20 Best Thanksgiving Books of All Time for Adults
Read on for a cornucopia of classics, comedies and even romance.
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Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house you go. But not without a stack of good fall reads (tangible, digital or otherwise). Whether plane, train or automobile, we've selected a few Thanksgiving-themed books—some short, some long and historical, some just plain crazy—that are all must-reads you'll want to have on hand during your travels. Flip through for classics from Louisa May Alcott and Truman Capote, familiar dramas from Rick Moody and Ben Fountain, plus previously unpublished thoughts and letters from F. Scott Fitzgerald, who has way better ideas for your Thanksgiving feast leftovers than turkey sandwiches. Let the literary greats teach you fascinating things you never knew, get you stocked with quotes to share with your loved ones at the dinner table, and, most of all, rescue you from the inevitable perils holiday travels brings, i.e., traffic, and delays, without having to tap into that Thanksgiving wine before dinner.
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Opposites attract in Anne Tyler's 1985 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. When protagonist Macon Leary, a grief-stricken travel writer who hates travel, meets Muriel, a dog trainer who is too interesting to ignore, his life of solitude is turned upside down. Complete with a slow-roasted turkey on T-Day, this is one kooky love story that will make smile through the tears. Shop Now
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott
So Louisa May Alcott's old-fashioned holiday short story about the Bassett family may not even be able to compete with the March sisters novel you know and adore, but luckily, it doesn't have to. There's room on your digital shelf for both Alcott's seminal coming-of-age novel and her heartwarming tale about an impoverished family determined to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table. Shop Now
The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff
When all else fails, get out the Ouija board. That's what the Baird College misfits in Alexandra Sokoloff's supernatural thriller do over Thanksgiving weekend. Opposed to retreating home for the holiday—each for their very own secretive reason—the newfound allies who think they're the only five students left on campus learn they might not be alone after all. This one gives off those nostalgic R. L. Stine vibes. Shop Now
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
OK, "book is better than the movie" people. You've most likely gotten the story about two upper middle class, Connecticut families in crisis over Thanksgiving from Ang Lee's atmospheric adaptation, but have you ever actually gone straight to the source? As in, the acerbic written original from award-winning novelist Rick Moody? Shop Now
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