how excited are you for the upcoming film adaptation of me before you by jojo moyes? I bet you’re pretty excited, for good reason. while the movie itself is shaping up to be an excellent adaptation, it really does give you an excuse to stay up all night, crying and rereading the book. Who can resist the beautiful and ultimately tragic love story between the aimless Lou and the tragic Will Traynor? Who doesn’t want to stay up at night with a giant box of tissues and work their way through that sad but totally hopeful story all over again?
of course, after rereading, he’ll look for more books like me before you . sure, there’s after you , the sequel, but that’s just one more book. where else can we get that devastated-reading-with-a-full-box-of-tissues-feeling that we all obviously crave? Luckily, you don’t even have to worry, because I’ve compiled a list of 11 books you’ll love if you loved me before you. these books are full of tragedy, but they also contain a lot of hope, and isn’t that what we’re looking for in a book? take a look, grab some tissues and enjoy.
You are reading: Books like me before you
1. the sweetness of oblivion by kristin harmel
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at age 36, i hope mckenna-smith has gotten used to the bad news: she lost her mother to cancer, her husband left her for a much younger woman, and now she’s on the verge of bankruptcy running a bakery on cape cod with a cranky preteen. To make matters worse, Hope’s beloved French grandmother, Mamie, has been slowly slipping into Alzheimer’s disease. But in a moment of clarity, Mamie realizes that she must download the secrets of her past so they are not lost forever. After revealing mysterious snippets of her tragic past, Mamie sends Hope to France to uncover a 70-year-old mystery.
2. the last days of rabbit hayes by anna mcpartlin
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rabbit hayes is happy in her life: she loves her 12-year-old daughter juliet, she loves her man johnny faye, and she loves every member of her family. However, Rabbit’s happy life is about to come to an end due to terminal cancer. As he lives out his final days in the hospice, a custody battle soon breaks out over poor Juliet. He doesn’t expect her eyes to stay dry, but this is the beautiful story of a family dealing with a tragic loss.
3. tell the wolves i’m home by carol rifka brunt
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The year is 1987, and the only person who truly understood 14-year-old June Elbus, her Uncle Finn, has died. He was too young and died of a mysterious illness that June’s mother refuses to name. At the funeral, June spots a mysterious stranger lingering past the crowd, and later that day he receives a package in the mail containing a teapot that once sat in Finn’s apartment. Also included is a note from the stranger, Toby, requesting time to meet. They start an unusual friendship and June realizes that she is not the only one missing her uncle.
4. necessary lies by diane chamberlain
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15-year-old ivy hart, recently orphaned, has been left in the care of her grandmother, older sister and nephew, while battling her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy. jane forrester is a social worker who recently started working in grace county. she quickly becomes emotionally involved in the lives of her clients, especially the tough women, and soon begins to annoy both her boss and her new husband. After coming closer to the deer, she soon discovers a deep darkness for the family, darker than she could have imagined, and must decide whether to take drastic measures to help them or risk losing to her own sense of evil. /p>
5. wife 22 by melanie gideon
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Alice is 45 years old and completely bored with her marriage, so she decides to take an anonymous online marriage survey without telling any of her family. Relabeled as Wife 22, Alice soon begins an unlikely correspondence with the researcher conducting the survey, a person she only knows as Researcher 101. Little by little, she tells the whole story of her marriage, and Wife 22 and Researcher 101 embark in a strange emotional adventure that could destroy everything. this one is a bit more cheerful than some of these other tearjerkers.
6. the first last kiss of ali harris
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the first time molly and ryan kissed, molly knew she was going to love him forever. They are both very different people: Molly wants to get out and experience life, while Ryan is a bit of a homebody. Alternating between past and present, this is more than just a love story. this is an encouragement to “just be.” this book also requires a large box of tissues while reading.
7. dancing on broken glass by ka hancock
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lucy houston and mickey chandler are an unlikely couple riddled with terrible genes: mickey suffers from bipolar disorder and lucy has a history of breast cancer. Cautious to the last, the two put their understanding in writing, and things seem to be working out wonderfully…until a routine physical before their 11th wedding anniversary ends with a diagnosis that will rock their marriage.
8. yesterday’s sun by amanda brooke
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See Also: Toni Morrison – Book Series In Order
Heartbreaking with a magical twist, Yesterday Sun centers on newlyweds Tom and Holly after they move into a quaint mansion in the English countryside. While exploring one day, Holly discovers an oversized moon clock with a crystal mechanism, but she doesn’t know that this moon clock is cursed. once a month, holly gets to see the future, but she always sees the same thing: a world where her husband holds her daughter, libby…while mourning holly’s death in childbirth. Soon, Holly must make a decision: erase her beloved daughter from her existence or sacrifice her own life.
9. the life list by lori nelson spielmen
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When brett was a naive teenager, he compiled a list of life goals. now, at the age of 34, he seems to have forgotten all about it. okay, her life is pretty perfect right now: she likes an amazing job, a handsome boyfriend, and an amazing loft. However, when her mother suddenly dies, Brett’s life is turned upside down, especially since her mother refused to hand over her business unless Brett completes her long-standing childhood list. . unfortunately, some of the things on her list seem impossible. I mean, can she really have a relationship with her father who died seven years ago? Can she really become an “amazing teacher” without reinventing her entire life? After each attempt, her mother leaves him a letter, and soon Brett realizes that her most unexpected adventures lead to the best results.
10. amy sue nathan’s glass wives
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When a tragic accident takes the life of Richard Glass, the lives of Evie and Nicole, his widow and ex, are turned upside down. evie realizes that this death means that she will be able to get rid of nicole once and for all. Unfortunately, Evie didn’t expect her own children to develop a bond with her little half-brother, and Nicole seems desperate to keep any remnants of a family. facing financial problems, she offers her house to nicole and the baby. As Nicole seems determined to change more than just the decor, Evie begins to wonder who to trust…and what family really means.
11. the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh
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victoria jones has a knack for flowers, but unfortunately that never seemed to help her sad life, bouncing back and forth in the foster system. now that she is 18 and out of the system, victoria is forced to sleep in the public park, where she has planted her own little garden. Soon, a local florist discovers Victoria’s talents, but a mysterious salesman makes her question whether a second chance at happiness is worth risking everything for.
image: warner bros
See Also: David Baldacci – Book Series In Order