Lasting Impressions: 5 Memorable Books in 2025

Many writers are readers, and I am no exception. I read 56 books this year, which was eight more than my modest 48-book goal. Collectively, they totaled 20,082 pages read, with the shortest being "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine at 104 pages and the longest "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman at 710 pages. Head over to Goodreads, BookBub, or TheStoryGraph if you are interested in seeing them all. 

So, like I do every year, I decided to call out five titles (plus one indie book) that surprised me this year. This was no small feat, given long favorites like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Chapterhouse: Dune" were in the mix. (Interesting side note: "The Return of the King" was the highest rated of all the books I read this year on Goodreads while "Fourth Wing" was the most shelved.) I also added in a few classics like I do every year: "Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson, "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "This Side of Paradise" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and "Nostromo" by Joseph Conrad, among them. And I also made sure to include a few favorite authors, like Peter Heller, James Slater, and S.A. Cosby. 

My admiration for many of those titles will never change (I've read Lord of the Rings at least five times), but the measure I set forth today was which titles were memorable — those I've been reflecting on long after the book was finished. And these were the ones I've settled on for that reason.

American Spirits by Russel Banks. This collection of three shorts is a work of emotional and intellectual heft, solidifying Banks as one of my favorite authors. He has a profound influence on my own journey as an author, despite discovering him late.

What makes “American Spirits” exceptional is Banks’ refusal to lean on stereotypes or easy characterizations. His characters are not caricatures of rural America, nor are they reduced to simplistic archetypes of struggle or redemption. Instead, Banks dismantles preconceived notions, presenting individuals who are complex, flawed, and achingly human. In the three stories discussed here, Banks explores themes of loss, identity, and the collision of personal and societal forces, all while peeling back the layers of American mythology to reveal the messy truths beneath. There are no heroes.

At the same time, Banks’ ability to capture the human condition with honesty and compassion is unmatched, and his commitment to dismantling stereotypes ensures that his characters feel like people we might know, or even be. In every case, he sets us up to expect something but then delivers something different, perhaps challenging our own stereotypes in the process.

Being And Time by Martin Heidegger. Martin Heidegger’s Time and Being stands the test of time. While originally published in 1927, it is nothing less than a monumental work in existential phenomenology, reshaping how we understand existence, time, and the human condition.

At the heart of Time and Being lies Heidegger’s notion of living an authentic life, a concept that resonates deeply in a world often dulled by routine and conformity. Heidegger argues that most people live in a state of “everydayness,” a mode of existence where people live out their lives as part of the anonymous, collective norms of society. In this state, we drift, distracted by mundane tasks and social expectations, losing sight of our individuality and the deeper question of Being.

To live authentically, Heidegger urges us to break free from this inauthentic mode through a process of self-realization. This awakening is not a one-time event but a continuous effort to reclaim one’s existence as uniquely one’s own. Add to this idea that, according to Heidegger, we exist temporally (meaning our existence is shaped by our relationship to the past, present, and future) and this state is existential (and not merely chronological), and you'll begin to understand why it's hard to let some of his concepts go. I will never see the world the same way.

The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wright. The bleak opening chapters of police brutality will make anyone uncomfortable, especially those of us who have been unfairly accused or treated at one time or another. In this case, the illustration is extreme, so one feels it as if it is an alien planet where the novel takes place and not merely an alternative reality where it takes place.

Even so, there is no question Wright borrows from his own experiences of being falsely accused in painting a vivid portrait of race and injustice, as well as his grandmother's worldview as a Seventh-day Adventist. In Wright's reflective essay about his grandmother (which was included in the version of the book I read), Wright describes her as a woman “in this world but not of it." It was her religious fervor creating a psychological withdrawal from reality that fascinated and repelled him.

This novel is a masterclass in concise storytelling and offers profound insights into truth, justice, and humanity. It's the kind of book, in fact, that, despite how uncomfortable it can make you feel at times, deserves a second or third read.

Flesh by David Szalay. Despite surface readings that claim it is about masculinity, it's really a portrait of a man trapped in everydayness. István's simple, straightforward path veers upward toward success and then toward quiet tragedy.

Everyone else in the novel, and I mean everybody, writes his story. Without these outside narrators telling him what to do, István could barely be classified as human. He is so caught up in the everydayness of being, he trods along in a clipped, nonjudgmental prose that mirrors his emotional flatness. As a result, it's impossible to like him, given that he gives readers nothing to hope for or any reason to root for him. The best we can do is feel pity. Yet, the story is strangely compelling, even hypnotic, even if its deliberateness won't suit many readers.

In a late confession, he admits as much, saying that Helen, the Englishwoman he marries after a fleeting affair, was "the most important person" in his life. These words crystallize the void: he has no core identity, only borrowed fragments that expand his world briefly before collapsing into the insulation that bore him in the first few pages. It's the opposite of any character I might like, and somehow, I still find myself thinking about the absence it contained. It is a perfect expansion and contraction, attuned to the undercurrents of being ordinary.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman. This is a beautiful book that explores community — how small and big events ripple through our lives even when we don't know it. And, it is in this macro view that it differs from the original novel Beartown, which was much more grounded in its plot.

Told over roughly two weeks (although it will feel so much longer), Backman dashes headlong into several themes tied together by an overarching premise about the trajectory of many lives, how they nearly miss each other or collide, and the aftermath of those collisions and near misses. In the process, Backman convinces you to think about your own life and all those consequences, great and small, once a chain of cause and effect is set in motion.

At its heart, some will have you believe the entire Beartown series is about hockey and the love of a sport. It could also be that The Winners reminded me of my small-town experiences, growing up part-time in northern Wisconsin until I was ten: How everyone knows everyone or at least thinks they do. And how different one lake community could be from the next, despite looking the same to anyone on the outside.

Indie Pick Bonus: Club Contango by Eliane Boey. Eliane Boey's cyberpunk sci-fi story, Club Contango, is a fast-paced, character-driven tale that is sometimes too immersive for its own good. It's easy to get lost and drift along, taking in the imagery and stylistic prose. Yet, it's the writing and a few clever twists that set a high bar among indie books this year. 

I loved several indie books this year, but I kept thinking back to Boey's talent as a writer and unique perspective as a Singaporean novelist every time I finished one. She is someone to watch, especially if you enjoy compelling characters in a vivid, dense world. For true cyberpunk fans, Club Contango is a must-read for its craft and originality.

Born on Monday by Richard R. Becker. This isn't a pick as much as a nod to the book I undoubtedly spent the most time with this year — finishing it, editing it, and polishing it until it was a ready for the publisher. And its inclusion in this post gives me a place to answer a common question: Why do I consider it a "literary" thriller? In part, it's because the themes I tackle within tend to transcend the genre, like the cost of secrets, the cycle of abuse and redemption, small-town insularity, and reliance amid trauma. Exploring these topics was as important to me as delivering a thriller with an effective twist. And to do it, I believe I've effectively created three characters who travel very different paths to find answers — a reckless, grief-stricken man who has sentenced himself to the everydayness of life, a trauma victim silenced by shame despite her foundation of strength, and an investigative journalist's passion for the truth in the town where the truth is as malleable as the people within it. 

Those were my five most memorable this year, though there were many more favorites that I won't mention here. You can find a running list of favorites listed on The Eclectic Shelf by Copywrite, Ink. at Bookshop.org or scroll down for The Second Shelf, Knowledge Shelf (non-fiction), and Writers Shelf. Feel free to drop some of yours in the comments or wherever we run into each other online. Enjoy! 

Intersecting Stories: Where Born On Monday Meets 50 States

I don't always put it out there front and center, except when it comes up in interviews. Where do ideas for my novels come from? Inevitably, the inspiration comes from my short stories. 

I wrote 50 of them at a rate of one a week while writing 50 States. I've written many more since then, although most haven't been published aside from secret sneak peaks for newsletter subscribers. All of those ideas fall from the sky, very much as David Lynch describes creativity. 

So, when it comes to Born on Monday, the simple answer is that it started with “Time Capsule,” a short story first published in my collection 50 States. Time Capsule is the first chapter of Born on Monday, though there are a few tweaks when compared side by side. The second chapter, by the way, first appeared in Ten Threads, which was a short 10-story digital companion to 50 States.

Some people find this interesting, but there is even more to it than that. All of the stories in 50 States intersect with each other. Sometimes those connections are loose, like the mention of the South Dakota story in my debut novel Third Wheel. It appears as a newspaper headline for the few readers who noticed. Of course, the Born on Monday connection to the 50 States universe is stronger. 

Where Born on Monday intersects with 5o States

In "Born on Monday," Dustin Fields and his dad visit bar named Crabby's in New Hampshire. Crabby's is the same fictional bar in Nashua that appears in the 50 States short story "Bad Things," which takes place within a year of Born on Monday. It's significant because Crabby's launders money for the Boston Mob.

"Bad Things" also introduces a brooding alcoholic named Rauly, a vet who served as a military advisor in Uganda. Rauly appears in another short story, "North Forty," which takes place in Vermont, a little more than a year after "Bad Things." In “North Forty,” he meets a teen who is in the same witness protection program he was placed in after whatever happened between 2018 and 2019. 

The teen, Rachel, was introduced in the Vermont story of 50 States, "Siren's Call." In the story, she goes by Carol because her family is already in a protection program. By the time we meet her in "North Forty," she is trying on new names at the safe house. 

The three stories do more than illustrate the strong and subtle connections I'm making across the 50 States universe. Sometimes they serve as a foreshadowing of things to come.  There is every indication that some future novel will further connect these three New England states, perhaps bringing someone like Andrea Kearny, a fan-favorite character in Born on Monday, face-to-face with Rauly or Rachel or both. 

When can that be expected, and what's on the horizon after Born on Monday?

As I recently mentioned in another interview, my next novel takes us back to Utah, where I'm continuing the fallout that happens in the short story “Dead Ends” from 50 States. This unnamed WIP is best described as a speculative thriller, blending and bending science, metaphysics, and something akin to the supernatural. 

Think of "Dead Ends" as a sneak peek at the next novel. And much like Born on Monday, you can find a second chapter in Ten Threads. Without giving any spoilers, this novel will shore up the links between 50 States stories like Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, and New Mexico, to name a few. But trust me when I say, it will connect the dots to much more than that. 

After this WIP, there may be another novel (set in the South) before we see Kearny and some others again, but you never know. Born on Monday has a lot of momentum. Maybe readers will convince me to change the order. Helping it hit number one on Amazon during it's release week was a great start. Happy reading!

Writing Author Notes: Born On Monday

In Augusta, Maine, a historic nor’easter and something more sinister unearth secrets buried deep in the town’s past. With time running out, three lives collide in a desperate fight for survival, where truth becomes a casualty and redemption comes at a cost.

Billy Stevens, a quarry worker haunted by loss, is drawn into a web of betrayal when a brutal crime pins him as a suspect. Jessica Michaud returns to care for her ailing mother, only to find herself hunted by a vengeful ex whose chilling threats awaken old wounds. And journalist Andrea Kearney digs into a local dynasty’s corruption as the storm’s fury mirrors the rising tide of violence.

“Born On Monday” is a gripping tale of resilience, moral ambiguity, and small-town sins — a literary thriller that will keep readers breathless until its haunting conclusion. Award-winning author Richard R. Becker delivers a gritty thriller that digs into identity, perception, and the human condition.

***

Perhaps I will one day, but I have never included author notes or acknowledgements in my books. The closest I’ve come to doing so was including one in “Born On Monday.” Ultimately, I decided not to add any more pages and let the story stand on its own.

It wasn’t until I was midway through the first few book interviews ahead of my release that some people might appreciate some insights into how this book came together. And, along with that, a brief explanation of my brand of fiction that sometimes bends and blends history and reality to create as authentic an atmosphere as possible, even if the Augusta, Maine, in my book is merely an imperfect reflection of the real one.

The Bear Paw, for example, doesn’t exist in downtown Augusta just off the Kennebec River, even if it feels like such a bar should exist there. Neither does Windsor High School, attended by many principal characters. Their rival school, Cony High, does exist, but it’s only mentioned in passing. Conversely, there has never been a Pine Bluff Village trailer park, even if it is a commingling of trailer parks in the area. Yet, the storm, the 2017 October nor’easter, really was the worst windstorm in Maine’s history. 

Interestingly enough, the storm becomes yet another antagonist in the book, but it wasn’t the reason I chose Maine for “Born on Monday.” The storm, like so many things that happen for authors, was a happy accident. I was looking up weather to help ground the story’s sense of realism and stumbled into what can only be called a happy accident. It went on to inform so much of the book’s climactic ending. 

So why Augusta in the first place? The most straightforward answer is that it is the setting of the initial spark — a short story called Time Capsule, first published in my short story collection, “50 States,” in 2021. It was the thirty-seventh short story in the collection, and I needed a location in Maine. Augusta fit the nature of the story, which initially began as an exploration of how people who stay in a town after high school tend to feel the same as compared to those who change after they leave for parts unknown. 

In the story, Billy Stevens is the one who stayed. Jessica Michaud is the one who left. We never learn the reasons behind the why in the short story, but it’s well established that, much like his physical presence, Billy’s feelings for Jessica are as fresh as the day she left. Her feelings for him, however, aren’t much more than a distant memory and maybe an annoyance.

The details of why they broke up didn’t even occur to me until I wrote a follow-up short story called Fallen Idols, which was first published in a digital companion to “50 States.” It featured ten stories that carried a few of those in “50 States” forward, including Time Capsule. 

By that time, I already knew “Born on Monday” would be my second novel (but not its name), even while I was tied up with my debut novel, “Third Wheel.” I had even told a friend of mine, mentioning that I would find it interesting if someone followed Jessica back from New York City, giving Billy a shot at redemption, if not reconciliation. This friend surprised me by openly sharing her stalker experience and it eventually became interwoven into several months of my own research into stalker psychology. 

As it turns out, stalkers are exceptionally frightening not only because of the threat they pose, but also because of the general indifference of law enforcement despite their pervasiveness. Stalking happens to an estimated four percent of women and two percent of men every year, but only 30 to 50 percent of those cases are ever reported. Of those reported, fewer still ever result in outcomes favorable to the victims. Weak evidence, credibility issues, policy gaps, bias, resource strain, and legal barriers all contribute to the startlingly low rates of intervention, let alone protective action or arrests. As many survivors point out, few people take it seriously until it’s too late.

It was from this plot line correction that I began to build something that touched on several literary themes: identity and the impact of trauma, the cost of silence and complicity, isolation despite interconnectedness, and redemption through truth and action, to name a few. And it was in interweaving these themes over the top of small-town dynamics, that I was able to develop something so special.

Unlike my first novel, which was a labor of love in exploring my own experiences as much as the fictional tale I created, “Born On Monday” was a labor of love born out of the craft. This novel, more than any other work, surprised me so often, from journalist Andrea Kearney becoming a principal player to the twist at the end. (I didn’t see that one coming either.) 

But isn’t that what makes writing so incredibly breathtaking? We begin with a spark and fan the flames until they warm us, our spouses, our editors, and beta readers (of whom I am all forever grateful). 

I hope you have the chance to let “Born on Monday” warm you, too. It is available on October 21, wherever books are sold. Good night and good luck.

Walking Tall: Chance, Fate, or Intervention

It felt surreal yesterday, as I was supposed to be picking up a car rental. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a mid-sized SUV that could take my daughter and me cross-country, from Nevada to Illinois. 

The route would have been spectacular, a little more rural and remote than some of our previous trips. This would have taken us from Vegas to Flagstaff, Durango, Pueblo, Dodge City, Wichita, Columbia, and Galesburg before landing in Rock Island, where she goes to school. Five of the stops included book signings.

We both love traveling, and we would have loved this trip all the more because we knew it might be the last. Traveling cross-country like this was becoming cost-prohibitive, so we decided we might try flying her back and forth in the future. This would also free me up to plan smaller book tours in other parts of the country, like New England or the South.

All our plans changed a few weeks ago. I was exiting our primary bedroom bath and clipped my foot on the door frame. To prevent a fall, I immediately shifted all my weight to my right leg. Under normal circumstances, this would have saved me. But my circumstances were anything but normal.

My right leg had been bothering me since April. I initially suspected the Vastus Lateralis, until I injured my foot on the last cross-country book tour. Given the exercises I could and couldn’t do, it became clear the issue was more likely the IT band and Gluteus Medius. Turns out, it was and it wasn’t.

When all my weight landed on my right leg, there was no leg to catch me. It folded up and inward in an odd pretzel-like shape that was accompanied by the most pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was an 11 on the scale from 1-10. So I rolled to reduce the pain to more of a seven, and somewhere between that roll and the collapse, I broke my femur just below the ball in my hip. 

It would take six medics to carry me downstairs and out on a large tarp they frequently refer to as a mega mover. They did a fantastic job, considering I had to give up my position for something significantly less comfortable. At the time, all of us guessed I had dislocated my hip. 

One of the ironies about this accident was that it happened two hours after I had just received a battery of X-rays and an MRI in an effort to discover why I could no longer perform a simple leg scissors exercise on my right side (but had no problem squatting with an extra 100 pounds). Of course, breaking my femur made all speculation moot. With the next twenty-four hours, I was destined for surgery, until I almost wasn’t.

MRIs generally take about three days to receive results, but mine came in about an hour before surgery. It turned out I had some lesions on my femur, which explained the pain radiating from my IT band and Gluteus Medius. These muscles and connectors were stressed out from compensating for a more sinister issue, which is likely why my femur snapped when I asked too much of it.

After careful consideration, my surgeon decided to press forward with the surgery despite the lesions. It was the right call, given breaks like mine require surgery within forty-eight hours. From his perspective, the only thing that changed was that he intended to grab a couple of bone biopsies while fixing the more immediate problem.

Knowing all this now, compounded with one of my major clients putting their account on hold just two days ago, made me grateful for the break. The alternative could have been a disaster.

Without the break, I would have likely delayed getting bone biopsies until after driving my daughter to Illinois. And combined with the disappointing client news, the trip would have had a shadow looming over it. At least, that was the best case. The worst case was my leg snapping somewhere between Vegas and Rock Island.

Despite everything, there was a moment we considered continuing on with the trip as planned, but without me as a driver. My wife would join us. A few optimistic physical therapists even suggested I give it a few days before making a decision. Ultimately, car transfers and rides up to four hours seemed more painful than the trip was worth, let alone trying to navigate the flight back.

All of the bookshops on this tour were remarkably gracious when they received the news, and three of them went a little further. Since Barnes & Noble in Pueblo, Colorado, ordered books for the event, we decided to try a virtual signing event of sorts. I signed some bookplates and sent them along with bookmarks.

I’ll also go live on Facebook at 2 p.m. MT (1 p.m. PT) and on TikTok at 4 p.m. MT (3 p.m. PT) on the day of the originally scheduled event, Aug. 27. While I’m hoping to answer questions that any book buyers from the Pueblo area may have, anyone can join. These will be my first live appearances.

Wordsmith Bookshoppe in Galesburg, Illinois, came up with another solution. Instead of a virtual event, we’ll be hosting a preorder promotion for my upcoming novel, “Born on Monday.” They’ll be one of a few stores that will receive signed copies (personalized copies on request) direct from me, arriving shortly after the release date, October 21. “Born on Monday” is a literary thriller and will make for a great holiday gift!

Barnes & Noble Flagstaff opted to accommodate a new signing date that corresponds with another Flagstaff visit on the weekend of Nov. 7. I’ll sign books as part of First Friday with Bright Side Bookshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 7; and then from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Flagstaff on Sat., Nov. 8. I’ll be bringing copies of all three books: “50 States,” “Third Wheel,” and “Born on Monday.”

In the interim, my focus is mainly on recovery. I work out four times a day in an effort to reduce the swelling and regain my range of motion. It isn’t always easy, but I want to walk unassisted again, as soon as possible. My leg is designed for it. The surgeon placed a titanium nail down the entire length of the femur, and then screwed it in at the hip and above the knee. 

As the recovery continues, there will be more announcements to follow. If you want to keep up with them all, consider subscribing to my newsletter, Scraps by Rich Becker. Along with book news, I always include short story sneak peeks, sometimes in parts and sometimes as a standalone. Good day and good luck. 

Touring With Books: Late Summer Book Tour ’25

I’m less than one month away from my next cross-country book tour. This will be my fourth trip between Illinois and Nevada, with each tour introducing me to the majesty and diversity of America. 

Last year, I travelled north through Utah to I-80 and over the Rocky Mountains and across the rolling farmlands of Nebraska and Iowa. My return trip followed the historic Route 66 across the Ozark Plateau and through the American Southwest. Earlier this year, I traveled north from Illinois to Wisconsin, then cutting west on I-90 through the central lowlands and Black Hills before turning southwest through Wyoming and Utah. There were many amazing stops and sights along the way, some of which were chronicled on Instagram (@RichBecker) and TikTok (@RichardRBecker). 

In addition to historic and quirky landmarks, I visited more than twenty bookstores, leaving signed copies of 50 States and Third Wheel behind any time I could. I met some amazing readers and bookstore sellers along the way. Some have become lifelong friends.

One of my favorite moments on the last tour included someone who came to the Rapid City Books-A-Million signing just to purchase "50 States" based on a friend’s recommendation. It’s always an amazing feeling to meet someone who has been referred as well as people who bring in copies they’ve purchased and read months earlier. Authors dream about these moments. I’m so grateful to have had some. 

In a few weeks, I’ll be doing it all over again, carving out a route through Arizona, lower Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri before heading north to the Quad Cities. I haven’t mapped out the sights, but I am happy to share the bookstores. I really appreciate them taking me in for a few hours. Book signings and meet and greets with "50 States" and "Third Wheel" are the highlight of being an author. 

Late Summer Book Tour ’25

Aug. 25 - Barnes & Noble in Flagstaff, Arizona

Aug. 27 - Barnes & Noble in Pueblo, Colorado

Aug. 29 - Watermark Books in Wichita, Kansas

Aug. 30 - Barnes & Noble in Columbia, Missouri

Aug. 31 - Wordsmith Bookshoppe in Galesburg, Illinois

Tentative Post-Tour Date 

Oct. 18 - Las Vegas Book Festival 

In addition to the Las Vegas Book Festival, I’m considering a few other destinations later this year. I might have an opportunity to return to Flagstaff and Reno. We’ll see how that plays out. 

The biggest news, of course, will be the release of my next book. “Born on Monday” is tentatively scheduled for release on Oct. 21, but I’m hopeful to have advanced copies in time for the Las Vegas Book Festival. 

“Born on Monday” is a gripping tale of resilience, moral ambiguity, and small-town sins — a literary thriller that will keep readers breathless until its haunting conclusion. The novel is set in Augusta, Maine, building off the short story Time Capsule in "50 States."

Since I didn’t have a chance to visit Maine before its release, I’m hoping to plan a New England book tour in 2026. What would that look like? I don’t have details yet, but visiting Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and maybe Vermont. 

There are more announcements coming up, including some free audiobook drawings for anyone attending an upcoming book signing. If you are interested, make sure you sign up for my free newsletter, Scraps by Rich Becker. Along with announcements, I often include a free peek at an upcoming short story, and I should have some tour landmarks picked out before the next newsletter drops. And follow my adventures on Instagram, YouTube (@RichardBecker), or TikTok!

Reading Books: 8 Books To Read If You Loved Third Wheel

"Third Wheel" by Richard R. Becker is my gritty, heart-wrenching coming-of-age thriller of betrayal, redemption, and the search for hope in the morally gray desert suburbs of 1980s Las Vegas. It follows fifteen-year-old Brady Wilks as he seeks freedom from an abusive home and a fleeting chance at love, only to find a treacherous world of lies, drugs, and feeling like a third wheel in every aspect of his life — a true outsider. 

This novel has really made the rounds, selling more than 1,500 copies in its first year and still going strong with seven literary awards and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon, 4.6-star rating on Goodreads.  And while my next novel — to be released later this year — is unrelated, Third Wheel (much like 50 States) serves a great introduction to my work, which often explores perception and identity (among other themes). 

There has always been something that draws me to stories about teens who face adult problems like Brady does (and I did growing up in the inner-city of Milwaukee and later Las Vegas). So, I thought it might be worthwhile to share a list of eight books with similar themes, settings, or tones, based on their exploration of adolescence, social dynamics, crime, or transformative personal journeys.

8 Books To Read If You Loved Third Wheel 

1. "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton. Often cited as a direct comparison, "The Outsiders" is a classic coming-of-age novel about teenage outcasts navigating social hierarchies, loyalty, and conflict in 1960s Oklahoma. Like "Third Wheel," it explores the struggles of a young protagonist (Ponyboy Curtis) seeking belonging amidst a backdrop of violence and fractured relationships. Both novels feature tight-knit friend groups, betrayal, and a raw depiction of youth. Readers of "Third Wheel" who enjoyed its emotional depth and group dynamics will resonate with this.

Key Themes: Belonging, class conflict, loyalty, growing up too fast. Setting: 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma

2. "Rumble Fish" by S.E. Hinton. Another Hinton novel, "Rumble Fish" delves into the life of Rusty-James, a troubled teen idolizing his older brother and grappling with his place in a rough, urban world. Its gritty tone, focus on teenage rebellion, and exploration of fractured family dynamics echo "Third Wheel’s" portrayal of Brady’s struggles with his mother and criminal entanglements. The cinematic, almost noir-like atmosphere aligns with Becker’s vivid depiction of 1982 Las Vegas.

Key Themes: Identity, brotherhood, rebellion, loss of innocence. Setting: 1970s urban America. 

3. "All the Smoke" by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. While a memoir rather than fiction, "All the Smoke" captures the raw, unfiltered experiences of two NBA players growing up in challenging environments, facing peer pressure, and navigating risky social circles. Its focus on resilience and self-discovery mirrors Brady’s journey in "Third Wheel." The conversational style and emphasis on overcoming adversity make it a compelling non-fiction parallel for readers drawn to Becker’s realistic characters and themes of belonging.

Key Themes: Resilience, peer influence, and self-discovery. Setting: Various U.S. cities, 1980s–2000s.

4. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. This iconic novel follows Holden Caulfield, a disillusioned teen grappling with alienation and the search for authenticity in a world he perceives as hypocritical. Like Brady in "Third Wheel," Holden navigates a complex social landscape without reliable adult guidance, making both stories resonate with readers who connect with themes of isolation and self-definition. Becker’s nod to Salinger as an influence further ties these works together.

Key Themes: Alienation, identity, rebellion, loss of innocence. Setting: 1950s New York City.

5. "Blacktop Wasteland" by S.A. Cosby. Cosby’s modern crime thriller centers on Beauregard “Bug” Montage, a former getaway driver pulled back into crime, set against a gritty Southern backdrop. While the protagonist is older, the novel’s exploration of loyalty, moral dilemmas, and the pull of a criminal underworld parallels Brady’s entanglement with drugs and the Mob in "Third Wheel." Cosby’s vivid prose and focus on personal transformation align with Becker’s storytelling, and Becker cites Cosby as an inspiration.

Key Themes: Crime, loyalty, redemption, family dysfunction. Setting: Contemporary rural Virginia.

6. "Less Than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, this novel follows Clay, a college student returning home to a world of privilege, apathy, and drug-fueled excess. Its bleak, unflinching look at youth caught in destructive social circles mirrors "Third Wheel’s" depiction of Brady’s descent into Las Vegas’s criminal fringe. Both novels capture the era’s underbelly and the emotional toll of seeking connection in a morally compromised world.

Key Themes: Alienation, decadence, loss of innocence, peer pressure. Setting: 1980s Los Angeles.

7. "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. This young adult novel follows Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for his alleged involvement in a robbery gone wrong. Like "Third Wheel," it explores a young protagonist’s struggle with identity, peer influence, and the consequences of association with crime. The emotional weight of navigating a harsh adult world and seeking redemption makes it a strong parallel, especially for readers who appreciate "Third Wheel’s" socio-analytical depth.

Key Themes: Identity, justice, peer pressure, moral ambiguity. Setting: 1990s New York City.

8. "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor. This young adult novel centers on Paul Fisher, a visually impaired teen navigating family dysfunction and social challenges in a new Florida town. Like Brady, Paul seeks belonging amidst peer dynamics and uncovers darker truths about his surroundings. While less crime-focused, its coming-of-age themes and focus on resilience in a flawed world align with "Third Wheel’s" emotional core.

Key Themes: Identity, family secrets, resilience, social dynamics. Setting: 1990s Florida.

These books were chosen for their shared focus on coming-of-age struggles, complex social dynamics, and/or gritty settings. While "Third Wheel’s" blend of thriller elements and emotional depth makes it unique, the listed books capture similar vibes through teenage protagonists, crime, or transformative journeys. 

Like "Third Wheel,", these books can be found anywhere books are sold. "Third Wheel," along with my short story collection "50 States," will be featured on part one of my 2025 national book tour.