83 books like If You Ask Me

This is an adapted version of the bestselling adult novel, A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. It’s a fresh and unique take on why dogs mean so much to us humans, and there are gobs of books in this series (all stand-alone, which is great. Kids can read them in any order, but there are plenty of them for voracious readers).

The kid’s version is illustrated and is a fast, lively read.

Okay, Evanovich has written seven million Stephanie Plum mysteries, but they are truly funny. Best start with the first one, when we were all young and had golden hair (highlights?).

The humor is smart and not sophomoric. I’m an improv comic and there is a difference between being juvenile and crude, and being clever. Check her clever Plum series out if you want to laugh. There are so many of them you could also use them to build that upstairs addition you’ve been planning.

I could potentially recommend any of Sedaris’ early works. Pick one, you won’t regret it.

Sedaris has a way of taking our most mundane lives and making them hilarious. His style can be best described as memoirs meet standup comedy. We’ve all had those weird, awkward family moments. Sedaris does a great job of making them funny. Warning: people tend to look at you rather oddly and give you space when you listen to the audiobook while out walking alone. 

I came to the book recently, only after watching Apple TV’s Still, about Michael J. Fox.

I grew up watching his movies and have always adored him. Years ago, I read another of his books, Always Looking Up, and enjoyed it. This book opens like a NYT bestselling novel and just keeps going. Brilliantly written. Emotional and above all, inspiring. If you’re looking for role models in darker times, look no further. 

Yes, this is technically a “celebrity memoir,” but Day is in a unique position of not only growing up in gaming culture but rising to fame because of it. While only two of the chapters in her book are about specific games she played, one of those games does become the basis for the show that launched her career. It’s interesting to read how she navigated the early days of YouTube and created and marketed the show with basically no budget. As someone who has frequently tried (and failed) to create game-related content of my own, it was nice to see what a self-made success story can look like.

April Whittier is a professional by day, and a fan fiction queen by night. Unbeknownst to her, her best online friend is the star of TV’s biggest show (think Game Of Thrones) who agrees with her about everything the show is doing wrong. Now, due to some harsh online trolls criticizing her weight, she’s going out on a date with him.

I love how different Spoiler Alert is from the others on my list that were written a decade – or two – earlier. The body-positivity mindset is refreshing and so much more emotionally healthy than the fat-duckling-to-thin-swan take. (As much as I enjoy those, too.) April has issues, yes, but never any doubt that she’s as worthy to date a huge star as any size 4. And in fact, questions whether he is worthy of her!

With a codependent mother relationship that feeds into various forms of abuse (CW: eating disorders being one of them) and Hollywood as the backdrop for this coming-of-age story, this is an important, unforgettable memoir.

It’s a gift to be so darkly funny and honest as a nonfiction writer, particularly when your own deep vulnerability is in service of something larger. Written in short numbered passages that span McCurdy’s life from early childhood into adulthood, this true story is a perfect rollercoaster.

Both laugh-out-loud funny and deliriously sad, there’s never a moment you won’t feel held by this book and this writer.

Woody made fun of movie novelizations in Manhattan, but they have a special charm, especially when written by the director.* Tarantino’s gripping novel captures the changing of the guard in Hollywood ’69 as only a native son could, with special attention paid to Manson’s floppo music career.

The book also features some intense scenes that aren’t in the flick. For instance, in one chapter, Manson Family acolyte “Pussycat” creepy crawls into an elderly couple’s home at midnight and strips naked in their bedroom while they sleep and then…yeah, well, try not turning the pages, I dare ya. 

*(Another fine example is The Last Days of Disco, With Cocktails at Petrossian Afterward by Whit Stillman.)

Along with being extremely well written, this book details the horrific murder of a celebrated actor, a man blitzed in his sleep, a decent man who dealt with mundane foibles many men experience. But Crane always continued on, heading to work, embracing a hopeful and positive outlook on his abilities and the future. Bob Crane may well have never awoken from the cowardly assault that took his life in 1978, leaving his 4 children fatherless. A couple of years ago, I got to know Robert David Crane, Bob Crane’s son, via social media and it was one of the oddest occurrences of my life. I’d never have predicted it. I’ve found him to be insightful, generous, accomplished, and genuine. I loved this book because it is about the murder of a man who I grew up seeing.

Yes, I too watched Hogan’s Heroes and absolutely loved the character played by… show more.

Nick Hornby is one of my favorite writers, and About a Boy is one of my favorite books of all time.

I love how his prose is pared down but so profound; every sentence, however simple, carries weight, and his characterization is wonderfully human. In this book, Hornby champions mainstream entertainment, something I’m passionate about, as I can’t stand cultural snobbishness.

It’s an homage to a golden age of light entertainment, and, like television comedy, this is a book that "makes us all part of something."