2026 is here, and with it comes the highly anticipated third season of Shrinking. The show has garnered critical acclaim for its unique strand of humor and realistic descriptions of grief. If you’re looking to fill your TBR with books that share Shrinking‘s unconventional approach to grief and quirky characters, look no further!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Thirty years after her son’s mysterious disappearance in Puget Sound, widow Tova Sullivan’s lifeline is her job at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Over the course of her long night shifts, Tova befriends the standoffish giant Pacific octopus Marcellus. Marcellus quickly uncovers the truth about what happened to Tova’s son all those years ago, but it will take every ounce of his ingenuity to reveal the truth to Tova.
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Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
As far as Eve knew, her husband was perfectly happy. So when he commits suicide on New Year’s Eve, her life shatters into jagged pieces. What follows is an exploration of how grief tears us apart and how family holds us together.
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How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
After Louise’s parents pass away, the last thing she wants to do is fly back to her hometown and put up with Mark, her estranged brother, in order to get the family home ready for sale. As they clear out their parents’ belongings, the past comes back to haunt them—literally. This house will do anything to avoid being sold, even if it means pushing Louise and Mark to the end of their wits.
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Grief is For People by Sloane Crosley
Sloane and Russell made their way through life and art together in the heart of New York City. But when someone robs Sloane’s apartment and Russell commits suicide a month later, Sloane is left alone and adrift. In an attempt to make sense of her grief, Sloane eschews the five stages of grief and explores loss and family against the backdrop of the pandemic. At times humorous and heartbreaking, this memoir deftly captures the constant struggle to hold onto the past without letting it bleed into the present.
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How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Author Helen Zhang and screenwriter Grant Shepherd haven’t seen each other since a tragic accident thirteen years ago. Now, Helen is helping create TV adaptations of her books, even as imposter syndrome rears its ugly head. Her project is the perfect springboard for Grant’s career, and he finds himself accepting the job against his better judgment. As their lives intertwine once more, it becomes clear that they were never meant to be together. But in order to make peace with the past, they just might have to hold onto each other a little longer.
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The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Nestled in the California desert, the Poppy Fields is a treatment center that allows people to sleep through their grief and wake up healed. Four grieving strangers and one dog trek west seeking the promise of healing, but each person’s motivations and secrets threaten to disrupt the voyage. The Poppy Fields explores grief in all its forms and how far we will go in pursuit of healing from loss.
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Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino
It’s been two years since Barbara’s husband died, and she’s finally starting to feel like herself again. Then her prickly mother-in-law Ruth shows up at Barbara’s doorstep to help take care of her two children, throwing her fragile world into chaos. As Ruth’s stay stretches into eternity, Barbara plans to introduce her to a nice man and marry her out of the house. But Ruth has the same plan for Barbara, and somewhere along the way, these two women find solace in each other and begin to move forward.
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This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
Sylvia and Helen Rubenstein were held together by their beloved sister, so when she passes away, they are left to pick up the pieces of their family. Between divorces, dating, career trouble, and a misunderstanding about apple cake, Sylvia and Helen are further apart than ever before. This masterful collection paints a vivid portrait of an ordinary family reeling from the aftershocks of loss with humor and heart.
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A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman
The MacBrides have lived peacefully on a vast sheep station in Western Australia for many generations. But a string of tragedies puts an end to the family’s peaceful existence, leaving Matt, the youngest MacBride, to navigate a complicated journey through love and loss. Through the characters’ experiences, Stedman asks us to consider the power of forgiveness, resilience, and most importantly, love.
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