Here are 2 books that Middletide fans have personally recommended if you like Middletide. 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 Covenant of Water

Damaris Mukulu

From Damaris' 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Damaris loves this book

Every once in a while, you come across a book so immersive, so beautifully written, that it refuses to leave your mind long after you've turned the last page. The Covenant of Water is that book for me.

At over 700 pages, it's a commitment - but one I'd make again in a heartbeat. Set in Kerala and spanning three generations, this novel is an absolute masterclass in storytelling. Abraham Verghese weaves together history, medicine, love, loss, and resilience with such depth and beauty that I often found myself pausing just to absorb a particularly stunning passage.

The story follows a family cursed with a mysterious affliction; at least one person in each generation drowns, no matter how careful they are around water. But at its core, this book is about so much more than that. It's about human connection, about fate and the quiet strength of those who bear…

By Abraham Verghese ,

Why should I read it?

55 authors picked The Covenant of Water as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret

“One of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive . . . It was unputdownable!”—Oprah Winfrey, OprahDaily.com

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of…


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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 The Frozen River

alicia1

From Alicia's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Alicia loves this book

I love stories based on real events/real people.

By Ariel Lawhon ,

Why should I read it?

43 authors picked The Frozen River as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

"Fans of Outlander’s Claire Fraser will enjoy Lawhon’s Martha, who is brave and outspoken when it comes to protecting the innocent. . . impressive."—The Washington Post

"Once again, Lawhon works storytelling magic with a real-life heroine." —People Magazine

Maine, 1789: When…


Book cover of The Covenant of Water
Book cover of The Frozen River

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