As we are adapting to our new way of life that includes social distancing, people also need to find new ways of entertaining themselves. Luckily this includes books! While the library has temporarily suspended home delivery for physical items, our digital collection, including Overdrive, Hoopla and RBDigital to name a few, is still accessible 24/7 from the comfort of your home. A full list of digital platforms, which give access to thousands of e-books and audiobooks, can be found here.
Seeing increased usage of digital resources, our friends at Penguin Random House hosted a webinar for librarians to share read-alikes for those popular titles that have long waiting lists. We thought it would be a great idea to share some of those titles available now or with minimal waiting lists as alternatives in Overdrive.
IF YOU LIKE:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
TRY:
The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
A mesmerizing tale of a woman who must risk everything to hunt down the dangerous man who shaped her past and threatens to steal her future: her father.
Idaho by Emily Ruskovich
A stunning novel about love and forgiveness, about the violence of memory and the equal violence of its loss, from O. Henry Prize-winning author Emily Ruskovich.
Against a backdrop of hauntingly fecund plant life animated by ancient lizards and lawless hungers, Karen Russell has written an utterly singular novel about a family’s struggle to stay afloat in a world that is inexorably sinking.
IF YOU LIKE:
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
TRY:
Defending Jacob by William Landay
When his 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student, assistant district attorney Andy Barber is torn between loyalty and justice as facts come to light that lead him to question how well he knows his own son.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Two rising 70s rock-and-roll artists are catapulted into stardom when a producer puts them together, a decision that is complicated by a pregnancy and the seductions of fame.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Meeting on the ledge of their school’s bell tower, misfit Theodore Finch and suicidal Violet Markey find acceptance and healing that are overshadowed by Finch’s fears about Violet’s growing social world.
IF YOU LIKE:
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
TRY:
Churchill by Andrew Roberts
Draws on extensive new materials, from private letters to transcripts of war cabinet meetings, to present a portrait of the iconic war leader that discusses Churchill’s motivations and unwavering faith in the British Empire.
D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose
The dramatic, inspiring story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain’s elite spy agency to sabotage the Nazis, shore up the Resistance and pave the way for Allied victory in World War II.
Code Girls by Liza Mundy
Documents the contributions of more than 10,000 American women who served as codebreakers during World War II, detailing how their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives and enabled their subsequent careers.
IF YOU LIKE:
TRY:
Outlines theories about what the author of Daring Greatly terms the “physics of vulnerability” to explain the role of disappointment, failure and heartbreak in personal strength and achieving a sense of purpose.
I Really Needed This Today by Hoda Kotb
An inspiring collection of quotes by the Emmy-winning Today anchor and best-selling author of Hoda features personal selections from her popular Instagram account and urges readers to establish connections and find meaning in everyday life.
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
The best-selling author of Glitter and Glue assesses seven phrases that can lead to more qualitative adult lives, sharing poignant and whimsical stories of growth surrounding such expressions as “I don’t know,” “You got this” and “I was wrong.”
IF YOU LIKE:
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
TRY:
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
Two marriages, one immigrant working class and the other from the top one percent, are shaped by financial circumstances, infidelities, secrets and the 2008 recession.
The Immortals of Tehran by Ali Araghi
Learning the story of a centuries-old family curse upon his father’s death, young Ahmad struggles to protect his loved ones through decades of famine, loss and political turmoil before unexpected life changes converge at the height of the Iranian Revolution.
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
A policewoman races to find her missing sister, a homeless addict, amid a vicious killing spree in a Philadelphia neighborhood, in a story that alternates between the investigation and memories of their shared childhood.
Need more read alike recommendations? Check out our Books & Literature databases, including Novelist Plus, for more.
