Books by Theme: If You Like Alan Bradley...

Flavia de Luce, Canadian author Alan Bradley's precocious 11-year-old chemistry-loving creation, has charmed mystery readers since her award-winning debut in 2009's The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. In a small 1950s English village, clever Flavia tinkers around the chemistry lab in the large country home she shares with her eccentric widower father and quarrelsome older sisters -- and she occasionally solves a murder. While there isn't another sleuth quite like daring, droll Flavia, some of the books below might interest her smitten fans.

Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries by Louise Penny

The Armand Gamache and Flavia De Luce mysteries are intelligent, character centered, cozies set in small towns. Although the locales and time periods differ, the conversational tone and feel are similar. They also share casts of eccentric secondary characters as well as unique investigators.

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Laurie R. King

If you prefer your settings English and your young heroines fearless, the precocious young women in these historical mystery series should be your cup of tea. However, while Mary Russell ages throughout that series, 11-year-old Flavia de Luce does not.

Maisie Dobbs novels by Jacqueline Winspear

Despite the age difference between these two sleuths, who investigate during different historical periods, readers who enjoy intelligent characters, well-depicted British settings, and strong, resourceful female protagonists may enjoy both the 11-year-old Flavia and the slightly older Maisie Dobbs.

Books By Theme: If you like Ann Patchett...

Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, and State of Wonder. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction, Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer, Lucy Grealy, What now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and, most recently, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays that examines the theme of commitment. 

If you've read and enjoyed Patchett's work, you'll probably like these authors too!
(Click on each author's name for their full list of works.)

Anne Tyler

Though Anne Tyler's writing is down to earth and Ann Patchett's contains hints of magical realism, both authors show deep insight into human nature in their thoughtful, somewhat bittersweet, character-driven novels. Both develop themes defining friendship and family in contemporary America; and how different yet interlinked people respond to significant life events.

Sara Gruen

Literary fiction writers Ann Patchett and Sara Gruen, both favorites of book groups, write thought-provoking works of social commentary. Their novels feature richly layered characters, complex moral dilemmas, beautifully crafted prose, and evocative, often exotic settings.

Gloria Naylor

Both authors create moving, character-driven novels, often with a hint of magical realism. In prose that skillfully shifts from direct to poetic, psychological and social issues play out between families, friends, and the contemporary American world around them. Their insights can be bittersweet but they promote hope in a thoughtful manner.