10 books like Wish You Were Here

By Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like Wish You Were Here. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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I Am a Cat (Bilingual)

By Soseki Natsume,

Book cover of I Am a Cat (Bilingual)

Gwen Cooper Author Of Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat

From the list on with cats as characters.

Who am I?

Gwen Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat, as well as the novel Love Saves the Day (narrated from a rescue cat's perspective) and The Book of PAWSOME: Head Bonks, Raspy Tongues, and 101 Reasons Why Cats Make Us So, So Happy--among numerous other titles. The first book in her forthcoming "Homer Whodunit" Cozy Mystery Series, You Only Live Nine Times, will be released in Summer 2022. Gwen's work has been published in more than two-dozen languages, and she is a frequent speaker at shelter fundraisers across the U.S. and Europe.

Gwen's book list on with cats as characters

Discover why each book is one of Gwen's favorite books.

Why did Gwen love this book?

The original, and still unsurpassed! First published in Japan in 1906, this gleeful skewering of the foibles of Japan’s upper-middle-class during the Meiji era—told in first-person narration from the perspective of an eminently observant and sardonic housecat—manages to feel fresh and modern more than 100 years later and reads like something that could have been published last week. When I first set about writing my own novel from a cat’s perspective, Love Saves the Day, this was the first book I turned to for inspiration. It was so good, it almost left me too intimidated to write mine. Almost.

I Am a Cat (Bilingual)

By Soseki Natsume,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Am a Cat (Bilingual) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A nonchalant string of anecdotes and wisecracks, told by a fellow who doesn't have a name, and has never caught a mouse, and isn't much good for anything except watching human beings in action..." -The New Yorker

Written from 1904 through 1906, Soseki Natsume's comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat, satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era. With acerbic wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a world-weary stray kitten who comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him.

A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one…


The Master and Margarita

By Mikhail Bulgakov, Richard Pevear (translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (translator)

Book cover of The Master and Margarita

Robert Gibson Author Of The Faulty Crew

From the list on understanding life.

Who am I?

From childhood until now I have always been curious and fascinated by fallacies and the little, illogical moments which are so ubiquitously common in our world. Coming from a family of teachers and professionally a teacher myself, I can only imagine these factors added to this. Having lived in numerous countries and encountering the same conundrums, I am only more driven to explore what is generally, and acceptingly, misunderstood. A fan of reading, I have found that the best people and medium to do so is in literature, which is just what I hope my own works do; explore what is unclear, neglected, and accepted. 

Robert's book list on understanding life

Discover why each book is one of Robert's favorite books.

Why did Robert love this book?

The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov is one of my favorite pieces of Russian writing.

Encapsulating the, often deadly, absurdity of life during the 50’s Soviet system and how it is not less than the devil’s musings and doings, the story still, excellently evokes notions of hope, love, comedy, tragedy, and learning within this setting.

What still remains with me is the vivid richness in description and characters. In my words, Bulgakov and specifically The Master and Margarita are to literature what Tarantino is to cinema and films.

The Master and Margarita

By Mikhail Bulgakov, Richard Pevear (translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (translator)

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked The Master and Margarita as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Bulgakov is one of the greatest Russian writers, perhaps the greatest' Independent

Written in secret during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, The Master and Margarita became an overnight literary phenomenon when it was finally published it, signalling artistic freedom for Russians everywhere. Bulgakov's carnivalesque satire of Soviet life describes how the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of the shadows and into Moscow one Spring afternoon. Brimming with magic and incident, it is full of imaginary, historical, terrifying and wonderful characters, from witches, poets and Biblical tyrants to the beautiful, courageous Margarita, who will…


Breakfast at Tiffany's

By Truman Capote,

Book cover of Breakfast at Tiffany's

Diane Sherry Case Author Of Elephant Milk

From the list on running away.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a rebel, an escape artist, and Pollyanna with a cynical side. The leaping spirit of adventure is often driven by pain. Are we running away? Or running towards a safer, more exciting, or freer life? Hard to say when one is dissociated, which happens to be an expertise of mine, a defense mechanism that I developed as a result of childhood trauma. Runaways are relentlessly resilient, they wouldn’t settle for an abusive, or even boring, life. In my writing, I paint sad stories with bright colors. Though the five books I chose have deep, dark undercurrents, what jumps off the page is their humor and wit and just plain fun!

Diane's book list on running away

Discover why each book is one of Diane's favorite books.

Why did Diane love this book?

Her business card simply says, Holly Golightly, Traveling. With darker undertones than the classic fifty-year-old film, this very short novel is a portrait of a nineteen-year-old woman who runs away from her husband in Texas, establishes herself as a socialite in New York City, then runs away some more. Holly seems all fun and bubbles—witty, resourceful, resilient, and flirtatious, but her insides are haunted by trauma. She describes her past with an “almost voluptuous account of swimming and summer, Christmas trees, pretty cousins and parties...” in a way the narrator concludes is certainly not the background of a child who had run away. Holly is dissociated most of the time. And as a writer, I’m really impressed by all of Capote’s characters—each extraordinarily sculpted; his descriptions simply leap, all with delightful images.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

By Truman Capote,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Breakfast at Tiffany's as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A beautifully designed edition of Truman Capote's dazzling New York novel Breakfast at Tiffany's, which inspired the classic 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn

'What I've found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there, not with those kind men in their nice suits...'

Meet Holly Golightly - a free spirited, lop-sided romantic girl about town. With her tousled blond hair and upturned nose, dark glasses and chic black dresses, Holly is…


Alice in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer,

Book cover of Alice in Wonderland

Lance Lee Author Of Orpheus Rising: By Sam And His Father John With Some Help From A Very Wise Elephant Who Likes To Dance

From the list on YA/middle grade fantasy and their parents.

Who am I?

I don't write within received categories: our lives aren't lived in categories, but are full of varying realities, whether of home, childhood, marriage, parenthood, fantasy, dream, work, or relaxation, and more all mixed together. I can't write in any other way, however dominant a particular strand or age may be on the surface in a given work. Orpheus Rising may have a child hero, and a fantastic, elegant Edwardian Elephant as a spirit guide, but it let me tell a story of love lost and regained, of family broken and remade, of a father in despair and remade, themes of real importance in any life.

Lance's book list on YA/middle grade fantasy and their parents

Discover why each book is one of Lance's favorite books.

Why did Lance love this book?

We absorb this tale, like Peter Pan's, from childhood, and it provides us all with a leaning to light-hearted fantasy and a story pattern of leaving the real world and returning to it. An adventure may begin by going through a wardrobe as in the first Narnia novel, or into and out of Tom Bombadil's Old Forest in Tolkien. Alice goes down a rabbit hole. There are rabbit holes, wardrobes, forests, sailboats.... The world Alice gets to is full of strangeness appealed to me for Orpheus Rising whose characters have a similar variety.

Alice in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Alice in Wonderland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Alice sees the White Rabbit running by on the river bank, she follows him, tumbling down a Rabbit Hole into a magical world where nothing is ever as it seems...

Lewis Carroll's classic story has delighted children since 1865. One hundred and fifty years since its first publication, Hodder celebrates in style with this sumptuous new edition, illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer, whose dreamlike illustrations bring vibrant new life to Carroll's beloved characters. The original text appears complete and unabridged.

Rebecca Dautremer is the celebrated illustrator of The Secret Lives of Princesses.


Murder with Peacocks

By Donna Andrews,

Book cover of Murder with Peacocks

Kirsten Weiss Author Of Big Shot

From the list on funny cozy mysteries.

Who am I?

I’ve been addicted to reading and writing mystery novels since I picked up my first Nancy Drew. But in addition to a good puzzle, I also love a good laugh and grew up watching classic screwball comedies. I’ve written a dozen funny cozy mysteries now with more in the works. I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!

Kirsten's book list on funny cozy mysteries

Discover why each book is one of Kirsten's favorite books.

Why did Kirsten love this book?

Zany family members and weddings gone wrong provide page-turning laughs in the first book in the Meg Lanslow series. The heroine is smart, funny, and… a blacksmith. The small-town shenanigans just keep coming in this laugh-out-loud mystery, but the heart comes from the familial relationships. (No peacocks are harmed in the making of this mystery, but they do provide plenty of laughs.)

Murder with Peacocks

By Donna Andrews,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Murder with Peacocks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hectic plans for three family weddings in one summer are made even more hectic by murder.


Slaves Waiting for Sale

By Maurie D. McInnis,

Book cover of Slaves Waiting for Sale: Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade

Joshua D. Rothman Author Of The Ledger and the Chain: How Domestic Slave Traders Shaped America

From the list on the domestic slave trade.

Who am I?

I have taught history at the University of Alabama since the year 2000, and I have been working and writing as a historian of American slavery for more than twenty-five years. It is not an easy subject to spend time with, but it is also not a subject we can afford to turn away from because it makes us uncomfortable. Slavery may not be the only thing you need to understand about American history, but you cannot effectively understand American history without it. 

Joshua's book list on the domestic slave trade

Discover why each book is one of Joshua's favorite books.

Why did Joshua love this book?

As the domestic slave trade became more expansive alongside the growth of the cotton economy, it attracted the increased ire of antislavery activists in the United States and England alike. Using sketches and paintings of the slave trade made by British artist Eyre Crowe in the 1850s as an entry point, Maurie McInnis explores the landscape of the slave trade in major American cities such as Richmond and New Orleans. In the process, she also opens a fresh window onto the world of transatlantic abolitionism.

Slaves Waiting for Sale

By Maurie D. McInnis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Slaves Waiting for Sale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1853, Eyre Crowe, a young British artist, visited a slave auction in Richmond, Virginia. Harrowed by what he witnessed, he captured the scene in sketches that he would later develop into a series of illustrations and paintings, including the culminating painting, "Slaves Waiting for Sale", Richmond, Virginia. This innovative book uses Crowe's paintings to explore the texture of the slave trade in Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans; the evolving iconography of abolitionist art; and the role of visual culture in the transatlantic world of abolitionism. Tracing Crowe's trajectory from Richmond across the American South and back to London -…


Isle of Dogs

By Patricia Cornwell,

Book cover of Isle of Dogs

Mary Maurice Author Of Burtrum Lee

From the list on exciting your imagination.

Who am I?

I’ve always enjoyed the intrigue of the mystery and the constant back and forth of the twists and turns offer in a well-written novel. The tremor of my nerves at the base of my neck as I try to figure out the culprit and their intentions, has always enticed my imagination. To, me, those sensations are mind stimulating, and are only born through reading.

Mary's book list on exciting your imagination

Discover why each book is one of Mary's favorite books.

Why did Mary love this book?

If you like reading fast action and involved mysteries, you’ll enjoy Patricia Cromwell’s novel, Isle of Dogs. This action-packed story delves into the historical plots surrounding a small island off the coast of Virginia, where it is said ancestors of long-ago pirates reside, and to this day a sunken treasure remains at the bottom of the sea off their shores. The Governor of Virginia decides to build speed bumps on the small island where the preferred mode of transportation is golf carts. Disarrays begin, so State Trooper Andy Brazel is assigned to investigate and discovers a gang’s intentions to raid the island in search of the treasure.

Isle of Dogs

By Patricia Cornwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Isle of Dogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Isle of Dogs is the final book in the Andy Brazil series, following the success of Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross, from bestselling author Patricia Cornwell.

Chaos breaks loose when the Governor of Virginia orders that speed traps be installed on all streets and highways, and warns that motorists will be caught by monitoring aircraft flying overhead. But the eccentric inhabitants of Tangier, fourteen miles off the coast of Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay, respond by threatening to secede and set up an independent state, claiming that their independence lies in the history of America's first settlers, those who set…


The Homecoming

By Earl Hamner,

Book cover of The Homecoming

Michelle Buckman Author Of Turning in Circles

From the list on teens suffering in bad relationships or tragedy.

Who am I?

I am a novelist who loves stories that express deep emotions and life-changing experiences, suspenseful stories that explore how humankind responds to tragedy, to heartache, and to joy, so that is what I write. My stories don’t come from me; they come through me. I often listen to scene-setting music full blast over and over again as scenes form in my head and the words pour onto the page. I don’t write my stories in order. I usually know the beginning and end, but I write whatever scene I “see” and then arrange them in the right order when I’m done. 

Michelle's book list on teens suffering in bad relationships or tragedy

Discover why each book is one of Michelle's favorite books.

Why did Michelle love this book?

I loved The Waltons, the closeness of the family, and how they solved typical family squabbles. As an adult, I watched every episode again with my kids, so I was thrilled when I actually met The Homecoming author Earl Hamner, Jr. (the real John-Boy Walton/Clay-Boy Spencer) in an online writers’ group way back when the internet was first invented. We became great online friends. His John-Boy character inspired the character in my book, a good-hearted teen who, despite living in modern times, traverses his small southern town on a horse, just as John-Boy rode Blue, his mule.

The Homecoming

By Earl Hamner,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Homecoming as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A young man searches for his missing father on Christmas Eve in this sequel to Spencer’s Mountain, the novel that inspired The Waltons.
 
It’s the night before Christmas, but Clay Spencer has failed to return home. Leaving his worried family to keep watch at the homestead, his son, Clay-Boy, takes to the snowy Virginia hills in search of his father. Along the way, he will meet an irate deer, a threatening county sheriff, a congregation of African American churchgoers, and two elderly women who happen to be bootleggers—in this tale filled with warmth, humor, and emotion.
 
Along with Spencer’s Mountain,…


Book cover of The Taste of Country Cooking

Charles Reagan Wilson Author Of The Southern Way of Life: Meanings of Culture and Civilization in the American South

From the list on savoring Southern foods.

Who am I?

I'm a retired professor who wrote about and taught about the American South for almost four decades. I directed a research center focused on the South, and I helped found an institute dedicated to the study of Southern food. The South’s creative traditions in music and literature are well known, and its foodways are now recognized as a distinct American cuisine that represents the region’s innovations in culture. Through reading about southern food, readers can explore the traditions of eating and cooking in the region, and the creative contributions of ethnic groups with national and global sources. I've chosen books that give flavor to thinking about the South as a distinct place in the imagination.

Charles' book list on savoring Southern foods

Discover why each book is one of Charles' favorite books.

Why did Charles love this book?

Growing up on a farm in a community begun by freedmen after the Civil War in Virginia, this African American writer shows how freshly grown food sustained her family even in hard times.

In this memoir and classic southern cookbook, the “first lady of southern cooking,” as she has been called, evoked a warm agrarian sensibility, portraying a distinct southern sense of place through poetic prose that describes the sensual nature of life close to nature.

The tastes, smells, and sounds of the South jump off the page as she describes her family’s sustenance through their knowledge of farm life. Seasonal produce and the dishes from them give the book a structure that continues to resonate.

The recipes breathe an authenticity of a remembered life around food, and the reading experience is an immersive one, putting readers in a beloved place to its author.

The Taste of Country Cooking

By Edna Lewis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Taste of Country Cooking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this classic Southern cookbook, the “first lady of Southern cooking” (NPR) shares the seasonal recipes from a childhood spent in a small farming community settled by freed slaves. She shows us how to recreate these timeless dishes in our own kitchens—using natural ingredients, embracing the seasons, and cultivating community. With a preface by Judith Jones and foreword by Alice Waters.

With menus for the four seasons, Miss Lewis (as she was almost universally known) shares the ways her family prepared and enjoyed food, savoring the delights of each special time of year.

From the fresh taste of spring—the first…


The Case for Loving

By Selina Alko (illustrator), Sean Qualls (illustrator),

Book cover of The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage

Christy Mihaly Author Of The Supreme Court and Us

From the list on how the U.S. Supreme Court works.

Who am I?

As a former lawyer, I want young readers to understand the judicial system and to appreciate how the structure of our government, with its three branches, buttresses our freedoms. That's why I wrote The Supreme Court and Us. My book surveys the court, its function, and some of its important cases. Reading it together with the other recommended titles will offer a multi-dimensional picture of the Court, its Justices, and its work. Each Supreme Court case is a fascinating story. I want to share these stories with kids. We need a knowledgeable new generation to be engaged in civic life – and these books are a good place to start.

Christy's book list on how the U.S. Supreme Court works

Discover why each book is one of Christy's favorite books.

Why did Christy love this book?

First of all, isn't that an awesome title? This narrative is a child-appropriate and compelling description of Mildred and Richard Loving and their path to the Supreme Court. The two got married in D.C. in 1958, when interracial marriage was illegal in their home state of Virginia. Returning home after the wedding, they were arrested, jailed, and told to leave the state. They took their case to court arguing that Virginia's ban on interracial marriage violated the Constitution, and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed. As described in the back matter, the creators of this book themselves have an interracial marriage. An author's note reflects on their lives and their perspective on the Lovings' story. 

The Case for Loving

By Selina Alko (illustrator), Sean Qualls (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Case for Loving as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about." -- Mildred Loving, June 12, 2007

For most children these days it would come as a great shock to know that before 1967, they could not marry a person of a race different from their own. That was the year that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia.This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington,…


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