Whether you found this post searching for the best books set in the 1990s or you’re participating in our Decades Challenge, we hope you’ll find many books for your TBR list as you read our recommendations.
Literary Themes in Books About the 1990s
Our recommendations provide a look back at this decade and include some of the best books set in the 1990s. They examine everything from small-town life to British aristocracy and from pop culture to serious social issues.
The 1990s are primarily remembered as a decade of prosperity in the United States. The economy was growing quickly, the unemployment rate was low, and the US budget had a surplus for the first time in 30 years. But the Nineties also put a national spotlight on many issues that we are still grappling with today, including domestic terrorism, mass shootings, and climate change.
New technology in the 1990s, including the World Wide Web (limited to dial-up connections), led to a rise in multiculturalism and alternative media. A rise of grunge music ushered in the decade, and all things alternative counterculture soon went mainstream. However, despite this move to the Alternative, “Must See TV” laugh-track sitcoms, like Friends, ruled the airwaves.
For additional historical context, check out the timeline of major world events included at the end of the post.
The Best 90s Books
Book Summary
The “Lamb”(Perry Cullen) is a former landscaper turned prophet who is preparing for the End Times with a staggering cache of weapons. His “gospel” is drawing members from all walks of life to his compound in Waco, Texas. And when they join, they sign over their savings and pensions.
Fourteen-year-old Jaye has doubts when her mother becomes a devout follower. Roy is the sheriff’s son who falls for Jaye, but this may have dire consequences for both families.
The Book Girls Say…
While this is a work of fiction, this novel is based on true stories from one of the biggest headlines and tragedies of the 1990s. However, the author says that he did not base The Lamb on David Koresh, and this story focuses more on what it was like for the followers’ family members. In some ways, it’s a modern-day Romeo and Juliet
The story is told from the viewpoints of both Jaye and Roy via a podcast format, looking back at the events 30 years later.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
98% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
April has a rough life, fending for herself in a motorless motorhome that her father won while playing poker. She works at a diner but dreams of being a songwriter. After flunking out of school and another fight with her dad, April sets off to find a better life for herself.
Along the way, she meets others with complex stories, which are the perfect inspiration for her songs. But even more important than that, she finds that family doesn’t have to mean the community you were born into. Instead, people you meet can become family.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a beautifully written, character-driven, coming-of-age novel. April isn’t always likable, and she makes many bad decisions along the way. But she’s a raw and real character you’ll come to love despite her flaws.
This book is packed with so much genuine emotion, honesty, and heart that you’ll want a copy on your shelf so that you can read it again!
Book Summary
Although she’s only 11, Olive(Ollie) Augusta Radley knows that her step-father does not have good intentions with the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie bravely chooses to flee into the woods with the younger girl, 6-year-old Nessie. As they journey through the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, they risk encountering outlaws, treasure hunters, and other desperate men.
Along their travels, Ollie and Nessie bond with each other and other children on the run from terrible situations.
In 1990, in Oklahoma, Ranger Valerie Boren O’Dell arrived at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. Instead, she quickly has to investigate a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. As she digs into the area’s dark past, she finds an ally in the Choctaw Tribal Police.
The Book Girls Say…
This novel is told in alternating timelines, but both are well-developed. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end of the book, as it covers which parts of the story are based on the real history of the region.
Book Summary
Sawyer is a twenty-something trying to make it in New York, working as an assistant for a publishing company. She’s engaged to her college boyfriend but is extremely lonely in the summer of 1999 as her fiancé keeps working longer and longer hours…with a female coworker named Kendra.
Kendra’s boyfriend, Nick, has the same concerns about the endless hours Kendra is spending at work with Sawyer’s fiancé. After a rough first meeting between Sawyer and Nick, they form a friendship via their AOL Instant Messanger chat. Soon, they start spending every Friday afternoon exploring the city together.
The Book Girls Say…
Reviewers praise the audiobook version of Summer Fridays. Readers who don’t enjoy this novel cite the cheating in the storyline as something they couldn’t get past, so if that’s also a dealbreaker for you, skip this one.
Overall, the book is deeper than a typical romance and leaves plenty to think about.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In 1994 at age 7, author Qian Wang moved with her family from China to America. Before the move, her parents were successful professors. Despite the Chinese word for America, Mei Guo, meaning beautiful country, life is much harder for the family here. Her parents overstay their visas and are not in the US legally, which means they must find work in sweatshops instead of classrooms.
Qian escapes to libraries to avoid the teachers and classmates who shun her limited English. Over time, she’s able to master English through her study of books like The Bernstein Bears and The Babysitters Club and begins to glimpse some of the magic of New York City, like Christmas at Rockefeller Center. However, her world changes again when her mom gets sick.
This memoir gives a unique insight into the hidden life and struggles of children trying to thrive in a place where they must also remain hidden in many ways.
The Book Girls Say…
Both Book Girls were teenagers in the 1990s, so Angela found it especially powerful to read about Qian Julie’s experiences growing up in that decade. Her sweatshop experiences, for example, were things we grew up thinking only happened in other countries when, in fact, they were part of Qian Julie’s reality in the United States. While Angela really enjoyed this memoir, some readers found it difficult to read about Qian Julie’s traumas, including her father’s abusive treatment of her cat.
Qian Julie went on to graduate from Swarthmore College and Yale Law School, and became a partner in a law firm with her practice focusing on civil rights litigation.
Book Summary
Soila was widely considered a lucky girl as she grew up in a protected life in Nairobi with a stern mother. However, her outspoken nature means she often butts heads with her mom and the strict rules of the household. After an assault by a trusted family friend, she flees to New York City for college.
However, NYC in the 1990s is not what Soila expected. While she’s always believed America was the land of golden opportunity, she’s shocked by the disparity between her wealthy classmates and the poverty in the streets. Then, she befriends a Black American, and she’s shocked by the racism she had endured in the States. As she was raised in Kenya, she never had to consider the legacy slavery left behind in the United States.
Soila also falls in love with a free-spirited artist she knows her mother would disapprove of. Is it time to follow her heart or honor her family & Kenyan identity?
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
It’s 1913, and Laura’s husband is the superintendent of the NY Public Library. The job comes with an apartment in the grand building for the couple and their two children. Laura seems to have it all, but after she enters journalism school at Columbia and has her worldview rocked, she starts to question if the things she has are the things she wants.
Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie landed her dream job as a curator at the NY Public Library, but her grandmother Laura’s legacy looms over her until she can no longer ignore it.
The Book Girls Say…
Fiona Davis is one of our favorite historical fiction writers because of her strong female characters. Her novels are each set in a famous NYC building and combine history, a little romance, and a mystery.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
93% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
As a tennis star, Carrie Soto shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. She retired in 1988 at the top of her game, after decades of sacrifice. Now, in 1994, she’s just witnessed Nicki Chan take her record at the US Open.
At 37, Carrie decides to come back to tennis for one year in an attempt to regain her record. As she has been since she was only 2, she’ll be coached by her father, Javier. Her body doesn’t move as quickly now, but her brutal competitiveness is just as strong. She’s even willing to train with the man she almost let into her hardened heart years ago, Bowe.
While the book does have a strong emphasis on tennis, it also deals heavily with Carrie’s relationships, especially the one with her father/coach.
The Book Girls Say…
If you read Malibu Rising, you might recognize the name Carrie Soto. She’s the woman that Nina’s husband left her for. So, as you might guess from her history as ‘the other woman,’ she isn’t the most likable character.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Seventeen-year-old Novalee Nation is seven months pregnant when her boyfriend – bound for California – leaves her stranded at a Walmart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma. With only $7.77 to her name and nowhere to go, Novalee begins secretly living in the Walmart.
But she soon discovers that this small town is filled with deeply caring people. An eclectic group of townsfolk adopts Novalee and her newborn as their own in this novel, which may make you both laugh and cry.
The Book Girls Say…
Author Billie Letts was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and worked as a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Where the Heart Is was her 1995 debut novel which also saw great success as a film in 2000, starring Natalie Portman and Asley Judd. But, as is often the case, many reviewers agree that the book is better than the movie. So even if you vaguely recall the movie from a couple of decades back, we recommend you pick up this book for a quick read that is heart-rending and heartwarming.
Heads Up: This book deals with some heavy and challenging topics, including sexual abuse of a minor and substance abuse.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
98% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Born a Crime is the true story of Daily Show host Trevor Noah’s childhood and early adulthood. His rise to success was unlikely based on his beginning. Trevor was born in South Africa in 1984 to a white father and a Black mother. His parents could have been imprisoned for five years – or worse – for conceiving him. He spent his early years largely hidden from life outside because his mother feared (with good reason) that he could be removed from her custody because of the apartheid rules of segregation.
When the era of white rule officially ended in the early 1990s, the family’s troubles evolved with the times. From attempted kidnappings and domestic violence to high school dating, you’ll find a mixture of relatable and shocking stories that keep you engaged with every page.
The Book Girls Say…
In true Trevor Noah fashion, you’ll be entertained while also receiving an education on life in apartheid South Africa. You will laugh and cry as you listen to him narrate his own poignant and honest stories.
We highly recommend listening to the audiobook, which Trevor narrates himself. Trevor speaks eight languages and draws upon each of them throughout the book to explain how languages can divide people, but can also be used to build bridges. We found it much more impactful to hear him speak each language with the correct sounds and pronunciations, rather than attempting our own phonetic reading.
There is also a young reader edition of Born a Crime; however, it’s not available in audio format.
Book Summary
Writers & Lovers is a classic coming-of-age book about the struggle of an in-debt 31-year-old. She works as a waitress to pay the bills while trying not to give up her bigger dream of writing a novel.
We thought it was the perfect mix of literary fiction and reality TV as the book follows the main character through every aspect of her daily life.
The Book Girls Say…
After reading so many reviews from people who found this book boring, we went in skeptical, but we both fell in love with Writers and Lovers. Specifically, we think fans of the movie Reality Bites will enjoy this book!
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
After years of struggling to make it as a writer, James has finally sold his first book – a semi-autobiographical novel about his dysfunctional relationship with his mother. He’s shocked to find out that the editor who has purchased his book is none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
After an embarrassing initial meeting, James and Mrs. Onassis, as she’s known around the office, form an unexpected friendship. By the time his book is finally published, his relationship with his editor has changed him as a writer and as a son.
The Book Girls Say…
It can be tricky to write historical fiction in which one of the main characters is such a famous, real-life person. But Steven Rowley did a fantastic job portraying Jackie O as a private and professional woman full of heart. However, keep in mind that Jackie is a side character in the book and James is the main character, so much of what you see is him struggling with his career and relationships.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In the Shaker Heights suburb of Ohio, the life of the picture-perfect Richardson family becomes intertwined with the lives of Mia and her daughter Pearl, who rent a house from the Richardsons when they arrive in town.
All four of the Richardson children befriend Pearl and are drawn in by artist Mia. As their relationships become more intertwined, the bonds that tie them will ultimately unravel both families.
This story is about complex family dynamics, small-town politics, and white privilege. When a local family decides to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle divides the town, with Mrs. Richardson and Mia on opposite sides. Mrs. Richardson becomes suspicious of Mia’s motives and digs into her past. The secrets she uncovers will change everything.
The Book Girls Say…
We both enjoyed this book and felt it did a great job capturing suburban life in the 90s. This book has also now been turned into a Hulu mini-series by Reese Witherspoon.
Book Summary
In the 90s, Hayley’s mom did everything she could to make sure Hayley would become a pop star. But what was the real cost?
Now in her 30s, Hayley is under a conservatorship, with her father controlling her finances and in turn, her life. Even visits with her children are monitored. While she’s now well enough to work again, the restrictions are even tighter, and she is fed up.
As she gains public support from fans using #helphayley on social media, she’s also finally ready to share the full details of her tragic past with her 15-year-old daughters.
The Book Girls Say…
While the #freebrittany movement inspired this book, readers say it’s less focused on the present-day conservatorship and more about Hayley’s early years in the spotlight as a child star in the 90s-early 2000s.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
90% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In this true crime non-fiction, the author takes you alongside the ATF agents in Waco in 1993.
The Branch Davidians were a religious group living on a compound in Waco, Texas, under the leadership of David Koresh. The FBI and ATF believed that they were illegally stockpiling weapons. The government agencies obtained arrest warrants and raided the compound in February of 1993 in a siege that left four federal agents dead and dozens injured. Nearly 900 more law-enforcement officials descended on the compound and thus began a 51-day standoff. It ultimately came to a devastating end on April 19, 1993.
More than a dozen former ATF agents who participated in the initial raid spoke on the record for the first time in thirty years. Reporting their experiences, eyewitness reports, and other newly uncovered information, Guinn pens a narrative that allows you to understand this historical event like never before.
The Book Girls Say…
Author Jeff Guinn lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. As a journalist, he won many awards for his investigative journalism. He is the bestselling author of numerous books about historical figures and events, including Bonnie and Clyde, the OK Corral, and Charles Manson.
Book Summary
This Canadian coming-of-age story is set in Laurie’s final spring before college. She spends her time reading, working part-time in a restaurant, and caring for her 7-year-old neighbor, Cindy. Cindy has the mouth of a sailor and terrible parents, so Laurie is her only positive role model.
When Cindy’s family moves unexpectedly, Laurie knows she must find her. And at the same time, she’s learning many lessons about life and herself.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is a character-driven tragi-comedy that is perfect for book lovers. Laurie’s mom armchair travels through her love of reading and has taught Laurie to follow in her footsteps.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
On the morning of Alice’s 40th birthday, she wakes up in 1996, which was the year she turned 16. Having her adolescent body and seeing her high school crush are both surprising, but being reunited with her 40-something father is the biggest shock. He’s so charming and healthy, unlike his ailing 64-year-old body she’s used to.
With 24 years of extra life experience in her brain, Alice has a brand new perspective on events from the past. Her life at 40 isn’t bad. She likes her job, apartment, romantic status, and long-time best friend. So, should she try to change anything while she’s in the past?
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Kenyatta Bernice (KB) is almost 11 when her life is turned upside down. First, her father died of an overdose. Then, the debts caused by his addiction led to the loss of the family home. KB’s overwhelmed mother decides to send KB and her teen sister Nina to live with their estranged (and grumpy) grandfather in Lansing. The book follows KB over that summer as she comes of age in a neighborhood that isn’t hers. In addition to typical adolescent experiences, she’s dealing with resentment, abandonment, and loneliness. However, she finds herself escaping to the outdoors and into her favorite book, Anne of Green Gables, to help her figure out how to put the pieces of life back together into a better version of herself.
The Book Girls Say…
While this is adult fiction, some say it reads more like a YA novel. Others say it’s perfect for fans of Jesmyn Ward.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Ashley Bennett grew up in LA in a wealthy and prominent family. She’s leading a charmed life where her senior year is split between the classroom and the beach.
Everything changes on an April afternoon when four LAPD officers are acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. As LA erupts in violent riots around her, Ashley tries to continue with her normal life, but she’s no longer just a teenager – now she’s a “black kid.”
The Book Girls Say…
This book is perfect for fans of Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give, which is set in the 2010s.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Lillian and Madison were boarding school roommates and friends from very different backgrounds. However, they’ve barely spoken since a scandal forced Lillian to leave school.
A decade later, Lillian’s life is not on the track she’d imagined for herself, so when she receives a call from Madison asking her to help care for Madison’s twin step-children who are moving in, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose.
But there is a catch: both kids spontaneously burst into flames when they are agitated. Madison needs to keep this fact somehow a secret while her husband runs for public office. Despite knowing nothing about raising kids, Lillian agrees to take on the role, and throughout one summer, she and the kids learn together how to keep their cool – literally. It may even prove to be the start of a whole new life for Lillian.
The Book Girls Say…
We were both very skeptical about the premise of this book, but it’s an excellent and worthwhile short read! While the concept of children who catch fire makes it sound like this book is HEAVY on magical realism, it’s actually the only unusual element and serves as a great metaphor throughout the novel.
Some of our readers for the Lifetime Challenge did not enjoy that there is adult language in the book, so if you never enjoy books with curse words, skip this one.
Kindle Unlimited as of: 01/23/2025
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
The 1990s: Betty gave up a lot – universities, parties, boyfriends, and summer jobs – to care for her grandmother, Arlette. Arlette lives in a dilapidated yet charming, home on the British isle of Guernsey. When her grandmother passes away, Betty discovers that the will includes a beneficiary named Clara, whom no one in the family knows. So Betty travels to London to seek out Clara.
The 1920s: In the years after WW1, Arlette is starting a new life in bohemian London when she gets drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. A couple of years later, tragedy strikes and Arlette flees back to her home in Guernsey for good.
This rich detective story will transport you to London in both the 1920s and 1990s. As Betty investigates her grandmother’s life, she’ll uncover secrets that might also help her find happiness in her own life.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
As a young attorney in Montgomery, Alabama, Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law office dedicated to helping poor, incarcerated, and wrongly condemned defendants.
One of EJI’s first clients was Walter McMillian, a young Black man who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a young white woman. He was sentenced to death despite the consistent declaration of his innocence.
The Book Girls Say…
We both have this non-fiction read high on our list, and we’re considering the audio version since it’s narrated by the author/attorney, Bryan Stevenson. Readers say he does a fabulous job!
There is also a movie based on the book that we highly recommend.
Book Summary
Even as a child in 1910, Sara recognized that she was a gifted Jewish matchmaker and a seeker of soulmates. But on New York’s Lower East Side, this profession is dominated by devout older men who see a talented woman as a threat to their traditions and livelihood.
Two generations later, Abby is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney with some of the city’s wealthiest clients. When her beloved Grandma Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals in which Sara recorded details of her matches. The pages seem to provide Abby with more questions than answers – including why the work she once found so compelling suddenly feels inconsequential and flawed.
The Book Girls Say…
When we saw this novel described as “a captivating, exhilarating, feel-good, heartwarming, and magical historical fiction with loveliest characters,” we immediately added it to our TBRs.
Kindle Unlimited as of: 01/23/2025
Book Summary
The nineties don’t feel that long ago to us, but math (and technology) say otherwise. This book provides an insightful and humorous examination of this decade, from TV, music, and sports to politics, race, and class. He makes smart observations about the dramatic shifts that occurred in just ten short years and how those shifts set the stage for the 21st century.
The Book Girls Say…
This pop-culture non-fiction was the Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Humor in 2022.
If your 80s & 90s were spent reading Sweet Valley High and Babysitter’s Club books, you may also enjoy non-fiction Paperback Crush, which explores how these books impacted our culture. It’s often sarcastic, which readers either love or hate.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Bridget chronicles her daily successes and (more often) her perceived failures in her determined quest for self-improvement. She’s convinced she’ll finally be happy if she can lose 7 pounds, stop smoking, develop a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program her VCR.
Her diary entries are “devastatingly self-aware” and laugh-out-loud funny!
The Book Girls Say…
You may be familiar with the movie, but the book is what started it all, and it’s the perfect read if you are in the mood for something light and humorous with a whole lot of heart. If you enjoy Bridget’s adventures, there are three more books in the series.
This book is very reflective of the 1990s obsession with dieting and weight loss. While much of it is tongue-in-cheek humor, beyond the surface, it’s an interesting comparison to the more body-positive books we see in 2023.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
It’s Lincoln O’Neill’s job to read other people’s email. He thought his role as “internet security officer” would be more glamorous – building firewalls and crushing hackers. Instead, he spends his days reading his coworkers’ emails and writing a report each time someone forwards a dirty joke.
Everyone in the office knows someone is reading their emails (it’s company policy), but that doesn’t stop them. Beth and Jennifer send each other endless emails containing all the details of their personal lives. Lincoln knows he should report them, but instead, he finds himself enjoying their stories and, worst of all, falling in love.
This book will transport you back to the 1990s when email was new in the business world, Y2K was a significant fear, and before internet dating was a thing.
Book Summary
No show better defines the 1990s than Friends, which premiered in 1994. While this show is one of the most iconic television comedies, critics argue that it contains dated and problematic elements.
Journalist and pop culture expert Kelsey Miller provides an in-depth look at how Friends became such an unexpected sensation, explores its impact on pop culture, and sheds light on some of the social issues raised during its decade-long run.
The Book Girls Say…
We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to win any game of Friends trivia, but it turns out that there’s a lot behind the scenes that we didn’t know about. I’ll Be There For You is both a celebration of what made Friends so much fun, as well as an examination of its shortfalls. The author takes a fair and balanced approach that gives the book depth, while still allowing you to enjoy the nostalgia.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
80% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Set in the fictional eastern high plains town of Holt, Colorado, this novel centers around several different characters that span four generations in a small town. A high school teacher is raising his two sons alone after their mother leaves. A pregnant teenage girl has been evicted by her mother. And two elderly bachelor brothers live together out in the country, continuing to work their family homestead.
The Book Girls Say…
A decade ago, at the Denver Center Theater Company, Angela saw the premier of the very moving play that was developed from this novel, and she’s wanted to read the book ever since. However, some people are turned off by the lack of quotation marks. Others note there are some explicit scenes and language.
This is the first in a series of three, so keep in mind that not every issue in the book is resolved in this book.
Book Summary
Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her first-generation Asian American mother, Priscilla. And she’s definitely never understood her mom’s John Hughes-inspired expectation of the high school experience.
After a huge mother-daughter fight, Sam just wants to move forward, but instead, she finds herself sent back in time to the 1990s to help 17-year-old Priscilla become Homecoming Queen. This Gen Z girl quickly adapts to the 90s fashion, but adapting to an analog world is a totally different story. She’s baffled by everything from the microfiche to the casual racism and misogyny. Most confusing is that all of a sudden, Priscilla seems like someone she might actually want to be friends with.
The Book Girls Say…
This YA novel is described as Back to the Future-esque time travel meets the intergenerational immigrant experience of The Joy Luck Club. It’s filled with 90s nostalgia for those of us who remember the decade well. But it also has just enough heart and depth to balance out the comedy and YA romance.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Food blogger Anna Matthews takes a vitamin supplement that transports her back in time and back into her 16-year-old body, but just for twelve hours at a time. After getting over the initial shock, she takes advantage of the opportunity. Her husband has always been unwilling to talk about his past, so she decides to track him down in 1996, but her actions may have some unexpected and heartbreaking consequences.
The Book Girls Say…
If you enjoy all the 90s nostalgia in this breezy time travel novel, you’ll also want to check out the sequels, 1997 and 1998.
Kindle Unlimited as of: 01/23/2025
Book Summary
Teacher and single mum Alex has just moved to the small town of Bellbird River in New South Wales to escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney with her 11-year-old daughter. The heart of her new town is the Bellbird River Choir.
This novel follows the friendships of the choir members, including another town newcomer, the town matriarch, her cousin, and the local baker. Each woman has challenges in their past or present, and you’ll see how they move forward together over twelve months in 1998.
The Book Girls Say…
Music lovers will enjoy the healing power of singing demonstrated throughout this poignant and funny read.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
When journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer stood at the summit of Mt. Everest in 1996, he had no idea that a “murderous storm” was headed for the mountain. In this bestselling non-fiction title, he provides an epic and guilt-ridden account of the disaster that would ultimately claim five lives.
The book follows Krakauer’s entire journey, including how he paid for the expensive climb, the preparations required, and his step-by-step quest to the summit. Additionally, you’ll learn about the local sherpas and how they are impacted both positively and negatively by the influx of climbers each year.
The Book Girls Say…
Angela read this book twice in college, once for a management class and then again for a leadership class. It reads more like a novel than a documentary, but beyond the story of storm and disaster, it’s also filled with powerful insights about decision-making and team dynamics.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In 1991, 10-year-old Ana had no idea that Yugoslavia was about to erupt into the chaos that would eventually lead her home region of Croatia to become its own country.
Ana’s daily life goes from carefree days playing in the streets to learning about snipers and child soldiers. This new and enduring conflict transforms her coming-of-age period. Eventually, she makes a daring escape to America.
After a while, Ana hides her tragic past from others and even from herself. However, while in college, she decides to return alone to Croatia to rediscover her homeland.
You are welcome to choose any book that you’d like to read for the challenge, but we hope that this list of books has given you a good starting point.
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Printable Version This Book List
Readers who support The Book Girls’ Guide through our Buy Me a Coffee (BMAC) membership site can access printable versions of the reading challenge book lists. As we update each book list throughout the year – following the monthly reading challenge schedule – each list will be available in a single-page printable format for our BMAC members.
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Major World Events of the 1990s
We compiled this list of major events of the time period to provide some historical context for your reading. We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about this period in history.
- In February 1990, Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison in South Africa. In 1991, President F.W. de Klerk and Mandela began working together to end apartheid and establish a democratic government for South Africa. In 1993, the pair won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work. In 1994, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa.
- Art thieves stole 13 works of art from the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston in March 1990. The museum continues to actively investigate the theft, working in partnership with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office. A $10 million reward is offered for information leading directly to the recovery of the art.
- The official demolition of the Berlin Wall began in June of 1990 and was completed two years later.
- The Gulf War began in August of 1990. The combat phase, known as Operation Desert Storm, began on January 17, 1991. The war, in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, ended 43 days later on February 28, 1991, but the ramifications lasted much longer, including the long-term effects on the US soldiers who served at this time.
- The inventor of the World Wide Web published his formal proposal in 1990. By 1991, the Internet became available for unrestricted commercial use.
- The Soviet Union took the first official steps to break up the U.S.S.R. in September 1991. By the end of 1991, the dissolution was effective, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
- Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in July 1991 after the remains of 11 men and boys were found in his apartment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His murders spanned from 1978 to 1991.
- In 1992, violent riots broke out in Los Angeles after four white officers were acquitted in the beating of black motorist Rodney King, despite the brutality being captured on video.
- The European Union was created in 1992. The Euro began circulation as the official currency of the EU in 1999.
- Bill Clinton was elected as the 42nd President of the United States in 1992 and reelected in 1996. However, following revelations about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in late 1998, Clinton became only the second US president to be impeached. Clinton was ultimately acquitted by the Senate and finished his second term in office.
- The Real World premiered on MTV in 1992, launching the modern reality TV genre.
- In 1993, the government raided the compound of a Christian cult, the Branch Davidians. The Waco Siege led to a 51-day standoff that ended in April when fires consumed the compound, leaving 75 people dead, including 25 children.
- In 1994, Genocide and Civil War took place in Rwanda, with an estimated 500,000+ people killed.
- Tonya Harding was stripped of her national figure skating championship title in 1994 because of her role in the attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.
- The Channel Tunnel (the “Chunnel”), an underwater train tunnel, was completed in 1994. It created the only fixed link between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.
- On the evening of Friday, June 17, 1994, 95 million people were glued to their TVs watching as O.J. Simpson led police on an hour-long, 60-mile “slow-speed chase” in his white Bronco down southern California’s freeways. In 1995, after a trial that lasted more than 8 months, Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and her friend. Two years later, he was found guilty in a civil trial.
- The television show Friends premiered on NBC in September of 1994 and ran for ten seasons.
- In April of 1995, two anti-government militants detonated a truck packed with explosives outside a federal building in Oklahoma City. 168 people, including children in daycare, were killed, and many more were injured. The Oklahoma City bombing was the deadliest domestic-based terrorist attack in US history.
- A bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, killed two and injured more than 100.
- For two decades, the “Unabomber,” Harvard graduate Ted Kaczynski, terrorized the country with a series of mail bombs before being arrested in 1996.
- Princess Diana and Prince Charles got divorced in August 1996. A year later, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. Her funeral was watched by 1.5 billion people around the world.
- Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned mammal, was unveiled by scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland in 1997.
- On April 20, 1999, two students of Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, opened fire on their teachers and classmates. Twelve students and a teacher were killed before the gunmen took their own lives.
- Throughout the end of the decade, Y2K anxiety grew as people feared that computer systems would shut down when the two-digit year changed from 99 to 00. Companies and governments spent millions in preparation, and ultimately, the new millennium dawned without incident.
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