Author Lori Gold’s Favorite Novels to Read When Contemplating the Road Not Taken

I have a confession: I am a planner. I don’t do spontaneous. I only “follow my gut” or “rely on instinct” if it comes after hours, days, weeks of contemplation and pro-and-con lists. (And yes, this is just as exhausting as it sounds.) While I may chew on decisions like a cow with cud, I am sure I am not alone in reflecting on choices made, consequences lived and wondering if the grass is truly greener.

But wonder is all real life affords us. Unlike fiction.

We keep hearing that readers are looking for an escape from the current world in their reading. While many believe that to be fueling the romance and fantasy trend, I believe it also speaks to why readers of late are also hungry for grounded speculative fiction that tackles the road not taken: a marriage that could have been, a death that could have been avoided, a family that never was. The question these books share isn’t “what if the world were different?” but “what if I had been?”

My latest novel...