Books like Edwin Mullhouse — picked by fans

As a feminist and cultural historian, I'm interested in recovering aspects of the past that we have forgotten, especially when the past turns out to challenge our taken-for-granted views. We often have a nostalgic vision of the fifties that portrays our mothers and grandmothers as innocent and naïve. In contrast, we attribute notions of freedom and authenticity to masculine figures like the Beats. When doing research on the film Gidget, and the novel that inspired it, I found myself re-reading these books, all of which suggest in different ways that, long before the sexual revolution, girls were curious, sexually aware, and desiring freedom. These books make me remember how hip those girls could be.   

As Iago says in Shakespeare’s Othello, “I am nothing if not critical,” and regardless of what he meant, it applies to me - my intelligence works best at scrutinizing things for their significance. I studied science, worked in the financial sector, read fiction, watched cinema, and developed a sense of the interconnectedness of things. If the connections existed, I thought, there could be no one way of approaching anything; all intellectual paths were valid and the only criterion of value was that it must be intelligent. My book tries to stick to this since a writer may hold any opinions, but he or she must show intelligence.

For over a decade, I’ve helped women shift from feeling uncertain or ashamed about money to building real wealth. As a first-generation immigrant who didn’t inherit wealth or insider knowledge, I had to confront my own excuses, fears, and limiting beliefs. The books on this list challenged me to think bigger, act bolder, and stay disciplined. I know firsthand that wealth-building isn’t just about numbers; it’s about belief and consistent action. As a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) and founder of Clever Girl Finance (recognized by the National Financial Educators Council), I’ve built my work around helping women turn that mindset into measurable financial results.

I am a lifelong fan of cozy mysteries, starting with Nancy Drew. Although I have written primarily about women of the 19th-century American West, I always longed to write mysteries. The Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries is my fourth series but the first outrageous one. The books combine my love of all things culinary (I’ve even written cookbooks) and my love of Chicago, my hometown. What makes them outrageous? Irene’s diva-like deceptions and Henny’s snarky commentary.

As a longtime reader and writer of artsy erotic fiction, I love it when erotic stories mix sexiness with humor. But not too much – that would probably kill the mood. Besides, isn’t sex already a cringeworthy topic as it is? Stories in my book are thoughtful and evocative, but each one is followed by a philosophical dialogue between a man and a woman about what they have just read. (I call these dialogues “Erotic Interludes.”) To my surprise and delight, almost all these interludes have turned out to be funny (and entertaining to write). Here is my list of sexy stories which always make me laugh.

The world is a strange place and life can feel very weird at times, and I have long had the suspicion that a truly imaginative and inventive comedy has more to say about reality, albeit in an exaggerated and oblique way, than much serious gloomy work. Comedy has a wider range than people often think. It doesn’t have to be sweet, light, and uplifting all the time. It can be dark, unsettling and suspenseful, or profoundly philosophical. It can be political, mystical, paradoxical. There are humorous fantasy novels and short story collections that have been sadly neglected or unjustly forgotten, and I try to recommend those books to readers whenever I can.

I primarily write Western romance novels under the name Margaret Brownley. As much as I enjoy reading cozy mysteries, never did I think I could write one. I’m not a cat owner, and I’m not much of a cook, so I kind of figured that left me out of the cozy mystery business. But after a friend was sequestered for several weeks during a trial, it got me thinking. I go away for a week and come back two weeks behind. What happens to a juror who’s sequestered for weeks or months? Before I knew it, I was banging away at the computer. 

Growing up, I loved discovering how things work. That led me to a career in engineering, but I never left a certain quirkiness behind. Why else would I have raised llamas for thirty years? Or loved the stories I find in science fiction? Especially books that start in a real place occupied by believable people, then demand a leap of faith, a reach beyond what's known today. We have so much to learn – about planets and people – that possibilities spiral out into the universe. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I have.

I’ve loved character-focused stories long before I loved horror, which is saying something, because I’ve loved horror for a long time. It’s my belief horror is at its best when a storyteller focuses on the characters, as it adds a new dimension to the scare and forces the audience to worry about the characters. Anyone can do a jump scare; they’re not hard, but a well-crafted character that amplifies the horror is more difficult, and that’s why it’s so special when it works. It’s why authors like Stephen King and William Peter Blatty are timeless – their stories are character-first.

Growing up in Chicago, I’ve always had a fascination for history, (even if it was sometimes a bit gory!), from Capone and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre to reading about monsters and the unique worlds created by favorite author Stephen King. So, it’s probably not too surprising that I combined both interests and offered a new solution to the infamous Lizzie Borden axe murders of 1892 in my own book series. I enjoy reading, and writing, the serious to the not-so-serious, often incorporating touches of humor, or at least the absurd, where and whenever I can.