If you liked these three books, read these...
A few read-a-like recs for popular books
If you're tuned in to the book world, you've likely seen these three books everywhere this summer. I read all three last month and haven't stopped thinking about them, talking to friends about them, and gently nudging them into the hands of readers who haven't given them a go yet.
So, I thought I'd share some "read-a-like" recommendations! While reading all three of these novels, I couldn't help but draw connections to other novels, plots, or voices that I've read before. If you liked any of these books and are looking for more in the same vein, keep scrolling.
If you liked these, read these…
If you liked The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, then try:
• Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan tells the story of a dysfunctional and complicated family through the lens of a crime, just like The God of the Woods. The mystery keeps you turning pages, but it's really the family dynamics that pull you in.
• I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai is another wonderfully written literary mystery with a dual timeline of now and then as a crime from the past resurfaces in light of recent events with a professor returning to the boarding school campus she attended for high school and digs back into the unsolved case.
If you liked Sandwich by Catherine Newman, then try:
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett has a voice similar to Sandwich's. It's also a story of a mother suddenly having her adult children back with her day-to-day and getting lost in the stories and memories of her life before their existence and the early days of motherhood.
• I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott is a wise and warm collection of essays that will bring you joy but also hit deeply on human emotions very tenderly. Much in the same way that Newman does in her novel.
If you liked The Wedding People by Alison Espach, then try:
• Piglet by Lottie Hazell kept me turning pages to find out whether or not the wedding was going to happen, much in the same way that The Wedding People did. You can clearly see that two characters should call it quits, but you're unsure if they will make the right decision until you reach the end.
• Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead strikes that same satisfying combination of rich people, summer, and a wedding that Espach creates in her novel. It's well written, full of bad behavior and minute dramas that weddings bring about.
• The Summer Demands by Deborah Shapiro has a main character, Emily, who, much like Phoebe, is adrift in the middle age of her life once her plans don't pan out the way she thinks. Retreating to an inherited summer camp in Massachusetts for the summer with her husband, she quickly befriends an unlikely companion, a young woman who lives at the summer camp. They strike up an unlikely friendship and help each other through the emotional waves they both have to navigate.
Plus, a couple of other lists for your reading inspiration:
I’ll be back in your inbox next week. We have family in town, and I have a double wedding weekend coming up, so I’ll be back early next week. Have a great week!
‘Til next time,
I just started God of the Woods last night and immediately got I Have Some Questions for You vibes! There is also a Riley Sager book that feels similar too, despite how obnoxious I've come to find his books. And have you seen any of the R.L. Stein Fear Street adaptations on Netflix? I'm getting similar vibes to the 1970s summer camp one too (kinda spooky so maybe not quite your jam).
And as someone who loved Sandwich AND both the books recommended like it I wholeheartedly agree.
Time to read Piglet finally!
I just finished The God of the Woods and enjoyed it so much! The rich, layered way Moore writes reminded me of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, which I think could also be a great read-alike.