Books Set in the 1980s
Books Set in the 1980s
The 1980s were a time of bold fashion, unforgettable music, and classic movies that have left an indelible mark on popular culture. Whether you lived through it or are simply fascinated by the era, the '80s continue to influence our lives in ways both big and small. Let's take a trip down memory lane and explore some of the most iconic aspects of this vibrant decade.
Fashion That Defined an Era
The 1980s were all about making a statement. From neon colors to oversized silhouettes, fashion in this decade was anything but subtle. Who could forget the popularity of shoulder pads that gave everyone a powerfully broad-shouldered look, or the leg warmers that became a fitness fashion staple thanks to the aerobics craze? Parachute pants, acid-wash jeans, and scrunchies were must-have items, while brands like Guess, Esprit, and Benetton were the height of cool. And let’s not overlook the influence of MTV, where music videos made style icons out of artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper.
Music: The Soundtrack of the '80s
The 1980s were a golden age for music, with genres like pop, rock, and new wave dominating the airwaves. The rise of MTV in 1981 changed the music industry forever, as music videos became as important as the songs themselves. Iconic artists like Prince, Whitney Houston, and Bruce Springsteen released hit after hit, while bands like Duran Duran, The Police, and Bon Jovi filled arenas around the world.
The '80s also saw the emergence of hip-hop as a cultural force, with artists like Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J bringing the genre to mainstream audiences. Meanwhile, Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" became the best-selling album of all time, and Madonna's blend of pop and provocative imagery made her the Queen of Pop.
Movies and TV Shows That Captivated a Generation
When it comes to movies, the 1980s gave us some of the most beloved films of all time. From John Hughes classics like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to action-packed blockbusters like Die Hard and Indiana Jones, the '80s offered something for everyone. E.T. captured the hearts of millions with its story of friendship and adventure, while Back to the Future took us on a wild ride through time.
TV shows were just as influential, with sitcoms like The Cosby Show, Family Ties, and Cheers dominating prime time. Saturday mornings were reserved for cartoons like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, and Thundercats, while nighttime brought us the drama of Dallas and the mystery of Murder, She Wrote.
Toys and Technology: The Birth of Modern Pop Culture
The 1980s were also a decade of incredible technological innovation, laying the groundwork for the digital age we live in today. The first personal computers, like the Commodore 64 and the Apple Macintosh, hit the market, making computing accessible to the masses. Video games took a giant leap forward with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, introducing us to characters like Mario and Zelda who are still beloved today.
Toys from the '80s have become pop culture icons in their own right. Who could forget the frenzy over Cabbage Patch Kids or the endless fun of building with LEGOs? Star Wars action figures, My Little Pony, and the Rubik’s Cube were all must-haves for kids, while the Atari 2600 and Game Boy revolutionized how we played games.
The Legacy of the 1980s
The 1980s were a time of excess, creativity, and boldness that continues to inspire today. From the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, to the movies and TV shows we watch, the influence of the '80s is everywhere. It was a decade that embraced individuality and celebrated pop culture in a way that was truly unique. Whether you were there to experience it firsthand or have come to love it in retrospect, the '80s remain a cherished chapter in the story of our lives.
20+ Books Set in the 1980s
The Wedding Party by Liu Xinwu, translated by Jeremy Tiang
Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, THE WEDDING PARTY weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories, in this day-in-the-life tale of a Beijing wedding.
On a December morning in 1982, the courtyard of a Beijing siheyuan―a lively quadrangle of homes―begins to stir. Auntie Xue’s son Jiyue is getting married today, and she is determined to make the day a triumph. Despite Jiyue’s woeful ignorance in matters of the heart―and the body. Despite a chef in training tasked with the onerous responsibility of preparing the banquet. With a cross-generational multitude of guests, from anxious family members to a fretful bridal party―not to mention exasperating friends, interfering neighbors, and wedding crashers―what will the day ahead bring?
THE WEDDING PARTY is a touching, hilarious portrait of life in this singular city, all packed into a Beijing courtyard on a single day that manages to be both perfectly normal and utterly extraordinary at the same time.
The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning
From bestselling author Kirsty Manning comes a stunning novel based on a true story of clandestine courage in World War II as prisoners of war risk their lives to secure evidence of Nazi atrocities—and how one man concealed it for decades before passing it on to his family who struggle to understand their inherited legacy of trauma.
Austria, 1940s: Yugoslavian Nico Antonov is just one of more than 200,000 people imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp near the Danube River. Malnourished and forced into hard labor in a quarry, he still defies his captors any way he can. When fate brings him into contact with Lena Lang, a young woman living with her family in fear of their Nazi occupiers, he finds an ally.
SS officers have charged Spanish POW and photographer Mateo Baca with recording the events and prisoners of Mauthausen and to make five copies of the collected photo book for the Third Reich’s leaders. But Mateo also creates a sixth book to be smuggled out of the camp—where Nico entrusts Lena to hide it and protect their secret.
Australia, 1980s to present day: When teenager Hannah Campbell discovers her grandfather Nico’s mysterious photo album, filled with horrific visions of suffering and cruelty, the barbarities of World War II no longer feel like ancient history. Haunted by the images for years, as a university student and a married young mother, she pursues the truth behind her grandfather’s incarceration. As Hannah experiences love and loss in her own life, she comes to understand how the photos not only capture history but reflect a shared humanity that must never be forgotten.
Civilisation Francaise by Mary Fleming
Author Interview with Mary Fleming
When recent college graduate Lily Owens enrolls in the Civilisation Française course at the Sorbonne in 1982, she hopes to put a difficult childhood behind her and to find direction for adulthood. She moves into a mansion on the place des Vosges where her job is helping elderly, half-blind Amenia Quinon, another ex-pat American. Amenia is haunted by memories of World War II, as is her Jewish housekeeper, Germaine. The three women live alone in this house of silence and secrets, until Lily secretly lets her friend, Thibaud, move into the empty wing. When Thibaud lets in others, the abandoned part of the house quickly turns into a squat, causing turmoil and distress among the three women, but ultimately bringing them closer together. CIVILISATION FRANÇAISE is an engrossing, powerful story about facing our past, discovering a future, and the meaning of home.
The Sons of El Rey by Alex Espinoza
A timeless, epic novel about a family of luchadores contending with forbidden love and secrets in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Ernesto Vega has lived many lives, from pig farmer to construction worker to famed luchador El Rey Coyote, yet he has always worn a mask. He was discovered by a local lucha libre trainer at a time when luchadores—Mexican wrestlers donning flamboyant masks and capes—were treated as daredevils or rock stars. Ernesto found fame, rapidly gaining name recognition across Mexico, but at great expense, nearly costing him his marriage to his wife Elena.
Years later, in East Los Angeles, his son, Freddy Vega, is struggling to save his father’s gym while Freddy’s own son, Julian, is searching for professional and romantic fulfillment as a Mexican American gay man refusing to be defined by stereotypes.
With alternating perspectives, Ernesto and Elena take you from the ranches of Michoacán to the makeshift colonias of Mexico City. Freddy describes life in the suburban streets of 1980s Los Angeles and the community their family built, as Julian descends deep into our present-day culture of hook-up apps, lucha burlesque shows, and the dark underbelly of West Hollywood. The Sons of El Rey is an intimate portrait of a family wading against time and legacy, yet always choosing the fight.
Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the “captivating, richly drawn” (Woman’s World) The Paris Library returns with a brilliant new novel based on the true story of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France.
1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.
Young Rich Widows by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, and Vanessa Lillie
1985, Rhode Island. A private jet carrying four partners of a Providence law firm crashes outside New York City, killing all aboard but leaving behind more questions than answers and setting the stage for four widows to find the truth.
Justine: a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life
Camille: a beautiful, young second wife whom some suspect is a gold digger
Meredith: a stripper who was in a relationship with the firm's only female partner
Krystle: a founding partner's wife committed to the firm being a legacy for her sons
While the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something's not adding up: the team wasn't supposed to be in New York that day, and it's soon revealed there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane.
The scene is as wild as '80s neon, and the manic chase to uncover the Mafia-laced secrets gives this rip-roaring read a rad vibe that will linger long after the '80s soundtrack fades and the hairspray falls.
The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
Also listed in my My Most-Anticipated Historical Fiction of 2024
From the time she was a young girl, Luisa Voekler has loved solving puzzles and cracking codes. Brilliant and logical, she’s expected to quickly climb the career ladder at the CIA. But while her coworkers have moved on to thrilling Cold War assignments—especially in the exhilarating era of the late 1980s—Luisa’s work remains stuck in the past decoding messages from World War II.
Journalist Haris Voekler grew up a proud East Berliner. But as his eyes open to the realities of postwar East Germany, he realizes that the Soviet promises of a better future are not coming to fruition. After the Berlin Wall goes up, Haris finds himself separated from his young daughter and all alone after his wife dies. There’s only one way to reach his family—by sending coded letters to his father-in-law who lives on the other side of the Iron Curtain.
When Luisa Voekler discovers a secret cache of letters written by the father she has long presumed dead, she learns the truth about her grandfather’s work, her father’s identity, and why she has never progressed in her career. With little more than a rudimentary plan and hope, she journeys to Berlin and risks everything to free her father and get him out of East Berlin alive.
As Luisa and Haris take turns telling their stories, events speed toward one of the twentieth century’s most dramatic moments—the fall of the Berlin Wall and that night’s promise of freedom, truth, and reconciliation for those who lived, for twenty-eight years, behind the bleak shadow of the Iron Curtain’s most iconic symbol.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Also listed in My Most- Anticipated Contemporary Fiction of 2024
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of color, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last, is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman
Also listed in Books About Aviation
During the Golden Age of Aviation, a young female pilot defines all odds to try and win the Dole Air Race, a 2400-mile, 26-hour Pacific crossing from California to Hawaii. In 1987, a woman uncovers her buried history and fights to secure its rightful place in the aviation hall of fame. The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West is a riveting tale of danger, secrets, and powerful families who will stop at nothing to promote their own narratives.
Belonging by Jill Fordyce
Jenny is thirteen when an epic dust storm rolls into her central California town in December 1977. Bedridden after contracting a life-threatening illness in the storm and suffering a shocking loss, Jenny realizes she will never be cared for by the mother who both neglects and terrifies her or the father who allows it. She relies on her cousin, Heather, who has the loving home Jenny longs for; her beloved great-uncle, Gino, the last link between generations; her best friend, Henry, a free spirit with whom she shares an inexplicable bond; and earnest baseball star, Billy, who becomes her first love. Inspired by a painting titled “Belonging” she found in Uncle Gino’s antique store, Jenny has a picture of the home and family she hopes to create someday—one completely different than her own childhood. After a stunning turn of events in their lives, Jenny and Henry leave for college in LA together in the summer of 1982—Jenny fleeing a broken heart, and Henry running from something he can’t reveal, even to his best friend.
Returning home years later, a devastating family secret is revealed, and the life Jenny so carefully created collides with the one she left behind. Spanning three decades, BELONGING is about first love and heartbreak, friendship and secrets, family and forgiveness, hometowns and coming of age, and memory and music. The heart of the story is Jenny’s struggle to undo the binds of a childhood that have deeply affected her life, the painful path to love endured by children raised in alcoholic families, and the grim reality of believing you must hide a part of yourself in order to belong.
The Memory Dress by Jade Beer
England, 2018: Jayne is quiet. She keeps to herself and has no grand expectations for her days. But after a chance encounter with her elderly neighbor, Meredith, Jayne is forced to reevaluate her determination to keep the world at a distance. Meredith's dust-covered home is chaotic and neglected. And slowly, Jayne starts to grasp that Meredith herself is quite lost. She can't seem to remember anything: what she last ate, when she last went out or saw her daughter, or even Jayne's name, despite what are becoming frequent visits.
But most alarmingly, Meredith can't remember where her husband is.
Unable to sit by and watch Meredith hurting, Jayne promises she'll find William. But how can she when the biggest clue Jayne has is a mystery itself: a stunning couture gown with a note declaring it a personal gift to Meredith...from Princess Diana.
England, 1988: Meredith is always calm. You have to be when working for one of the most iconic women in the world. Just as the stitches she uses to create Princess Diana’s wardrobe are steady and stable, so is Meredith. Until she finds herself feeling off-kilter and untethered by an unexpected connection with someone in the workshop. As Meredith finds herself swept up in life and love for the first time, everything she’s ever dreamed about seems in reach…if only she can be brave enough to take it.
The Great Gimmelmans by Lee Matthew Goldberg
Middle child Aaron Gimmelman watches as his family goes from a mild-mannered reform Jewish clan to having over a million dollars of stolen money stuffed in their RV's cabinets while being pursued by the FBI and loan sharks. But it wasn't always like that. His father Barry made a killing as a stockbroker, his mother Judith loved her collection of expensive hats, his older sister Steph was obsessed with pop stars, and little sister Jenny loved her stuffed possum, Seymour.
After losing all their money in the Crash of 1987, the family starts stealing from convenience stores, but when they hit a bank, they realize the talent they possess. The money starts rolling in and brings the family closer together, whereas back at home, no one had any time for bonding due to their busy schedules. But Barry's desire for more, more, more will take its toll on the Gimmelmans, and Aaron is forced into an impossible choice: turn against his father, or let his family fall apart.
From Jersey, down to an Orthodox Jewish community in Florida where they hide out, and up to California, The Great Gimmelmans goes on a madcap ride through the 1980s. Filled with greed and love and the meaning of religion and tradition until the walls of the RV and the feds start closing in on the family, this thrilling literary tale mixes Michael Chabon and the Coen Brothers with equal parts humor and pathos.
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes lie decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of Unspeakable Things.
Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.
Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide―a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share.
As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood―and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.
The Light on Halsey Street by Vanessa Miller
Author Interview with Vanessa Miller
Two girls’ lives are irrevocably intertwined the summer of 1985 in the streets of Brooklyn, New York, and neither will ever be the same in this coming-of-age story that spans decades.
In the summer of 1985, Lisa Whitaker is a church kid headed to college on a scholarship while her best friend, Dana, is floundering in the wake of her mother’s latest eviction. Though Lisa tries to help, their paths diverge. Fifteen years later, Lisa has a beautiful family and is stepping into her dream job as the director for a social services organization. Everything is going right—until her future is snatched away by identity theft. Her life begins to unravel, and Lisa wants nothing more than to see the woman responsible pay for her crimes.
When she was a teenager, Dana Jones always felt alone in this world. Her mother was addicted to drugs, her boyfriend was entering a life of crime, and it seemed Dana, too, was heading down the wrong path. The only bright light was her friendship with Lisa. Now, in the new millennium, Dana finally gives herself permission to dream—to believe she is stepping into better days. But when the betrayal of their friendship comes to light, it will take a lifetime to forgive the destruction that youthful summer in Bed-Stuy set in motion.
In this latest story from beloved author Vanessa Miller, two girls from the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, find that their paths have been woven together by the love of community and a friendship that is tested by time, betrayal and unforgiveness.
American Arcadia by Laura Scalzo
New York City, 1985, the scaffolded and torchless Statue of Liberty is under reconstruction,
the Twin Towers hum with money, and the clubs pulse with music. Young Wall Streeter,
Mina Berg, and her roommate, Chry Risk, strike up friendships with the volatile Danny Nyro
and easygoing Dare Fiore. Mina wants Chry’s family prestige, while Chry only wants to play
the bass like Jaco Pastorius. Nyro trades on his father’s notoriety and Dare is keeping secrets. Each of these twenty-somethings attempts to rewrite their origin story as they find themselves knotted in the cross purposes of friendship and love, life and death. Meanwhile, the Sicilian grandmothers on Staten Island are telling tall tales of a fugitive mermaid who lives in the New York Harbor. Themes of art, immigration, reproductive rights, AIDS, assault, class, and betrayal, simmer beneath a dynamic plot that spans one life-altering year.
I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman
The end and the beginning become one in a heart-pounding coming-of-age mystery about the power of friendship, fate, and inexplicable second chances.
Is it the right place at the wrong time? Or the wrong place at the right time?
Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents. The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but the ripple effects are still felt after thirty-eight years. Justin always knew he wouldn’t have much of a future. He just never imagined that his life might take him backward.
In a cosmic twist of fate, Justin’s choices send him crashing into the path of determined optimist Rose Yin. Justin and Rose live in the same town and attend the same school, but have never met—because Rose lives in 1985. Justin won’t be born for another twenty years. And his grandparents are still alive—for now.
In a series of events that reverberate through multiple lifetimes, Justin and Rose have a week to get Justin unstuck in time and put each of them in control of their futures—by solving a murder that hasn’t even happened yet.
Because I Loved You: A Novel by Donnaldson Brown
Author Interview with Donnaldson Brown
Sixteen-year-old aspiring artist Leni O’Hare loves brainy, gentle Caleb McGrath so much so that she keeps from him a secret she fears would prevent their escape from their crumbling families and the remote Texas town that will surely crush their dreams. But the choice she makes casts a shadow that follows them both for generations from Vietnam-era East Texas to New York City’s downtown art scene in the 1980s, up to the present day. What will it take for the secret to be revealed?
A History of Silence (The Heartland Trilogy, Book One) by Cynthia J. Bogard
Four women, unknowingly bound together by one man’s violent past.
Johnny Wharton is a history professor and descendant of a Texas “planter family” — a legacy that’s followed him all the way to 1985. Tough-girl Jenny (Johnny’s daughter), runs away to Madison, blotting out her past with distance, drugs, and sex. Her loner lifestyle is upended by her new roommate’s scary insistence on friendship. Emotionally damaged Jane (Johnny’s new graduate student) gives Johnny’s offer of an affair a try, thinking she might manage if it’s furtive and part-time. Maddie (his lesbian colleague) is grief-stricken; her longtime Black lady love Roz left her — inexplicably. Conservatively raised Liz (Johnny’s wife) is desperate to reconnect with her estranged daughter. She’s beginning to realize that Johnny’s past has left unspeakable scars on her family’s present.
As the lives of these four women intertwine in unexpected ways, each learns the past can’t be conquered until it’s confronted, and its secrets revealed — and shared.
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose
Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.
New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan.
Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?
While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul’s campaign and their burgeoning attraction to each other?
So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will discover both her and Paul’s surprising connections to the trunk—and to Suzanne Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight.
Told through Violine’s first-person account and Suzanne’s diary entries, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magic, mystery, romance, and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron.
Tell Me One Thing by Kerri Schlottman
Also listed in Books Set in the 1990s
Inspired by a true story and set against the backdrop of a rural Pennsylvania trailer park, and the complicated world of Manhattan during the AIDS epidemic, Tell Me One Thing spans place and time as it delves into New York City’s free-for-all grittiness while exposing a neglected slice of the struggling rust belt, traversing decades from the 1980s up to present day. At the center of it all is a photograph taken by an ambitious young artist of a 9-year-old girl sitting on the lap of a trucker outside a motel. The photograph becomes famous decades later, prompting the subject to seek out the photographer and find out why she never helped her all those years ago.
Kerri's background in the arts lends to the authenticity of the novel, and the book is inspired by Mary Ellen Mark’s famous 1990 photograph, “Amanda and Her Cousin Amy,” which depicts nine-year-old Amanda smoking a cigarette in a kiddie pool in rural North Carolina.
Tell Me One Thing is an atmospheric debut novel that examines power, privilege, and the sacrifices one is willing to make to succeed.
Oranges for Magellan by Richard Martin
Everything good in Joe Magellan's life—family, teaching career, sanity—has been undermined by his baffling compulsion: breaking the world record for flagpole-sitting. Through the years Joe has made seven attempts at the record, his best effort a measly eleven days. Oranges begins on January 20, 1981, the day Joe is 'cured' of his compulsion at Dr. Malcolm Kerridge's 'Out, Damn Obsession!' seminar. Alas, the charlatan's cure does not take. Joe immediately stumbles upon the perfect flagpole, sixty feet high, and, before long, to the horror of his wife and son, he climbs up and settles in on a ten-foot-square redwood platform for one final assault on the record, while Clover and Nate run the little cafÉ below. Joe's pursuit of the pole-sitting grail is disrupted by Clover's budding artistic aspirations; by Nate's rebellion at J. Edgar Hoover Middle School; by the seductions of Joe by an ex-seminar mate and of Clover by an art gallery owner; by the commercialization and massive popularity of the pole-sitting enterprise; and by the ruthless Shipwreck Blake, who both terrorizes and inspires Joe with assistance from the spirit of the original pole-sitter Simeon Stylites, the 5th century monk who dwelt on a pillar for thirty years.
Moonstone Hero by David Sklar
In the early 1980s, a med student joins an international group of tourists to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro. After several miles of progress, the expedition suddenly becomes derailed when one of the climbers becomes gravely ill. Struggling with the effects of high altitude and freezing wind and snow, the climbers must confront their fears and personal limitations as well as their responsibilities to a sick stranger. A gripping survivalist story about just how far you’d be willing to go to save the life of a stranger, “Moonstone Hero” is also a timely take on the uncertain balance between duty and heroism in the medical profession.
Next in Line by Jeffrey Archer
The international bestselling author Jeffery Archer is back with the latest installment of the William Warwick series with Next in Line. This highly-anticipated, heart-pounding mystery/ thriller, set in 1988, follows Detective Inspector William Warwick and puts him front and center with the people’s princess: Princess Diana.
Andrea Hoffman Goes All In: A Novel by Diane Cohen Schneider
A Late Bloomer Publishes her Debut Novel: A Guest Post by Diane Cohen Schneider
Andrea Hoffman is an overeducated, underemployed, and unmotivated recent college graduate until a harrowing robbery blasts her out of her funk and into a job in the finance world of early 1980s Chicago. At first, it seems like a bad fit.
But the world of finance has its own weird charm, and she grows increasingly fascinated by the strange language of trading, the complexity of the stock market, and her colleagues, who navigate it all with ruthless confidence. Even though she has two strikes against her—Jewish and female—Andrea’s quick wit and strong work ethic propels her into an actual sales job and her career takes off.
But this is the Wall Street of the '80s, and along with making a lot more money, Andrea adopts a new, fast life of cocktails, cocaine, and casual sex. Drunk on her achievements, she gradually realizes that she’s going to have to decide what success really means to her.
The Memory Index by Julian R. Vaca
In a world where memories are like currency, dreams can be a complicated business. What if we lived in an alternate world where memories – and how many you have access to – determine where you fall on society’s ladder? In his debut novel with Thomas Nelson, Julian R. Vaca explores just that in his gripping and speculative science fiction YA novel titled, The Memory Index. Picture 1987 California, but not how we experienced it. In this alternate universe there’s a disease that ravages human memories, and with no cure available the people’s only hope lies with a treatment called artificial recall. The lucky ones only need this treatment once a day. High school senior Freya Izquierdo – she’s not lucky. But when a new technology is introduced that hopes to make artificial recall obsolete, 500 students will trial the new technology and Freya is selected to take part in the trial and attend the mysterious Foxtail Academy with the others. But when students start to vanish one by one, Freya and her friends begin a dangerous search for the truth. Nothing can prepare her for what she’ll discover, or the memories she’ll have to access to survive it.
1980s Fashion: Bold, Brash, and Unforgettable
The 1980s were a decade of daring fashion choices, where individuality and self-expression were at the forefront. It was a time when people embraced bold colors, exaggerated silhouettes, and an eclectic mix of styles that have since become synonymous with the era. Here's an overview of some of the most iconic fashion trends that defined the '80s:
Power Dressing and Shoulder Pads
The '80s were all about "power dressing," especially for women entering the workforce in greater numbers. The goal was to project authority and confidence, often through tailored suits with oversized shoulder pads that gave a strong, angular look. This style was popularized by TV shows like Dynasty and Dallas, where powerful female characters wore suits that exuded confidence and dominance.
Neon Colors and Bold Patterns
Vibrant colors were a hallmark of 1980s fashion. Neon hues—think electric pinks, greens, yellows, and blues—were everywhere, from workout gear to everyday wear. These bright colors were often paired with bold patterns, including animal prints, geometric shapes, and abstract designs. The combination of neon and bold patterns created eye-catching looks that were impossible to ignore.
Fitness Fashion: Leg Warmers and Spandex
The fitness craze of the 1980s, spurred on by the popularity of aerobics, led to a surge in fitness-related fashion. Leg warmers, often worn over leggings or tights, became a must-have accessory, while spandex workout outfits were ubiquitous. These looks were not confined to the gym; they often made their way into street fashion, with people sporting their exercise gear as everyday wear.
Acid-Wash Jeans and Denim Everything
Denim was a staple of 1980s fashion, but it wasn't just any denim—it was acid-wash. This lighter, faded style of jeans became hugely popular, often paired with denim jackets for a double-denim look. The decade also saw the rise of high-waisted jeans, which were often cuffed at the bottom and worn with oversized belts.
Preppy Style and Polo Shirts
On the opposite end of the fashion spectrum was the preppy style, which was clean, conservative, and often associated with wealth. This look was characterized by items like polo shirts (often with the collar popped), khakis, loafers, and sweaters tied around the shoulders. Brands like Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, and Izod were at the forefront of this trend, which was popularized by movies like The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.
Pop Culture Influence: Madonna and Michael Jackson
Pop culture icons had a massive influence on 1980s fashion. Madonna's eclectic, layered looks—featuring lace gloves, bustiers, tutus, and crucifixes—became a fashion phenomenon. Her "Like a Virgin" era, with its mix of punk and feminine elements, inspired a generation of young women to experiment with their style.
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson's fashion choices, from his red leather jacket in Thriller to his single white glove, became iconic symbols of the decade. His blend of military-inspired jackets, cropped pants, and loafers with white socks influenced fashion trends worldwide.
Punk and New Wave: Edgy and Avant-Garde
The punk and new wave movements brought an edgier, more avant-garde style to the forefront. Punk fashion, with its roots in rebellion, featured ripped jeans, leather jackets, studded accessories, and heavy boots. New wave fashion was more experimental, with asymmetrical cuts, androgynous looks, and metallic fabrics. Bands like The Clash, Blondie, and The Cure were style icons in this subculture.
Accessories: Big Hair, Big Earrings, and More
Accessories in the 1980s were all about excess. Hair was big, whether it was permed, teased, or crimped, and often adorned with scrunchies or headbands. Oversized earrings, especially hoops and geometric shapes, were essential, as were statement necklaces and chunky bracelets. Sunglasses were also bold, with large, colorful frames that made a statement.
The Legacy of 1980s Fashion
The 1980s were a time of experimentation and boundary-pushing in fashion, where rules were made to be broken. The era's influence can still be seen today, with many of its trends making a comeback in recent years. Whether it's the resurgence of neon colors, high-waisted jeans, or the continued popularity of power dressing, the '80s left an indelible mark on the fashion world that continues to inspire and influence.
