Books Set in the 1980s

by Carter Sickels
Setting: 1986, NYC and Appalachia
First published 2020

Like so many other young gay men, eighteen-year-old Brian arrived in New York City with a bright future ahead of him. But within the first six years of the 1980s, as the AIDS epidemic took hold, Brian lost his partner, his friends, and his future.

Rock Hudson's death in 1986 shifted the conversation on AIDS and finally brought news of the epidemic into every American living room. It's also the year that Brian returns home to small-town Appalachia to die.

by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Setting: 1983, Malibu, California
First published 2021

The successful Riva siblings are always the envy of those around them in Malibu. Their father is legendary 70s singer Mick Riva, but each of the four siblings found success of their own in pursuits, like professional surfing and photography.

The book is set in 1983 at sister Nina's famous end-of-summer beach house party. By midnight, the party is out of control. Before dawn, Nina's mansion has been burned to the ground.

During this unforgettable night, each sibling has secrets revealed.

The Book Girls Say... This novel made our 2021 Readers' Favorites list! In the words of our readers, Malibu Rising is "descriptive and engaging with a strong storyline, great characters, and a lot of emotion." Another reader explained, "I love when you know how a book ends, but you have no idea how you'll get there. Great story of family. All of the 1980s references were wonderful!"

Both Book Girls also enjoyed this novel, though not quite as much as some of TJR's other books, including Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!

by Molly Prentiss
Setting: 1980, New York City
First published 2016

SoHo in the Eighties was gritty and not yet gentrified, and it was where artists and writers flocked as they attempted to make their mark in the New York City art scene. This novel follows an art critic and a painter, struck by dual tragedies, who are brought together by a determined young woman from small-town Idaho.

Described as emotionally satisfying with very smart writing, this novel captures NYC's hip and powerful 1980s art scene.

By Carol Rifka Brunt
Setting: 1987, New York
First published 2012

Fourteen-year-old June had a very close relationship with her uncle Finn and was devastated when he died in 1987 from AIDS, which was then still a mysterious and seldom talked about illness.

June meets a stranger at Finn's funeral - someone who is also struggling with the loss - and as the two get to know each other, their unexpected friendship may be what they each need to heal.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3/4
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by John Berendt
Setting: 1980s, Savannah, Georgia
First published 1994

In the early morning of May 2, 1981, shots rang out in a grand Savannah mansion. A question haunts the city's moss-hung oaks and shaded squares for the next decade - was it murder or self-defense?

This is a work of non-fiction about a landmark murder case that reads like a spellbinding novel.

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

by Rachel Joyce
Setting: 1988, England
First published 2017

Set in 1988, this romance follows Frank, who loves connecting his music shop customers with the perfect record. While he thrives communicating and understanding others through music, he doesn't do well with relationships outside his passion.

When Ilse enters his shop, she comes in with her own emotional baggage. They struggle to overcome their individual pasts as their relationship evolves and find out if music really can heal.

The Book Girls Say... This book will make you want to hear the music, and you're in luck because Penguin Books South Africa has put together a series of Playlists for each character on YouTube, and Penguin Books also has a playlist on Spotify as well.

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

by Ruta Sepetys
Setting: 1989, Romania
First published 2022

In 1989, Communist regimes were falling throughout Eastern Europe, but Romania was still under the control of a tyrant - Nicolae Ceaușescu. Seventeen-year-old Cristian wants to be a writer, but writing freely is impossible in his world.

When Cristian is forced to be an informer for the secret police, he must decide if he's willing to betray those he loves or if he can somehow use the terrible situation to help take down Ceaușescu.

The Book Girls Say... Ruta Sepetys has a gift for telling untold stories in compelling, relatable ways, and this book was no exception! It immediately earned a place on our list of our favorite books of 2022.

As children of the '80s, we recall hearing references on the news to things like the "fall of Communism" and "the end of the Cold War." But we were too young to understand what this meant, and we certainly couldn't comprehend what the people in this region had been through.

Reading this book opened our eyes to a completely different 1980s experience from that of our childhood memories living in the US.

by Rebecca Makkai
Setting: Chicago, 1985; Paris, 2015
First published 2018

In 1985, Yale was the director of a Chicago art gallery on the verge of a career breakthrough. Yet all around him, the growing AIDS epidemic is stealing his friends, including Nico.

In Paris thirteen years later, Nico's younger sister is finally coming to terms with the devastating way AIDS affected her life all those years before.

by Quan Barry
Setting: 1989, Massachusetts
First published 2020

Dense with late-1980s iconography and pop culture references, this novel follows a 1989 girls' high school field hockey team. Set in Danvers, Massachusetts (which in 1692 was known as Salem Village, the site of the Salem Witch Trials), the team is desperate for a winning season.

The teammates - including captain Abby Putnam, a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam - discover that giving in to their dark impulses (like those of their Salem forebears) may be their key to field hockey success.

The Book Girls Say... Angela was very excited to read this book, and loved all of the hilarious 1980s references (especially one girl's bleach blonde "Claw," that is used as an all-seeing, all-knowing character in the book), but ultimately she didn't love the story. However, based on the reviews, she is very much in the minority, so we think this book is worth your consideration. It will transport you back to the 1980s in vivid detail!

by Tayari Jones
Setting: Atlanta, 1980s
First published 2011

James Witherspoon had two families - a public one and a secret one - with two teenage daughters caught in the middle.

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, this novel tells the story of James' two daughters meeting and becoming friends. Except only one of them knows they are sisters.

The Book Girls Say... The writing in this novel is described as evocative and nuanced, with complex character development. Some complain, however, that the book ends a bit too quickly and without enough resolution. If you're frustrated by books that leave loose ends and unanswered questions, this may not be the pick for you.

Jones also wrote Leaving Atlanta, another novel set in the early 1980s that we also recommend! Be aware that this novel deals with the difficult subject matter of the Atlanta Child Murders, a string of horrific murders of 29 African American children in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

by Phuc Tran
Setting: 1980s, Pennsylvania
First published 2020

This coming-of-age memoir opens in 1975 with the fall of Saigon when five-year-old Phuc Tran's family immigrated to a small town in Pennsylvania. Most of the book, however, covers Phuc's older childhood/teen years throughout the 1980s.

Part immigrant story and part coming of age tale, this book is described as a misfit's memoir of great books, punk rock, and the fight to fit in. It is all of that and much more.

The Book Girls Say... This memoir reads like a literary fiction novel as the author uses classic novels to connect to his own experiences growing up as the only Vietnamese American student in his small town in the 1980s. He finds solace and self-discovery in literature and the subculture of the punk rock scene.

by Amy Tan
Setting: 1949 and 1989, China and San Francisco
First published 1989

This is the story of four mothers and four daughters. The mothers immigrated from China to San Francisco in 1949 and met weekly to play mahjong and tell stories of the lives they left behind.

Forty years later, their daughters - who have never heard the stories - think their mothers' advice is irrelevant to their modern American lives. But they'll discover how much of their mothers' pasts they have inherited.

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

by Fiona Davis
Setting: 1985 and 1884, NYC
First published 2017

Sara was the head housekeeper at a posh London hotel in 1884. Based on her background, this is more than she ever expected and the highest station she could rise to in life. But then she meets American Theodore Camden. He is building the most luxurious residential building in New York, The Dakota, and invites her to come to manage the property. The job brings her to highs and lows she never could have expected.

Sara's story is told in conjunction with a 1985 storyline of Bailey Camden, who is returning from rehab and gets the opportunity to start fresh with a job overseeing a renovation of an apartment in The Dakota.

The novel goes back and forth between these perspectives, weaving together a story of love, betrayal, and the quest for success within one of NYC's most famous residences.

The Book Girls Say... This book is perfect for fans of dual-timeline historical fiction novels. The Dakota is still standing, and it's located at the corner of Central Park West and 72nd Street, directly across the street from Central Park. It was once home to John Lennon, who was murdered right outside the building gates in 1980, and it remains home to Yoko Ono. This building, dubbed New York's most famous apartment building by Architectural Digest, has also been home to many other celebrities over the years.

by Simone St. James
Setting: 1982 & 2017, Upstate New York
First published 2020

This atmospheric, dual timeline thriller, with a side of the paranormal, is a perfect pick for fans of the suspense and horror genres.

In 1982, 20-year-old Viv worked as a night clerk at the Sun Down Motel. She was hoping to save enough money for a move to NYC, but something isn't right at the hotel, and she's determined to find out what it is.

In 2017, 20-year-old Carly grew up hearing the story of her aunt Viv's disappearance from the Sun Down Motel thirty-five years before. When she visits the motel, she soon finds herself entangled in the mystery of the haunted motel.

by Rainbow Rowell
Setting: 1986, Omaha
First published 2012

The boy is in a black t-shirt, hiding behind headphones and his book, trying to be invisible. The girl is new to town, with crazy red hair and mismatched clothes that make her stand out. Boy meets girl. Through late-night conversations and lots of mix-tapes, they fall in love the way you only can the first time.

The Book Girls Say... This YA novel will transport you back in time to what it was like to be a teenager falling in love for the first time.

by Ernest Cline
Setting: 2044 (but the 1980s are the real star)
First published 2011

This is a somewhat unusual choice because this novel is set in the year 2044. However, teenager Wade Watts spends his time in a virtual utopia known as OASIS solving puzzles based on the creator's obsession with the pop culture references of past decades.

Falling into the sci-fi / dystopian genre, this book is heavy on 1980s pop culture and video game nostalgia.

by Bryan Stevenson
Setting: 1980s to present
First published 2014

Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative in the late 1980s. In Just Mercy, he shares the powerful true story about his experience as a young lawyer.

One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian. McMillian was wrongly accused in the 1987 murder of an 18-year-old white woman in Alabama. He was convicted after a trial that only lasted a day and a half and was sentenced to die. Stevenson took McMillian's case the following year, and worked tirelessly to try to save his life.

by Kevin Jakubowski
Setting: 1980s
First published 2013

This short and humorous read is packed with all the 80s nostalgia you could ask for! It's 1980-something, and all Jake wants for Christmas is a Nintendo Entertainment System. But somewhere in town, a tv falls on and kills a small dog, and all the parents in town blame the NES.

In a look back at the kid pop culture of the 1980s, this quest of Super Mario proportions is complete with flaming wreaths, speeding minivans, lost retainers, and Cabbage Patch Kids.

The Book Girls Say... If you're a child of the 80's who grew up watching A Christmas Story, we think you'll be entertained by this retelling set in the decade of your youth and told from a nostalgic adult perspective!

This was a pretty unknown book - a bit of a random find - when we first added it to our list. So imagine our surprise when we saw in 2021 that it was released as a movie starring Neil Patrick Harris. We recommend reading the book this month and watching the movie when the holiday season rolls around!

by Grady Hendrix
Setting: 1988, Charleston, South Carolina
First published 2016

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over their shared love of E.T., roller-skating, and scratch and sniff stickers. But when high school rolls around, Gretchen begins to act differently, and Abby determines that the only explanation is that Gretchen has a demon living inside her.

The Book Girls Say... This cult hit with its VHS-inspired cover is part 80s horror movie and part tongue-in-cheek 80s nostalgia comedy. Overall reviewers say it's more campy than horror and that it nails middle-class America in the 80s.

It's described as Beaches meets The Exorcist and has also drawn comparisons to Heathers and Mean Girls. The novel is currently being adapted into a movie, but no release date has been announced yet.

by Andrew Morton
Setting: 1980s, England
First published 1992, republished in 2017

When it was first published in 1992, this book shocked the public, and forever changed the view of the British monarchy. Unlike many tabloid-style books written about the Royal family, this biography was written with intimate involvement from Princess Diana herself. It also had the full cooperation and support of her family and friends, who speak freely in this tell-all.

Via this book, Diana became the first senior royal to ever speak in such unfiltered terms about her relationship with the Queen, her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, and her life in the House of Windsor. Twenty-five years later, biographer Andrew Morton revisited the secret tapes he and the late Princess made to reveal even more insights into her extraordinary life.

by George Orwell
Setting: 1984, London
First published 1949

Written in 1949, this book painted a nightmarish vision of a 1984 future. Although it was written more than 70 years ago, George Orwell's prophecies about the future are even more timely now than in 1984.

The Book Girls Say... We debated whether to include this book on the list since it was written about a fictional, future 1980s. But we think it serves as an interesting comparison for readers who experienced the 1980s firsthand. And it also gives us a lot to think about in today's society as well.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐1/2
75% Would Recommend to a Friend

by David Mitchell
Setting: 1982, Worcestershire, England
First published 2006

This coming-of-age novel tracks one year in the life of a 13-year-old boy in a sleepy village in Cold War England. Each of the chapters represents one month from January 1982 to January 1983. While each reads like a short story, together they paint a portrait of this stuttering young poet as he experiences many of the firsts of growing up.

The Book Girls Say... This book is not for everyone. Those who have read some of David Mitchell's more experimental works find this coming-of-age story to be a bit too ordinary tending toward boring, while others simply don't enjoy reliving the tortures of adolescence. But this book has also garnered many rave reviews. Pick this book up if you're looking for a tender and simple English-countryside story filled with 1980s nostalgia.

by Tom Wolfe
Setting: 1980s, New York City
First published 1987

Sherman McCoy is a millionaire Wall Street trader and self-proclaimed "Master of the Universe." When his Mercedes, driven by his mistress, hits and fatally injures a young Black man in the Bronx, Sherman stands to lose his wealth and his power. The stories of three other men, also overcome by ambition and vanity - a media-obsessed district attorney, a power-hungry pastor, and an alcoholic tabloid journalist.

Written in 1987, this is widely considered one of the quintessential 80's novels. This novel uses social satire to paint a portrait of 1980s New York fraught with racial and class tensions.

The Book Girls Say... We can probably all agree that the book is always better than the movie, but in this case, the film has been included on a list of the ten worst films created from some of the best literature. So if you see this movie title pop up on one of your streaming services, skip it and stick to the book!

by Candace Bushnell
Setting: 1980s, Connecticut
First published 2010

Fans of Sex and the City will enjoy this YA novel (the first in a series) that takes us back to Carrie Bradshaw's senior year of high school, where she was just a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. But as the end of high school draws near, and on the heels of a friend's betrayal, Carrie will realize it's time to go after what she really wants.

Goodreads declares, "Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer."

The Book Girls Say... The Carrie Diaries series is written by the same author whose first book, Sex and the City, was the basis for the HBO hit series.

by Kevin Smokler
Setting: 1980s Movies
First published 2016

This nonfiction book explores the influence of 80s teen movies, including interviews with actors, writers, and directors.

This book also explores the importance of the settings of these movies, from Hill Valley, CA, and the "Goondocks" of Astoria, to the Dirty Dancing resort in Lake Lure, North Carolina.

The Book Girls Say... Eighties movie fans may also want to check out Andrew McCarthy's memoir, Brat: An 80's Story, which is a quick read at just 220 pages (or a quick 4-hour audiobook listen read by the author himself).