Books like The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple — picked by fans

When curating a list of whimsical book recommendations, one must surely start with the epitome of whimsy herself, Miss Anne Shirley!

With her big words, vast scope for imagination, and appreciation for nature's marvels, Anne with an E is one of my favorite fictional bosom friends. A true kindred spirit, I could visit daily without tiring of her poetical musings.

I love how Anne matures as a character while still maintaining her sense of wonder, and I love how her wonder—her whimsical ability to see a simple lake as an enchanting Lake of Shining Waters—inspires me to romance my own life and search for the wondrous cloaked in the familiar.  

Whimsical, humorous, and utterly Victorian—to say that Wormwood Abbey is my bookish cup of tea would be a vast understatement!

I absolutely adored this enchanting adventure with an intrepid heroine and only the most historical of dragons. I’d been intrigued by the book ever since I saw the cover on Instagram. The alluring combination of puffed sleeves and dragon scales was enough to pique my interest.

In the first few pages, I was smitten by Christina Baehr’s exquisite use of vocabulary, which, for a word nerd like myself, was a sheer joy to read. By chapter four, I was charmed by Bather’s endearing characters, and by chapter six, I was hooked by the cozy gothic mystery.

I had to know EVERYTHING about Wormwood Abbey and its fantastical secrets, and once I’d reached The End, I simply had to continue with The Secrets of Ormdale series to find out what happened… show more.

This book was an innovative read I never wanted to end!

The book features a harrowing quest, endearing characters, and an array of fascinating puzzles, but what I enjoyed most about this novel was exploring the whimsical setting. With lyrical prose and poetry, Schroeder blends vibrant hues of Indian and Hebraic culture, elegant lines of Victorian sensibilities, and sweeping strokes of steampunk technology to craft a unique story world that celebrates the arts, misfits, and creativity.

I’m a sucker for a story with gadgets and gizmos, so this book had me at eccentric inventor, and as a lover of 19th-century literature, it kept me with its clever head nods to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic tale A Little Princess. 

Oh my giddy gumdrops, this confection of a tale is a sheer delight from beginning to end!

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White captures all the splendor of the holiday season from the effervescent joy of childhood to the awe-inspiring wonder of Christ’s birth. As a life-long fan of The Nutcracker ballet, I grinned with glee at each of White’s witty allusions to the nostalgic story.

The luxury of an Edwardian Manor and the enchantment of a winter wood, glittering with snow, only enhanced the tale’s inherit whimsy, making for an ideally cozy and festive read I look forward to re-reading during the holiday season. 

Politano brings history to life in such a drama-filled, Gothic nature in a blend of Wuthering Heights meets Northanger Abbey. The story of a missing mother and lady, family secrets and scandals, and more are all the ghosts that plague the pages of this deliciously dark and delightfully hope-filled book. This was Politano’s debut novel, and yet it has become one of my all-time favorites and will definitely be read again and again. A true classic for the annals of Christian fiction.

This book taught me so much I didn’t know about the women working in theatre in Edwardian Britain, particularly behind the scenes. They were by and large the antidote to the (male) actor-managers who ruled the roost over the West End at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. They were responsible for introducing Ibsen in his original form to cautious London audiences, and for creating something called the Actress’ Franchise League, which I’d never heard of before. It’s a broadly-researched book and very easy to read. 

I was a teenager the first time I picked up this book. Romance novels weren’t my thing, and considering this one was heavily marketed as such, I nearly overlooked it. But once I got past the swooning, steamy promotional packaging, I realized there was quite more to it. In some ways it planted the seed in my younger self for the storyteller I would eventually become. It tells the story of a woman who has lost hope for her mess of a life, only to be given the rare opportunity to experience past-life-regression and alternate versions of herself in several previous lifetimes. Readers are swept through the centuries in richly told settings as we watch her experience the loves, losses, and lessons that have all led to the circumstances of her current, present-day life. 

This great book gives a comprehensive and amusing overview of English society in the Edwardian period and the battle between what the author calls the Established Order and New Ideas, as reflected in the theatre and women’s role in society in particular. There is a very funny description of the role of the Censor, an employee of the Lord Chamberlain called the Examiner of Plays, an ex-bank manager who made his own rules according to his own whim and was accountable to nobody. The book also covers topics such as the popularity of ‘theosophy’ and the occult; and the prevailing hypocrisy of the Old Order as epitomised in the attitude of the monarch, King Edward VII, who tolerated ‘irregular’ behaviour so long as it was discreet, and condemned public immorality while indulging in affairs left right and centre.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced and cleverly plotted historical novel set in Edwardian times.

The story follows shopgirl Sophie, who works in a big new department store in Oxford Street, but inadvertently becomes a suspect when a valuable clockwork sparrow is stolen from the store.

The race is then on for Sophie to clear her name, with the help of her three resourceful friends. Sophie herself is a likeable and intrepid heroine, and the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways. 

This is a brilliantly written fast-paced time travel adventure, mystery, and romance, all rolled into one. Conway’s descriptive writing style brings the characters and settings of 1912 and present-day vividly to life. The history field trip scene reminded me so much of my own university field trip to a local cemetery that I wondered if we’d been on the same course. However, this story is set in Birmingham rather than Liverpool, but the similarities were uncanny.

The author has really done his research too, but where a less skilled author might inform the reader through info-dumping, Conway conveys the sights, sounds, and historical details of Edwardian Moseley through action and dialogue. You feel as though you have travelled back in time with Rachel and Danny and are experiencing the story with them. There are so many twists and turns and unexpected reveals that you can’t help but keep reading. But… show more.