Here are 18 books that I'm Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom fans have personally recommended if you like I'm Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom. 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 Starling House

Riley DuBois

From Riley's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Riley loves this book

I loved everything about this book, the characters, the plot, the House, the atmosphere, but especially the writing. I highlighted so many lines from this book that were funny or beautiful or evocative or all of the above.

By Alix E. Harrow ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Starling House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

'Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent' - Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

Step into Starling House - if you dare . . . Alix E. Harrow reimagines Beauty and the Beast in this gorgeously modern Gothic fantasy, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Naomi Novik.

Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it's best to let this ill-omened mansion - and its last lonely heir - go to hell. Stories of the house's bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the…


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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 that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of We Could Be So Good

Riley DuBois

From Riley's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Riley loves this book

I loved this. Such a gentle and sweet romance.

By Cat Sebastian ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked We Could Be So Good as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book of 2023A New York Times Books Review Best Romances of 2023 pick • Apple Books’ Best Books of the Month • Amazon Best Books of the Month Editor’s Pick, Romance • An NPR “Books We Love” • Library Journal Romance Pick of the Month • LibraryReads Hall of Fame: June 2023 • Publishers Weekly Best Romances of 2023Casey McQuiston meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in this mid-century grumpy/sunshine rom-dram about a scrappy reporter and a newspaper mogul’s son "‘for Newsies shippers,’ [that] absolutely delivers” (Dahlia Adler, Buzzfeed Books).“A spectacularly talented writer!” —Julia…


Book cover of The Secret of Secrets

Douglas Phillips Author Of First Ascent

From Douglas' 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Scientist Imagineer Lifelong student Optimist Earthling with ambitions

Douglas' 3 favorite reads in 2025

Douglas Phillips Why Douglas loves this book

Dan Brown does it again! His books always take several years to write, probably because they're so complex. Robert Langdon's latest adventure is set in Prague, a beautiful and ancient city that was spared from the worst of WWII. Prague neighborhoods are intricately represented in dark, cold scenes, usually with someone chasing poor Robert and his female friend (this time a scientist name Katherine Solomon). The clues are there, but it takes a super sleuth to put them all together, and that's what makes every Dan Brown book fun (even if the science is over the top).

By Dan Brown ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The world's most celebrated thriller writer returns with his most stunning novel yet—a propulsive, twisty, thought-provoking masterpiece that will entertain readers as only Dan Brown can do.

Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript.…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Voided Man

Douglas Phillips Author Of First Ascent

From Douglas' 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Scientist Imagineer Lifelong student Optimist Earthling with ambitions

Douglas' 3 favorite reads in 2025

Douglas Phillips Why Douglas loves this book

I love to discover an original storyline that I've never read or even imagined before. This one is quite curious and involves a unique way to imprison someone: strand them in deep space so far away that it would take a lifetime to get back to civilization. If that sounds intriguing, you may enjoy this unique sci-fi novel.

By Anthony Dean ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

There are great deserts in space. Matter is not spread evenly. On average it balances out in all directions, but some regions are not average. For every dense cluster of galaxies in one place, there is a tremendous void somewhere else. There are no galaxies within the voids, no stars, no planets, and no moons. Scientists have theorized that anyone at the center of such an empty space would see only darkness in every direction. Even the brightest objects, they say, would be too far distant to be visible to the naked eye.I got a chance to test that theory…


Book cover of John Dies at the End

Ashton Macaulay Author Of Whiteout: A Nick Ventner Adventure

From my list on heroes you love to hate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write about flawed characters as a reflex. I’m more interested in exploring the journey of an alcoholic monster hunter with literal and figurative demons than a white knight. Throughout my life, I’ve seen the effects of substance abuse up close, and while difficult, it helped me find the humanity in flaws. I choose to write about those flaws with a humorous bend, because life is far too long to go through without jokes. As a result, I gravitate towards pithy antiheroes and dark comedy. To feel a character’s pain is human, to laugh in the midst of their darkest moments is divine.

Ashton's book list on heroes you love to hate

Ashton Macaulay Why Ashton loves this book

My second love in literature is unreliable narrators, and from word one, it’s clear the protagonist in John Dies at the End is the worst offender.

There are few likable characters to be found in this book, and none of them are the protagonist. I fell in love with the main character’s sarcastic and often salacious take on monsters, zombies, and everything in between. Every scene feels like a joke to the narrator despite the death and carnage that seems to follow in his wake.

More than any of that, this book felt completely unique. I’ve never read anything quite like it. The words crack like a whip, there’s no slowing down, and even as I re-read lines, I felt like I was starting to lose my mind along with the protagonist. That’s a powerful tale.

By Jason Pargin ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked John Dies at the End as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. On the street they call it Soy Sauce, and users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly, a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can't. "John Dies at the End" has been described as a 'Horrortacular', an epic of 'spectacular' horror that combines…


Book cover of The Blade Itself

mike13

From Mike's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Mike loves this book

The character development is phenomenal.

By Joe Abercrombie ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked The Blade Itself as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.

Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain, shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men.

And Logen Ninefingers, an infamous warrior…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of The Gunslinger

Matt Hardman Author Of To Kill a Nightingale

From Matt's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Matt's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Matt Hardman Why Matt loves this book

Read this as part of an ongoing process where I am working through my late brother's favorite books. This was one I picked up last month and I was not disappointed. There is a bit of a personal attachment to this book, but the book does quite well without that aspect. The genre blend is kind of jarring at times (mostly in the beginning), but once you accept that this is a universe where damned near anything goes, there are no problems.

By Stephen King ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The Dark Tower is now a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba.

'The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.' The iconic opening line of Stephen King's groundbreaking series, The Dark Tower, introduces one of his most enigmatic and powerful heroes: Roland of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger.

Roland is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey toward the mysterious Dark Tower, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own.

On his quest, Roland begins a friendship with a kid from New York named Jake, encounters an alluring woman and faces…


Book cover of Going Postal

D. H. Willison Author Of Heart of the Sky

From D. H.'s 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

D. H.'s 3 favorite reads in 2024

D. H. Willison Why D. H. loves this book

This was a fun, enjoyable read, with some subtle social critique, outlandish characters getting into even more outlandish situations. It was the perfect blend of fun escapism and some intellectually satisfying social critique. A humorous story with the right amount of depth.

By Terry Pratchett ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A beautiful new hardback edition of the classic Discworld novel.

Moist von Lipwig is a con artist and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet.

It was a tough decision.

But he's got to see that the mail gets though, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Workers Friendly and Benevolent Society, the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer.

Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too.


Book cover of The Doom Stone

T.L Oberheu Author Of The Shadow Dies Loudly: 27 Tales

From my list on for aspiring horror authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I read my first chapter book in Kindergarten, and have been fascinated by literature ever since. From writing a Halloween story in 3rd grade that made my classmates cry and the teacher call my mom, to graduating from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, literature has always been a big factor in my life. As a new writer myself and paired with my long list of books stored on my shelves and in my mind, I simply would like to give my two cents on the stories that caused my inspiration to blossom. 

T.L's book list on for aspiring horror authors

T.L Oberheu Why T.L loves this book

While short book aimed at younger readers, there’s so much to learn for anyone regardless of age that wishes to exercise their terror-inducing writing muscles. I read this book so long ago that I would guess it was back in 2005. While the time frame is hazy, the details and lessons in the book are anything but. The way Zindel handles the horror parts is what gets this book on this list. The antagonist monster is horrendous of course, but it’s the mystery behind it that is what’s more chilling because it is vaguely hinted at but never outright explained.

Even on the final page, when you learn that this creature isn’t anything new nor anything going away, there are still so many mysteries that will not (and maybe should not) be solved. That is why this book is recommended. When things are over-explained, they tend to lose their magic.…

By Paul Zindel ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Doom Stone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A deadly predator is stalking Salisbury Plain, leaving a blood-curdling legacy of terror, murder and destruction in its wake. Dr Sarah Cawley, an eminent anthropologist, together with her spunky 15-year-old nephew and a local girl, set out to track down and eliminate the terrifying beast.


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Deeper

T.L Oberheu Author Of The Shadow Dies Loudly: 27 Tales

From my list on for aspiring horror authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I read my first chapter book in Kindergarten, and have been fascinated by literature ever since. From writing a Halloween story in 3rd grade that made my classmates cry and the teacher call my mom, to graduating from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, literature has always been a big factor in my life. As a new writer myself and paired with my long list of books stored on my shelves and in my mind, I simply would like to give my two cents on the stories that caused my inspiration to blossom. 

T.L's book list on for aspiring horror authors

T.L Oberheu Why T.L loves this book

A fun read, and while this book wasn’t the cause of a flooding of readers in bookstores when it was released, that does not diminish the quality of it. This story takes the Mythos from H.P Lovecraft and adds protagonists that put up a fight against the infamous Deep Ones that every horror aficionado should already know about from Lovecraft’s century-old short story “Dagon”. I recommended this book for the simple reason of writing a protagonist that doesn’t cower in fear doesn’t disqualify the terror if done correctly. As a matter of fact: I would argue it enhances the horror aspects, since showing violence toward a violent enemy early on, rather than a dramatic showdown, can get the hero in much hotter water than they initially planned on.

By James A. Moore , Alan M. Clark and Lisa Snellings (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

There are rumors that Golden Cove is haunted. That's why Joe Bierden and his crew are hired to take a group of scientists to the area for a month of research. For Joe, it's easy money. He plans to do a little fishing, some relaxing and simply enjoy the easiest gig of his life. At least that's the plan. Sometimes easy money isn't as easy as you expect. There are things moving in the water, and ghostly apparitions which seem undeniably real. Joe's problems get worse when he and his crew save a drowning girl who disappears only minutes later,…


Book cover of Starling House
Book cover of We Could Be So Good
Book cover of The Secret of Secrets

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