Here are 100 books that The Shabti fans have personally recommended if you like The Shabti. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Crocodile on the Sandbank

Anne Louise Bannon Author Of Death of the Zanjero

From my list on mysteries for evoking a sense of place.

Why am I passionate about this?

Not a lot of guys would appreciate having their wives dump a stiff into the middle of a perfectly lovely lecture. My husband, the archivist, was a little nonplussed. But that’s what happens when you’re married to a mystery writer. And since I write historical mysteries, and the lecture was about the history of Los Angeles, that’s how The Old Los Angeles series happened. I also have the Freddie and Kathy series, set in the 1920s, and the Operation Quickline series, set in the 1980s. And being married to an archivist is not only a blast, it’s a big help.

Anne's book list on mysteries for evoking a sense of place

Anne Louise Bannon Why Anne loves this book

The story may evoke the rip-roaring thrillers of yore in terms of probability, but dang, from the first lines, I was hooked. There is nothing like seeing 19th-century Egypt through the eyes of Amelia Peabody.

I could practically hear the calls of the crowded streets of Cairo, feel the warmth of the desert sand and the spookiness of a night in a canyon. It was not intentional, I promise, but Miss Peabody’s voice may have had the tiniest bit of influence on a certain Victorian lady that I write about–and this book is why.

By Elizabeth Peters ,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Crocodile on the Sandbank as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters' most brilliant and best-loved creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her shocking men's pants and no-nonsense attitude!

In this first adventure, our headstrong heroine decides to use her substantial inheritance to see the world. On her travels, she rescues a gentlewoman in distress - Evelyn Barton-Forbes - and the two become friends. The two companions continue to Egypt where they face mysteries, mummies and the redoubtable Radcliffe Emerson, an outspoken archaeologist, who doesn't need women to help him solve mysteries -- at least that's what he…


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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 Mummy

Del Blackwater Author Of Dead Egyptians

From my list on books about Egyptology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a novelist and travel writer specializing in Egyptology. My research has taken me to Egypt many times, and I write both fiction and nonfiction related to my studies. Like all Egyptologists, I understood from a young age that ‘They that drink of the Nile always return.’ When not hopping across continents, I can be found in Wisconsin, enjoying something I call porch time. 

Del's book list on books about Egyptology

Del Blackwater Why Del loves this book

Written in the style of Victorian mummy stories, this is a perfect standalone tale for lovers of Anne Rice or gothic fiction in general. Is the mummy a brilliant philosopher who can teach the modern world wisdom lost to history? Or is the mummy a threat to modern society whose vengeance becomes more severe as time passes? 

Anne Rice tackles the subject of Ancient Egyptian mysticism with style, depth, and, of course, her signature sex appeal. 

By Anne Rice ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Ramses the Great returns in this “darkly magical” (USA Today) novel from bestselling author Anne Rice

“The reader is held captive and, ultimately, seduced.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Ramses the Great lives!

But having drunk the elixer of live, he is now Ramses the Damned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell hungers that can never be satisfied—for food, for wine, for women.

Reawakened in opulent Edwardian London, he becomes Dr. Ramsey, expert in Egyptology. He also becomes the close companion of voluptuous, adventurous Julie Stratford, heiress to a vast shipping fortune and the center…


Book cover of The Ring of Thoth

Del Blackwater Author Of Dead Egyptians

From my list on books about Egyptology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a novelist and travel writer specializing in Egyptology. My research has taken me to Egypt many times, and I write both fiction and nonfiction related to my studies. Like all Egyptologists, I understood from a young age that ‘They that drink of the Nile always return.’ When not hopping across continents, I can be found in Wisconsin, enjoying something I call porch time. 

Del's book list on books about Egyptology

Del Blackwater Why Del loves this book

This book is one of two mummy stories penned by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He brings his usual mix of scholarship, horror, and romance to this fabulous story of an unauthorized mummy unwrapping in the Louvre Museum after hours. 

A true classic of early horror and the inspiration for countless mummy films in the century to follow.

By Arthur Conan Doyle ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of detective Sherlock Holmes, is the father of crime fiction. Originally published in The Cornhill Magazine in 1890, 'The Ring of Thoth' sees an Egyptologist visit the Louvre and witness a strange event. Many of the earliest occult stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.


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Book cover of The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More: A Great Wharf Novel

The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More by Meredith Marple,

The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying.

Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so…

Book cover of Winged Pharaoh

Del Blackwater Author Of Dead Egyptians

From my list on books about Egyptology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a novelist and travel writer specializing in Egyptology. My research has taken me to Egypt many times, and I write both fiction and nonfiction related to my studies. Like all Egyptologists, I understood from a young age that ‘They that drink of the Nile always return.’ When not hopping across continents, I can be found in Wisconsin, enjoying something I call porch time. 

Del's book list on books about Egyptology

Del Blackwater Why Del loves this book

The debt owed to Joan Grant for her contribution to fiction and Egyptian mysticism is incalculable. On the surface, it is a novel about a young woman training to take her place in Ancient Egyptian society (dynasty one) and learning what it takes to be an acolyte, priestess, and initiate. 

Later in life, Joan Grant implied a shocking amount of the narrative came from her past life memories. Believe what you will. Winged Pharaoh paints a vivid picture of both an era and sect of society little talked about in Egyptology circles. The academics can’t touch these subjects. Luckily for the human race, Joan Grant did.

By Joan Grant ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

As a child, the astonishing Joan Grant became aware of her uncanny "Far Memory," the ability to recall past incarnations who had lived in long-ago times and far-flung places. Her seven historical novels stand out for their vividness and rich detail. For Joan, these books were not works of the imagination but personal recollections of her previous lives. In Winged Pharaoh, Joan Grant tells the story of Sekeeta, the Pharaoh's daughter. The ancient Egyptians reserved the title of "Winged Pharaoh" for ruler-priests who possessed extra-sensory powers. When Sekeeta demonstrates psychic abilities, she is sent to the temple and trained to…


Book cover of My Dear Henry

S.H. Cotugno Author Of The Glass Scientists

From my list on a spicy queer romp through history.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a queer, nonbinary author and lover of historical fiction, I’ve spent countless hours thinking about how to tell stories I care about in a genre that has traditionally excluded people like me. We all know that life was hard for LGBTQ+ folks growing up in, well, basically any time in recent history. There’s a time and place for realistic depictions of those hardships, but we also need space to imagine ourselves in more joyful, fantastical depictions of the past. After all, if straight people can enjoy Jane Austen without thinking too hard about the legal rights of women during that era, why can’t queer people do the same? 

S.H.'s book list on a spicy queer romp through history

S.H. Cotugno Why S.H. loves this book

By some bizarre coincidence, I’m not the only writer publishing a queer YA retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde coming out this year! Luckily, this retelling is a much different take from mine, envisioning the story from the perspective of two young Black boys growing up in Victorian London. 

Too many films, television, and books still seem to think that people of color didn’t exist in Britain before, say, the 1960s. (which is ridiculous, as London was a major port city for centuries, not to mention the seat of the British Empire.) 

This book helps set the record straight, cleverly deploying the original novella’s themes of respectability and duality to explore the unique pressures faced by gay Black men during that era. 

By Kalynn Bayron ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Dear Henry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde subverts the cishet white perspective of the original, starring a Black queer teen searching for the reason behind his best friend’s disappearance and the arrival of a magnetic stranger.

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life― and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll―was derailed by a scandal that led to his…


Book cover of The Gay Best Friend

KC Carmichael Author Of Boystown Heartbreakers

From my list on lighthearted gay romance books about men in their thirties.

Why am I passionate about this?

On paper, it would be easy to think I’m the wrong person to recommend these books and write my own, which would fit easily onto this list. But as a lover of love and someone who has always enjoyed the company of men, particularly gay men, this is an area I have passion for - seeing hopeful and authentic love stories written for the masses. 

KC's book list on lighthearted gay romance books about men in their thirties

KC Carmichael Why KC loves this book

This is another book with a very relatable main character. I’ve been in Dom’s shoes, trying to navigate complicated friendships while also dealing with my own life struggles and insecurities.

Being able to connect with the main character so deeply made the payoff at the end incredibly satisfying. And his love interest, Bucky, was truly swoon-worthy. 

By Nicolas DiDomizio ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

He's always been the token gay best friend. Now, stuck between a warring bride and groom hurtling toward their one perfect day, he's finally ready to focus on something new: himself.

Domenic Marino has become an expert at code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. But this summer-reeling from his own failed engagement and tasked with attending their bachelor and bachelorette parties-he's anxious over having to play both sides.

The pressure is on. The bride wants Dom to keep things clean. The groom wants Dom to "let loose" with the guys. And Dom just…


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Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater Ibáñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of…

Book cover of Best Men

KC Carmichael Author Of Boystown Heartbreakers

From my list on lighthearted gay romance books about men in their thirties.

Why am I passionate about this?

On paper, it would be easy to think I’m the wrong person to recommend these books and write my own, which would fit easily onto this list. But as a lover of love and someone who has always enjoyed the company of men, particularly gay men, this is an area I have passion for - seeing hopeful and authentic love stories written for the masses. 

KC's book list on lighthearted gay romance books about men in their thirties

KC Carmichael Why KC loves this book

I loved this book from page one because I instantly wanted to be the main character, Max Moody’s, friend. He’s incredibly relatable and has impeccable taste in music.

His love interest, Chasten, was charming and sweet, and the combination of their personalities made them easy to root for. Plus, I laughed out loud and smiled all the way through their love story. 

By Sidney Karger ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Bursting with laughs and so much love, Sidney Karger's debut novel delivers a truly refreshing spin on the romantic comedy…A big-hearted, feel-good summer escape."—Anderson Cooper, #1 New York Times bestselling author and journalist

When two best men in a wedding party fall for each other, they realize love isn’t a piece of cake in this hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy debut by screenwriter Sidney Karger.

Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige. She and Max grew…


Book cover of A Single Man

Arnold Miles Author Of Special Delivery

From my list on exploring sexuality and intimacy in and between men.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for the themes and moods of this list because they explore so many parts of my emotions. They rile me, they work me up into a hot frenzy, they turn me on, they fascinate me, they bruise me, they heal me. I see myself in these books, and I feel that I understand other people. I’ve enjoyed (and still enjoy) reading these books published for free on blogs online, but now I want to write more and read more than I’ve done before. This list is a starting point, and I hope you enjoy them!

Arnold's book list on exploring sexuality and intimacy in and between men

Arnold Miles Why Arnold loves this book

“Someone has to ask you a question before you can answer it. But it’s so seldom you find anyone who’ll ask the right questions. Most people aren’t that much interested.…”

I love this book because it shines a spotlight on loneliness and isolation in a way that most books really struggle to do. It provides you with a sense of what it is to be an outsider. I love this because it balances the melancholy with warmth and hope so so well.

By Christopher Isherwood ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Isherwood's short, poignant novel is a tender and wistful love story

Celebrated as a masterpiece from its first publication, A Single Man is the story of George, an English professor in suburban California left heartbroken after the death of his lover, Jim. With devastating clarity and humour, Isherwood shows George's determination to carry on, evoking the unexpected pleasures of life as well as the soul's ability to triumph over loneliness and alienation.

'A virtuoso piece of work...courageous...powerful' Sunday Times

'This mix of humour and stoicism in the face of pent-up grief is essential Isherwood' Guardian


Book cover of These Violent Delights

L.A. Fields Author Of Homo Superiors

From my list on queer love and murder.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of over a dozen LGBT novels. I wrote my college thesis on queer criminal coding in Victorian London novels vs. 20th-century American literature. I was a teenage fan of Leopold and Loeb fiction before I added to the canon myself. I chose these books for a queer murder compendium because each offers something unique to the genre. Challenge yourself by asking: do you have sympathy for these murderers? Is it dangerous when queer characters are criminals? Is it fair representation, since homosexuality is illegal to act on, identify with, or speak of in many places? Read these stories, and let their implications disturb you.

L.A.'s book list on queer love and murder

L.A. Fields Why L.A. loves this book

We’ll start with another novel (there are many) inspired in part by the Leopold and Loeb crime. This one swaps Chicago for Pittsburgh, and changes their mismatch in IQs for a stark class divide.

One of the variations I most enjoy in this retelling is that university students Paul Fleischer and Julian Fromme are both damaged when they meet. Julian is scarred physically from a car crash in his youth, and Paul is still recovering emotionally from the death of his father.

Additionally, since the book is set in the 1970s, their sexual involvement with one another is more explicit than the original story could allow (though it still comes with social stigma).

A captivating work of dark academia and crime, the obsession between these two compels them to court their own ruin.

By Micah Nemerever ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A Literary Hub Best Book of Year * A Crime Reads Best Debut of the Year * A Newsweek 25 Best Fall Books * A Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Big Books for the Fall * An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape * An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut * A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection * A Passport Best Book of the Month

The Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel-a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled…


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Book cover of My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos,

Lily loves her community garden. Rupert wants to bulldoze it. When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

"It literally had everything! - Bookworm Characters - Humor - Banter - Swoon-worthy lines."  - Book Reviewer.

Book cover of Hither, Page

E.H. Lupton Author Of Dionysus in Wisconsin

From my list on queer historical romances with way too much plot.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a long-time writer who recently published my first two books in a genre I’ll call urban fantasy/queer historical romance. I also co-host a history podcast. It’s made me much more interested in how time and place figure into fiction! I also love a good love story, but after devouring a ton of romance novels, I realized I want a good plot to go along with the googly eyes and tender declarations of eternal devotion.

E.H.'s book list on queer historical romances with way too much plot

E.H. Lupton Why E.H. loves this book

The tagline for this book is “Agatha Christie but make it gay.” But Cat Sebastian does something better than that; although like Christie, everyone is concealing a secret, in Hither, Page almost everyone’s secret is being kept for a good reason—to prevent hurting someone they care about. In this book, Leo, a jaded, world-weary spy, is sent to investigate a murder in a small village. It's just after the end of WWII, and everyone is exhausted and wishes life would just get back to normal already, none more so than James, a local doctor with a touch of PTSD who needs nothing less than to get involved with espionage and smuggling. And then he meets Leo. (Spoiler: things go better than you'd think for the two of them.)

Reading this book is like someone you care about bringing you a bowl of tomato soup on a rainy day.

By Cat Sebastian ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Hither, Page as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A jaded spy and a shell-shocked country doctor team up to solve a murder in postwar England.

James Sommers returned from the war with his nerves in tatters. All he wants is to retreat to the quiet village of his childhood and enjoy the boring, predictable life of a country doctor. The last thing in the world he needs is a handsome stranger who seems to be mixed up with the first violent death the village has seen in years. It certainly doesn't help that this stranger is the first person James has wanted to touch since before the war.…


Book cover of Crocodile on the Sandbank
Book cover of The Mummy
Book cover of The Ring of Thoth

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