Monday, February 01, 2021

Stuck in a reading rut since high school? Discover these read-alikes of your favorite YA titles.

If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, try American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Why you’ll like it: Neil Gaiman is a popular author of fantasy books. His books often are set in our world, but his characters are not like us. Gaiman reimagines mythological icons, with many of his heroes possessing magical abilities or in the case of this book, claiming to be former gods. Like The Lightning Thief, American Gods follows demigods and gods walking among mortals in a journey across the United States. Darker and just as brilliant, American Gods is the perfect transition from the YA shelves to the fantasy genre for adults.

*available in print, book-on-CD and on cloudLibrary as an e-book and e-audiobook, plus the adapted TV series on DVD

 

If you loved To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han, try The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams.

Why you’ll like it: If you’re looking for a sweet romance book like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, check out The Bromance Book Club. When pro-baseball player Gavin Scott’s wife asks for a divorce, he realizes that he has let pride get the better of him. Distraught, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. The guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. Like Lara Jean, Gavin finds solace in steamy romance books, but soon realizes that life isn’t like those stories. If you enjoy The Bromance Book Club, you’re in for a treat – the book is the first in a fun series just like TATBILB!

*available in print, large print and on cloudLibrary as an e-book and e-audiobook

 

If you enjoyed Cinder by Marissa Meyer, try Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

Why you’ll like it: In both Cinder and Station Eleven, a deadly plague wipes out much of the human population. While there aren’t any cyborg fairy tale characters in Station Eleven, it does feature a Hollywood star. Thoughtful and moving, Station Eleven follows a Shakespearean troupe traveling through what’s left of Earth as we know it, bringing art and inspiration to a hopeless world.

*available in print, large print, book-on-CD and on cloudLibrary as an e-book and e-audiobook

 

If you devoured The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald, try reading Jazz by Toni Morrison.

Why you’ll like it: There are two types of people in the world: those who like The Great Gatsby and those who LOVE The Great Gatsby. If you fall into the latter category, you should read Jazz by Toni Morrison, whom American literature lovers are quickly securing into the hall of fame next to Fitzgerald. Jazz, as the title suggests, is set during the Jazz Age like The Great Gatsby. When everybody sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe’s wife attacks the girl’s corpse. Old sport, Jazz has everything you love about The Great Gatsby: high stakes drama, deep metaphors and profound criticism of society.

*available in print and on cloudLibrary as an e-book and e-audiobook