Turn off the TV and open a book! Reads for fans of Severance and The White Lotus

With the season finale of The White Lotus airing and the Severance press tours finally wrapping up, it feels like the golden age of 2025 television is coming to an end. Every week between episode releases I sought ways to fill my mental voids as opposed to rewatching episodes; Whether it was listening to themed playlists, sending my friends the most cinematic edits, or scouring bookstores, I found ways to scratch my White Lotus and Severance itch. As we enter yet another television drought, I figured I’d share the books that got me through the days between new episodes…

For fans of Severance

Severance by Ling Ma

Hear me out. Although Severance may have the same name as the series, they are confusingly not the same. However, both touch on similar themes like workplace culture, belonging, and memory - but with a strong post-apocalyptic storyline featuring a societal critique of capitalism.

The Employees by Olga Ravn

When sat down to start The Employees, I looked at the first page and my immediate reaction was “what did I just buy.” The entire book is written in these jumbled 'Statements' which range from 1 line to 2 pages while sharing the perspectives of anonymous employees who are being interviewed about their roles on the spacecraft where they observe 'objects'. In other words, the book is “mysterious and important.” In a word, the book is hypnotic.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

This book gives Kafka meets The Handmaid's Tale meets Orwell’s 1984. Following an unnamed narrator, we learn about life on an island where things keep disappearing from the resident's memories while exploring themes of memory and loss.

For fans of The White Lotus 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

If you combined The White Lotus with The Summer I Turned Pretty you would get We Were Liars. My memory of this book is a little bit foggy because I read it in middle school, but the 3 Ps stuck with me — plot twists, private islands, and pools.

The List by Yomi Adegoke

My first thought after reading The List was it needs to be an HBO series. The novel follows recently engaged Micheal and Ola after a post comes out listing men accused of abuse within the media industry, with Micheal’s name on the list. Each chapter is told from alternating perspectives and left me crazing more.

The Guest by Emma Cline

I would recommend reading The Guest for the vibe rather than the plot, because the ending kinda fell flat for me not gonna lie. The narrator of the story is a young woman running away from her problems who’s honestly a train wreck. She gets kicked out of houses, cheats, lies, and drifts from place to place. What really kept me engaged was wanting to learn more about her.

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