When you finish a book you love, it's tempting to want to read a novel just like it next, or at least one that's very similar. That may be a book by the same author, or it might be about the same subject or in the same genre. How to find a similar book is not always easy.
In our ‘books like’ section, Five Books editors hunt for books that are like some of the most popular books available in English. They're very personal takes, because what you love in a book can vary greatly from person to person. Two people might consider War and Peace their favourite novel (say), but one love it for the war parts—and its analysis of what made Napoleon so successful in conquering Europe—while another reader might skip the battle scenes altogether and read only the peace bits. Still, these are our handpicked selections of books like Bad Blood, books like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and more.
Loved Where the Crawdads Sing? We think you’ll like these books too
Delia Owens’ bestselling coming-of-age tale is a moving tale of survival, independence, and the power of human connection. The book will find a new audience this summer, when a big screen adaptation is scheduled for release, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones. But if you’ve read it already and just can’t wait for the movie, here are five books like Where the Crawdads Sing that we think you’ll love.
Loved Harry Potter? We think you’ll like these books too
When you’re looking for books like Harry Potter, it’s worth trying to pin down exactly what aspects of the series it is you’re trying to relive. Here, Sophie Roell, Editor of Five Books, tries to break it down and offers some ideas of other books you might enjoy.
Loved Wolf Hall? We think you’ll like these books too
If you adored Hilary Mantel’s double-Booker-Prize-winning trilogy Wolf Hall, here are five more books like it: four works of historical fiction and one nonfiction title which we believe—for one reason or another—will go some way towards filling the Cromwell-shaped hole in your life.
Loved The Handmaid’s Tale? We think you’ll like these books too
Margaret Atwood’s landmark work of speculative fiction was first published in 1985—and returned to prominence after a hit television adaptation underlined its continued relevancy in Donald Trump’s America. Whether you are a faithful fan of many years, or a recent convert to Atwood’s work, you are probably looking for more books like The Handmaid’s Tale—and we can help.
Loved Dune? We think you’ll like these books too
Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic Dune, first published in 1965, is finding a fresh audience thanks to a new, big-budget Oscar-winning film adaptation starring Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. If you have recently read the book and find yourself now with a hitherto-unexplored hunger for space opera, here are five novels that we think you’ll like if you enjoyed Dune.
Loved Stranger Things? We think you’ll like these books too
The hit Netflix series Stranger Things is rich in period detail—though its appeal goes well beyond just a nostalgia trip. Here’s a reading list for Stranger Things fans while they await season five, with a focus on literary and graphic classics: what those of us who were playing Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980s were reading for inspiration at the time.
Loved The Hunger Games? We think you’ll like these books too
Suzanne Collins’ trilogy for young adults was an instant hit, and has been adapted into a series of Hollywood movies starring Jennifer Lawrence as the reluctant heroine and huntress Katniss Everdeen. If you are looking to immerse yourself in another gripping dystopian world, look no further. Here are five more books like The Hunger Games.
Loved The Song of Achilles? We think you’ll like these books too
Madeline Miller’s bestselling debut novel The Song of Achilles is a mythical retelling of The Iliad from the perspective of Patroclus. The Song of Achilles, which saw Miller shortlisted for the title of Stonewall Writer of the Year, is a parable of love and loss, with Miller’s beautiful prose captivating the masses and leaving many of us hungry for more. If you have wolfed down Miller’s other bestselling novel Circe and you’re still left wanting more, here are some of our recommendations.
Loved Heartstopper? We think you’ll like these books too
Alice Oseman’s heartwarming YA webcomic has taken the world by storm. As fans anxiously await the second season of the hit TV adaptation, we recommend five more books like Heartstopper, including a popular manga series, a graphic memoir of coming out, and age-appropriate LGBT romances set in high school
