The 16 Best Books To Read To Fill ‘The Gilded Age’ Void

1. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The Age of Innocence is the ultimate masterclass in social satire that just so happens to be dressed up in the type of prose that makes lit fans swoon. You'll be biting your nails over Newland Archer's internal struggle between society's expectations and, well, a pretty hot countess. It's all about the subtle glances and the devastating power of scandal — gasp!

2. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

Can't have a Gilded Age list and not include this novel, which combines fiction with reality. Houdini, Emma Goldman, and J.P. Morgan created a whirlwind narrative about jazz, immigration, and the relentless beat of progress. It's also fun to read, which you know is critical.

3. A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler

4. The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton (unfinished, completed by Marion Mainwaring)

Yes, another Wharton, but this one's different! Plus, when you're done, you can watch the adaptation by the same name. More Gilded Age content! The Buccaneers follows a group of wealthy American heiresses who cross the Atlantic to snag themselves a British title by way of a British husband. You can imagine how the Brits feel about that. It's like a three-part episode of the Real Housewives of New York (first incarnation only, thank you very much).

5. The Alienist by Caleb Carr

For those who like their Gilded Age served with a side of mystery and a dash of psychological thrills, The Alienist is a must-read. Set in 1896 New York, it features a compelling trio – a criminal psychologist (the "alienist"), a newspaper reporter, and a headstrong police secretary – who work together to find a killer preying on boy prostitutes. It's dark, atmospheric, and full of fascinating historical detail about early forensic psychology. For our TV girlies, it's also been adapted into a TV of the same name that is deliciously watchable.

6. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

We couldn't leave out the book that literally gave the era its name! This satirical novel by two of America's literary giants is a rollicking (albeit also rambling) critique of post-Civil War America. It's surprisingly relevant, though admittedly maybe not one to pop into your bag for the beach.

7. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

While much of The Gilded Age focuses on the East Coast elite, Daughter of Fortune is set on the other side of the continent, spanning the California Gold Rush and beyond. This sprawling historical novel follows Eliza Sommers, a woman seeking out her lost lover in the changing landscape of mid-19th-century California. If you haven't read Allende, be forewarned: she's prolific, and her books are all equally excellent.

8. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

This absolutely brilliant novel tells the incredible true story of Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian to J.P. Morgan. She's the woman who built one of the most important private libraries in America. But it wasn't easy. She had a pretty big secret: Belle was an African American woman who was forced to pass as white to do what she dreamed. It's a fascinating and profoundly moving story. You'll be rooting for Belle every step of the way.

Here are even more books like The Gilded Age to read after season 3 ends!

• American Duchess by Karen Harper
• Our Kind of People by Carol Wallace
• Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
• Passing Strange by Martha A. Sandweiss
• The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
• The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
• The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
• The Social Graces by Renée Rosen