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Amor Towles is one of those authors whose books have been sitting on my TBR list (and my actual bookshelves) for way too long. For some reason, they kept getting pushed to the back burner by new releases that are rarely worth it. This year, I decided it was time to right that wrong and finally read these books that I hear so many readers recommend over and over again.
Amor Towles is not only one of the most popular authors of our time; he has even made the annual book recommendation lists of figures such as former President Barack Obama and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.
While it’s always hard to know which authors and books will stand the test of time and be deemed a “classic,” I predict that Towles is one of the authors that readers will still be reading and enjoying a hundred years from now.
Sometimes when you discover an author who has been writing for a while and you want to read more, it can be overwhelming to try to figure out where to begin. Do you have to read the books in order? What book should you read next? If you’re new to Towles, you may want to know where to start.
It is my hope that you will not only have all of your questions answered, but you will also know which Amor Towles you want to prioritize in your own reading life. (Hint: You really can’t go wrong with any of his titles, but there are some you may want to read before others. Keep reading to learn more.)
Amor Towles Books in Publication Order
01
Rules of Civility (2011)
Rules of Civility is Towles’s first full-length novel and the first book by Towles that I personally read. It follows two young women over one year in 1938: Evelyn Ross and twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent. (No, Katey’s last name here is no accident.) The story is told from Katey’s perspective and primarily focuses on her. Their story actually begins on New Year’s Eve in 1937, and one of the most fascinating parts is seeing how different their lives are just one year later. It’s a reminder of just how much can change in what seems like a short amount of time.
But before we learn about Eve and Katey, the book takes us 28 years in the future when Katey is at an art exhibit with her husband in 1966. It’s an exhibit done by Walker Evans (who is a real person), who rode the New York City subway from 1938 to 1941 and took pictures of travelers with a hidden camera. At the exhibit, Katey sees a picture of someone she used to know named Tinker Grey, which takes her back to New Year’s Eve in 1937. On that night, Eve and Katey meet handsome banker Grey at a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar. This chance encounter becomes a driving force in all of their lives and the story. This book explores themes of class, honor, integrity, contentment, friendship, and love. This book is one part historical fiction and one part literary fiction. I loved it!
Content Notes: There are a few romances in this book, but everything is closed door.
Where to Buy:
02
Eve in Hollywood (2013)
While researching Towles and his cannon for this post, this book became a bit of a mystery to me because . . . you.can’t.find.it.anywhere. For example, look at Amor Towles’ author page on Amazon — it’s not even there. It’s normal for authors to spend some time writing in a genre they no longer write in. For example, Emily Henry wrote YA novels before switching to adult romances, but you don’t see them
scrubbed from the internet. So what happened with this book? At first, I thought that maybe it wasn’t very well received. While it’s not Towles’ most popular book, and readers didn’t like it as much as Rules for Civility, it still has a 3.6 rating on Goodreads, which isn’t horrible. Then, I found an article about it by The Chicago Tribune where they provided some more information. When Towles first wrote this book, which is really more of a novella, his plan was to send five installments to readers who requested it on his website, but then Penguin decided to publish it as an ebook. This explains why it is so hard to find. It looks like it was published as a paperback at some point because I found this one for sale on eBay for $100.
This is technically a sequel to Rules of Civility. While Rules of Civility primarily focuses on Katey, this book focuses on Eve after she leaves the city of New York. In Rules of Civility, she hops on a train to go home to Chicago, but when her parents go to pick her up, she’s not there. She ended up in the Los Angeles area. This book tells the story of her life in Hollywood in a series of short stories.
But Towles wasn’t satisfied with leaving it at that. In a letter Towles wrote about his most recent book, Table for Two (see below), he talks about Eve in Hollywood. He described it as “slim and enigmatic.” (It’s only 93 pages.) In Table for Two, he includes a novella about Eve where he says he “finally gave Eve the story she deserved.”
Where to Buy:
I’m currently researching where to obtain this book without having to spend $100 on eBay. As soon as I find the answer, I will update this section.
03
A Gentleman in Moscow (2016)
While Rules for Civility became a New York Times Bestseller, A Gentleman in Moscow is the Book that put Towles on the map. I think it’s fair to say that it is hands down his most popular book. Even my 80-year-old mother loves this book. But one reader said don’t be deceived by this book’s boring premise.
In A Gentleman in Moscow, we meet Count Alexander Rostov, who is put on house arrest for the rest of his life by a Bolshevik tribunal
after the Russian Revolution. For his house arrest, he is sentenced to remain at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, which is a luxury hotel situated near the Kremlin. At the Metropol, he has to remain in an attic room. While Rostov is a smart and charming man, he has also never done real work a day in his life. From the grand hotel that has become his home, he watches important Russian historical events happen right outside for more than 30 years. But this smaller world surprisingly leads to personal growth for Rostov. The book is described as full of humor and filled with fascinating characters. Readers praise this book for the beauty of the prose and thorough character development. The themes explored in this book include friendship, parenthood, thoughtfulness, and how we see people.
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04
You Have Arrived at Your Destination (2019)
While this book is only 54 pages, or 1 hour and 22 minutes on audio, this isn’t where I would start if you want to get a taste of Amor Towles’ writing without having to read one of his full-length novels. Most of his novels take place in the first half of the 20th century; this one takes place in the “near future,” giving it a very different feel. That being said, I find it very impressive how Towles is able to successfully write in such a different genre.
In this book, Towles takes a break from historical fiction and writes a science fiction story. The story centers on Sam, a man at a crossroads in his life, who is given the opportunity to choose the course of his unborn child’s life through a futuristic genetic service. As Sam delves deeper into the possibilities offered to him, he’s forced to confront his own values, fears, and the inevitable uncertainty that comes with every decision. The narrative takes place in a near-future setting, yet it’s infused with a timeless quality that reflects Towles’s mastery of blending the modern with the classic. Much like in his other works, Towles uses the character’s journey to explore broader themes — here, it’s the tension between control and surrender and the moral implications of playing God with life’s most fundamental aspects.
This novella is part of a series of stories by a group of six authors curated by author Blake Crouch. The series is called “Forward,” and all of the stories are written to “point to the future.” While all of the books are part of the same series, each book is a standalone title, which means you do not need to read them in order. Other authors that were part of this project include Veronica Roth, N. K. Jemison, Paul Tremblay, and Andy Weir. You can find the entire series here.
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05
The Didomenico Fragment (2021)
This is the short story I would read by Towles if you want to start with something short. When it was first released, it was only available on audio and only from Audible. However, this story is also now in print in Towles’s latest book, A Table for Two (see below). The story centers around Neil Didomenico, a historian who stumbles upon a fragment of a lost fresco in Italy. This discovery sends him on a journey that’s as much
about uncovering the truth of the artwork as it is about confronting the layers of his own identity and history. Towles expertly crafts a narrative that is both a detective story and a meditation on the nature of time. The novella shifts between the Renaissance period, when the fresco was originally created, and the present day, where Neil grapples with the implications of his find. These shifts in time show a contrast between the ambitions of the past and the realities of the present.
Where to Buy:
06
The Lincoln Highway (2021)
Towles’ third novel follows eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson, who, after serving time on a juvenile work farm, returns home to Nebraska. Emmett’s intention is to start fresh on the family farm with his eight-year-old brother, Billy. But life, as it often does in Towles’s novels, has other plans. What begins as a simple road trip to California quickly becomes a journey filled with unexpected detours, unlikely companions, and the exploration of dreams and destinies.
This book is told through multiple narratives, giving us glimpses into the lives of characters who cross paths with the Watson brothers. Each character brings their own hopes, fears, and past to the journey, which serves to add layers of complexity to what seems like a straightforward quest. The novel’s title refers to the first transcontinental highway in the United States, symbolizing the promise of new beginnings and the freedom of the open road. Yet, Towles reminds us that the road to our future is often paved with the unresolved issues of our past.
Bill Gates described this book as being a hero’s journey in the spirit of Homer’s Odyssey and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and he praised Towles for showing that he’s not a “one trick pony” given the fact that this book is so different from his previous works but with the sale level of writing.
Where to Buy:
07
Table for Two (2024)
Table for Two is Towles’ new book that just came out this year. This is a short story collection of six stories and one novella. The six stories are all set in New York City, and the one novella is set in 1930s Hollywood. The New York stories are set around the year 2000, which Towles says is a time and place he has witnessed firsthand, unlike his other stories. The stories range from the art world to modern marriages, but they all include characters who end up at a table having a conversation that can change their lives, hence, the title.
Towles says that when he wrote these stories this was not intentional but something he started to notice after the stories were written. One story that is included in this collection is The Didomenico Fragment, which you could previously only obtain as an audiobook (see above). The novella is set in Golden Age Hollywood and tells the story of Evelyn “Eve” Ross from Rules of Civility and what her life looked like in that famous city. This novella is titled “Eve in Hollywood” (the same as the story above), but this is not merely a republication of that work. In a letter to readers, Towles said that he felt that the book was “too slim and enigmatic.” To write this one, Towles says he “checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel and finally gave Eve the story she deserved.”
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Amor Towles Frequently Asked Questions
What Genre is Amor Towles’ Books?
Most of Amor Towles’ books are a cross between historical fiction and literary fiction. I say this because the books all take place in a specific time and place in history, but the focus of the stories is more on the characters and their lives than it is on the specific historical events of the time. However, you do feel the historical events looming in the background.
The one book that is an exception to this rule is You Have Arrived at Your Destination, which is science fiction.
In What Order Should I Read Amor Towles’ Books?
Most of Amor Towles’ books are standalone novels, but there are two exceptions — Eve in Hollywood and the novella inTable for Two (also called Eve in Hollywood). Before you read these stories, you will want to read Rules of Civility because those two stories follow one of the main characters in that book — Evelyn “Eve” Ross. The other short stories that appear in Table for Two do not need to be read in any particular order.
There is also a character from Rules of Civility who makes a cameo in A Gentleman in Moscow. However, you do not need to read Rules of Civility first to enjoy A Gentleman in Moscow because the stories are otherwise unconnected. This is really more of a fun easter egg.
For Towles’ three full-length novels, you can read them in whatever order you want.
Which Amor Towles Book Should I Read First?
My personal recommendation would be to start with Rules of Civility or A Gentleman in Moscow.
Is A Gentleman in Moscow Based on a True Story?
A Gentleman in Moscow is not based on a true story, but it does take place at a real hotel, The Metropol. The main characters in the novel are not based on real historical figures, but the story was partially inspired by the fact that it was common practice for Russia to place individuals on house arrest.
Is There a Sequel to Rules of Civility?
Yes, Towles wrote two novellas that are sequels to Rules of Civility, and both are called Eve in Hollywood. They both tell the story of Evelyn “Eve” Ross after she arrives in Hollywood. The first one, which was published as an ebook, is nearly impossible to find. However, there is a new version in which Towles says he finally gave Eve the story she deserved in his latest book, Table for Two (see above).
What Should I Read if I Like Amor Towles?
Authors that remind me of Amor Towles include Ann Patchett, William Kent Krueger, and James McBride.
Amor Towles fans say that the following authors also have a similar writing style to Towles: Ian McEwan, Michael Chabon, Abraham Varghese, Percival Everett, and Barbara Kingsolver.
Have Any of Amor Towles’ Books Been Made Into Movies?
A Gentleman in Moscow was made into a TV series that aired on Showtime and Paramount+. It was released in March 2024 and starred Ewan McGregor playing Count Alexander Rostov.
Who is Amor Towles?
Like many writers, becoming an author is a second career for Towles. Before becoming a full-time writer and the author of The New York Times bestsellers Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Lincoln Highway, Towles worked as an investment professional at an investment firm. While he grew up in the Boston area, he now lives in New York City with his wife and two children. He did not become a full-time writer until he decided to quit his job so he could work on A Gentleman in Moscow.
What Nationality is Amor Towles?
Amor Towles is an American. He says he was born and raised a suburb of Boston.
Where Did Amor Towles Go to School?
Towles attended Yale College for his undergraduate degree and went to Stanford University for his master’s degree.
