Post-Election Reading

By Sarah Yurch | November 19 2024 | FictionNonfiction

Since the election, many have been turning to books as they take a break from the onslaught of news, finding a sense of “respite and renewal” in literature.

But what are they reading?

Many on social media have been drawing comparisons between the objectives of Project 2025 and The Handmaid’s Tale, including Margaret Atwood herself. Sales for the novel are up dramatically, with many readers finding a new resonance in the dystopian world of Gilead. And consumer searches for dystopian books more broadly are up over last year, as are sales for some nonfiction titles that meet the moment, notably Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny and the more recent Defectors by Paola Ramos.

However, proving that the uptick in book buying spans the political divide, so are searches for Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal.

Still other readers are looking to books for pure escapism. Searches for rom-coms and fantasy books are up since the election and higher than they were last year.

See below for some of the top titles readers are picking up now, or click on one of these lists for more book ideas:

Perspectives from the Left

Perspectives from the Right

Dystopian Books

Rom-Coms

Fantasy Books

Top Paperbacks

9780525435006
In this seminal work of speculative fiction, the Booker Prize-winning author asks: In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies? Now a 10-episode TV series produced by MGM Television for Hulu, starring Elizabeth Moss (Madmen), Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black), Joseph Fiennes, and Max Minghella.
$15.95 US
Apr 18, 2017
Paperback
Vintage
US, Opn Mkt (no CAN)

Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
9780804190114
A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism.
$12.00 US
Feb 28, 2017
Paperback
Crown
US, Canada, Open Mkt

Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
9781984860392
A graphic edition of historian Timothy Snyder's bestselling book of lessons for surviving and resisting America's arc toward authoritarianism, featuring the visual storytelling talents of renowned illustrator Nora Krug.
$24.00 US
Oct 05, 2021
FOC Sep 06, 2021
Hardcover
Ten Speed Graphic
US, Canada, Open Mkt

The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America
9780593701362
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF 2024 • An award-winning journalist's exploration of how race, identity and political trauma have influenced the rise in far-right sentiment among Latinos, and how this group can shape American politics“A deeply reported, surprisingly personal exploration of a phenomenon that is little understood in our politics: the affiliation of Latino voters with causes and candidates that would seem, at first glance, unwelcoming to them."—Rachel Maddow
$28.00 US
Sep 24, 2024
Hardcover
Pantheon
US, Canada, Open Mkt