Caitlin Barasch Books in Order

Recommended Reading Path

For readers approaching Caitlin Barasch's work, the path is straightforward but highly rewarding. Since her bibliography consists of independent literary pieces, you do not need to worry about complex multi-book series timelines. We recommend starting with her major debut novel before circling back to her earlier published short fiction.

1. Start here: A Novel Obsession (2022). This is her flagship release, offering a full-length experience of her characteristic style: sharp, uncomfortable, and darkly comedic first-person narratives.
2. Next: The Spiral (2017). This short story lets you sample her early writing style and showcases her focus on psychological distress, familial expectations, and tension.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Caitlin Barasch has published one standalone novel, which serves as the core entry point for most of her audience.

• A Novel Obsession (2022) — Naomi Ackerman, a twenty-four-year-old bookseller with dreams of writing a novel, finds herself lacking material. When she becomes obsessed with her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, Naomi begins tracking her online and eventually inserts herself into Rosemary's life under a false identity. What starts as a quest for literary inspiration quickly spirals into self-destructive deception.

Publication Order of Short Stories & Novellas

Barasch's shorter work establishes her interest in complex, highly introspective, and sometimes unreliable female narrators.

• The Spiral (2017) — Originally published in the literary journal Day One and released as a Kindle Single, this story follows Ashley, a recent college graduate living back at home. After her mother urges her to attend a support group where she learns about her uncle's struggle with mental illness, Ashley becomes terrified that she might inherit the same condition. She embarks on an intense self-imposed experiment to stay awake for twenty-four hours to test her own sanity, leading to a blurry boundary between reality and anxiety.

What to Know Before You Start

Barasch’s characters are intentionally written to test the limits of the "likable female protagonist" trope. Naomi in A Novel Obsession and Ashley in The Spiral make bad, awkward, and uncomfortable choices that drive the plot forward. Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers laced with dark humor, satire of the modern publishing world, and depictions of digital-age stalking will find her work engaging. Because her primary works are standalones, there are no chronological order conflicts or continuity issues to worry about.