Read on with Bestie read-alikes

As part of our annual festival of reading and writing, We Read Auckland / Ka Pānui Tātau i Tāmaki Makaurau 2023, Auckland Libraries launched our new Bestie collection.

Making it easier to access the best popular reads at our libraries, we featured 10 books by Auckland authors for our first Bestie selection. Find out how Bestie works

But the fun doesn’t stop there. If you’ve missed getting your hands on a copy so far, or loved a Bestie so much you didn’t want it to end, our expert team have recommended ‘read-alikes’ for each book in the collection. Check out the full list below.

Plus, tune in to our podcast interviews with three of the Bestie authors! Listen on SoundCloud

Find your next reading match

Go beyond the local bestsellers in our first Bestie collection with our curated selection of similar reads! You can find and borrow them in the library catalogue as usual. 

Read-alikes: 'The Doctor’s Wife' by Fiona Sussman 

If you loved Sussman’s medical murder mystery, try these gripping titles where happy appearances are unravelled by dark secrets. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'How to Loiter in a Turf War' by Coco Solid

For fans of the music and/or writing of the incredible Coco Solid, these diverse books trace themes of artistic hunger, fierce friendship and simmering gentrification. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Poor People With Money' by Dominic Hoey

Carry on from Hoey’s gritty writing with these books about hustlers and fighters struggling to make a better life and their last-ditch hopes of escape. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'One of Those Mothers' by Megan Nicol Reed

If you enjoyed Nicol Reed’s domestic thriller, try these books about friendship, suburbia and unforgiveable secrets. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Better the Blood' by Michael Bennett

A Māori detective meets with the brutal legacy of colonisation in Bennett’s novel, try these similar detective reads or brush up on your knowledge of Aotearoa’s history. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts' by Josie Shapiro

For runners, athletes and everyone who believes in equal chances, check out these books about inspiring individuals in sports and life. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Tangi' by Witi Ihimaera

Once you’ve read Tangi – a cult classic and must-read since 1973 – check out these books that examine related themes of cultural change, grief and renewal. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Girls That Invest' by Simran Kaur

Podcast co-host Simran Kaur makes the complex world of shares and stocks simple for anyone looking to invest. Continue building your knowledge and confidence with these similar reads. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'Second Chances' by Hayley Holt

Holt bravely shares a personal story of addiction, recovery and loss in her new book. Have a look at these books that confront similar issues of sobriety and grief. View the titles

Read-alikes: 'There's a Cure for This' by Dr Emma Espiner

Continue your reading about the medical system, Māori health, the Covid pandemic and coming of age with these books related Espiner’s memoir. View the titles

Don’t forget to check out the current Bestie titles at a library near you. You might be in luck!

If you have any questions about how this new collection works, check out our Bestie page. You can also contact us.