Here are 11 books that Alone with You in the Ether fans have personally recommended if you like Alone with You in the Ether. 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 The Secret History

yes

From Yes' 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Yes loves this book

I think the characters in The Secret History are very interesting, and how they interact with each other and the world around them paints a truly vivid picture for the reader. Maybe I'm biased, as a classics student myself haha.

By Donna Tartt ,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked The Secret History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGE

'Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!'

Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries.…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Interesting Facts About Space

Keith

From Keith's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Keith loves this book

This book featured a unique protagonist, with underrepresented characteristics rarely depicted in a main character, who sharp wit and original scenarios. Found it to be both funny and poignant - very entertaining and insightful.

By Austin Emily ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Interesting Facts About Space as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Enid is obsessed with space. She can tell you all about black holes and their ability to spaghettify you without batting an eye in fear. Her one major phobia? Bald men. But she tries to keep that one under wraps. When she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts on a loop, she’s serially dating a rotation of women from dating apps. At the same time, she’s trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unwittingly plunges into her first serious romantic entanglement, Enid starts to believe that…


Book cover of The Atlas Six

Laurie Devore Author Of The Villain Edit

From my list on watch a slow-motion train wreck.

Why am I passionate about this?

I think I sometimes get in trouble for saying this, but the truth is, I don’t give a shit about the likability of characters, whether I’m reading or writing. I’m here for a good time, not a long time. Because of that, fiction is the most riveting for me when interesting characters start making bad decisions. Any good narrative train wreck must create tension that keeps ratcheting up in its pages, and these are some of the books that do that most expertly, in my opinion. So, grab something to hold onto while you go on some of my favorite wild rides.

Laurie's book list on watch a slow-motion train wreck

Laurie Devore Why Laurie loves this book

This book is chaos-defined, and I felt absolutely giddy when I first read it. Olivie Blake knows what readers want, and her books are not afraid to speak to their id. How could I not love a school of twentysomething lust-filled, murderous magicians?

It is also happy to scratch the romance itch; it’s the rare book where it feels like any two characters could have a romantic relationship, and many do. Even better, it’s full of delicious twists and betrayals and never lets its characters off the hook.

By Olivie Blake ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

An Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee

The much-acclaimed viral sensation from Olivie Blake, The Atlas Six—now newly revised and edited with additional content.

• The tag #theatlassix has millions of views on TikTok
• A dark academic debut fantasy with an established cult following that reads like The Secret History meets The Umbrella Academy
• The first in an explosive trilogy
• Indigo's Top 10 Most Anticipated Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books of 2022
• Tor.com's Most Anticipated SFF of 2022

Each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to earn…


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Book cover of The Guardian of the Palace

The Guardian of the Palace by Steven J. Morris,

The Guardian of the Palace is the first novel in a modern fantasy series set in a New York City where magic is real—but hidden, suppressed, and dangerous when exposed.

When an ancient magic begins to leak into the world, a small group of unlikely allies is forced to act…

Book cover of A Discovery of Witches

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Author Of Writing the Sacred Journey

From Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Why Elizabeth loves this book

Talk about the perfect escape! Vampire novels aren't usually my thing, but when the witchy main character is a medieval manuscript scholar who falls in love with a vampire hundreds of years old in a cross-species Romeo and Juliet scenario, written by an author who's both a historian and fantastic writer of sex scenes, and the plot hinges on a lost book, what's there not to like?

By Deborah Harkness ,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked A Discovery of Witches as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.


Book cover of The Rook

Charlaine Harris Schulz Author Of The Serpent in Heaven

From my list on fantasy worlds I might survive.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer who's struggled through building a lot of worlds and making them credible, I always admire a writer who can make me believe their world from the first paragraph. That conviction should go beyond belief. The reader should have great anticipation watching this world unfold, in learning how it works. All the writers I've mentioned achieved this goal, and exceeded it. My hat is off to them.

Charlaine's book list on fantasy worlds I might survive

Charlaine Harris Schulz Why Charlaine loves this book

I loved The Rook for its amazing originality, the bizarre forms of magic shown by the various employees of the Checquy, and the true grit of the Rook, a young woman whose magic simply explodes when she's threatened. Though she's lost her memory, she's left herself notes in anticipation of that very thing! You have to admire her.

By Daniel O'Malley ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The body you are wearing used to be mine.' So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly…


Book cover of The Passage

A.M. Geever Author Of Darkest Light

From my list on “what if society crashed tonight?” books you’ll never forget.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m A.M. Geever, and I write post-apocalyptic and disaster fiction. I’ve always been curious about what we are as humans—good or bad, or a mix of both? I'm fascinated by how ordinary people rise—or break—when the world falls apart. Disasters and apocalypses strip life down to its essentials: survival, love, loyalty, and the choices that define us. While I'm woefully unprepared for a zombie apocalypse or other disasters, I’ve spent years imagining "What would I do if...?" That curiosity fuels my writing and my reading. The books on this list captured that same feeling for me—gritty, hopeful, and deeply human stories that keep you wondering: if society crashed tonight, who would you become?

A.M.'s book list on “what if society crashed tonight?” books you’ll never forget

A.M. Geever Why A.M. loves this book

Vampires kept me up at night when I was a kid.

When they got twinkly and dreamy in popular fiction, I was unimpressed. Then I read The Passage. These are your grandfather’s vampires, boys and girls, and they want to kill you. I loved the blend of horror, science fiction, and the dystopian near-future United States where the story begins.

From the scientist who wants to cure death to the quest a hundred years after the Virals appeared, this book is filled with a raw humanity and the struggle to survive that captivated me. It’s a long book, but when I finished, I dove right into the next one. I had to know what happened, and I needed another dose of vampires that scared the sh!t out of me.

By Justin Cronin ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world. She is. Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row. He's wrong. FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming. It is. THE PASSAGE. Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for - and wishes to God he hadn't. In Memphis, Tennessee, a six-year-old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her…


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Book cover of Oaky With a Hint of Murder

Oaky With a Hint of Murder by Dawn Brotherton,

Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New York’s wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, it’s time to dig into the details and see…

Book cover of The Tale of the Body Thief

Katy Foraker Author Of Memories, Lies, and Other Binds

From my list on a fresh new take on urban fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I watched my first episode of Buffy: the Vampire Slayer at 12 years old, and I’ve never been the same. It introduced me to the world of urban fantasy, with monsters and magic that exist in our world, and I’ve been devouring everything and anything in the genre since then. I work as a CPA for my day job, so I think I love all things supernatural because it offers a true escape from the ordinary world. I hope you enjoy the books on this list, along with my own book’s take on urban fantasy. If you ever want to chat, you can find me on Instagram at @katyforaker. 

Katy's book list on a fresh new take on urban fantasy

Katy Foraker Why Katy loves this book

My teen years were spent in the early 2000s, so Anne Rice was the OG to me for urban fantasy. Tale of the Body Thief is my favorite story of hers. Like my novel and current city, it also takes place in DC (Georgetown!) and I love retracing Lestat’s footsteps through the novel as he visited notable places like Martin’s Tavern. The plot focuses on Lestat body-switching with a human who ends up stealing the vampire’s body. If you’ve seen Interview With the Vampire, you don’t really need to have read the other books in the series to read this one. For me, I love that it’s a fun literary ride with familiar characters and setting. 

By Anne Rice ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Tale of the Body Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Rice is our modern messenger of the occult, whose nicely updated dark-side passion plays twist and turn in true Gothic form.”—San Francisco Chronicle

In a gripping feat of storytelling, Anne Rice continues the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles that began with the now-classic Interview with the Vampire. For centuries, Lestat—vampire-hero, enchanter, seducer of mortals—has been a courted prince in the dark and flourishing universe of the living dead. Now he is alone. And in his overwhelming need to destroy his doubts and his loneliness, Lestat embarks on the most dangerous enterprise he has undertaken in all the years of his haunted existence.…


Book cover of Big Swiss

Kerry Donoghue Author Of Mouth

From my list on messy women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Gen X, through and through. And because I grew up in that (glorious?) time before social media, I didn’t have the worry that my messy-woman missteps would be exposed online. But the trade-off to keeping my mistakes as private as possible was that I often felt like I couldn’t live boldly. So now I’m fascinated by the ways other women handle the messier aspects of their lives: the obsessions and frustrations, the secrets we all keep, the duality we choke down. I want to know what we’re each quietly starving for, what’s driving us when we strip away social expectation and are left to sit with our gnawing hungers. 

Kerry's book list on messy women

Kerry Donoghue Why Kerry loves this book

Humor has always pulled me through the hard parts of life, and laughter is the test that tells me if I’ll be compatible with someone when we first meet. So to read a ridiculous character who’s coming in hot right on page one, charging through the story with absolutely no filter, epic foibles fully (and uncomfortably) detailed, and unable to stop making terrible decisions had me cackling out loud.

I was initially drawn to this book for the perfect cover, but I quickly fell in love with the writing and a story that captures that frustrating push and pull of wanting what we can’t have. It’s a delightful mess of bees, goats, awkward sex, strange conversations, and women doing whatever they want. 

By Jen Beagin ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Big Swiss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

** SOON TO BE A MAJOR HBO SERIES STARRING JODIE COMER **

'Made me laugh and think too much (the right amount?) about sex and death and honesty.' MONICA HEISEY
'Utterly addictive. . . I laughed so hard it ached.' GILLIAN ANDERSON
'Juicy, salacious and compelling. Trauma shouldn't be this fun.' SARA PASCOE

Greta liked knowing people's secrets. That wasn't a problem. Until she met Big Swiss.

Big Swiss. That's Greta's nickname for her - she is tall, and she is from Switzerland. Greta can see her now: dressed top to toe in white, that adorable gap between her two…


Book cover of Good Material

Paige Harbison Author Of The Other Side of Now

From Paige's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Comedian Nostalgic Artist Hallmark heroine with a true crime addiction

Paige's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Paige Harbison Why Paige loves this book

I'm a huge anglophile, and I love Dolly's writing, so I knew I'd love this book. But if you'd told me I was going to read a story about a failing, male standup comic who just got dumped and can't let it go--I wouldn't think it was my thing. But I loved this character. I understood him, I wanted him to win, I loved walking the streets with him, I loved hanging out in his world, even though it wasn't his happiest time. Endearingly melodramatic like a funny friend who just got dumped.

By Dolly Alderton ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Funny - of course it's funny - but also smart, insightful and sincere about heartbreak' David Nicholls, author of One Day

'A novel to be devoured, adored, underlined ... if only more books made you laugh as much as this' The i

'The author of Everything I Know About Love nails the zeitgeist with a witty, relatable and acutely insightful page-turner about the trials and tribulations of the lovelorn' Daily Express

---

Every relationship has one beginning.
This one has two endings.

Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy.
And he can't work out why she stopped.

Now he is. .…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Come and Get It

Laurie Devore Author Of The Villain Edit

From my list on watch a slow-motion train wreck.

Why am I passionate about this?

I think I sometimes get in trouble for saying this, but the truth is, I don’t give a shit about the likability of characters, whether I’m reading or writing. I’m here for a good time, not a long time. Because of that, fiction is the most riveting for me when interesting characters start making bad decisions. Any good narrative train wreck must create tension that keeps ratcheting up in its pages, and these are some of the books that do that most expertly, in my opinion. So, grab something to hold onto while you go on some of my favorite wild rides.

Laurie's book list on watch a slow-motion train wreck

Laurie Devore Why Laurie loves this book

I truly believe Kiley Reid is a national treasure. Her second book centers around a small southern college town, and as someone who attended one of those myself, I can tell you that it perfectly captures that spirit. Even though the book is more character study than plot-forward, the southern sorority girls, the writing professor, and the overworked RA all come together to make an absolute mess in the end.

Effortlessly weaving multiple narrators and storylines together, this book is everything I want satire to be. Each character is rich and fully realized, often dabbling in doing “bad” things but never making you quite dislike them. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun watching everything go tits up.

By Kiley Reid ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
National Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick

An Indie Next Pick
A LibraryReads Pick

From the celebrated New York Times bestselling author of Such a Fun Age comes a fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students.

It's 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the…


Book cover of The Secret History
Book cover of Interesting Facts About Space
Book cover of The Atlas Six

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