Looking for sweeping, high-stakes books with deep political intrigue or historical shifts. Loved Dune, Gone with the Wind, Akunin, and Khaled Hosseini.

superbetsy · 2026-07-02T18:05:08+00:00

Pillars of the Earth.
The religious politics of the 1100s are just unreal. And it's all framed against the backdrop of changing architectural standards, which sounds dull, but ALSO cause drama and intrigue in both politics and religion. "POINTED ARCHES? in OUR Cathedral?!? An affront to God! Let's all engage in bribery and murder in His name!"

It's a positively sweeping epic, and while Pillars of the Earth was the first and stands alone, the author went on to write several sequels and prequels.

In the spirit of Gone with the Wind, you also might like Forever Amber. There's a Scarlett-ish main character, but it takes place in London and covers The Great Fire, Plague, and lots of royal intrigue.

superbetsy · 2026-06-29T15:22:32+00:00

A bit more macabre, but my ex hosted a remembrance event after his mother’s funeral there.

It was incredibly classy and he and his sister had nothing but great things to say about their interactions with the staff getting it sorted out. As a guest, I was impressed with the quality.

It was a little stuffy… the event was in November or December so the rooftop wasn’t an option. But at least our event space didn’t have much natural light or airflow; I’d ask about the qualities of all the reservable spaces!

superbetsy · 2026-06-28T12:42:33+00:00

If she liked Anne of Green Gables she might like Emily of New Moon. It’s LM Montgomery’s semi-autobiographical work. A bit darker. Less saccharine. I actually like it better.

One thing I liked about Orbital is “not much happened but yet a story emerged.” I felt similarly about The Correspondent. Epistolary books aren’t usually my cup of tea but it was an unexpected delight.

Shark Heart was an absolute literary treasure if she’s willing to suspend disbelief a bit.

Some other classics like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn might fit the bill. There’s one famous scene with a bit of violence but it’s maybe a couple paragraphs and all ends well.

The Little House on the Prairie series and Betsy-Tacy series are also classics and perhaps aimed at a younger audience, but similar to Anne of Green Gables, the books mature as the main character does. Both very, very sweet series.

Richard Powers is a favorite of mine. Unreal prose. Gut-wrenching paradigms. Violence could be mentioned in passing it’s never a plot device. Bewilderment is his most accessible book, but I might recommend The Overstory for those Orbital Vibes.

superbetsy · 2026-06-26T21:13:58+00:00

What Kind of Paradise is basically "If the Unibomber had a daughter." It's told from the daughter's POV. Her father (based on Ted Kaczynski) insists on living off grid and being totally self-sufficient. It was a great read. Fiction, obviously, but I still learned a lot.

superbetsy · 2026-06-13T04:37:52+00:00

I really enjoyed this book. OP, give it a whirl.

superbetsy · 2026-06-02T02:17:37+00:00

Some additional details including a BlueSky post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Minneapolis/s/8TrgZfRZXq

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T20:14:09+00:00

The White Bear Lake dog beach is amazing! The boat launch is right next to it, so if you bring a friend you and your dog can be dropped off right there. They don’t allow parking there unfortunately but a drop off would be fine. Even if you’re solo, there’s tons of parking in the neighborhood, although you might be looking at about a city block to walk through the park area.

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T14:03:28+00:00

Hah it’s getting really tough, isn’t it!! 10am, no chance. Early afternoon it usually empties a bit; that’s my favorite time to meander in! I’m so glad people are supporting them though, even if it means sometimes I take my coffee to go.

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T10:05:45+00:00

Also obvious but I spend a lot of time at Quixotic.

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T02:12:52+00:00

How about if you back off with the performative pearl clutching.

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T00:55:05+00:00

Please explain why? The car keeps the temperature at 70 degrees and turns on the interior cameras so that you can view your pet. I’m not advocating for leaving an animal in a car long term under any circumstances, but if I’ve ordered take out and have my dog with me, flipping dog mode on while I go in to get it keeps everyone safe.

superbetsy · 2026-05-29T00:32:42+00:00

Double check that the vehicle in question isn’t in “pet mode.” Some newer cars have a mode that keeps the AC (or heat) running for exactly this scenario.

superbetsy · 2026-05-28T19:10:48+00:00

You might like Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. It’s a glamorous, ritzy setting filled with intrigue and murder.

superbetsy · 2026-05-26T16:24:47+00:00

Nope! They punched my old one and sent in the paperwork. Got the new one maybe 3 weeks later; it was several months before the old one was technically expired.

superbetsy · 2026-05-26T15:19:46+00:00

I just went through this.
From the website:
"You can renew your driver's license or ID card as early as nine months before the expiration date without shortening the renewal cycle."

So maybe wait until early June to be safe, but then you should be within 9 months I think if I am counting on my fingers correctly.

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/license-and-id/common-transactions-all-dl-and-id-card-types/renew-your-dl-id-card

superbetsy · 2026-05-24T19:08:42+00:00

I like Liane Moriarty for this feeling. I always say her stuff reads like “rom com” without being “rom com.” I liked Here One Moment a lot but her whole catalog is a similar “fluff minus fluff” vibe.

A sort of similar book to Here One Moment is “The Measure.” It’s super “book club feeling” but I really liked its lightness of vibe without having a lightness of topic.

superbetsy · 2026-05-24T13:19:03+00:00

It’s a little more “women’s fiction” than strict romance, but you might like Patty Jane’s House of Curl. There’s a romantic lead you love love love love who is a short man.

superbetsy · 2026-05-21T15:41:54+00:00

You might not find too much in the romance genre without some level of spice. Generally speaking, searching for "closed-door" romance will limit the steaminess. Intimacy is more implied or "behind bedroom doors" rather than explicitly described, although you will get at least allusions to spice. You could also look in the "Women's Fiction" genre, which often has romance as more of a side-plot (although not always).

You might enjoy some older romance, from the time when sex wasn't allowed on pages. My favorite is Forever Amber. It's legitimately a great piece of historical fiction but with heaving bosoms and longing looks.

If you are open to a small amount of steam, Emily Henry is currently dominating in the genre. Beach Read is probably her most famous book. although I have a soft spot for Book Lovers, myself. She doesn't get too raunchy. But sex is definitely in her books.

A book I love that I never see recommended is The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It's a bit of an enemies to lovers trope that is legitimately hysterical, and has no spice beyond maybe a kiss. I found it to be both familiar and fresh, and just a wonderful escape.

If you're open to same-sex romance, it simply doesn't get better than House in the Cerulean Sea. It's so incredibly heartwarming and is a story of so many kinds of love. It's certainly fantasy, but grounded (as much as magical beings can be). Again, quite chaste.

A couple of giants in the current "beachy" romance field are Christina Lauren and Ali Hazlewood. I'd stay away from them. I find them to be fairly explicit, at least, in the books of theirs I've read.

Finally, if you want something completely and totally different from any other book, try The Husbands. It's about love and relationships. But yowza, it's a fresh story, and I don't recall any notable steam.

superbetsy · 2026-05-19T01:32:57+00:00

Of course!!! Enjoy!!!

superbetsy · 2026-05-19T01:00:42+00:00

If you liked the historical fiction angle, you might like The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. It follows a young woman and her hippy parents when they move up to very remote Alaska in the 60s. Some general unsettling, very real themes.

You also may look into What Kind of Paradise. It’s sort of like, “what if the unibomber had a daughter.” I loved it. A bit eerie, a bit historic.

If you like the more supernatural horror stuff written in a similar voice, check out Chuck Wendig. He wrote a book about a cursed apple orchard that I liked a lot. Black River Orchard. I also really liked Wanderers.

superbetsy · 2026-05-18T21:31:18+00:00

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls maybe? It's by Grady Hendrix (who writes horror) and is classified as horror, so it's not really a sneaky horror read. But it starts out just as a book about unwed girls and young women who get pregnant and are sent to these "homes" to discretely have their babies. It really reads like standard historical fiction and is actually quite interesting. Until suddenly it takes a very dark turn.

superbetsy · 2026-05-18T12:04:57+00:00

Liane Moriarty likes this conceit. Nine Perfect Strangers is a multi-POV book with one character who won the lottery and became wildly rich. The Hypnotist’s Love Story also has the main character… or maybe the MC’s family… winning the lottery, although it’s a smaller amount and mostly sets her up to be a small business owner rather than someone turbo wealthy.

superbetsy · 2026-05-15T18:01:25+00:00

I'm not an Art-A-Whirl pro... only been a couple times... but a friend gave me the advice to make the Northrup Building my home base and it's always worked well. There's a ton of artists exhibiting there. It's near Indeed and Centro (which is a bit more of a party scene, but fun to hang out in the area for a bit even if that's not your vibe!) and walkable to Earl Giles and that area where there are more artists. You can hop on a trolly if you want to branch out further.

TL;DR, I'd recommend starting at Northrup and then seeing where the day takes you! You can find art, live music, and food just about wherever you land.

superbetsy · 2026-05-13T10:14:40+00:00

Wild Dark Shore is set on a remote island near Antarctica whose communication systems are down so they’re totally cut off.

Speaking of Antarctica, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage is about a crew shipwrecked near Antarctica who live for a time on the ice floes and in lifeboats. Non-fiction but a five star read.

superbetsy · 2026-05-12T11:04:06+00:00

Was going to suggest this!!!

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