
Ophelium Reading List
By glcubel

An astrophysicist with an auspicious name and troubled past must save her father from a magical criminal and prove to everyone, including herself, that she’s not insane.
A dark and magical novel, Ophelium follows the story of Ophelia Levine as she struggles to reclaim her agency and be true to herself.
This a curated list of books that inspired or are featured in my novel/work-in-progress, Ophelium. Purchasing a book from my shop helps support my writing and gives you a taste of what to expect. You can learn more about Ophelium on my website.

Hamlet
William Shakespeare
$6.99 $6.50The protagonist of Ophelium shares the name of Hamlet's love interest (Ophelia) and endures similar struggles with patriarchal dominance, agency, and perceived insanity.

Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman
$5.95 $5.53The poem "When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer" is featured throughout Ophelium and a crucial symbol for Ophelia's love interest.

Cosmos
Carl Sagan
$18.99 $17.66Ophelia carries a battered copy of Cosmos around and tells her love interest it's what inspired her to study astronomy.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Sam Kean
$21.99 $20.45Though the characters of Ophelium never read or reference this book, it was critical to my research in chemistry and the history of chemistry. In fact, the title Ophelium is a reference to historical naming conventions for newly discovered elements.

The Lost Apothecary (First Time Trade)
Sarah Penner
$17.99 $16.73This book has similar themes to Ophelium. Including themes of powerful women, chemistry, and fantasy.

Sunshine
Robin McKinley
$11.99 $11.15This book has similar themes to Ophelium. Including themes of women finding strength in their own power; urban fantasy; and an unlikely love interest.