Based on your book
Just One Damned Thing After Another
by Taylor, Jodi
Max is an historian, which sounds academic enough until you realize her job involves jumping into the past to observe key events firsthand. Working for the St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research, she quickly learns that history is far less interested in being observed and far more interested in trying to kill you. The narrative moves at a breakneck speed, balancing laugh-out-loud British wit with moments of genuine, sometimes brutal, tragedy. You are not going to find grand sci-fi explanations here; instead, you get a group of deeply flawed, brilliant people just trying to survive their own curiosity. This is for the reader who wants a protagonist with a sharp tongue and a resilient spirit, and who prefers their time travel stories to feel messy, dangerous, and refreshingly human rather than sterile or overly technical.
10 Books similar to 'Just One Damned Thing After Another'
Since you enjoyed the chaotic charm of St. Mary's, these picks lean into the specific intersection of time travel, dry humor, and high-stakes historical danger. Whether you are looking for the bureaucratic absurdity found in The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. or the literary, genre-bending wit of Thursday Next in The Eyre Affair, this list highlights stories where the mechanics of time are secondary to the survival of the characters. We selected these because they capture that distinct feeling of being caught in a race against time while navigating complex, often hilarious consequences.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Like the St. Mary's series, this book blends time travel with a distinctly British, witty sense of humor and chaotic historical mishaps. It captures that same feeling of intelligent characters trying to fix time-travel blunders while navigating complex historical settings.
by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland
This novel explores the bureaucratic and scientific side of time travel, much like the administrative and academic chaos found in Jodi Taylor's work. It features a sharp, irreverent tone and a high-stakes mission that feels both grounded and fantastical.
While significantly darker and more serious than St. Mary's, this book shares the core premise of being pulled through time into dangerous historical situations where survival is the only goal. Fans of Max's resilience and her 'just get through it' attitude will appreciate the protagonist's strength.
If you love the quirky, genre-bending, and slightly madcap energy of Jodi Taylor, you will adore Thursday Next. It features a strong, capable female lead navigating a world where literature and reality collide, filled with dry wit and high-stakes adventure.
Love to read on the go?
Explore Kindle e-readers and take your books with you.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
by Charles Yu
This book offers a meta-fictional, deeply introspective take on time travel that mirrors the way St. Mary's characters often grapple with the consequences of their actions. It is clever, fast-paced, and blends humor with poignant emotional beats.
While more focused on romance than the action-heavy St. Mary's, this book treats time travel as a lived-in, frustrating reality rather than a superpower. Fans of the emotional toll that jumping through time takes on the characters in Jodi Taylor's series will find this deeply resonant.
by John Scalzi
This book captures the 'we are all expendable' vibe of the St. Mary's staff perfectly, utilizing a sharp, self-aware humor to deal with the absurdity of their situation. It is a fast-paced, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt look at characters who realize they are in a dangerous narrative.
by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
For readers who enjoy the intricate mechanics of time travel and the high stakes of changing history, this novella offers a lyrical and intense experience. The relationship between the two leads mirrors the intensity and camaraderie found within the St. Mary's team.
Combining a classic 'whodunnit' mystery with a complex, looping time-travel mechanic, this book provides the same 'race against time' adrenaline rush as a St. Mary's mission. It is clever, dark, and keeps the reader guessing until the very end.
Set in a Victorian London where time travel has become a reality, this book offers a grand, adventurous scope that fans of the historical excursions in St. Mary's will appreciate. It balances intellectual curiosity with a sense of wonder and danger.
Not sure what they've already read?
Let them pick their next favorite with an Amazon Gift Card.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.