The Short Version
Six books to read next, no spoilers.
I picked them for what Shelby Van Pelt does so well: a prickly hero, a found family, and a story that’s funny and sad at the same time.
A Man Called Ove
Number one: A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, first published in Swedish in twenty twelve. Ove is a grumpy widower who’s given up on life, until a noisy young family moves in next door.
If you loved Tova’s stubborn loneliness, this is the closest match. If you only pick one, pick this.
Lessons In Chemistry
Number two: Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus, from twenty twenty two. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist in the nineteen sixties who ends up hosting a TV cooking show.
It’s funny, angry and warm, and it has its own remarkable animal: a very smart dog named Six Thirty. Pick it for the humor.
The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry
Number three: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, from twenty fourteen. A grieving, cranky bookstore owner on a small island finds a toddler left in his shop.
It’s short, gentle and full of book love. Pick it for another small town and another found family.
Anxious People
Number four: Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman, from twenty nineteen. A failed bank robber takes a group of strangers hostage at an apartment viewing.
It sounds like a thriller, but it’s really a big hug of a book, with a few twists. Pick it if you want more Backman.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
Number five: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce, from twenty twelve. A retired man sets out to post a letter to a dying friend, and just keeps walking, across England.
It’s about grief, regret and a long marriage. Pick it for an older hero finding a second chance.
The Soul Of An Octopus
Number six, a wild card: The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery, from twenty fifteen. It’s nonfiction. Montgomery spends time with real octopuses at the New England Aquarium.
If Marcellus made you wonder what octopuses are really like, this will amaze you. Pick it for the real thing.
How To Choose
So, how to choose. For a grumpy hero, A Man Called Ove. For laughs and a clever animal, Lessons in Chemistry. For bookish comfort, A. J. Fikry.
For more Backman, Anxious People. For a second chance story, Harold Fry. And for real octopuses, The Soul of an Octopus.
Your Turn
Which one are you reading first? Tell me in the comments. My review and the ending explained are linked below.
