Here are 7 books that The Trade Off fans have personally recommended if you like The Trade Off. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of The Wedding People

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Author Of Finding Normal

From Jennifer's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jennifer's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Why Jennifer loves this book

I loved the crisp, witty dialogue and laugh-at-loud moments. Espach elevates the “outsider at the wedding” set up and continues to surprise the reader as we get drawn deeper into these characters lives.

By Alison Espach ,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked The Wedding People as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming…


If you love The Trade Off...

Ad

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 Goddess of Warsaw

Amy Calhoun

From Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Amy loves this book

I've read a ton about World War II but this is the first one I had read about the ghetto living. I loved seeing the character in the future and in the past and all the twist and turns the plot took.

By Lisa Barr ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“Utterly gripping. . . a transformative and immersive story so powerful and captivating that I could not put it down. . . . Truly one of the best books I’ve read.”—Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Lisa Barr's new historical fiction, The Goddess of Warsaw, gifts the reader with jaw-dropping moments worthy of a Tarantino film, a story that could not be more timely, and a heroine whose ferocity and valor knows no bounds.”—Natalie Jenner, author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society

The Goddess of Warsaw is an enthralling tale of…


Book cover of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death

Lisa Currie Author Of Guidebook to the Unknown: A Journal for Anxious Minds

From my list on journeying into the unknown.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian author and artist who is quite cautious and introverted by nature, but very curious and playful at heart. I make books that help people untangle what’s on their mind today and shift their thinking in creative ways, often using visual metaphors. My latest book, Guidebook to the Unknown, was created during the long lockdowns we had in Melbourne (and all over the world of course) during the pandemic. It was my way of exploring how to calm an anxious mind and find meaning in my daily life, right here and now, without knowing what tomorrow will bring.

Lisa's book list on journeying into the unknown

Lisa Currie Why Lisa loves this book

This fascinating and charming book was written by a French magazine editor after he suffered a massive stroke and was locked inside his own body, unable to speak or move. Incredibly, he wrote this book in his mind throughout the day and then each letter was slowly transcribed by blinking his eyes. I kept thinking about this book long after I read it. It’s a nightmare scenario, but he leads us all the way through it. We’re with him as he survives and even finds meaning when almost everything else is lost.

By Jean-Dominique Bauby , Jeremy Leggatt (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Whilst suffering from a condition whereby he was unable to speak and his only movement was the blinking of an eyelid, Jean-Dominique Bauby devised a code for each letter of the alphabet and dictated this book about his experiences and feelings. He died just after it was published.


If you love Samantha Greene Woodruff...

Ad

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 Inside the O'Briens

Brendan Gerad O'Brien Author Of Gallows Field

From Brendan's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Family man Avid reader Passionate walker Swimmer

Brendan's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Brendan Gerad O'Brien Why Brendan loves this book

Despite the unfortunate subject, this book was a joy to read.

Lisa Genova brilliantly captures the creeping confusion and unease when the family of a decorated Boston City cop notices his increasingly odd behavior, the unusual angry outbursts, the complaints that he was drunk on duty, and the sudden loss of balance.

It worries them enough to insist he gets a medical check-up. Their reaction when he’s diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease is beautifully described with compassion and dignity and an amazing insight into the four sibling’s individual emotions. Wallowing in the knowledge that each of them has a 50% chance of being stricken with Huntington’s disease, the siblings have different views about being tested for it.

Some don’t want to know, wishing to live their lives hoping it won’t catch up on them. The others prefer to know so they can brace themselves, living the life as best they can…

By Lisa Genova ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Inside the O'Briens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times bestseller ▪ A Library Journal Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪ A St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪A GoodReads Top Ten Fiction Book of 2015 ▪ A People Magazine Great Read

From New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova comes a “heartbreaking…very human novel” (Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves) that does for Huntington’s disease what her debut novel Still Alice did for Alzheimer’s.

Joe O’Brien is a forty-three-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their…


Book cover of With or Without You

Heather Frimmer Author Of Better to Trust

From my list on brain dysfunction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a radiologist specializing in emergency room and breast imaging and a lifelong book nerd. Though I chose radiology as my medical specialty, I have always been fascinated by the complicated workings of the human mind. I majored in psychology in college and strongly considered careers in both psychiatry and neurology. Books exploring the fragility and fallibility of the human brain never fail to catch my attention. These stories explore the essence of what it means to be human and highlight the resilience of the human spirit.  

Heather's book list on brain dysfunction

Heather Frimmer Why Heather loves this book

I am fascinated by the idea of how an assault to the brain can change a person not only physically, but also on deeper emotional and spiritual levels.

Stella emerges from a drug and alcohol-induced coma to find her personality, identity and relationships have completely changed. Before her coma, Stella was an exceptional nurse, but afterwards, she no longer finds fulfillment in her chosen career. Will Stella ever get back to the person she used to be? 

By Caroline Leavitt ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked With or Without You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Leavitt has crafted an irresistible portrait of midlife ennui and the magic of breaking free."
-People

"With or Without You is a moving novel about twists of fate, the shifting terrain of love, and coming into your own. With tenderness and incisive insight, Leavitt spotlights a woman's unexpected journey towards her art." -Madeline Miller, author of Circe

A Best Book of the Month: Bustle * PopSugar

New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt writes novels that expertly explore the struggles and conflicts that people face in their search for happiness. For the characters in With or Without You, it seems…


Book cover of The Lobotomist's Wife

Heather Frimmer Author Of Better to Trust

From my list on brain dysfunction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a radiologist specializing in emergency room and breast imaging and a lifelong book nerd. Though I chose radiology as my medical specialty, I have always been fascinated by the complicated workings of the human mind. I majored in psychology in college and strongly considered careers in both psychiatry and neurology. Books exploring the fragility and fallibility of the human brain never fail to catch my attention. These stories explore the essence of what it means to be human and highlight the resilience of the human spirit.  

Heather's book list on brain dysfunction

Heather Frimmer Why Heather loves this book

There is nothing more satisfying than a well-researched story about the history of medicine. 

This shocking story takes place in the mid-twentieth century and centers on Ruth, a hospital administrator whose husband invented the ice pick lobotomy for the treatment of psychiatric illness. As the surgery gains popularity, Ruth soon learns of debilitating complications from the procedure. Could the touted miracle cure be doing more harm than good?

By Samantha Greene Woodruff ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lobotomist's Wife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An enthralling historical novel of a compassionate and relentless woman, a cutting-edge breakthrough in psychiatry, and a nightmare in the making.

Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter-a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can't ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And…


If you love The Trade Off...

Ad

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 Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home

Heather Frimmer Author Of Better to Trust

From my list on brain dysfunction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a radiologist specializing in emergency room and breast imaging and a lifelong book nerd. Though I chose radiology as my medical specialty, I have always been fascinated by the complicated workings of the human mind. I majored in psychology in college and strongly considered careers in both psychiatry and neurology. Books exploring the fragility and fallibility of the human brain never fail to catch my attention. These stories explore the essence of what it means to be human and highlight the resilience of the human spirit.  

Heather's book list on brain dysfunction

Heather Frimmer Why Heather loves this book

This touching memoir reminds me of my father who was hospitalized in midlife with a new diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Unable to tolerate food, he watched The Food Network from his sick bed, ultimately becoming an accomplished, amateur chef.

Jessica Fechtor was twenty-eight years old graduate student when an aneurysm suddenly burst in her brain. Left with multiple disabilities which made her life challenging to navigate, Fechtor turned to cooking to nourish her wounded soul. Will exploring the world of food help heal her broken brain?

By Jessica Fechtor ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A national bestseller and winner of a Living Now Book Award, Stir is an exquisite memoir about how food connects us to ourselves, our lives, and each other.
 
At 28, Jessica Fechtor was happily immersed in graduate school and her young marriage, and thinking about starting a family. Then one day, she went for a run and an aneurysm burst in her brain. She nearly died. She lost her sense of smell, the sight in her left eye, and was forced to the sidelines of the life she loved.

Jessica’s journey to recovery began in the kitchen as soon as…


Book cover of The Wedding People
Book cover of The Goddess of Warsaw
Book cover of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,210

readers submitted
so far, will you?