5 Books to Read if You're Obsessed with Big Little Lies

Raise your hand if you feel personal victimized by the “monster-in-law” that is Marie Louise. And I KNOW you want to spill the tea at that boujee coffee shop with Madeline and her girl gang. If that coffee can keep those ladies going through all the drama they endure, it must be magic. That’s right folks, we are here to discuss books like Big Little Lies. If you are new to HBO life or have been residing under a rock for the past 2 years, this show might be new to you. Have no fear! For I am a self-proclaimed, but totally legit, expert on all of the house wife gossip. I practically live in Monterrey. So here’s a synopsis: The series follows a squad of Monterrey, California moms and their struggles to maintain their picturesque lifestyles. All things go haywire when a single mom moves to town and enrolls her son in the local private elementary school. There’s murder, there’s infidelity, there’s the (more than) occasional cocktail. What I love about Big Little Lies is that it takes the seemingly predictable lives of house moms’ and throws in plot twists like you’d never expect. I am all about the shock-factor. I audibly gasped at the ending of season one *no spoilers I promise*, so loud that my roommate rushed into my room asking me if I was okay. NO. NOT OKAY. With the end of season two already upon us, I had to find some other outlets to supply my need for the Monterrey mom hot-takes. Below you will find my recommendations for books like Big Little Lies that should satisfy your sweet-tooth for drama. While all of these titles might not include moms, they are sure to throw you plot twists that will have you as frantic as Renata Klein over the whole Disney On-Ice situation.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Duh.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Ohhhh this book! It is actually what started making me watch Big Little Lies. Little Fires Everywhere takes place in a small utopian-like neighborhood named Shaker Heights. It chronicles the tales of the Richardson family and their haughty status of being the community’s elitist family. When a new woman and her daughter (oh look at that similarity) move to town, the calm neighborhood takes a turn for the worst. As the Richardson’s are trying to keep up the outwardly perfect image them have made for themselves they are destined to interact with this newcomer and learn the secrets of her past.

Her Secret – The Amish of Hart County by Shelley Shepherd Gray

Alright people don’t knock it until you try it. This series is full of action and drama like you wouldn’t believe! Her Secret is about a young Amish woman, Hannah, who if forced to flee her community due to a stalker that puts her and her family in danger. She struggles to accept the help and friendship she finds within a new town while keeping her past a secret. Strange woman moving to a new town? Check. Trying to conceal a past life? Check. Juicy love story? Check. It may not take place in a beach-front town but the connection is there. Also, best part, IT’S A SERIES. Discover the hidden dramas that could take place in an Amish community with Shelley Shepard Gray’s novel, Her Secret.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl tells the story of the disappearance of overachiever Amy Dunnee on her fifth wedding anniversary. Everyone in town, including the cops, blames her trophy husband and the town golden boy, Nick. Who could’ve imaged this “perfect marriage” could end in such a devilish way? Gillian, obviously. This novel takes what seems like a perfect marriage and introduces big family lies, town ridicule, and obsessive in-laws that would make even Marie Louise proud.

Dark Rooms by Lilli Anolik

Taking place on the exact opposite side of the country, tragedy strikes in a cut-throat and exclusive New England prep school. Young Nica Baker is murdered leaving her family to pick up the pieces and discover more about her death. A culprit is identified but did they really do it? Grace, Nica’s older and considerably less popular sister, has decided that this is the question she has to answer. Battling the perfectionism and “stream-line” success of prep-school, Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik explores wrestling with your past to discover the truth behind tragedy.

What other books like Big Little Lies have you read? Tell us in the comments!

When she isn’t nose-deep in the latest novel at a local coffee shop, Lilli spends her days as a marketing intern/student. If consuming cups of coffee was in the Guinness Book of World Records you’d be sure to see her face on the page. Catch her hiking and spending way too much money on donuts. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. (HCCP) operates Page Chaser, and is owned by HarperCollins Publishing, Inc., the publisher of Her Secret and Dark Rooms.