Reading
Finding a Good Book

NoveList

This enormous online guide to fiction helps readers locate novels by plot characteristics and also includes summaries, book reviews, and lists of award winners. Information is searchable by author, title, subject, and genre.

Skokie Public Library's guide to this database

African American Audiobooks

Within this list of audiobooks an amazing cast of African American authors, readers, and characters provides rich landscapes of fiction, mysteries, poetry, biography, and nonfiction for your listening pleasure.

Audie Awards

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) sponsors the Audie Awards to honor excellence in audio publishing. APA consists of over 200 member companies, including audiobook publishers, retailers, distributors, suppliers, and other related industries.

Classics

This is a select list of classic works of American and world literature available on audio.

Family Favorites

Our staff has come up with a number of suggestions which are suitable for kids aged 10 and above.

Good Listening

The excellent rendering on many audiobooks magnifies our enjoyment of these works.

Grammy Awards

The Recording Academy annually recognizes audiobooks of superior quality. Awards are given to Best Spoken Word Album and Best Spoken Comedy Album. It is a peer honor, awarded by the voting membership to honor excellence.

Humor

Enough with the gloom and doom — sometimes you just need a good laugh. Try one of these audiobooks to lighten your mood!

Jewish Interest

Enjoy a title from this select list of fiction and nonfiction audiobooks with Jewish themes.

Listen Up Awards

Every year Publishers Weekly picks audiobooks that are "truly outstanding." Titles are judged for content, narration, production values, packaging, and creativity. It is a way to honor the audiobook industry.

Romance... Beyond the Norm

For adult readers, these are suspenseful romances in which vampires, werewolves, faeries, and other half-humans fall in love, fall prey, and battle forces seen and unseen.

Barbara Kingsolver Read-a-Likes

Realistic women and their situations, solid well-thought-out plots, vivid Southern locations, and strong writing.

Bill Bryson Read-a-Likes

Visit a new landscape with a fresh perspective. If you liked Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, you might want to try these other travel narratives which are similarly replete with humor and insight.

Carl Hiaasen Read-a-Likes

Fans of Carl Hiaasen's zany crime capers set in the steamy South will enjoy these authors who mix humor and suspense in stories filled with outlandish characters and wacky plot twists.

Da Vinci Code Read-a-Likes

Millions of readers have become caught up in Dan Brown's tale of a murder at the Louvre and an ancient secret society. If you have read The Da Vinci Code and want more, check out some of these read-a-likes.

Daniel Silva Read-a-Likes

If you like Daniel Silva then try one of these books filled with international intrigue, thrills, and suspense. 

David Sedaris Read-a-Likes

David Sedaris makes readers laugh out loud with stories of his personal humiliations and quirky family. If you like his brand of neurotic, autobiographical humor, give these books a try.

Freakonomics Read-a-Likes

The phenomena of everyday life are examined in these informative and readable nonfiction titles.

The Glass Castle Read-a-Likes

If you were fascinated by this tale of an extremely dysfunctional family, and would like to read other books which explore troubled childhoods and how the protagonist rose above them, try one of these titles.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Read-a-Likes

Mixing humor, drama, history and romance, it describes the German occupation of the island of Guernsey during World War II. For each facet of the book you may have enjoyed, there is more to explore.

Harlan Coben Read-a-Likes

Cops, mafia, ordinary folks — people who have personal demons to confront, rapid-fire action, complex plots full of surprises, and frequently, an irreverent sense of humor; all characterize Coben’s writing.

The Help Read-a-Likes

The Help evokes the South of the early 1960s, revealing the pervasive unspoken code of behavior and discrimination at the dawn of the civil rights movement. The novel also depicts the intricacies and complications of female friendship, female ambition, and interracial relationships.

Jan Karon Read-a-Likes

Jan Karon’s Mitford series appeals to our longing for community, for kindness, for faith, and for simplicity in life. If you’ve read all of the books in the Mitford series, these authors may provide a home away from home.

Jane Austen Lives On!: Novels Inspired by Jane Austen's Life and Works

Do not despair, gentle reader, if you’ve already read all of Jane Austen’s works and still hunger for more. You may now move on to any of these contemporary novels inspired by Jane Austen’s books, her characters, and even her own life.

Janet Evanovich Read-a-Likes

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and MetroGirl series feature young female protagonists who are involved with crime fighting and frequently find themselves in over their heads.

Jodi Picoult Read-a-Likes

Jodi Picoult's novels feature regular people coping with difficult circumstances. Her characters illuminate many sides of controversial issues.

John Irving Read-a-Likes

John Irving’s novels present life as both comically absurd and inescapably tragic. The following titles have similarities to the work of John Irving in having a similar conversational tone, motifs, or overall theme.

The Kite Runner Read-a-Likes

If you enjoyed The Kite Runner, check out these fiction and nonfiction books that explore themes of childhood friendship, immigration, cultural conflict, and the Middle East.

The Lemon Tree Read-a-Likes

The Lemon Tree is a true account of the unusual friendship that developed between Dalia, an Israeli immigrant and Bashir, a Palestinian. The books in this list contain historical information and personal narratives about the perspectives of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Maeve Binchy Read-a-Likes

If you enjoy Maeve Binchy's character-centered, leisurely tales of women and their relationships and want to read similar books, check out some of these read-a-likes.

Mary Higgins Clark Read-a-Likes

Like Mary Higgins Clark’s suspense novels, these fast-paced books feature gutsy heroines in perilous situations.

McSweeney's & Friends

Hipster readers know McSweeney’s for its quarterly journal, its book publishing, and its website, all of which feature quirky, innovative fiction and off the wall humor from cutting edge writers.

Never Let Me Go Read-a-Likes

If you liked Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, or other books about clones, you might enjoy these titles.

Nicholas Sparks Read-a-Likes

Known for his heartwarming and gentle novels of love and loss, Sparks always leaves readers wanting more. To read other tales about the power of love, try these titles.

The Other Boleyn Girl Read-a-Likes

Fans of Philippa Gregory’s novels of passion and intrigue in the royal courts of the past will find plenty to enjoy in these stories of queens, consorts, and noblewomen.

Philip K. Dick Read-a-Likes

Philip K. Dick was one of the most influential science fiction writers of the mid-20th century and his dark, cynical, suspicious stories continue to appeal. Try a book from this list for a Philip K. Dick read-a-like experience.

The Secret Read-a-Likes

Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret has introduced millions of readers to the concept of the Law of Attraction. If you want to learn more about making The Secret work for you, try one of these similar books.

Take This Job and...

If you're a fan of the television show The Office, try one of these often satirical novels about working.

Tami Hoag Read-a-Likes

Tami Hoag began her career as a writer of romances but is better known for her popular romantic suspense novels. If you enjoy her suspense titles you may enjoy some of these other authors.

True Blood Read-a-Likes

Have you devoured the hit HBO show True Blood and the Charlaine Harris novels that inspired it? If you like Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, here are some more sexy paranormal books to try.

V.I. Warshawski Read-a-Likes

V.I. Warshawski is the tough-minded, strong, smart private investigator at the heart of Sara Paretsky’s mysteries.  She’s one of a kind — but these other ladies are pretty interesting, and their stories are worth reading in their own right.

American Library Association Notable Books (Fiction)

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), annually compiles a list of "Notable Books." Works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are chosen although only the fiction titles are included on our list.

Award Winning Mysteries

If you enjoy reading a well-written mystery, try one of these titles which has been awarded an Agatha Award, an Anthony Award, a Dagger Award, an Edgar Allen Poe Award, a Lambda Award, or a Shamus Award.

The Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel

The Bram Stoker Awards are presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and honor superior achievement in dark fantasy, horror, and the occult.

The Hugo Award for Best Novel

The Hugo Awards are given out annually by the World Science Fiction Society and honor the best in science fiction writing.

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction

Administered by the National Book League in the United Kingdom, the Man Booker Prize is the "premier British award for fiction written in English by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the British Commonwealth, Eire, Pakistan, or South Africa."

The National Book Award for Fiction

Each year the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Award to an exceptional work of fiction.

The National Book Award for Nonfiction

Each year the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Award to an exceptional works of nonfiction.

The Nebula Award for Best Novel

The Nebula Award for Best Novel is presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association of America.

The Nobel Prize for Literature

The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded annually since 1901 by the Swedish Academy and "has recognized the whole spectrum of literary works including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays and speeches."

Oprah's Book Club

Since 1996 Oprah Winfrey has been selecting books for her audience to read and then discussing them on her show. All of her selections have instantly rocketed up the best seller lists. Here is a list of all of her picks from her original book club, her classics book club, and her new book club.

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded each year by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and is bestowed upon the "best work of fiction by an American author."

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded annually and is given to a work of "distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life."

Between Brothers

Relationships between siblings provide a rich source for fiction. Enjoy one of these novels about brothers.

Eccentric Families

Some humorous, some sad, these novels may confirm that yours is not the only bizarre family out there.

Family Memoirs

These memoirs illustrate author Dodie Smith's claim that family "is that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to."

The Glass Castle Read-a-Likes

If you were fascinated by this tale of an extremely dysfunctional family, and would like to read other books which explore troubled childhoods and how the protagonist rose above them, try one of these titles.

Modern Motherhood

When the heroines of "chick lit" have children they become the heroines of "mommy lit," touching, amusing tales of the trials and tribulations of modern pregnancy and motherhood.

American Classics

From The Scarlet Letter (1850) to Native Son (1940), these are some of the greatest novels written in the United States.

Artful Fiction

These novels all touch upon the world of art in one of its many facets: artists, artworks, historians, collectors, or thieves.

Books into Broadway

Many Broadway plays have been adapted from mysteries, literary works, and biographies. Check out these books that have appeared on stage.

Cat Tales

Cat lovers will find much to enjoy in this list of feline-friendly mysteries, novels, and literary anthologies.

Chick Lit

Chick Lit novels characteristically feature a young woman in search of the perfect life, career, and boyfriend.

Chocolate Fiction

Indulge yourself! Enjoy the guilt-free feeling that chocolate provides by choosing one of these books.

A Common Thread

Patterns of women's lives are reflected in these novels and mysteries about quilts and quilting.

Contemporary African-American Fiction

Family, friendship, religion, racism, and the dealings of everyday life are explored in these novels about the contemporary African-American experience.

Cult Fiction

Books come and go, but once in a while an offbeat book will inspire intense devotion among a passionate readership. Try these cult classics to see what all the fuss is about.

Dog Fiction

Woof, woof! Dogs have a starring role in these stories.

Fairy Tales for Grownups

The world of childhood is a world where magic lives, in imagination and in stories.  These fairy tales for adults recapture that world, and tell those familiar tales in surprising and compelling ways.

Fairy Tales for Young and Old

Fairy tales can be appealing to all ages of readers. Check out some of these books for tales sure to delight young and old alike.

Gentle Reads

Looking for a good story? Tired of scenes of graphic violence, explicit sex, and dysfunctional families? Try these novels which have wholesome characters, some humor, a little romance, some introspection, but above all, give the reader a good feeling when finished.

Good Reads for the "Sport" in You

Whether you are a professional, an armchair athlete, or a weekend warrior you're sure to enjoy some of these novels about sports.

Green Reads: Environmental Fiction and Nonfiction

These titles have the environment as their theme — the ills perpetrated against it, the harm and hope that lies ahead, and the people who are trying to make a difference.

Hispanic Authors

Whether writing in translation or in English, these writers of Hispanic origin offer compelling reads.

The Immigrant Experience

Whether following family or chasing after dreams, these characters are living with one foot in each world: their new home and the home left behind.

Israeli Authors

Enjoy some of these best-known works from Israeli authors.

It's a Laughing Matter: Humorous Fiction

In the mood for something light, a book with quirky characters, witty dialogue, or perhaps a satirical twist?

Manly Fiction

These books featuring compelling male characters are sure to engage both guys and gals.

Meanwhile... A List of Sequels, Prequels, and What Might Have Been

Some books engage our imagination so thoroughly that we want to know everything about all of the characters; we’re curious about Jim’s life before he met Huck Finn.  These books help fill in some of the missing pieces and let us stay in the story for a little while longer.

Native American Fiction

The Native American community boasts many great authors who have created a wide range of literature. The following is a selection of critically acclaimed fiction, mystery, western, humor, and poetry.

Outlandish Adventure

If you like improbable, oft-times outrageous adventures involving quick-witted, roguish, or eccentric characters, you may enjoy these picaresque novels.

Popular Gay Fiction

Here's a list of some of the best contemporary gay novels. With diverse characters and settings that span the globe there's something here to appeal to every reader.

Popular Lesbian Fiction

From coming-out stories to historical fiction, from literary masterpieces to light romance, this list contains some of the most critically-acclaimed, contemporary novels featuring lesbian characters and themes.

Pulse-Pounding Adventures

Who says a book can’t be as exciting as a movie? Swashbuckling heroes, rampaging monsters, fiendish villians, exotic locales, nonstop action, and thrills aplenty all await in the pages of these books.

Questions of Faith

These novels contain a strong element of spiritual quest. There may be a loss or a rebirth of faith, a struggle to reconcile lifestyle or events with one’s faith, or the pursuit of spirituality beyond the boundaries of organized religion.

Reading Group Favorites

If your reading group is looking for new titles to read, try one of these recommendations.

Road Trip!

Enjoy adventure, discovery, heartbreak, and peril on these literary journeys through the United States.

Shopping Fiction

Shopping can be a costly endeavor, but the price is always right when it’s someone else’s money. Save your money and your feet — you can read these books in the comfort of your home!

Small Gems

Sometimes a short book can really pack a punch with its economy of words and tight focus. If you're looking for a book that is quick and engaging, try one of these small gems.

Street Lit

Street Lit, also known as Urban Fiction, depicts the harsh realities of inner-city life with the accompanying violence, rough language, and sexual situations often experienced there.

Take This Job and...

If you're a fan of the television show The Office, try one of these often satirical novels about working.

Time Travel

What if something happened and you found yourself in first century Byzantium, Montana in the 1880s, or New York City in the year 3046? Enjoy these science fiction, fiction, and romance tales of time travel.

A Touch of Gothic

If you enjoy the trappings of classic Gothic fiction – dark family secrets, crumbling mansions, hints or more of madness, perversity, and the supernatural – you might enjoy these recent novels with a Gothic touch.

Women of a Certain Age

Savor stories of women navigating through the adventure and adversity that comes with a well-lived life.

Civil War Fiction

Whether you like your historical fiction with an aura of romance, as in Gone with the Wind, or prefer descriptions of battlefields, you’re sure to find many titles on this list that will transport you to the 1860’s.

Fiction of the Holocaust

A compelling subject for fiction, the Holocaust demands explanations while defying them all. These stories of victims and survivors, rescuers and perpetrators, attempt to bear witness to the unimaginable.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Read-a-Likes

Mixing humor, drama, history and romance, it describes the German occupation of the island of Guernsey during World War II. For each facet of the book you may have enjoyed, there is more to explore.

The Help Read-a-Likes

The Help evokes the South of the early 1960s, revealing the pervasive unspoken code of behavior and discrimination at the dawn of the civil rights movement. The novel also depicts the intricacies and complications of female friendship, female ambition, and interracial relationships.

Historical Mysteries

Extensive historical research enables these authors to transport readers to faraway worlds and times, enlightening as well as entertaining us with their stories of crime.

Holocaust Memoirs

Powerful true tales of remembrance, these stories of victims and survivors, rescuers and perpetrators, bear witness to one of the worst events in human history.

Jane Austen Lives On!: Novels Inspired by Jane Austen's Life and Works

Do not despair, gentle reader, if you’ve already read all of Jane Austen’s works and still hunger for more. You may now move on to any of these contemporary novels inspired by Jane Austen’s books, her characters, and even her own life.

Life During the Cultural Revolution

Reading these stories about life in China in terrible circumstances can help us understand the indomitable strength of the human spirit.

Medieval Fiction

The medieval period of 500-1450 A.D. is brought to life in these historical titles set in Europe and Great Britain. Tales of the Crusades, Vikings, kings, paupers, and knights are bound in these pages.

Medieval Mysteries

The Middle Ages are murderous in these mysteries set in the world of knights, ladies, monks, and peasants.

The Other Boleyn Girl Read-a-Likes

Fans of Philippa Gregory’s novels of passion and intrigue in the royal courts of the past will find plenty to enjoy in these stories of queens, consorts, and noblewomen.

Regency Redux

The highly structured society of Jane Austen’s England, 1811-1820, is the setting for these witty novels of manners and social consequence written by contemporary authors.

Tales of the Titanic

The unforgettable story of the Titanic and its fatal voyage has inspired the novels and films collected in this list.

Appalachian Fiction

Known for its natural beauty, the Appalachian region stretches from southern New York to northern Mississippi. The following titles span a large amount of time but share the rich Appalachian heritage.

Canadian Mysteries

When you're looking for some cool crimes, you may want to go north of the border. It would be criminal to miss these books, eh!

Caribbean Fiction

The countries and territories of the West Indies have histories and cultures that provide rich fodder for fiction. These novels are set in Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, and Trinidad.

Cooler by the Lake

Remember those hazy days of summer when you would go away to the lake to find solace, fun, or maybe a little romance? Pick up one of these books where a lake figures prominently.

Far Eastern Fiction

Set in Hong Kong, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Tibet, these are recently published novels by Asian and Western authors.

Fiction Set in China

Find some new and old favorites in these novels set in China that range from ancient to modern times.

Fiction Set in France

Whether you fancy mystery, romance, humor or historical fiction, the following books will whisk you away to the land of Paris and Provence, no passport required.

Fiction Set in Italy

From Sicily to Florence, from the Middle Ages to present day, the settings for all these books is Italia.

Irish Tales

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day year-round by reading one of these books by Irish authors about the Irish.

Japanese Fiction

Rich in history and culture, Japan is an evocative setting. The following books all take place in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Mexican Fiction

Head south of the border with one of these Mexican fiction titles.

Murder in Faraway Places

Enjoy these crime stories set in distant lands.

Novels of 20th and 21st Century Egypt

There's more to Egypt than ancient pharohs and pyramids. Try one of these novels and mysteries set in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Out of Africa

Africa may be across the ocean but the culture, climate, and stories of Africa can be brought into your home with these fiction and nonfiction titles.

Passages to India

Embracing the richness of Indian culture, these novels explore family bonds, tradition, and identity. Whether they are set in Bombay or New Jersey, these books evoke the colors and flavors of the subcontinent.

Academic Mysteries

When death stalks those hallowed halls of ivy, it is often the professors, teachers, or students who must find the culprits... or maybe THEY are the culprits.

African-American Mysteries

The sleuths in these mysteries come from all walks of life. Check out one of these mysteries featuring African-American characters.

Award-Winning Mysteries

If you enjoy reading a well-written mystery, try one of these titles which has been awarded an Agatha Award, an Anthony Award, a Dagger Award, an Edgar Allen Poe Award, a Lambda Award, or a Shamus Award.

Beyond CSI: Books on Forensics

If you're fascinated by forensic professionals and the techniques they use to catch criminals, try one of these nonfiction or fiction books.

Canadian Mysteries

When you're looking for some cool crimes, you may want to go north of the border. It would be criminal to miss these books, eh!

Christmas Fiction, Romance, and Mystery

Keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round by enjoying one of these Christmas stories.

Cozy Mysteries

Cozy mysteries present a lighthearted crime solving experience. They are often set in small towns and villages where the sleuth is usually an amateur and female.

Crafty Mysteries

Any crafter who has accidently pricked herself with a sharp needle knows that crafting is hazardous. Read one of these mysteries where crafting is not only hazardous, it’s lethal.

Crime Noir

This is gritty hardboiled fiction where themes of loneliness, despair, sexual obsession, and hard luck prevail. A fatalistic hero, who is often more victim or perpetrator than detective, tries to save those at the margins of society.

Culinary Crimes

A teaspoon of this and a pinch of that and you’re dead. When one of their guests winds up in the soup, chefs, caterers, and hosts must solve the crimes to divert suspicion from themselves.

Dynamic Duos

Whether they be husband and wife, inspector and sergeant, co-workers, ex-spouses, or friendly enemies, these dynamic sleuthing duos work in tandem to solve the crimes they stumble onto.

Gruesome Gardens

Gardens can be such lovely spots, all verdant and lush and deadly. There are such delicious ways to get rid of unwanted people; poisonous herbs and flowers and tools of every degree of sharpness or bluntness. Try one of these mysteries with a gardening theme.

Historical Mysteries

Extensive historical research enables these authors to transport readers to faraway worlds and times, enlightening as well as entertaining us with their stories of crime.

Janet Evanovich Read-a-Likes

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum & MetroGirl series feature young female protagonists who are involved with crime fighting and frequently find themselves in over their heads. The novels listed below have similar plot situations, quirky characters, humorous dialogue, or feisty protagonists.

Jewish Mysteries

Enjoy these crime stories which incorporate Jewish sleuths, settings, and situations.

Medieval Mysteries

The Middle Ages are murderous in these mysteries set in the world of knights, ladies, monks, and peasants.

Murder in Faraway Places

Enjoy these crime stories set in distant lands.

Murder in the Cold Outdoors

When the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful, settle in with one of these mysteries set in the cold outdoors.

New Tales of Sherlock Holmes

A. Conan Doyle may be long gone, but his most famous creation still lives in these recent stories of detection featuring Holmes, Watson, and other beloved characters.

Police Procedurals

If you enjoy all the technical aspects of police work, try these titles.

Scandinavian Sleuths

In these colder climes, the nights are dark and long and cold as death. But “truth will out.”

Unusual Detectives

Sheep, vampires, and teddy bears are not the typical heroes that come to mind when someone needs a PI. Yet, as these books prove, the best detective to solve the mystery need not be human.

Beyond CSI: Books on Forensics

If you're fascinated by forensic professionals and the techniques they use to catch criminals, try one of these nonfiction or fiction books.

Bill Bryson Read-a-Likes

Visit a new landscape with a fresh perspective. If you liked Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, you might want to try these other travel narratives which are similarly replete with humor and insight.

Comic Lives

Looking for an amusing biography? These professional funny-men and -women tell their life stories in a way guaranteed to make you laugh.

Family Memoirs

These memoirs illustrate author Dodie Smith's claim that family "is that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to."

Food Glorious Food

The next best thing to eating is reading about food. The following books all share a passion for culinary adventures – either in the kitchen, a restaurant, or through historical study.

Freakonomics Read-a-Likes

The phenomena of everyday life are examined in these informative and readable nonfiction titles.

The Glass Castle Read-a-Likes

If you were fascinated by this tale of an extremely dysfunctional family, and would like to read other books which explore troubled childhoods and how the protagonist rose above them, try one of these titles.

Green Living

There are many things you, the consumer, can do to make the planet a healthier place to live.

Green Reads: Environmental Fiction and Nonfiction

These titles have the environment as their theme — the ills perpetrated against it, the harm and hope that lies ahead, and the people who are trying to make a difference.

Heartwarming Nonfiction

When you need a little lift, turn to those books about kind-hearted people (and some animals!) who face down adversity and demonstrate the amazing power of love.

Holocaust Memoirs

Powerful true tales of remembrance, these stories of victims and survivors, rescuers and perpetrators, bear witness to one of the worst events in human history.

The Kite Runner Read-a-Likes

If you enjoyed The Kite Runner, check out these fiction and nonfiction books that explore themes of childhood friendship, immigration, cultural conflict, and the Middle East.

Laugh and Learn

Who says learning can’t be fun? These witty nonfiction books will keep you laughing while teaching you something useful or just plain interesting.

The Lemon Tree Read-a-Likes

The Lemon Tree is a true account of the unusual friendship that developed between Dalia, an Israeli immigrant and Bashir, a Palestinian. The books in this list contain historical information and personal narratives about the perspectives of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Medical Narratives

These books deal with issues beyond the science of medicine. They discuss the more subjective ethical, historical, and personal aspects of healing and illness; life and death.

Out of Africa

Africa may be across the ocean but the culture, climate, and stories of Africa can be brought into your home with these fiction and nonfiction titles.

The Secret Read-a-Likes

Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret has introduced millions of readers to the concept of the Law of Attraction. If you want to learn more about making The Secret work for you, try one of these similar books.

Self Help Classics

Looking to make a positive change in your life? These books have stood the test of time and helped millions of people reach their goals, solve problems, and achieve peace of mind.

African-American Romance

Whether hot and steamy, or playful and romantic, these novels feature men and women of color looking for love and that one special somebody.

Christmas Fiction, Romance, and Mystery

Keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round by enjoying one of these Christmas stories.

Love Again

Forced apart by circumstances or a misunderstanding, the characters in the following books rediscover each other, often finding that it’s much better the second time around.

Love Bites: Vampire Romance

Sink your teeth into these love stories with a sharper edge.

Nicholas Sparks Read-a-Likes

Known for his heartwarming and gentle novels of love and loss, Sparks always leaves readers wanting more. To read other tales about the power of love, try these titles.

Paranormal Romance

Love comes in many forms, literally! In these tales, characters fall in love with shape-shifters, witches, werewolves, and ghosts.

Regency Redux

The highly structured society of Jane Austen’s England, 1811-1820, is the setting for these witty novels of manners and social consequence written by contemporary authors.

Romantic Suspense

Suspense is the catalyst, bringing together a resourceful heroine and a hero. Get your heart pounding with these romantic suspense titles.

Time Travel

What if something happened and you found yourself in first century Byzantium, Montana in the 1880s, or New York City in the year 3046?  How would you cope and, more to the point, how would you get back?  Enjoy these science fiction, fiction, and romance tales of time travel.

As If the Present Weren't Scary Enough

If the evening news hasn't done enough to frighten you, try one of these harrowing novels about the fictional present and future.

Battlestar Galactica Read-a-Likes

If you’re a Battlestar Galactica fan, or like books about artificial intelligence and cyborgs, you might enjoy some of these titles.

Classics of Science Fiction

Our Science Fiction collection includes all varieties of speculative fiction sure to appeal to many readers.

Embrace Your Inner Geek

Admit it. You sometimes watch Star Wars or love Star Trek. Why not try a science fiction novel next? We have SF books suitable for all reading tastes.

Never Let Me Go Read-a-Likes

If you liked Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, or other books about clones, you might enjoy these titles.

Time Travel

What if something happened and you found yourself in first century Byzantium, Montana in the 1880s, or New York City in the year 3046?  How would you cope and, more to the point, how would you get back?  Enjoy these science fiction, fiction, and romance tales of time travel.

True Blood Read-a-Likes

Have you devoured the hit HBO show True Blood and the Charlaine Harris novels that inspired it? If you like Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, here are some more sexy paranormal books to try.

Below Zero: Stories of Cold and Snow

Extreme temperatures and fierce winds can cause intense emotions. Whether as a backdrop or as a main part of the plot, these novels use the cold to tell their stories.

Christmas Fiction, Romance, and Mystery

Keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round by enjoying one of these Christmas stories.

Fast and Fun Beach Reads

This combination of old favorites you may have missed and hot titles offers some great reads for the beach, the porch, or that cozy chair.

A Chill in the Blood: Vampire Fiction

Tales of vampires have terrified and entertained readers for generations. These titles about the undead show the evolution of the genre.

Books That Go Boom: Terrorism Thrillers

We worry about crime in the streets and insane serial killers, but sometimes the threat comes from outside the U.S.A. If you enjoy reading about thwarting terrorism of all kinds, try a few of these books.

Da Vinci Code Read-a-Likes

Millions of readers have become caught up in Dan Brown's tale of a murder at the Louvre and an ancient secret society. If you have read The Da Vinci Code and want more, check out some of these read-a-likes.

Financial Thrillers

Big money means big dangers in these thrillers set in the world of high finance.

Harlan Coben Read-a-Likes

Cops, mafia, ordinary folks — people who have personal demons to confront, rapid-fire action, complex plots full of surprises, and frequently, an irreverent sense of humor; all characterize Coben’s writing.

Political Thrillers

In this world of international terrorists and fame-seeking individuals, politicians are often at risk, but sometimes they are the threat to themselves and us as these political thrillers illustrate.

Pulse-Pounding Adventures

Who says a book can’t be as exciting as a movie? Swashbuckling heroes, rampaging monsters, fiendish villians, exotic locales, nonstop action, and thrills aplenty all await in the pages of these books.

Teenage Trauma: Coming-of-Age Thrillers

These suspenseful novels feature a young protagonist who learns about life by an involvement in some perilous adventure or mystery.

Staff Book Picks

Check out this list of favorite books read in 2009 by Skokie Public Library staff members.  And it's never too late!  Check out favorite staff book selections from 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.