By Katie Auman
If you’re like most library users, you have a number of items on hold. And, if you’re like some of our library users, you have the same title on hold across many different formats, waiting to see which one will become available first.
While we can’t move you to the top of the holds list, we do have a way to make that wait a bit more pleasant. Did you know that while you wait you could be enjoying another book or author or series inspired by your hold?
The redesigned NoveList service will have you discovering read-alikes that will make that wait go by in a blink of an eye. When you’re in the catalog and have chosen a title, the catalog entry will also offer you additional reading recommendations. Just scroll down toward the bottom of the item entry to find lists of books, authors, and series that you might find appealing.
For instance, right now one of the titles most in-demand by readers is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. As of July, more than 750 people had the book currently on hold across all available formats: print, audiobook (CD), eBook, and eAudiobook!
However, when you’re in the catalog entry for Where the Crawdads Sing and you scroll down, you’ll find a selection of Read-Alikes by title (e.g., “Let’s No One Get Hurt” and “My Absolute Darling”) and author (e.g., Sara Gruen, Anthony Doerr, Elizabeth Kostova, etc.) and series, if relevant.
Scroll a bit further down the entry and you can explore reading suggestions based on “Story Elements” like theme, genre, and appeal. There is also the option to find similar books by reading level – this is particularly useful for children and teen readers.
And of course, you can always talk with library staff to get help with reading suggestions and with using NoveList. If for some reason the Library doesn’t carry the title that you’re interested in, try our Prospector service and access the collections of partner libraries in Colorado and Wyoming.
Now, if you have one or more of the top titles on hold, here are a few NoveList recommendations for other books, authors, or series to read while you wait. Happy reading!
Read-Alikes
| Top Titles on Hold | A Read-Alike Suggestion |
| 1. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens | “Offshore” by Penelope Fitzgerald |
| 2. “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover | “Women Talking” by Miriam Toews |
| 3. “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert | “All the Stars in the Heavens” by Adriana Trigiani |
| 4. “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides | “Apple Tree Yard” by Louise Doughty |
| 5. “Becoming” by Michelle Obama | “Michelle Obama: A Life” by Peter B. Slevin |
| 6. “Mrs. Everything” by Jennifer Weiner | “Shanghai Girls: A Novel” by Lisa See |
| 7. “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb | “Tribe of Mentors” by Timothy Ferriss |
| 8. “Girl, Stop Apologizing” by Rachel Hollis | “Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown |
| 9. “Summer of ‘69” by Elin Hilderbrand | “Tomorrow’s Bread” by Anna Jean Mayhew |
| 10. “The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers” by David G. McCullough | “The Rush: America’s Fevered Quest for Fortune” by Edward Dolnick |
