Books to fill the gap left by USA Network miniseries The Sinner
If you loved The Sinner, but need some non-screen time in your near future, we have a few book recommendations for you that should help you say goodbye.
Leave it to Jessica Biel to make her comeback as the rebellious older sister in an overly religious family in The Sinner. USA Network’s eight-part miniseries is based on the book of the same name by Petra Hammesfahr. The show follows Biel’s character, Cora Tanetti, after she murders a man in public and cannot remember why. Cora’s basically the darker and more damaged Mary Camden we’ve all been missing for over a decade. She’s a mother and a wife, and now, all of the sudden, a murderer who can’t remember important chunks of her life.
Unfortunately, this incredible USA Network miniseries lived and died in eight episodes. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 94%, and it had one of cable television’s best debuts this year. Long story short: The Sinner was tough to bid adieu. If you want to replace the hour every week you now have free with a good read, the following three books will keep you going until Jessica Biel finds us yet another place to go when the world don’t treat us right.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
A young art teacher goes missing in this 2014 page-turner. Mia Dennett has no memory of her kidnapping, but each chapter is labeled “Before” or “After” to help you, the reader, piece together every moment of the story.
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Sweetbitter is just as addictive as The Sinner, and you can read it all in one sitting. The whip-smart and naturally beautiful narrator leaves her New Jersey home and family at 22 in search for answers. She finds them working in a fast-paced and high-end New York City restaurant. You’ll envy her, pity her, and never want to put the book down, for fear of losing her.
Night Film: A Novel by Marisha Pessl
This New York Times bestselling pageturner revolves around the suicide of a famous director’s daughter. An odd threesome makes up the team of investigators in 24-year-old Ashley Cordova’s death. The novel’s modern and interactive aspect is one-of-a-kind. Pessl gives you screenshots, audio files, websites, and even a “decoder” app, so you uncover answers and find evidence yourself while reading the book.
Next: Sabrina the Teenage Witch coming back to TV
Do you have any books that keep you from feeling too guilty about all of the awesome shows out there this season? Have a new series you can’t stop talking about? Share with us in the comments below!