100 Books Like Maybe in Another Life

Friendly tip: I do not recommend reading this novel while isolated from your family due to travel and illness, because this book hits hard in all the right ways.

It invites both the protagonist and the reader to explore the deepest wells of regret and the branching infinities that our life choices produce. In doing so, the novel beautifully confronts the seductive lure of “what could have been” while reminding us of the quiet beauty in what is.

As someone whose mind is often lost in the past or gazing into the future, this ultimate lesson of the book provided a much-needed sense of clarity.

This book shares a similar theme to How to Stop Time in that the main character lives through time without aging, from 18th-century France to present-day Manhattan. Addie has made a pact with the devil–immortality, but the price is she’ll be forgotten by everyone she meets. That concept really struck me–what does it mean to be remembered? What does it mean to be forgotten?

I always wanted to be a writer, and part of the reason was that I’d be remembered at some level. There’s a lot of sadness in the book but also hope. In the end, Addie comes across a book with a name she recognizes. Inside is the following inscription: “I remember you.” My heart melted.

Admittedly, I had to re-read this novel a few times to comprehend the mystery, but it was well worth it. While the supernatural element was hard to grasp, the plot clicked right into place once I figured it out.

The main character’s confusion added to their story more than subtracted, which alone is a success to me as characters running around confused for half the book can be frustrating. But the scenario was essentially an isolated murder mystery done in a rather clever and unique way.

With a mystery that was so complex, I was worried the ending would be too convoluted for my liking. Yet, it concluded with the clues explained and were relevant to the final reveal, much to my satisfaction.

The first full novel by Hill—who I secretly recognized as Stephen King’s son—takes his father’s traditions to a whole new level. I fell immediately in love with Hill’s twisted yet insightful storytelling.

An aging rockstar protagonist who sets out to confront his unsettling past and weird addiction to odd memorabilia? Yes, please. I’m in awe of Hill’s ability to pack more into a single sentence than most authors do in an entire chapter. He balances the pace of a face-melting guitar solo with the gentle tenderness of vulnerability as his characters struggle to understand their place in the world.

This book had me clutching the covers one moment and reaching for the tissues in the next.

I love books of discovery, people who are lost and figure out a way to find their voices, and characters who become the silver linings for others and in doing so find love and a meaningful life.

This is a quirky story about one woman’s quest to return lost treasures to their rightful owners, with the help of an irritable ghost. Each character in this charming novel is fully developed, and every plot thread expertly woven. It’s perfect for readers searching for a heart-warming read and a dusting of magic!

Wow! Wowie! To be honest, I am not someone who ever knows the ending of a thriller. I guess whatever part of the brain decides if you'll be good at solving mysteries, I don't have it! And every time I thought I knew where Gillian was leading me, the reader, I was always very wrong.

I really loved the powerful message of the strength of mothers throughout this book. I liked that this was time travel, but not so complicated that I couldn't follow it. I loved how this book explored the idea of "what if" and second chances in a really unique and compelling way. It was absorbing and fast-paced, and it definitely went down easy for me.

A disillusioned ghostwriter must find her way back home, literally and figuratively, in this story about a woman who has lost her belief in love despite being a ghostwriter for a romance author.

I was drawn to this novel because I was once a ghostwriter for elite athletes and had my own experience with professional disillusionment. This story is full of charm as Florence Day grapples with loss while simultaneously dealing with a confused ghost who has her doubting everything she once believed about love.

Sweet and poignant without a single misstep!

Lemongrass Hope is a sweet, emotional read that will have you wondering your own what ifs?

It explores the idea of the Bermuda Triangle and offers the main character, Kate, a glimpse at what life could have been if she’d made another choice. It is a raw and moving read about the choices we make, the people we leave behind, and the people we choose.

At a time of difficulty in my life, it made me grateful for the choices I had made and had me considering if I would make them again, given the chance.

This spoke to my need for certainty in love.

So much so, that like Natasha, I wanted to seek out an astrologer to discover my elusive soulmate’s birth date and place so I could begin the search for true love.

During so many moments in the story, I could feel the wavering sense of desperation and hope as Natasha combed through every possible prospect for love, even the ones who were not a fit! I cheered her on, hoping not only would she meet her soulmate but that her strategy for doing so would work, providing us all a blueprint for finding “the one.”

Miranda’s professional setback in Miranda in Retrograde summoned a spark in me – what would I do if I had a year off from my current life to do or be anything? 

As a type-A overthinker and overpreparer, like her, I loved the idea of abandoning my rational self to instead follow my horoscope. But, in reality, would I do it? Perhaps – as long as I embarked on the journey like she did, basing spontaneity off of a clearly methodical approach, relentlessly following astrological predictions each day, without fail.

In the end, though, I resonated with her realization that happiness and love might be in plain sight, less any astrological prophecy, if we just let go of the avid hunt to find it.