If You Like Pride and Prejudice

Want more of Jane Austen's Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy? Try one of these Pride and Prejudice inspired stories:

Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston:

Picking up twenty years after Pride and Prejudice left off, Mr. Darcy's Daughters begins in the year 1818. Elizabeth and Darcy have gone to Constantinople leaving their five daughters, who have left the sheltered surroundings of Pemberley for a few months in London. While the eldest, Letitia, frets and the youngest, Alethea, practices her music, twins Georgina and Belle flirt and frolic their way through parties and balls and Camilla -- levelheaded and independent -- discovers what joys and sorrows the city has to offer an intelligent young woman. Readers will delight in the return of such beloved Austen creations as Elizabeth's old nemesis Caroline Bingley (now Lady Warren), the ever-reliable Gardiners and wayward Aunt Lydia. 

Longburn by Jo Baker:

A re-imagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the perspectives of its below-stairs servants captures the romance, intrigue and drama of the Bennet household from the sideline perspective of Sara, an orphaned housemaid who becomes subject to the arrival of the militia and the attentions of an ambitious former slave.

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen:

Georgiana Darcy sees that Elizabeth Bennet is a perfect match for her brother and she enlists the help of her cousin, Anne de Bourgh, to bring them together, despite Darcy's stubbornness and Elizabeth's pride. "Using her creative license, Simonsen offers her insights into Austen's beloved characters in this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, giving prominence to minor characters' influence over the mismatched couple so that true love will prevail." (Booklist Reviews)

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street:

In Fitzwilliam Darcy, Austen created the ultimate romantic hero. Yet Pride and Prejudice reveals little of Darcy's innermost thoughts. Here, Street unveils the true motives and mysteries of Elizabeth Bennet's enigmatic suitor. Through Darcy's eyes we discover the reality of his relationships with his sister Georgiana, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, the dastardly Wickham, his friend Bingley, and his formidable aunt, Lady Catherine. And of course, all his memorable encounters with Elizabeth, from that first view of her fine eyes to his disastrous proposal, and then to a pride and arrogance tempered by an unquenchable love.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick:

Twenty-four-year-old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight. When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on-screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Next Gone Girl?

The Girl on the Train by journalist turned author Paula Hawkins has been getting a lot a buzz in the book world as being the next Gone Girl novel. True or not, we predict this book will be in high demand when it is released on January 13th! Click the book cover to place your hold today.

Book Summary: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. "Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life as she sees it is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

If You Like 'The Husband's Secret' You May Also Like...

Imagine discovering a tattered letter written by your husband that came with instructions to open after his death.  Then imagine this letter contains your husband's deepest, darkest secret; a secret with the potential to destroy both the life that you built together as well as the lives of two other women. Finally, imagine discovering this letter while your husband is very much alive...would you be able to resist reading what's written?

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty has already spent 32 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List. If you're a fan, then you may like these read-alikes recommended by NoveList, our Reader's Advisory database:

	Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand Why The Husband's Secret and Nantucket Nights are similar: "the protagonists encountering tragedy, a drowning in one and the revelation of an affair in the other, spur the plots of both novels. The mostly female characters must come to terms with the past in order to move forward." (NoveList)
	Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy Why The Husband's Secret and Heart and Soul are similar: "adults from many walks of life are brought together in these well-characterized novels, though not always for happy reasons. Though both feature large casts of realistic, complex characters, layered plots, and naturalistic dialogue, Heart and Soul is a lighter read." (NoveList)
	More Like Her by Liza Palmer Why The Husband's Secret and More Like Her are similar: "in these well-characterized novels of women's lives and relationships, hidden secrets and murder must be dealt with before the protagonists can resume their lives. Both books offer realistic, moving depictions of characters and their choices." (NoveList)

If You Loved 'The Goldfinch' You May Also Like

Praised by Stephen King as "a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind," Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch has already spent twenty-two weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List and shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. In addition, the novel has received numerous accolades and topped many lists as "Best Book of 2013." 

The story is about a young child, Theo Decker, who miraculously survives an accident in NYC that takes the life of his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by a friend's family and he struggles to make sense of his new life without his mother.

I personally loved The Goldfinch and if you feel the same, you may want to check out these read-alike books recommended by NoveList, out Reader's Advisory database:

	A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.
	In Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, June Elbus' uncle, a renowned painter, is the one person has ever truly understood her. Fourteen year old June is shy at school and distant from her older sister. June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June's world is turned upside down.
	A million-dollar painting by Marc Chagall is stolen from a museum in The World to Come by Dara Horn. The unlikely thief is quiz-show writer, Benjamin Ziskind. As Benjamin and his twin sister try to evade the police, they find themselves recalling their dead parents: the father who lost a leg in Vietnam, the mother who created children's books and their stories about trust, loss, and betrayal.

Missing Downton Abbey?

Are you already missing Downton Abbey and can't wait for season 5? Why not check out some of these Downton Abbey read-alikes from the Community Library:

• Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: the Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Carnarvon tells the story of the daughter of a wealthy industrialist marrying the Earl of Carnarvon, becoming the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, whose dowry serves as a crucial link to preserving Highclere Castle estate. "Gossipy and fun, with a good history lesson sure to delight Downton Abbey fans." - Kirkus Reviews

• Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon: Catherine Wendell, a beautiful and spirited American woman who married Lady Almina’s son, the man who would become the 6th Earl of Carnarvon, presides over the grand estate of Highclere Castle during a tumultuous time for the British aristocracy: the new political and social world of the 1920s and 1930s. As war loomed, Highclere’s survival as the family home of the Carnarvons was again in the balance—as was peace between the nations of Europe.

• Park Lane by Frances Osborne: When eighteen-year-old Grace Campbell arrives in London in 1914, she’s unable to fulfill her family’s ambitions and find a position as an office secretary. Lying to her parents and her brother, Michael, she takes a job as a housemaid at Number 35, Park Lane, where she is quickly caught up in lives of its inhabitants—in particular, those of its privileged son, Edward, and daughter, Beatrice, who is recovering from a failed relationship that would have taken her away from an increasingly stifling life.

• Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeil: After German Luftwaffe bomb London, Maggie Hope--trained in math and code breaking, but only able to find a job as Winston Churchill's secretary--uses the access her position demands to try to unravel an assassinate plot.

For more Downton Abbey read-alikes, visit the display on the ground floor at the library, ask a librarian, and search this blog for entries tagged "Downton Abbey."

Oscars 2014 Read-Alikes

Are you looking for books similar to the movies nominated for tomorrow's Oscars? Here are a few recommendations from Kirkus Reviews list "If you liked this Oscar nominated film, you'll love this book" that you can find at the Community Library:

For fans of Gravity, try The Martian by by Andy Weir: Stranded on Mars by a dust storm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and harsh environmental challenges that test his ingenuity in unique ways.

For those who liked Nebraska, try The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine: A modern tale inspired by Sense and Sensibility finds financially strapped literary sisters Miranda and Annie moving in with divorcée Betty in a run-down Connecticut beach cottage, where they find love among the suburban aristocracy.

For fans of Philmena, try The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin. With AIDS about to claim a well-loved young man, three generations of his family are reunited at his bedside in Ireland, in a novel that explores the nature of love and the complex interrelationships among family members. The Blackwater Lightship is a novel about morals and manners, about culture clashes and clashes of personalities, but it is also a novel full of stories, as the characters give an account of themselves, and the others listen, awe struck or deeply amused at things they have never heard before.

For those who liked 12 Years a Slave, try A Slave in the White House by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor: Chronicles the life of Paul Jennings, a former slave to James and Dolley Madison, tracing his early years on their plantation, his service in the Madison White House household staff and post-emancipation achievements as a first White House memoirist and father of two Union Army soldiers.

To see the full list of Kirkus' Oscar nominee read-alike recommendations click here.