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Quick answer: If you loved The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, try The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and The Humans by Matt Haig.
The Midnight Library is a hopeful, thought-provoking novel about regret, choices and the lives we might have lived. It touches on depression and suicide but leaves readers uplifted. The books below explore alternate lives, time travel, second chances and the meaning of life, some gently and some as thrillers. Several deal with grief or mental health, so we’ve noted content where it matters.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love The Midnight Library
The Midnight Library starts with a simple, powerful idea: between life and death is a library where every book is a different version of your life. Nora Seed gets to try the lives she didn’t live, from rock star to glaciologist, and slowly learns what really matters. Matt Haig writes with warmth and hope, and many readers find the book comforting during hard times. If you loved its philosophy, its second chances or its gentle magic, these books will speak to you.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about The Midnight Library: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | V. E. Schwab | Fantasy | Lives and choices |
| Before the Coffee Gets Cold | Toshikazu Kawaguchi | Magical realism | Second chances |
| Life After Life | Kate Atkinson | Literary fiction | Alternate lives |
| The Five People You Meet in Heaven | Mitch Albom | Inspirational fiction | The meaning of life |
| Dark Matter | Blake Crouch | Science fiction thriller | Parallel universes |
| The Humans | Matt Haig | Fiction | More Matt Haig |
| Reasons to Stay Alive | Matt Haig | Memoir | Hope and mental health |
| Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow | Gabrielle Zevin | Literary fiction | Lives and creativity |
| The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Stuart Turton | Mystery | Repeating days |
| Replay | Ken Grimwood | Science fiction | Living life again |
| The Time Traveler’s Wife | Audrey Niffenegger | Romance | Love across time |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Literary fiction | Healing and connection |
| The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Fable | Following your path |
| Oona Out of Order | Margarita Montimore | Fiction | Jumping through time |
| Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | Literary fiction | Hope after loss |
1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
A woman in 1714 makes a deal to live forever but be forgotten by everyone she meets. It’s lyrical and romantic.
2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
In a Tokyo café, customers can travel back in time, but only until their coffee gets cold. It’s gentle and moving.
3. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Ursula Todd is born and dies again and again in 20th-century England, living different versions of her life.
4. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
An amusement park mechanic meets five people in the afterlife who explain his life. It’s short and touching.
5. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
A physicist is kidnapped into an alternate version of his life. It’s a page-turner about choices.
6. The Humans by Matt Haig
An alien takes the place of a Cambridge professor and slowly learns to love humanity.
7. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Haig writes about his own depression and recovery. It’s honest and comforting.
8. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Two friends build video games together over 30 years. It’s about love, art and replaying life.
9. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
A man relives the same day in different bodies to solve a murder.
10. Replay by Ken Grimwood
A man dies at 43 and wakes up at 18 with all his memories, again and again.
11. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A librarian with a genetic disorder travels through time, meeting his wife at different ages.
12. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely woman slowly opens up to friendship and confronts her past.
13. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A shepherd boy follows his dream across the desert. It’s short and philosophical.
14. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Every New Year’s Day, Oona wakes up in a different year of her life.
15. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A grieving widow and a clever octopus help each other find meaning.
How to Pick Your Next Read After The Midnight Library
- Want more alternate lives? Life After Life and Dark Matter.
- Want gentle magic? Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
- Want more Haig? The Humans and Reasons to Stay Alive.
- Want romance? Addie LaRue and The Time Traveler’s Wife.
- Need comfort? The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
- Take care. If the themes feel heavy, reach out for support.
Related: The Midnight Library summary and The Midnight Library book club discussion questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after The Midnight Library?
Try The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Life After Life or Dark Matter.
Are there other Matt Haig books like The Midnight Library?
The Humans and How to Stop Time share its warmth and big questions.
What books are about alternate lives?
Life After Life, Dark Matter and Replay all explore different versions of a life.