Books Set in the 1960s

by Catherine Adel West
Setting: 1960s, Memphis, Tennessee
First published 2022

When young, angry, and pregnant Sara must flee Chicago, she boards a bus to still-segregated Memphis. When she arrives, she is welcomed by Mama Sugar, the matriarch of The Scarlet Poplar boardinghouse.

In Memphis, Sara learns about the push for civil rights spreading across the country. She loves discussing education, politics, and the hope for a brighter future with her new friend, Jonas. He is a schoolteacher, and soon their friendship begins blooming into something more.

However, secrets from Mama Sugar’s past unexpectedly catch Sara and Jonas in the crosshairs. Sara must again make impossible decisions.

The Book Girls Say…Reviewers praise the poignant language and author’s writing, but warn that this story of generational trauma will break your heart.

by Bonnie Garmus
Setting: Early 1960s, California
First published 2022

Elizabeth Zott is a quirky and brilliant female chemist working with an all-male team at the Hastings Research Institute. But her scientific qualifications don't stop the "good old boys" from being frustrated that she won't get coffee or make copies for them. When Elizabeth meets Calvin Evans, another scientist at the Institute, another type of chemistry results.

Fast forward a few years. It's 1961 and Elizabeth is a 30-year-old single mother and she's taken a bit of a detour in her career. Instead of working for Hastings, she's now (somewhat reluctantly) the star of a much-loved cooking show called Supper at Six. Her cooking methods are unusual (“combine one tablespoon of acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”). As her popularity grows, it turns out she's not just teaching women to cook, she's also daring them to change the status quo.

The Book Girls Say... When we heard this novel described as a vibrant, funny, feel-good novel that is perfect for fans of Where'd You Go Bernadette and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, we knew we needed to immediately move it to the top of our TBR list!

There is an element of romance in the book, reviewers say they wouldn't classify it as romance or rom com.

Heads Up: Although the overall vibe of this book is a cheerful one, you should be aware that this book does also address serious topics, with scenes depicting sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
97% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Sue Monk Kidd
Setting: 1964, South Carolina
First published 2003

After her mother passes away, 14-year-old Lily Owens runs away with her friend and nanny, Rosaleen. The two escape to Tiburon, South Carolina where an eccentric trio of Black beekeeping sisters takes them in.

Lily is introduced to the world of bees and honey, the Black Madonna, and to the town that holds the secret to her mother's past.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Elin Hilderbrand
Setting: 1969, Nantucket
First published 2019

This might just be the perfect historical fiction beach read for the summer - a family drama that brings the 60s to life in vivid, nostalgic detail.

Each year, the children of the Levin family have looked forward to spending their summer in Nantucket with their grandmother. But in the summer of '69, thirteen-year-old Jessie is the only sibling who can make the trip. One of her older sisters is pregnant with twins, the other is caught up in the civil rights movement, and her older brother has recently been deployed to the war in Vietnam.

The summer proves to be an eventful one - Vietnam, Woodstock, the moon landing, the Chappaquiddick affair, Jessie struggling with her first heartbreak, and her grandmother with a few secrets of her own.

The Book Girls Say... If you enjoy Hilderbrand's Summer of 69, then you'll also want to grab the novella-length sequels, Summer of 79 is available on Kindle or as an Audible audiobook. There's also another short story follow-up called Summer of 89, which is available in the recently published story collection titled Endless Summer.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Robert Dugoni
Setting: 1967 Vietnam; 1979 and 2015, USA
First published 2021

This coming-of-age story is about three different 18-year-old men growing up in 3 different time periods.

William was 18 in 1967 when he went to Vietnam as a Marine. Vincent is 18 in 1979 when he meets William working on a construction crew and hears William's stories of his war-time experience.

The third young man is Vincent’s son, Beau, who has had an easier life than the first two men. He is 18 in 2015 when Vincent receives William’s old Vietnam journal in the mail as a thank you for listening to his stories years ago. It was written while he was a Marine and facing things that no one, much less a teenager, should have to encounter.

The three stories are woven together in a beautiful way that many are calling a must-read for everyone, despite the grim nature of William’s combat experiences.

The Book Girls Say… Although this book is set in three time periods, the story is ultimately a historical fiction of Vietnam, making it a great pick for a book about the 1960s. Make sure you don't miss the author’s note at the end of the book to learn more about Dugoni’s connection to the story.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/13/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick
Setting: 1960, Atlanta, Georgia
First published 2021

Eight years before Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in Memphis, he was arrested in Atlanta during a peaceful sit-in at Rich's Department Store. This happened less than three weeks before the 1960 Presidental election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, creating the ultimate October Surprise for the election.

Each candidate had to decide whether they wanted to address the arrest and, if so, how to respond. Kennedy's campaign included a Civil Rights Section (CRS), and the CRS advocated for action by Kennedy. The CRS was led by pioneering Black journalist Louis Martin, future Pennsylvania senator Harris Wofford, and Sargent Shriver, the founder of the Peace Corps. Over the course of nine days, they worked both with Kennedy and behind his back to secure King’s release.

This compelling and well-researched non-fiction tells the story of the first time King spent a night in jail and how his bail refusal impacted an extremely close election.

by William Kent Krueger
Setting: 1961, Minnesota
First published 2013

The summer of 1961 started out full of hope and innocence in New Bremen, Minnesota - a new young president, the Twins baseball team playing their debut season, root beers at the soda counter, and comics books on the barbershop magazine racks. But the summer soon turned grim, with multiple deaths. Accident? Natural? Suicide? Murder?

When the tragedies occur in town, thirteen-year-old Frank Drum is thrust into adulthood overnight. The novel is part mystery and part coming-of-age story, told by Frank himself as a 40-year-old adult looking back on that fateful summer.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
93% Would Recommend to a Friend

The Book Girls Say...If you've already read and enjoyed Ordinary Grace, consider Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger. It's the prequel to his popular Cork O'Connor mystery series and tells the story of the title character growing up in the 1960s.

by Amy Sue Nathan
Setting: 1960s Philadelphia
First published 2022

Newlywed Ruth is a law school graduate and has an independent streak stronger than most young women in her posh neighborhood. However, she still wants to impress her mother-in-law, who has signed Ruth up for etiquette lessons with Lillian Diamond.

Fellow etiquette-classmate Carrie is quiet, but has a dark secret. As witty Ruth befriends Carrie, they form an unbreakable bond. Ruth pushes Lillian and all of her Diamond Girls to question the status quo and stretch beyond their comfort zones as they unite to protect one of their own.

The Book Girls Say…This book is by the same author of The Last Bathing Beauty, a highly-rated book from our 1950s list.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/19/23.

by Chanel Cleeton
Setting: 1960, Florida
First published 2019

Beatriz Perez and her family had fame and fortune in Cuba, but when they were forced to flee during the Cuban Revolution her father is set on rebuilding their lives and their business in Florida. When the CIA recruits Beatriz to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle, Beatriz becomes consumed by her desire for revenge and to reclaim what she's lost. As the Cold War surges, Beatriz also meets a man who is off-limits and launches into a forbidden affair.

Through the eyes of Beatriz, this book is rich with historical context and explores the US/Cuban relationship in the 1960s, including the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the assassination of JFK.

The Book Girls Say... This book follows Next Year in Havana (which is on our 1950s reading list), but it can be read independently. Although you meet Beatriz in the first book, that book instead centers around her sister, Elisa.

Chanel Cleeton also has a third book about the final Perez sister, Isabel. Our Last Days in Barcelona is a dual-timeline historical fiction that will whisk you away to Barcelona in 1964 and 1936.

The audiobook version of this title is currently included free with an Audible membership as of 6/13/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Kathryn Stockett
Setting: 1962, Jackson, Mississippi
Originally published 2009

Skeeter has returned home from college to her family’s cotton plantation where - despite trying to act like a proper Southern lady - she seems to constantly disappoint her mother.

Her true ambition, however, is to be a writer. The only job she’s able to find is one she is completely unqualified for - writing a housekeeping advice column for the local paper. Having virtually no experience of her own with housekeeping, Skeeter turns to her friend’s maid, the very poised Aibileen, for help.

As she gets to know Aibileen and Aibileen's friend, the very sassy Minny, more intimately, Skeeter is inspired to help tell their stories, and she pitches the idea to write the narratives of 12 Black maids – a very risky project for all of them.

The Book Girls Say… This is one of Angela’s favorite books of all time! It’s full of characters that are easy to love (and others not so much), and by the end you’ll be so invested in their stories that you won’t want the book to end!

The good news is that, when you do reach the final page, you can watch the movie to enjoy these women all over again.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Amy Harmon
Setting: 1960, NYC
First published 2021

Growing up in Harlem, Benny's father had ties to the mob. Benny learned that love and family can get you into trouble, so he decided to make music his entire life. But rather than seeking the spotlight, Benny writes songs for other musicians.

That is, until Benny meets Esther - a petite but powerful singer. He writes a song for her, but when they end up performing it together, he's suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. Not only do music fans take notice - it also gains the attention of the mob.

In addition to the storyline set in 1960, we read portions of an interview that Benny is giving to a radio show personality Barry Gray in 1969. But what happened in between? The answer - like the decade - involves politics, racism, and lots of amazing music.

The Book Girls Say... Readers say this book is best described as a very well-researched and fairly clean historical romance that captures the essence of the 1960s. But note that because of the mob element, there are a few scenes of graphic violence.

Both the Kindle and audiobook versions of this novel are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/13/23.

by Clint Hill
Setting: 1960s, US and around the world
First published 2012

This is the memoir of Jackie Kennedy’s personal secret service agent who was with her throughout her years as First Lady. In this intimate portrait, Clint Hill recalls being by Jackie’s side for some of her happiest moments, as well as the darkest. He traveled the world with her, shared in intimate family moments in and out of the White House, and was with her in Dallas on 11/22/63 when he jumped onto the back of the President’s car to shield Mrs. Kennedy in the moments after her husband’s assassination – a tragic day that he recounts moment by moment in this book.

The Book Girls Say… Clint Hill also wrote another memoir that is equally worth reading. In Five Presidents, he reflects on his 17 years on the White House Secret Service detail under Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford, shedding light on their personalities, and giving a unique insider perspective on many historical events of the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Both of Clint Hill’s memoirs are vivid and insightful without feeling gossipy, and he provides an in-depth look at the politics of the day without feeling political.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Bill Rivers
Setting: Summer 1968, rural Pennsylvania
First published 2022

In this coming-of-age novel, thirteen-year-old Jack Elliot wants to find a way to keep his oldest brother, Pete, from being drafted and sent to Vietnam. He overhears the men at the local barbershop complaining that famous boys don't go to war, so he decides the best way to protect his brother is to make him the biggest celebrity in their small town.

Jack and his cousin Frankie convince Jack's brothers to hunt for a missing fighter jet that crashed in their neck of the woods a few winters back. If they find it, Pete will be a hero. But their summer plans become more complicated thanks to a beautiful girl, a greedy developer, and a wild motorcycle gang.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Stephen King
Setting: early 1960s, 2011; Maine and Texas
First published 2011

This book is NOT what you'd expect from Stephen King. Instead of horror, you'll find a suspenseful historical fiction crossed with science fiction (and even a twist of romance) that addresses the most compelling aspect of time travel - how actions taken in the past affect the same future you started in.

English teacher Jake Epping is recruited by his friend Al, the owner of the local diner, to help with the most unlikely of requests. Al discovers a portal in the diner's storeroom that transports him back in time to the era of Ike and Elvis, and he becomes obsessed with the idea of using the portal to go back in time and stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But when he realizes he won't be able to complete the mission, he enlists Jake for the job.

Jake reluctantly agrees to go back to 1958 and live the early years of the 1960s in the small town of Jodie, Texas while devising a plan to stop Lee Harvey Oswald prior to the events of 11/22/63.

The Book Girls Say... This book is a giant at more than 800 pages, but we promise you'll thank us for this recommendation. The audiobook is fantastic and it makes a great summer road trip listen!

We haven't watched the mini-series yet, but we weren't surprised to hear that (as is always the case) - the book is better!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Cathleen Schine
Setting: 1964, Greenwich Village, NYC
Originally published 2013

When his mother dies of cancer, orphaned 11-year-old Fin is reunited with his eccentric 24-year-old half sister who he hasn’t seen in six years. Now his legal guardian, Lady relocates Fin from his dairy farm in Connecticut to her home in the middle of Greenwich Village during the Swinging Sixties. Lady is far from a conventional parent, and Fin finds that she is as much his responsibility as he is hers.

Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, Fin’s upbringing with Lady in Greenwich Village is the polar opposite of his former life. Lady enrolls Fin in an alternative school, takes him along to political rallies and marches, and doesn’t let her new parental role slow down her free-wheeling lifestyle. When Lady asks Fin to help her find a husband by her 25th birthday, Fin takes very seriously his role in protecting his sister from her potential suitors, and from herself.

The Book Girls Say… Critics say this book doesn’t have enough of a plot, but Angela really enjoyed it as a character study of both Fin and Lady, as well as a portrait of the era. Those who love NYC will enjoy stepping back in time into the whirlwind of Greenwich Village in 1960s. This lighter read is a short 277 pages.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Colson Whitehead
Setting: Early 1960s, Tallahassee, Florida
First published 2019

While the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys is a work of fiction, it’s based on real “schools” and the unspeakable treatment of young Black men who were sent there during the 1960s.

Disgraceful Jim Crow laws made it palatable for injustices against people based on the color of their skin. This is the story of Elwood Curtis, a young man whose promising future is cut short by ignorance and intolerance after being sent to the Nickel Academy reform school for his so-called crimes.

The Book Girls Say… This book will make you feel every emotion there is. Through Colson Whitehead’s writing, you really get to know and feel for the characters and the situation they are thrown into. It’s not an easy book to read. It will make you mad. It will make you sad. Regretfully, racial inequality in America is embarrassingly still a relevant topic today. Books like this and voices like Colson’s add to the outcry for justice, love, and hope.

Colson Whitehead is also the author of Harlem Shuffle, a novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Mandy Robotham
Setting: 1961, Berlin
First published 2021

During the summer of 1961, the Berlin Wall was abruptly constructed - dividing not only the city into East and West but also dividing families.

When the wall goes up seemingly overnight, Karin is on the wrong side of the city. She is trapped in East Berlin under Soviet rule and she's separated from her twin sister, Jutta.

As the years go by, Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives on opposite sides of the wall. Life in East Berlin is very difficult, but when Karin meets a man named Otto, it gives her a reason to go on.

Jutta is determined to reach her sister and finds a way to sneak through the wall. But this leaves Karin with an impossible decision - flee to West Berlin with her sister, or sacrifice everything to stay in East Berlin with Otto.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

Susan Crandall
Setting: 1963, Mississippi and Tennessee
First published 2013

Starla is a feisty little girl, born to teenage parents, and being raised by a strict grandmother whose goal is to ensure that Starla doesn't turn out like her mom. In the summer of 1963, 9-year-old Starla runs away from her grandmother's home in Mississippi bound for Nashville, where her mom is trying to become a famous singer.

Walking alone in the country, Starla happily accepts a ride from a Black woman named Eula who is traveling with a white baby. Eula longs for a child of her own and Starla longs for her mom and dad to be together so she can have the family she dreams of. As they travel together, Starla learns the harsh reality of southern segregation.

This book is described by many as The Secret Life of Bees meets The Help meets To Kill a Mockingbird.

Heads Up: This book does include some domestic violence.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Stephen Walker
Setting: 1961, Russia
First published 2021

This non-fiction book will take you back to 1961 Russia. The world watched as the United States prepared for its first space launch. But, on April 12th, 1961, Russia sent a ballistic missile initially designed for war soaring at 18,000 miles per hour. A cosmonaut named Yuri Gagarin was in a tiny capsule attached to the top of the missile, making him the first person to leave Earth.

The book tells the whole story of that mission and the day and includes previously unknown information from many who were involved, but had never spoken about that day.

by Diane Chamberlain
Setting: 1965 and 2010, North Carolina
First published 2022

This dual timeline novel is set in 1965 and 2010.

In 2010, architect Kayla Carter's husband dies tragically while working on the construction of the family's dream home in the quiet town of Round Hill, North Carolina. Kayla tries to stay strong for her young daughter, but she knows that the new house will always hold upsetting memories. A mysterious older woman shows up at Kayla's office who seems to know too much about the family and warns Kayla not to move into the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates. The property is rumored to be haunted, but the true history of the land may hide even darker secrets.

In the 1965 timeline, the author takes us back to Round Hill during a very turbulent time in American history. College student Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady, but she envisions a different future than the one that's expected of her. She plans to spend her summer break helping to register black voters. As she aids the fight for civil rights, she'll discover the frightening true nature of her neighbor's prejudices.

When these two women's stories ultimately come together, the truth will finally be revealed.

The Book Girls Say... This book weaves together history, suspense, and social justice. Reviewers call the book enthralling, but it will also likely make you feel anger and heartache because Chamberlain does not shy away from digging deep on tough topics.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

Angie Cruz
Setting: 1965, Dominican countryside; Washington Heights, New York
First published 2019

Unlike many other girls growing up in the Dominican countryside who dreamed of moving to America, Ana never did. But when she's given the opportunity to marry Juan and move to New York City, she takes it even though he is twice her age. She doesn't love him, but it means the rest of her close-knit family may be able to eventually immigrate.

Ana's life in the Washington Heights neighborhood of NYC is lonely and miserable, until Juan returns to the Dominican Republic due to political turmoil, and his brother, Cesar, introduces Ana to the possibility of a different kind of immigrant life in America - one where she is free to take English lessons, see movies at Radio City Music Hall, and lie on the beach at Coney Island. But when Juan returns, Ana is again faced with the struggle between what she wants and what she sees as her family duty.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

The Book Girls Say...For a look into what was happening in the Dominican Republic during the 1960s, pick up In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

by S.E. Hinton
Setting: 1965, Tulsa, Oklahoma
First published 1967

Following two weeks in the life of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis as he struggles with right and wrong. His world is made up of just two groups - the "socs, " a violent gang of rich kids who have money and can get away with anything, and the greasers, like Ponyboy, who live on the outside and need to watch their backs. Ponyboy is a proud greaser, until the night that his friend makes a terrible decision and he begins to question everything.

The Book Girls Say... This coming-of-age novel is one of the most popular teenage books from the 60's. It's now regarded as not only an influential piece of literature in the 1960s, but also as one of the novels that laid the groundwork for the YA genre.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Lily Koppel
Setting: 1960s, Houston
First published 2013

This is the fascinating, true story of the wives behind the men of the 1960s space program. NASA viewed the families of their astronauts as their business - selecting only men with seemingly perfect family lives, and giving the wives strict orders to create homes that wouldn't produce any undue stress or "mental chores" for the men.

Rocketed to celebrity (see what we did there?) by their husbands' selection as the original Mercury 7 astronauts, these women were featured on the cover of Life magazine. Under a deal with NASA, each wife was assigned a reporter who was embedded into her daily life - following her everywhere and placing her in a fishbowl even at the most tense of moments as she awaited word of his husband's fate on each mission. While the world was focused on what the women wore and how their houses looked, they were only able to confide in one another. The "astrowives" formed a tight-knit community in Houston.

The Book Girls Say... This non-fiction book is written more like a work of feature journalism, which appeals to some readers more than others. But this is a quick read. Angela found it fascinating and couldn't put this book down! If you enjoyed the style of historical non-fiction books like Hidden Figures, we think you'll appreciate this book, too!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
98% Would Recommend to a Friend

by John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. Molloy
Setting: 1967, Vietnam
First published 2017

In this memoir, Chick Donohue, a Vietnam vet, recounts the craziest of his many adventures. It all began on a night in 1967 when 26-year-old Chick was at a bar in NYC with his buddies. Each of them had lost loved ones in Vietnam, and they were disheartened to see anti-war protesters turning on the troops.

One of the guys came up with a crazy idea - someone should sneak into Vietnam and track down their buddies still serving there to bring them messages of support, and - of course - a beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever.

It's likely none of them meant for the idea to be taken seriously, but nonetheless, Chick volunteered. A day later he was on a cargo ship headed back to Vietnam during the height of combat with a backpack full of alcohol.

What would follow was his own personal Odyssey - a serviceman turned civilian searching for his childhood friends in Vietnam. Chick's story is filled with lots of hilarious escapades and harrowing close calls - including the Tet Offensive.

This memoir has been described as a "hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull."

The Book Girls Say... This improbable but true story has been turned into an Apple TV+ war film starring Zac Efron, as Chick, Russell Crowe, and Bill Murray. It's was released in September of 2022.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Renee Rosen
Setting: 1965, Manhattan
First published 2019

When Alice Weiss leaves her home in Iowa to chase her dreams in NYC, she is lucky to land the job of a lifetime at Cosmopolitan magazine which is under the new leadership of its first female editor, Helen Gurley Brown.

Not everyone is happy to see Helen at the helm of the magazine, with some editors and writers resigning and others cooking up a scheme to sabotage their new boss. Alice, on the other hand, remains loyal and is determined to help her new boss succeed as she shocks America by daring to talk to women about all things off-limits.

The Book Girls Say... We both loved stepping right into 1965 Manhattan as Alice adjusted from her Midwestern roots and learned how magazines are run. This novel is often described as Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada, but it's a huge bonus that the book was based on the real Cosmopolitan magazine and its first female editor, Helen Gurley Brown.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Quentin Tarantino
Setting: 1969 Los Angeles
First Published 2021

If you’re interested in spins on true crime and Charles Manson, this is a fascinating historical fiction peek into 1969 Hollywood and Manson's involvement with celebrities. The main character is Rick Dalton, a fictional struggling actor and alcoholic who has been cast as a villain in a new cowboy movie. His stunt double, Cliff Booth, is also fictional.

While Rick & Cliff are fiction, Rick's neighbors are Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. Sharon moved to Hollywood from Texas to be a star, but her dreams are cut short when she becomes involved with the Manson Family.

The Book Girls Say…While books are usually made into movies, Quentin Tarantino wrote this novel AFTER his film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth as Brad Pitt. The book and movie are both R-rated.

For a non-fiction look at the Charles Manson murders, consider Helter Skelter.

by Kim Fay
Setting: Early 1960s, Los Angeles and near Seattle
First published 2022

Fifty-something Imogen Fortier is a magazine columnist living on Camano Island outside of Seattle. When she receives a fan letter, containing a gift of saffron, from 27-year-old Joan Bergstrom in LA, she writes back. Thus begins an unlikely friendship between these two women.

As the years pass, their letters to one another help them through the ups and downs of the world - the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy - as well as the unexpected twists and turns in their own lives. From world events to romantic relationships, through their letters they discover that food and a good life can't be separated. Can anything shake the trust they've built over their years of correspondence?

The Book Girls Say... If you are looking for an easy read that will be a "brief respite from our chaotic world," this epistolary novel of food and friendship might be your perfect 1960s read.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Jacqueline Susann
Setting: 1960s, New York City
First published 1966

In an era when women were expected to become housewives, three best friends instead struggle to make their mark in NYC as they climb their way to the top of the entertainment industry. But once there, they discover there is no place to go but down - into the Valley of the Dolls.

The Book Girls Say... Described by reviewers as compulsively addictive (like the booze and pills everyone in the book is taking) and highly entertaining, and as a classic, if possibly trashy, piece of chic lit, this book is certainly not for everyone!

Despite mixed reviews from our readers, we've kept this book on the list because it was one of the most popular books in the 1960s (becoming the number one best seller in 1966). In the 50 years since, it's become a cult classic that has endured, and it's certainly piqued our interest to find out why!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend