Next week, fall premieres begin! All our favorite shows will return for yet another season of laughs, drama, unexpected cliffhangers and celebrity guest appearances. We are so excited that most of the shows we love are returning. Some of our favorite new shows from last year return for their sophomore seasons, and some we have loved for years will have their final run. Inspired by the relationships, drama, humor, and plot twists, here we’ve put together a list of ten books that remind us of our five favorite returning TV shows.

This Is Us (NBC)

The Emmy-nominated show has become one of our favorites – and it’s easy to see why. This drama focused on the Pearson family has drawn us in from the very beginning, making us cry and laugh as we share in different times of the characters’ lives. As Season 2 returns on September 26th, here are two books to read alongside our favorite family drama.

The House We Grew Up In: A Novel, Lisa Jewell

The Pearson family is one that has gone through their fair share of trials and tribulations, so we’re positive that this book about family, estrangement, and reconciliation is one that would hit especially close to home for brothers Kevin and Randall, who were estranged from each other for the majority of their lives. With some work to do on their relationships from all sides, Lisa Jewell’s novel about an event that calls the estranged Bird family all back home together is one that we know the Pearson family would appreciate.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Roxane Gay

Kate Pearson has been a champion for those of us who appreciate genuine, sincere stories that deal with body image in a realistic way, and we’re sure that like us, Kate would love Roxane Gay’s Hunger. This brutally honest memoir about body image and weight touches not only on being bigger in a world that values women being skinny, but also on the psychological struggles that can come from eating. The vulnerability and honesty in this memoir is one that Kate could definitely relate to.

 

Scandal (ABC)

Oh, Olivia Pope. How we’ve loved you. From her work with her found-family at Pope and Associates, to her steamy affair with the President, we’ve supported and rallied behind her every step of the way, even when none of us could see the light at the end of the tunnel. With Scandal coming into it’s last season, premiering October 5th, we’re on the edge of our seats waiting to see what will happen in what is sure to be a thrilling series finale. For when you can’t get enough of Olivia, we’ve got two books we’re sure you’ll love.

Special Interests, Emma Barry

Olivia Pope has for sure had her ups and downs in the political spotlight, and she could definitely relate to Emma Barry’s Millie Frank, a smart and determined Union organizer, who ends up being the evening news after a being the victim in a hostage situation. Still suffering from PTSD, Millie gets back to work in Washington D.C., meeting senator’s aide Parker, who would do anything to close a deal for the Senate Majority Leader, even if that means selling out union labor. This political romance is one that any fan of Olivia’s trials and tribulations in politics and love will want to read.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stiegg Larsson

Full of political and family drama, unapologetic feminism, and a twisting storyline, we know that fans of Scandal will be rooting for Lisbeth with every page of this novel. The first book in the original trilogy, hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist team up together to uncover the truth about a decades-old mystery, and take down a serial killer in this psychological bestseller. Dark and thrilling, this novel is one we know you’ll love.

 

American Horror Story: Cult (FX)

This creepy horror anthology is back for another season, and we’re already scared. With an amazing cast, and unexpected plot twists that no one ever sees coming, our eyes are glued to our TV screens (even if we might have to sometimes hide behind a blanket). This season, which premiered on September 5th, has so far dealt with politics, clowns, and murder, and for the hardcore fans, we have two books you will definitely love.

It, Stephen King

Okay, this book made us afraid of clowns, and the current season of American Horror Story is really not helping with that. With children being murdered in their hometown in Maine, seven adults have to return home to finally confront the evil “being” that terrorized them as teenagers. From the classic and terrifying novel that brought us Pennywise the Clown, this is must for anyone watching this season. It was also just released as a movie, if you want to double up on your horror intake.

Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel, S.J. Watson

American Horror Story loves to play mind games with us, simultaneously creeping us out, and making us doubt what’s really going on. For fans of the psychological aspects, Before I Go to Sleep is the perfect book. When an accident causes Christine to lose all of her old memories and lose her new ones when she goes to sleep, she wakes up each day with a stranger telling her that he’s her husband. When she starts to keep a journal, determined to find herself, she starts to notice inconsistencies in the things her husband tells her – and her paranoia is only made worse when she finds a note she wrote to herself, telling her that she can’t trust him.

 

The Blacklist (NBC)

Elizabeth Keen has been our hero from day one. From the first time we saw her in Season 1, she’s revealed herself to be one of those rare characters that’s remained authentic and true to herself throughout every season, no matter what Raymond Reddington throws at her. Returning on September 27th, here are two books we’ve chosen with kickass female leads, inspired by The Blacklist.

Blown, Francine Mathews

From former CIA analyst Francine Mathews comes a novel that includes everything we love about The Blacklist. Just as CIA analyst Caroline Carmichael is about to hand in her resignation, the terrorist neo-Nazi 30 April Organization strikes, assassinating top officials and kidnapping a child. When her husband Eric is arrested in Germany for being a member of the 30 April Organization, Caroline is forced back into the game once again. With Caroline as one of the toughest female leads we’ve ever seen, we can’t help but draw parallels between her and Liz.

House of Secrets, Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg

Liz Keen has been dealing with the secrets surrounding her childhood and her family for a long time, and we’re sure she could appreciate the situation that Hazel Nash finds herself in. When Hazel was six years old, her father told her that all mysteries should be solved – and Hazel loved the mystery stories her father would tell her. But when Hazel wakes up in the hospital she can’t remember anything – not even the car accident she was in that killed her father and injured her brother. Back at home, Hazel finds guns she doesn’t remember buying, and scars from fights she doesn’t remember having. When a corpse shows up in a manner right out of one of her father’s stories, Hazel has to dig for the truth about her father, and her childhood.

 

The Mick (Fox)

The Mick only hit screens at the beginning of the year, but we’ve loved every single second of it. Mickey is the completely and utterly irresponsible aunt we’ve come to know and love, who is forced to become an adult, parental figure for her niece and nephews after her sister and brother-in-law flee the country for tax evasion. It was a crazy first season, and we can’t wait until the second season premieres on September 26th. For fans of the series, here are two books that are just as funny as the series.

The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz

Izzy Spellman is the definition of a walking human disaster, with her background in vandalism, excessive drinking, and addiction to the TV show Get Smart. In the family business of private investigation, Izzy very carefully and very badly walks the line between employee and family member. Deciding that she has to leave the business, she’s assigned one last case – which, of course, is where everything goes disastrously, yet hilariously wrong. The first novel of Lisa Lutz’s series, we can’t help but draw parallels between Mickey and Izzy, and we know if you love one, you’ll love the other, too.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris

This memoir from humorist David Sedaris is one we had to recommend for fans of The Mick. Filled with humor that’s one toe over the line, Sedaris’ collection of essays cover every situation imaginable, from attempting to make coffee with no water, to recommending moving to Japan to stop smoking. Drawing parallels to The Mick, Sedaris is able to find humor in even the most mundane tasks. With his trademark edgy writing, combined with biting humor, fans of The Mick will not be disappointed in this hilarious memoir.