In Episode 175, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I explore our favorite Micro Genres for 2024. Over the past year, we’ve continued to refine our reading tastes and identify specific themes and types of books that resonate deeply with us. This year, Susie and I have a curated list of 10 all-new Micro Genres, along with standout books from each category. It’s another big episode with tons of great book recommendations!

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Cold War Espionage (Sarah) [3:19 ]

Sarah

• Red Widow by Alma Katsu | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [4:49 ]
• Red London by Alma Katsu | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [4:50 ]
• Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [5:10 ] 
• The Charm School by Nelson DeMille | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [5:20 ]  
• Red Notice by Bill Browder | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [5:47 ]
• The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:01 ]

Susie

• The Sisterhood by Liz Mundy | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:26 ] 

Angsty Motherhood (Susie) [7:21 ]

Sarah

• Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:00 ]

Susie

• Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:38 ]
• Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:04 ]
• Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [10:37 ]
• When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [10:53 ] 
• Little Prisons by Ilona Bannister (currently unavailable in the US)  [10:54 ] 
• Landslide by Susan Conley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:57 ]
• The Push by Ashley Audrain | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [11:00 ] 

Memoirs About the Demise of a Marriage (Sarah) [12:18 ]

Sarah

• How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:26 ]
• You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:52 ] 
• A Beautiful, Terrible Thing by Jen Waite | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [14:11 ] 
• Bankruptcy by Janet Lombardi | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [14:14 ] 

Susie

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:49 ]

Pandemic Stories (Susie) [15:26 ]

NOT Based on the COVID-19 Pandemic & More Dystopian [15:49 ] 

Sarah

• Wanderers by Chunk Wendig | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [17:43 ] 

Susie

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [16:06 ]
• The Dog Stars by Peter Heller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:20 ]
• The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:41 ] 
• Severance by Ling Ma | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [17:07 ]
• The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [18:20 ] 

With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Background [18:28 ] 

Sarah

• 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [20:37 ] 
• Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [20:40 ] 

Susie

• Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [18:37 ] 
• Day by Michael Cunningham | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [19:17 ] 
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [19:47 ] 
• Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly | Amazon | <a href= "https://b