do more than entertain us. It has an incredible power to expand our perspective about the world and the lives of the people around us. Fantasy, in particular, can stretch the mindâs boundaries by asking us to empathize with compelling characters and wrap our heads around strange and wondrous worlds. I try to achieve that in my books, presenting thrilling stories, fantastic worlds, and emotionally charged moments, but always through the eyes of real-feeling people. I hope the books on this list will feel as mind-expanding and empathy-building to you as they did to me!
This book is both a fascinating vision of a tumultuous world and a deep dive into the mind of a troubled and compelling protagonist.
The character work in this book is incredibly impressive, with the long arc of the protagonistâs development drawn in convincing and gripping detail that left me feeling like I had known this person for years through all their triumphs, tragedies, and mistakes, which is to say nothing of its creative and plausible magic, its socio-political commentary, and its meditation on family and grief. Rightfully recognized as a modern classic, it is a book all fans of fantasy should read.
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)
This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
When I talk with many non-romance readers, theyâre often surprised to hear that a feminist reads and writes romance. Itâs frustrating that so many people still buy into the conventional wisdom that all romance books are inherently anti-feminist, filled with alpha-hole heroes and wilting flower heroines. I challenged that conventional wisdom on my Romance Novels for Feminists review blog and continue to do so now that Iâve turned to writing romance. Iâm so passionate about telling everyone I know about romances that feature clear feminist themes. If you share the conventional wisdom about romance, I hope youâll give one of the books below a try. Theyâre not your grandmotherâs bodice rippers anymoreâŚ
I could pick any historical romance by Milan and feel happy giving it a spot on this list. Because Milanâs stories are deeply invested in exploring how social strictures and structures function to keep women in their ârightfulâ (i.e., subordinate) place.
In my favorite, Mark Turner has recently been knighted by Queen Victoria for his philosophical treatise, A Gentlemanâs Practical Guide to Chastity, an honor that makes him a rock star to myriad young Englishmen. When a rival offers a reward to anyone who can prove sheâs seduced the morally upright Mark, courtesan Jessica Farleigh takes up the challenge.
While Markâs fans and neighbors find the virgin philosopher and fallen woman an appalling mismatch, Mark does not shy away from his attraction, simultaneously offering a witty yet biting critique of the double standard on male and female sexual behavior.
Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of LondonÂand he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.
Is to ruin the man she lovesÂ
But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse:âŚ
When I talk with many non-romance readers, theyâre often surprised to hear that a feminist reads and writes romance. Itâs frustrating that so many people still buy into the conventional wisdom that all romance books are inherently anti-feminist, filled with alpha-hole heroes and wilting flower heroines. I challenged that conventional wisdom on my Romance Novels for Feminists review blog and continue to do so now that Iâve turned to writing romance. Iâm so passionate about telling everyone I know about romances that feature clear feminist themes. If you share the conventional wisdom about romance, I hope youâll give one of the books below a try. Theyâre not your grandmotherâs bodice rippers anymoreâŚ
I first read Coleâs novella in early 2017, when tensions between white women and women of color over planning the Womenâs March were all over the news. This book helped me to understand those tensions in a way that nonfiction accounts simply hadnât.
In early 20th century Harlem, Black whorehouse owner Bertha takes care to teach her employees how government works, so theyâll be ready to cast their ballots when New York finally grants women the vote. The âgoodâ women of the Colored Womenâs Voting League arenât pleased by the wishes of âbadâ Bertha and her girls to join their efforts, especially when Bertha calls out the racism of their purported white âallies.â Berthaâs budding romance with undocumented alien Amir, a Bengali Muslim, compellingly reinforces the larger political themes of the book.
*This novella originally appeared in Daughters of A Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance Anthology*Harlem, 1917After spending half her life pretending to be something sheâs not, performance is second nature for cabaret owner Bertha Hines. With the election drawing near and womenâs voting rights on the ballot, Bertha decides to use her persuasive skills to push the men of New York City in the right direction.Chef Amir Chowdhury jumped ship in New York to get a taste of the American Dream, only to discover heâs an unwanted ingredient. When ornery Amir reluctantly takes a job at The Cashmere, he thinksâŚ
When I talk with many non-romance readers, theyâre often surprised to hear that a feminist reads and writes romance. Itâs frustrating that so many people still buy into the conventional wisdom that all romance books are inherently anti-feminist, filled with alpha-hole heroes and wilting flower heroines. I challenged that conventional wisdom on my Romance Novels for Feminists review blog and continue to do so now that Iâve turned to writing romance. Iâm so passionate about telling everyone I know about romances that feature clear feminist themes. If you share the conventional wisdom about romance, I hope youâll give one of the books below a try. Theyâre not your grandmotherâs bodice rippers anymoreâŚ
The greatest pleasure of an enemies-to-lovers romance? Witty banter. Which you'll find in droves in Brockway's Victorian-set epistolary romance. A conservative Englishman leaves his estate to 19-year-old suffragette Lillian Bedeânot because he admires Lily, but because heâs sure sheâll fail to make the estate profitable in five years.
The letters between Lily and her benefactorâs peripatetic explorer nephew Avery Thorne, the man who will inherit the estate if she falls flat, charmed me as they gradually move from competitive satirical banter to mutual tolerance, and then to something more: friendship, affectionâand perhaps even love?Â
Breathtakingly romantic, startlingly original, Connie Brockway's novels have captured the hearts of readers and the raves of critics everywhere.  Now she brings you a unique and unforgettable love story that begins with a series of letters between a world-weary adventurer and the woman whose love brings him home.
Dear Mr.  Thorne,
        I give you fair warning.  I intend to do whatever I must to abide by your late uncle's will and win Mill House.  Though I know he never expected me to succeed, and for whatever reasons is using me to shame you, I accept his challenge.  For the nextâŚ
I wholeheartedly believe that embracing your geeky side is an important part of life and self-discovery. When romance novels incorporate nerdiness, it gives characters (and therefore readers) the ability to understand themselves and what they want on another level, and to gain the courage to pursue what they want. I know that my own forays into TTRPGs, LARPing, Ren Faires, and other such interests have helped shape me as a person. Iâm more confident and embodied because I embrace my inner geek, and I want that for my characters and my readers, too. Thatâs why I want to read and write as many of these stories as possible!
RPGs and romance novels are two of my greatest passions in life, and this book perfectly combines the two. Itâs not often that a book feels so realistic and relatable and yet swoony and exciting at the same time, but this book nails the combination.
And bonus points for featuring more mature characters and for integrating the families so expertly. Both main characters are walking green flags, which is so refreshing!
From Cathy Yardley, author of Love, Comment, Subscribe, comes an emotional rom-com about two middle-aged gamers who grow their online connection into an IRL love story.
Maggie is an unapologetically grumpy forty-eight-year-old hermit. But when her college-aged son makes her a dealâheâll be more social if she does the sameâshe canât refuse. She joins a new online gaming guild led by a friendly healer named Otter. So that nobody gets the wrong idea, she calls herself Bogwitch.
Otter is Aiden, a fifty-year-old optimist using the guild as an emotional outlet from his family drama caring for his aging mother whileâŚ
I wrote my first romance with >40 characters in my mid-forties. It wasnât like I never saw people of my age in the genre, but I have to say they were (and are) still rare, especially in traditionally published books. I love to see how people navigate what partnership looks like when people are established and their conflicts and experiences have changed. Elder care, relationships with adult children, fighting age-related stereotypes and discrimination: these are just a few of the nuances that set these types of books apart. But you still get that delicious well of emotion and the satisfaction of a happy ending.
A historical sapphic novella with women over 60? And theyâre going to get revenge on a very bad man in very inventive ways? Do you really need me to sell this book harder to you?
Okay, fine: itâs Courtney Milan, whose wit, creativity, and compassion for humanity in general and her characters specifically always awe me. Iâm pretty sure thereâs nothing Courtney couldnât do.Â
Mrs. Bertrice Martinâa widow, some seventy-three years youngâhas kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies: daily doses of spite, regular baths in man-tears, and refusing to give so much as a single damn about her Terrible Nephew.Then proper, correct Miss Violetta Beauchamps, a sprightly young thing of nine and sixty, crashes into her life. The Terrible Nephew is living in her rooming house, and Violetta wants him gone.Mrs. Martin isnât about to start giving damns, not even for someone as intriguing as Miss Violetta. But she hatches another planâto make her nephew sorry, to make MissâŚ
I wrote my first romance with >40 characters in my mid-forties. It wasnât like I never saw people of my age in the genre, but I have to say they were (and are) still rare, especially in traditionally published books. I love to see how people navigate what partnership looks like when people are established and their conflicts and experiences have changed. Elder care, relationships with adult children, fighting age-related stereotypes and discrimination: these are just a few of the nuances that set these types of books apart. But you still get that delicious well of emotion and the satisfaction of a happy ending.
Kennedy Ryan is unafraid of making her characters go through hell.
Before I Let Go is maybe one of the hardest, rarest tropes in romance: ex-spouses sharing custody and running a business and working through their own mistakes and the heartache they caused each other. Itâs akin to marriage in trouble, but in this case, the marriage isnât in trouble: itâs in broken pieces on the floor.
At the outset, it seems irretrievable, but slowly, oh so slowly, with care and attention to a thousand tiny details that make this ring heartbreakingly then heartwarmingly true, we see these characters come back to one another stronger, more loving, and ready to take on all the challenges life will throw at them. Together.
âReal, raw, magnificentâBefore I Let Go is the beautiful angst I love to read.â âColleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick! Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldnât solve or save everything.
It couldnât save their marriage.
Yasmen wasnât prepared for how her life fell apart, but sheâs is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet likeâŚ
