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Book of Lives Read-Alikes & Lists to Love

Curated reading lists, read-alikes for Margaret Atwood's memoir, and more ...

January 27, 2026

Librarian Newsletter: February 2026

Hello,

In this issue, we bring you books about friends who are caregivers for friends in times of illness, along with our coverage of Ann Packer’s Some Bright Nowhere. Make sure to check out some of our other recent curated reading lists, too.

We also share read-alikes for Margaret Atwood’s bestselling memoir Book of Lives, and more gems from our books about books category.

And of course, we have upcoming book club discussions and author interviews, as well as next month’s noteworthy titles!

— The BookBrowse Team

Beyond the Book: When Friends Become Caregivers

In Ann Packer's Some Bright Nowhere, a woman asks her best friends to be her caregivers as she's dying of cancer.

It's not as uncommon a fictional plot as you might think.

Sometimes the relationship precedes the illness; other times the patient/carer dynamic gives way to friendship.

BookBrowse Curated Reading Lists

We invite you and your patrons to make use of our curated “beyond the book” reading lists. Besides the friends becoming caregivers list above, explore novels about late-life romance (relating to Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent), women who “left” their children (relating to Quiara Alegría Hudes’ The White Hot), classics of queer Irish literature (relating to Seán Hewitt’s Open, Heaven), YA novels that address gentrification (relating to Louisa Onomé’s Like Home), and much, much more. Subscribing libraries get access to all lists, while others can view a limited number.

Read-Alikes: Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood

BookBrowse handpicked read-alikes help you recommend books when one a patron requests isn't available, or when they’re looking for a similar title. For someone interested in Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives, we suggest:

Books About Books

Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood, recently featured in our digital magazine, is just one of 160+ recommended titles in our Books About Books category, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Whether author memoirs like Atwood’s, fresh takes on literary history, or fictional looks at writers and the publishing industry, these selections are perfect for book lovers who just can’t get enough of their favorite thing.

This is one of 100+ themed categories available to BookBrowse members and subscribing libraries. Non-members can enjoy a limited version of our category lists.

Book Club Discussions

Find inspiration for your book club(s) among our more than 200 past discussions.

Currently, we’re discussing Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, among other books. Starting this week, we feature Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray and Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley.

Ask the Author Interviews

BookBrowse is now hosting Ask the Author sessions in our community forum. You and your patrons are welcome to follow along and post questions in any future interviews that interest you. In the meantime, see our recent conversation with Ann Bausum, author of White Lies, a Top 20 book and YA Award Winner of 2025.

New & Notable Books in February

We've carefully selected 80+ of the most noteworthy books publishing in Feburary—check them out!

Individual members and subscribing libraries can see, sort, and download the full list for all months. Non-subscribers can view books up to the current month and a limited selection of future books.

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