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Rainbow Rowell Books in Order

This page lists Rainbow Rowell's books in order with summaries, series background, reading order notes and simple guidance on where to start.

Last updated: January 14, 2026

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33 books

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Think Of The Children

by Rainbow Rowell

2026

Set in a future ruled by Doctor Doom, this new Runaways chapter finds a diminished team jolted awake when Doom targets one of their own. Gert, Nico and the others must stop coasting and start running again, even if it means questioning each other's loyalties.

New

Cherry Baby

by Rainbow Rowell

2026

Cherry has spent years supporting her husband Tom as his semi-autobiographical webcomic becomes a global hit, only to watch him leave for Hollywood and turn her into a caricature on screen. Stuck in Omaha with his dog, she reconnects with old friend Russ and starts to rewrite her own story.

Slow Dance

by Rainbow Rowell

2024

Shiloh and Cary were inseparable Nebraska teenagers who everyone assumed would end up together, until adulthood pulled them apart. Fourteen years, a divorce and two kids later, Shiloh comes home for a friend's wedding and has to decide whether a second chance with Cary is worth the risk.

She-Hulk, Vol. 5: All In

by Rainbow Rowell

2024

Jen, Hellcat and Captain Marvel just want a casual night at their favorite bar, but a deal with literal stakes drags their souls into danger. At the same time, Jen and Jack's trip to a solar-orbital space station forces them to confront old wounds and their future together.

She-Hulk, Vol. 4: Jen-Sational

by Rainbow Rowell

2024

Collecting the first arc of Sensational She-Hulk, this volume pits Jen and her cousin the Hulk against a ruthless new threat, then sends She-Hulk and Jack of Hearts on a high-stakes space vacation where someone from Jack's past turns a romantic getaway into a fight for survival.

Sensational She-Hulk

by Rainbow Rowell

2024

In this relaunch, Jennifer Walters reclaims the Sensational She-Hulk title and steps into a new era, facing her deadliest foes yet while still making time for friends, lawyering and love. Expect Hulk family clashes, cosmic vacations and the sense that almost anything can happen.

Fangirl, Vol. 4: The Manga

by Rainbow Rowell

2024

In the final volume, Cath races to finish her fanfic and salvage her fiction-writing grade as freshman year ends, while trying to mend things with Wren, navigate a fragile peace with her mother and figure out what a real relationship with Levi should look like.

She-Hulk, Vol. 3: Girl Can't Help It

by Rainbow Rowell

2023

A charming, masked thief called Scoundrel starts stealing across New York, tangling She-Hulk in a dangerous cat and mouse game that feels uncomfortably like flirting. While Jen digs into his secrets, her friends in the Fight Club face an alien invasion without their usual powerhouse.

She-Hulk, Vol. 2: Jen of Hearts

by Rainbow Rowell

2023

Jen's law office becomes a revolving door of superhero problems, from Nightcrawler needing legal advice to a mystery that could threaten the universe. As she and Jack of Hearts grow closer, new enemies step out of the shadows with plans that strike painfully close to home.

In Waiting

by Rainbow Rowell

2023

In this metafictional short story, fully formed character Anna waits in a limbo-like space for the author to finally write her book. When vivid newcomer James arrives, the two unfinished characters build their own tentative love story instead of waiting to be assigned one.

Fangirl, Vol. 3: The Manga

by Rainbow Rowell

2023

Cath's careful balance collapses when she sees Levi kissing someone else, Wren spirals into partying and their long-absent mother steps back into their lives, forcing Cath to decide which relationships are worth fighting for and how much of herself she can risk.

She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again

by Rainbow Rowell

2022

After a rough stretch leaves her career and finances in shambles, Jennifer Walters tries to rebuild her life as a lawyer in New York, only to juggle quirky clients, underground superpowered fight clubs and the shocking reappearance of old flame Jack of Hearts.

Scattered Showers

by Rainbow Rowell

2022

This collection gathers nine romance-leaning short stories, from camping out for a movie premiere to a prince falling for a troll, revisiting characters from earlier books and offering new ones in a mix of cozy, funny and bittersweet love stories.

Fangirl, Vol. 2: The Manga

by Rainbow Rowell

2022

This volume follows Cath as her world widens, from late night writing sessions with handsome classmate Nick to long hallway conversations with Levi, while her strained relationship with Wren and pressure from a skeptical writing professor push her to rethink what stories she wants to tell.

Runaways, Vol. 6: Come Away with Me

by Rainbow Rowell

2021

With their lives in pieces again, the Runaways head back to high school and confront offers that could split the family for good, from Molly's invitation to Krakoa to Gert's uneasy leadership. Every choice they make threatens to pull their found family apart.

If the Fates Allow

by Rainbow Rowell

2021

Set at Christmas 2020, this holiday novella follows Reagan from Fangirl as she drives home to rural Nebraska, determined to protect her grandpa and herself, only to keep literally running into the boy next door who refuses to be scared off by her edges.

Any Way the Wind Blows

by Rainbow Rowell

2021

Back in England after their American detour, Simon, Baz, Penelope and Agatha return to Watford and the World of Mages to decide what parts of their old lives are worth saving, and whether Simon and Baz can build a future beyond prophecy.

The Prince and the Troll

by Rainbow Rowell

2020

A weary commuter drops his phone off a crumbling bridge and meets the sharp-tongued troll who lives beneath it. As daily coffee visits turn into an unlikely romance, the two must reckon with a world slowly being swallowed by an encroaching road.

Runaways, Vol. 5: Canon Fodder

by Rainbow Rowell

2020

A mysterious benefactor offers the Runaways a shiny new base and a chance to be an official West Coast superteam. The promise of stability is tempting, but as training montages turn sinister, the kids realize they may just be cannon fodder for someone else's agenda.

Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga

by Rainbow Rowell

2020

In the first manga volume, anxious freshman Cath moves into her college dorm without her twin, hides in her Simon Snow fanfiction and tentatively meets blunt roommate Reagan and endlessly cheerful Levi, as campus life starts to tug her out of her comfort zone.

Wayward Son

by Rainbow Rowell

2019

A year after saving the World of Mages, burned-out Simon Snow hits the road across America with Baz and Penelope to check on Agatha. Their messy road trip through motels and magic-scarce highways forces them to face what comes after being a hero.

Runaways, Vol. 4: But You Can't Hide

by Rainbow Rowell

2019

In the fallout from their last battle, the Runaways nurse broken hearts and a wrecked home while Alex walks away again. Victor obsesses over fixing Doombot, Karolina searches for purpose as a solo hero, and the team wonders if rebuilding is even worth the effort.

Runaways, Vol. 3: That Was Yesterday

by Rainbow Rowell

2019

A ghost from the team's past returns with apocalyptic baggage, dragging elder gods and old betrayals back into their lives. As Nico learns the true cost of her Staff of One and Alex Wilder reappears, the Runaways face whether they can trust each other enough to survive.

Pumpkinheads

by Rainbow Rowell

2019

On their last night working at a famous Nebraska pumpkin patch, seasonal best friends Deja and Josiah race across corn mazes and snack stands to chase a long-time crush, and end up questioning what they really want from each other.

Runaways, Vol. 2: Best Friends Forever

by Rainbow Rowell

2018

The gang experiments with being actual superheroes and mostly proves they are terrible at it. Time travel complications, Doombot drama and a tempting offer for Molly force each Runaway to choose between the messy family they built and the safer paths other adults offer.

Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home

by Rainbow Rowell

2018

Years after their last adventure, Chase uses time travel to pull Gert back from the moment of her death, dragging the scattered Runaways together again. Reunited in Los Angeles with dinosaur Old Lace in tow, they have to decide whether this broken family can still work.

Almost Midnight

by Rainbow Rowell

2017

This illustrated gift book pairs two wintery love stories, Midnights and Kindred Spirits, about friends circling each other at New Year's parties and strangers bonding in a movie line, capturing the hopeful, awkward moments right before everything changes.

Kindred Spirits

by Rainbow Rowell

2016

Star Wars superfan Elena camps out in line for a new movie expecting a wild crowd and instead finds just two other die-hards. Over cold nights and shared snacks, she discovers that small fandoms can still lead to big connections.

Carry On

by Rainbow Rowell

2015

In his final year at Watford School of Magicks, disaster-prone Chosen One Simon Snow must face the magic-devouring Humdrum, an increasingly suspicious mentor and his infuriating vampire roommate Baz, whose return sparks a clash that feels a lot like longing.

Landline

by Rainbow Rowell

2014

Los Angeles TV writer Georgie McCool stays behind to work while her husband takes their kids to Omaha for Christmas, then discovers a landline that somehow calls Neal in the past, forcing her to rethink their marriage and the choices that shaped it.

Fangirl

by Rainbow Rowell

2013

Socially anxious college freshman Cath would rather live inside her Simon Snow fanfiction than navigate a new campus without her twin. As classes, family crises and Levi's easy charm pile up, she has to learn where fandom ends and her own story begins.

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

2012

Set in 1986 Omaha, this YA romance follows misfit new girl Eleanor and quiet comics fan Park as they share a bus seat, swap mixtapes and slowly fall in love while facing bullying, racism and trouble at home.

Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell

2011

At the end of the 1990s, shy IT guy Lincoln is paid to flag inappropriate office emails and instead gets hooked on the witty messages between coworkers Beth and Jennifer, falling for Beth long before they ever meet in person.

Where should I start?

If you want heartfelt YA romance: Eleanor & ParkFangirlPumpkinheads.
If you prefer adult love stories: AttachmentsLandlineSlow DanceCherry Baby.
If you are here for magic and queer fantasy: Carry OnWayward SonAny Way the Wind Blows.
If you like comics and graphic novels: PumpkinheadsRunaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way HomeShe-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again.
If you want quick reads and bonus stories: Almost MidnightKindred SpiritsScattered ShowersIn Waiting.

Author bio

Rainbow Rowell writes the kind of stories she once looked for on library shelves, split between messy real life, big feelings and a lot of talking. She grew up in Nebraska and still sets many of her books there, from small town kitchens to city buses.

Rowell was born in 1973 and spent much of her childhood in Nebraska, sometimes in rural places and cramped houses where money and utilities were not guaranteed. Her mother filled the gaps with library trips and stacks of paperbacks, and Rowell gravitated early to comics, fantasy novels and anything with a love story tucked inside.

In high school she joined the school paper and kept writing through college journalism jobs. That path led her to the Omaha World-Herald, where she spent years as an ad copywriter and newspaper columnist. Learning to hit deadlines and write for ordinary readers gave her a clean, conversational style and a sharp ear for how people actually talk.

While she was still working in advertising, Rowell started drafting a novel on the side, writing at night around office hours and young kids. That book became Attachments, a late 1990s office romance about an IT guy who falls for a woman through her emails. Published in 2011, it quietly built an audience and showed that there was plenty of room for warm, funny love stories about regular adults.

Her next two books, the young adult novels Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, brought a far bigger wave of readers. Both center on teenagers who feel out of place and find refuge in stories, music and each other. Set in Omaha in the 1980s, Eleanor & Park follows two misfit kids who trade comics and mixtapes on the school bus. Fangirl jumps forward to a contemporary college campus, where anxious freshman Cath would rather live in her fanfiction than risk new friendships.

From Cath’s beloved fictional series, Simon Snow stepped out into his own fantasy novels. With Carry On, Wayward Son and Any Way the Wind Blows, Rowell plays with the idea of a Chosen One who is exhausted by saving the world and by the expectations that come with it. The trilogy blends boarding school magic, queer romance, road trip adventure and the quieter work of recovering from trauma once the battles are over.

Rowell moves back and forth between teen and adult protagonists. Landline uses a possibly magic telephone to reconnect a struggling Los Angeles couple with the early days of their marriage. Slow Dance returns to Omaha to follow two former best friends who never quite figured out how to stop loving each other. Her upcoming novel Cherry Baby follows a woman whose life is swallowed by her husband’s hit webcomic and the fat, cartoon version of her he created, until an old friend helps her imagine something different.

Alongside the novels, she writes shorter work and comics. The holiday pieces collected in Almost Midnight and the stories in Scattered Showers revisit favorite characters and introduce new ones in quick, concentrated bursts. She has also written for Marvel, spending several years with the teen heroes of Runaways and then steering a character she loves, Jennifer Walters, through a funny, heartfelt run on She-Hulk. Her original graphic novel Pumpkinheads and the manga adaptation of Fangirl show the same instincts translated into panels and speech bubbles.

Across all of these projects, certain threads repeat. Rowell writes about first love and second chances, about fandom and found family, about people who talk circles around their real feelings until they finally let the truth slip out. Her stories are packed with dialogue and small, specific details, whether she is describing a Nebraska thrift store or a magic spell built from pop lyrics.

Rowell still lives in Omaha with her husband and two sons. She splits her time between novels and comics, keeps up a lively conversation with readers, and seems happiest when she can take something as big as saving the world and fold it back down into two people sitting on a sofa, trying to say what they mean.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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All 33 Rainbow Rowell Books in Order (Complete List 2026)