Books That Take Place in the ’90s

Recently selected as one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks, this novel takes place in the seemingly idyllic upper-middle class town of Shaker Heights, Ohio during the height of the Clinton administration. Everything seems to be going well for the picture-perfect Richardson family, until photographer Mia and her daughter, Pearl, come to town. While the Richardson children quickly become enamored with the two newcomers, their mother goes on a journey to uncover their hidden story and learns more than she bargained for.

Bringing us back to the days when email was new, Attachments is told through the emails between coworkers Beth and Jennifer. Unknown to them, their IT guy, Lincoln, has to read all of their emails. As the two continue to share extremely personal messages, Lincoln becomes more interested in their lives, developing a crush on Beth, whom he’s never spoken to in person.

Will Freeman is living his best life, spending his time picking up women and shopping while living off the royalties of his late father’s hit Christmas single. His bachelor lifestyle begins to crumble when a date brings along her friend’s son, Markus, an awkward 12-year-old who is being bullied at school. While Will tries to teach Markus about current pop culture like Nirvana, Markus shows Will that no man is really an island.

Released to much acclaim in 2013, The Lesser Bohemians takes place in vibrant 1990s London. When an 18-year-old Irish girl moves to London to start drama school, she struggles to fit in. While she doesn’t immediately become a star, she does meet an older man, also an actor, and begins a relationship with him that changes both of their lives.