Chapter 23 - As You Like It

We get a lot of people in the store who want recommendations. While I always have lots of books to tell them about, (and we do have over 20,000 books in the store after all), it is not always easy to come up with something someone will enjoy. Usually I ask them what the last good book they read was and whether they want something similar or different to that book.

Thankfully I have been pretty successful with this approach. Thankfully, as well, there are a lot of good books out there that have like themes and styles without being exact copies. Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame), believes there are ideas floating around the universe just looking for a human to manifest them. While this may sound crazy just think of how many books there are which are published at just about the same time and are of similar topics! The books below might give you a sample of what I am talking about and give you choices in your reading life. So if you liked...try...

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and Resistance by Anita Shreve - Both books are set during World War II and are engaging stories about the French Resistance.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult and Defending Jacob by William Landay. Nineteen Minutes is about a quiet New England town upended by a school shooting. Defending Jacob is about an assistant district attorney who's son, Jacob, is accused of murder. Both deal with what it means to be different.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles and The Gates of the Alamo by Stephen Harrigan. Although the time periods are about 40 years apart both books deal with the trials of Western expansion on those who were part of them.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova and The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth. Many people know Still Alice because of the movie with Julianne Moore. It is a story about an intelligent professor who has Alzheimer's and is diagnosed at an early stage. The Things We Keep is another good story about early onset Alzheimer's.

Here are a few Author to Author read alikes...

If you enjoy Lee Child try David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, or George Pelecanos.

If you can't get enough of Elizabeth Berg check out Fredrik Backman.

If Daniel Silva isn't writing fast enough for you pick up Jeffrey Deaver or Nelson DeMille.

Do you have any good read-alikes, book or author, you can share?

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