by Victoria Bromley
Let’s play a game where we give you a book recommendation based on the books you already know and love.
We all have a type when it comes to books, and sometimes all we want to read are different variations of the same book. We become obsessed with certain tropes and settings and sub genres, so we know we’ll devour a book if it’s comparable to something we already love. Here are some book couplets so you can pick your next read.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – The Sunshine Girls
Everyone who has read the BookTok hit fell in love with Evelyn Hugo, the Hollywood glamour and the lavish celebrity lifestyle. Books about famous people are on the rise, thanks to the popularity of the Taylor Jenkins Reid’s multiverse. If you’re itching to read a book with a character like Evelyn, then Kitty Devereux has entered the party. With stardom and secrets, The Sunshine Girls tells the story of Clara and Abbie trying to unearth their mother’s history when actress Kitty Devereux shows up at the funeral claiming to have known their mother all her life.
I’m a Fan – No One is Talking About this
If you love books with a commentary on how the digital world of social media consumes our lives where we live behind a screen instead of in the real world, then look no further. Both nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in their respective years, I’m a fan and No one is talking about this are similar in style, tone, and addictiveness. Written in vignettes, both books are short and snappy snippets into their narrator’s mind, interspersed with a discourse about the digital age, women, and what’s important in our lives.
Sorrow and Bliss – Everyone in this Room will Someday be Dead
Another Women’s Prize nominee, Sorrow and Bliss has that palatable balance between wit and misery which makes it a sister to Austin’s debut Everyone in this room will someday be dead. Sorrow and Bliss follows Martha through her relationship with Patrick, a man she’s fallen out of love with, and is battling with her own demons. Similarly, Gilda is also struggling with her mental health as she obsesses over her mortality after being in a minor car accident. It’s how both books equally balance humour and sadness which make them book twins. If you loved one, you’ll love the other.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein – Just for Today
Everyone and their dog has read Cleo and Franks’ story and is most likely in a book hangover after finishing it and not knowing how anything else will ever compare. Just for today by Nell Hudson may just be the book which brings you out of that slump. Messy relationships, complicated friendships, substance abuse and not knowing how to care for those you love are all comparable themes. If you want to read a love story which explores more than just romance but also toxicity, complexity, and intimacy, then definitely have these books on your radar.
Send Nudes – Intimacies
Short stories. They’re not for everyone, but if you want to dabble in short fiction, or you want to expand your collection, then these should not go amiss. Saba Sams won the BBC short story prize for Blue 4 eva, a story published in her collection Send Nudes, and the year before Lucy Caldwell won for her story All the people were mean and bad. Both writers explore womanhood and relationships which make them similar, although their styles are very different. Short fiction can often give you more depth and nuanced narration. I recommend reading a short story collection along side a novel, something to dip in and out of when you want a shorter read and to diversify your reading habits.
The Flatshare – Mad About you
Another book everyone has read: The flatshare by Beth O’Leary. Both romances about two people living in close quarters, these books have very similar vibes. Although they are quite different. Mhairi McFarlane’s novel Mad about you follows Harriet as she moves into a house share with Cal Clarke, because she needs a new place to live and he needs to fill the room quickly. But this book is really about female rage and making men accountable for their unhealthy actions. It’s more about solidarity for women in toxic relationships, which gives this book so many layers.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – A Kind of Intimacy
Stalking, obsession, unreliable narrators. Both these books are addictive and hilarious. Eleanor Oliphant has become an icon for socially awkward, wounded, and complicated female characters. Annie, in A kind of intimacy by Jenn Ashworth, is like Eleanor’s cousin. She moves into a new house and instantly becomes infatuated with her new neighbour Neil, convincing herself that they will be together as soon as he breaks up with his girlfriend Lucy. From stealing Lucy’s dresses from washing lines and sending her a book about how to be single, Annie is consumed by her delusion that it’s only a matter of time until her and Neil will be together.
There we have it, our book twins. Let us know if any of these tickle your fancy.
swim press 