American Gods captivated imaginations across the world when it premiered on Starz on Aprril 30, 2016, but now fans face an almost year-long wait for the show's second season. Luckily for you, I've got 10 great books you should read while you wait on American Gods Season 2.
Based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 book of the same name, American Gods centers on Shadow Moon, an ex-con who gets released from prison early because his wife and best friend have been killed during an illicit rendezvous. Aimless, Shadow finds employment with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, later revealed to be the Norse god Odin, who is currently traveling across the U.S. to rally forces for a coming war. American Gods stars Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon, Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday, and Emily Browning as Laura Moon.
American Gods Season 2 won't premiere until June 2018, which means viewers have many long months to weather without more of Starz's Gaiman-inspired adventures. Lucky for us, there are plenty of American Gods readalikes to keep book-lovers satisfied through this grueling, Gods-less period.
Check out the books I think you should read while you wait for American Gods Season 2, and share your inter-season reading list with me on Twitter!
1'Anansi Boys' by Neil Gaiman
American Gods fans will recognize Mr. Nancy, played by Orlando Jones on the Starz series, whose death is the catalyst in Gaiman's 2005 novel, Anansi Boys, in which Mr. Nancy's two sons each discover for the first time that the other exists.
2'Boy, Snow, Bird' by Helen Oyeyemi
This mid-century fairy tale from Mr. Fox author Helen Oyeyemi combines Nella Larsen's Passing with the story of Snow White. At its heart, Boy, Snow, Bird is the tale of a woman and her two daughters, each of whom must search for their identity among the artifacts of history.
3'Deathless' by Catherynne M. Valente
Another fairy tale mash-up, Catherynne M. Valente's Deathless brings the traditional Russian story of Marya Morevna to the early 20th century, placing its heroine amid the wreckage of the February and October Revolutions.
4'The Bear and the Nightingale' by Katherine Arden
Set during a cold winter in feudal Russia, Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale follows Vasya, a young girl with the inborn power to see spirits, whose new stepmother forbids her from using her abilities, even as danger creeps closer.
5'Good Omens' by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Gaiman's 1990 collaboration with the late Terry Pratchett, Good Omens is the Armageddon story like you've never heard it before. An angel and a demon, content with the status quo, conspire to protect the Antichrist from learning who he is, thereby stopping the march of end-times prophecy in its tracks.
6'Sister Mine' by Nalo Hopkinson
Twin sisters Makeda and Abby were once conjoined, the twisted daughters of a god and a mortal woman. Things have changed. The sisters are separated and estranged, their father becomes a mortal and their mother a sea creature. But when dear old dad disappears, Makeda must reach out to her more magical twin for help finding him.
7'Lamb' by Christopher Moore
Believe it or not, the Christian Bible is a little bit spotty when it comes to documenting the life of Jesus. Thankfully, Christopher Moore's Lamb brings us the story of the young Jesus — or Josh, as he's better known — from the perspective of his childhood BFF, Biff.
8'Kraken' by China Miéville
Another tale set at the end of the world, China Miéville's Kraken tells the horrific and hilarious story of a cephalopod expert, his disappeared Giant Squid, and the Congregation of God Kraken.
9The Everworld Series by K.A. Applegate
K.A. Applegate's classic YA series centers on five teens who are pulled into Everworld, the realm of the gods, by Loki, who plans to use one of them as a gateway to freedom.
10'Norse Mythology' by Neil Gaiman
Speaking of Loki, you should also check out Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, which is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of classic Viking stories, retold by Gaiman himself. The old-world antics of Loki, Thor, and Odin will have you rolling with laughter.
