The Attic of Alternate Husbands

This week we’re heading up a very unusual set of stairs into The Husbands by Holly Gramazio—a delightfully offbeat novel about a magical attic that delivers not dust and cobwebs, but fully-formed alternate versions of the man you might have married. It’s fun, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your exes came with an easy return policy, you’re in for a treat. Let’s open the attic door and see who’s waiting...

This one was fun. Quirky, clever, and just the right amount of weird. The kind of book that feels like a treat—like discovering a rom-com crossed with a choose-your-own-adventure, dressed up in slightly chaotic magical realism.

Lauren is newly single, a bit lost, and living in a house that—unbeknownst to her—contains a magical attic. But instead of forgotten Christmas decorations or a box of baby clothes, this attic delivers husbands. Not imaginary ones, but real, alternate-universe men she could have married in some other version of her life. Some are delightful. Some are disasters. Some are... surprisingly into ham radio.

What follows is a brilliantly original, laugh-out-loud, often unexpectedly touching exploration of choice, identity, and all the strange little turns a life can take. It’s like a rom-com episode of Black Mirror—but warm, witty, and a whole lot more fun.

You could race through this in a weekend, and I kind of think you should. It’s the perfect palate cleanser: light without being flimsy, sharp without being cynical, and bursting with charm. And for those cynics among us, I know it sounds utterly ridiculous but trust me, it’s worth it. Holly Gramazio somehow manages to play with big ideas—love, regret, the way we curate our lives—without ever weighing the story down.

Who should read it:
If you’ve ever stared into space and thought, “What if I’d swiped right on that guy with the ferret?”—this book is for you. Also ideal if you’ve just finished something heavy and need a reset, or if you’re simply in the mood for something original, funny, and effortlessly enjoyable.

Why I’m recommending it:
Because we need more books that are smart and playful and surprising.
Because it made me grin like a maniac.
And because life’s too short to read bad books.