Read Alikes: Part 1
I just finished Little Fires Everywhere the other night. I sat at my son's soccer practice with a tear in my eye considering what the book said to me. Pulling back from the story for a minute I could immediately see the overarching theme of motherhood. How hard it is, how the past influences our choices with our children today, how we all think we are doing the right thing. It made me think about other books I had read with similar ideas...
When I finished A Curious Beginning last month I had the same feeling. I closed the book and began to think of the other books and series I have read that were reminiscent of the tone, motifs, and plot. A few sprang immediately to mind.
Both of these experiences had me itching to write this post. It may become a series of posts or it may be a one-off, but either way, here some read alikes I've noticed in my adventures with books.
Little Fires Everywhere I finished this (at the soccer field) and was impressed with the way Ng dealt with motherhood in all its complexities and nuances. At the core of the book are mothers and daughters who are trying to communicate and finding varying degrees of success. As a mom of teen daughters, this is v. relatable and also something that does not get talked about much. So that got me thinking about other books that I've read like this...
You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation is a nonfiction book about a researcher who studied patterns in conversations between moms and daughters. She has a whole section dedicated to communication during the teen years. I found this highly informative and still use some of the tips, tricks, and understanding I got from this book.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette I had a different reaction to this book than most readers. It made me cry a little. I mean, I wasn't weeping, but seeing Bernadette go through the crises of sending her daughter away to school and wondering who she is now that she is not "Bee's mother" hit close to home for me. I have a few years to go before I'm an empty nester and the idea that society expects moms to be a super mom while their kids are at home leaves me feeling like I want to scream, "There is more to me than my kids!" How many times have I met someone at a dance recital or band concert and introduced myself as "Finn's mom"? The book doesn't offer answers but reminds you that you are not alone in your love for your child and your need for creative expression. Bernadette is one of my favorites.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a nonfiction look at a mother's experience raising kids with the goal of excellence. The author lets you inside of the good, the bad, and the ugly of her experience and when I finished I found I was more compassionate to myself and other moms.
Ginny Moon I love this book. It is about a teen is in the foster care system. She goes to live with a family who wants to adopt her. Ginny is often torn between her biological mom and her foster parents and the reader gets a very raw portrayal of what it means to be a family. Communication issues are worsened for Ginny and those around her because she has Autism. It is so good...and by good I mean, yes, I did cry.
A Curious Beginning This was another book that made me think about other books I've read (and loved) like it. It's the late 1800's and Veronica Speedwell is alone in life. She loves hunting butterflies and adventuring and it's a good thing because she's about to be swept up in a big adventure to learn about her family of origin and why her aunts made her move from town to town. This is a fun, historical, mysterious book. If you're looking for deeply researched historical ficition you might not like it, if you are looking for a thriller you might not like it. Books like this make me so happy...I wish there were more TV shows in this vein too (Psych is the best I can think of).
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is an obvious comp. This is also a fun, historical, mysterious series that involves a heroine with an unlikely interest (chemistry). In Bradley's books, Flavia is running around town solving murders and getting into trouble while dealing with family issues. I have read all of them and love them dearly.
Caraval is not an obvious comp. It's totally fantasy: they live in a magical world. But, it has strong female characters, a nice little romance, and mysterious elements to keep you turning the pages. I've only read the first, but my daughter loves all of the books in the series.
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges I thought of this nonfiction book as a read-alike because Veronica is so strong and self-assured. When I read characters like that I feel more confident and brave about my own situation. This book gives practical tips to stand up to the bad guys (and situations) in everyday life. The superman pose has come in handy many times around here.
Bellweather Rhapsody Less fantastical, this book takes place at a musical festival for teens in New York. I loved the band culture in this creepy mystery that made me laugh and gasp alternately. I think this may be one of the most underrated books. I read it years ago and still think about the characters and the setting.
I'll be Your Blue Sky Something that links this book is learning about something you didn't know before (band geeks, chemistry, butterflies), in this book you learn about how women escaped domestic abuse in the past when it was even more difficult to get away from your abuser. It's not a cheery subject, but the story had a lot of hope, a little mystery, and female characters you could root for. And...it's part of a series.
A Study in Scarlet Women is very similar to the Veronica Speedwell books. It takes place in England around the same time and Lady Sherlock is a witty young woman who despises convention. This would be good to dip in and out of while you're waiting for Bradley and Raybourn to write more.
Let me know in comments if you have any read alikes for these books...or if you just finished something really great and you're looking for something similar. Maybe I can help out!
When I finished A Curious Beginning last month I had the same feeling. I closed the book and began to think of the other books and series I have read that were reminiscent of the tone, motifs, and plot. A few sprang immediately to mind.
Both of these experiences had me itching to write this post. It may become a series of posts or it may be a one-off, but either way, here some read alikes I've noticed in my adventures with books.
You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation is a nonfiction book about a researcher who studied patterns in conversations between moms and daughters. She has a whole section dedicated to communication during the teen years. I found this highly informative and still use some of the tips, tricks, and understanding I got from this book.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette I had a different reaction to this book than most readers. It made me cry a little. I mean, I wasn't weeping, but seeing Bernadette go through the crises of sending her daughter away to school and wondering who she is now that she is not "Bee's mother" hit close to home for me. I have a few years to go before I'm an empty nester and the idea that society expects moms to be a super mom while their kids are at home leaves me feeling like I want to scream, "There is more to me than my kids!" How many times have I met someone at a dance recital or band concert and introduced myself as "Finn's mom"? The book doesn't offer answers but reminds you that you are not alone in your love for your child and your need for creative expression. Bernadette is one of my favorites.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a nonfiction look at a mother's experience raising kids with the goal of excellence. The author lets you inside of the good, the bad, and the ugly of her experience and when I finished I found I was more compassionate to myself and other moms.
Ginny Moon I love this book. It is about a teen is in the foster care system. She goes to live with a family who wants to adopt her. Ginny is often torn between her biological mom and her foster parents and the reader gets a very raw portrayal of what it means to be a family. Communication issues are worsened for Ginny and those around her because she has Autism. It is so good...and by good I mean, yes, I did cry.
A Curious Beginning This was another book that made me think about other books I've read (and loved) like it. It's the late 1800's and Veronica Speedwell is alone in life. She loves hunting butterflies and adventuring and it's a good thing because she's about to be swept up in a big adventure to learn about her family of origin and why her aunts made her move from town to town. This is a fun, historical, mysterious book. If you're looking for deeply researched historical ficition you might not like it, if you are looking for a thriller you might not like it. Books like this make me so happy...I wish there were more TV shows in this vein too (Psych is the best I can think of).
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is an obvious comp. This is also a fun, historical, mysterious series that involves a heroine with an unlikely interest (chemistry). In Bradley's books, Flavia is running around town solving murders and getting into trouble while dealing with family issues. I have read all of them and love them dearly.
Caraval is not an obvious comp. It's totally fantasy: they live in a magical world. But, it has strong female characters, a nice little romance, and mysterious elements to keep you turning the pages. I've only read the first, but my daughter loves all of the books in the series.
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges I thought of this nonfiction book as a read-alike because Veronica is so strong and self-assured. When I read characters like that I feel more confident and brave about my own situation. This book gives practical tips to stand up to the bad guys (and situations) in everyday life. The superman pose has come in handy many times around here.
I'll be Your Blue Sky Something that links this book is learning about something you didn't know before (band geeks, chemistry, butterflies), in this book you learn about how women escaped domestic abuse in the past when it was even more difficult to get away from your abuser. It's not a cheery subject, but the story had a lot of hope, a little mystery, and female characters you could root for. And...it's part of a series.
A Study in Scarlet Women is very similar to the Veronica Speedwell books. It takes place in England around the same time and Lady Sherlock is a witty young woman who despises convention. This would be good to dip in and out of while you're waiting for Bradley and Raybourn to write more.
Let me know in comments if you have any read alikes for these books...or if you just finished something really great and you're looking for something similar. Maybe I can help out!
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment!