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Quick answer: If you loved Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, try Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and Normal People by Sally Rooney.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows Sam and Sadie, two childhood friends who reunite as young adults and build a video game company together. Over thirty years, the book explores creative partnership, ambition, grief and what it means to truly play with someone you love. It’s one of the most talked-about novels of recent years and a favorite of readers who aren’t sure whether they love games, friendship or literary fiction most. The picks below share its long friendships, creative work, big emotions and a little nostalgia. Most are adult fiction, with a few young adult picks that fit the mood.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Readers love Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow because it treats friendship as a love story. Gabrielle Zevin writes Sam and Sadie as partners who are not romantic, yet they fight, forgive and build worlds together across decades, and that bond hits harder than most romances. The details of game design, from pixel art to launch-day panic, make the creative process feel thrilling, even if you’ve never played a video game. The book also tackles disability, grief and the cost of success with honesty, which is why it appears on so many best-of lists.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: 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. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Midnight Library | Matt Haig | Fiction | Second chances and big questions |
| Fangirl | Rainbow Rowell | Young adult | Creative friendships |
| Station Eleven | Emily St. John Mandel | Literary fiction | Art after loss |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | Science fiction | Gamers and nostalgia |
| The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay | Michael Chabon | Literary fiction | Creative partners making a world |
| Normal People | Sally Rooney | Literary fiction | Complicated, lifelong connections |
| A Little Life | Hanya Yanagihara | Literary fiction | Readers wanting a long friendship epic |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Romantic comedy | Something lighter |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Fiction | Loneliness and healing |
| The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern | Fantasy | Books and games as worlds |
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Fantasy | Unusual, imaginative worlds |
| The Secret History | Donna Tartt | Literary fiction | Intense friendships |
| Ender’s Game | Orson Scott Card | Science fiction | Gifted kids and games |
| The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Fiction | Ambition and complex love |
| Daisy Jones and the Six | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Fiction | Creative teams and clashes |
1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Nora Seed finds a library between life and death where each book is a life she could have lived. It’s hopeful and thought-provoking, and it shares Zevin’s warmth toward flawed people.
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Cath, a fan fiction writer, faces her first year of college without her twin sister. It captures the thrill of making stories and the fear of growing up.
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A traveling theater troupe performs Shakespeare in a world changed by a pandemic. It’s a quiet, beautiful novel about why we make art.
4. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
In a future where people escape into a vast virtual world, a teen hunts for a hidden prize left by the game’s creator. It’s packed with 1980s pop culture.
5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Two cousins create comic book heroes in 1940s New York. It’s a rich, Pulitzer-winning story about friendship and imagination.
6. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Connell and Marianne move in and out of each other’s lives from school to university. It’s intimate and full of unspoken feelings.
7. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Four college friends move to New York and build their lives, but one man’s past shadows them all. It’s devastating. Content note: abuse, self-harm.
8. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A socially awkward geneticist designs a questionnaire to find the perfect wife and meets Rosie instead. It’s funny and gentle.
9. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely office worker slowly learns how to let people in after a small act of kindness. It’s funny and moving. Content note: trauma.
10. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
A graduate student finds a mysterious book that leads him to a hidden underground library. It’s dreamlike and full of stories within stories.
11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a vast house of statues and tides and keeps a careful journal. It’s strange, beautiful and surprising.
12. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students at a Vermont college commit a terrible act. It’s a dark, addictive look at friendship and obsession.
13. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
A brilliant boy is trained through war games to fight an alien threat. It’s a classic about genius and the price of winning.
14. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An aging Hollywood star reveals her life to a young journalist. It’s glamorous and full of secrets.
15. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A fictional 1970s rock band rises and falls, told as an oral history. It shows how creative partners can both inspire and break each other.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- Want friendship epics? A Little Life and The Secret History.
- Want creative worlds? Fangirl and Station Eleven.
- Want games and nostalgia? Ready Player One and Ender’s Game.
- Want something hopeful? The Midnight Library.
- Want something lighter? The Rosie Project.
- Check content notes. A Little Life and The Secret History are heavy.
Do You Need to Play Video Games to Enjoy It?
No. The book explains what it needs to, and most of the story is about people rather than screens. Fans of games will catch plenty of references, such as the Oregon Trail-style Ichigo and the indie-versus-studio tensions, but readers who have never picked up a controller can still enjoy the characters and the emotional ride. If you want more game-flavored fiction, look at Ready Player One for adventure or Fangirl for the creative community it builds around fandom.
Related: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow book club discussion questions and books like The Midnight Library.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow?
Fangirl and Station Eleven are the closest matches for creative worlds, and A Little Life matches its long, complicated friendship.
Do I need to like video games to read it?
No. Most of the book is about friendship, grief and creative partnership.
Is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow a romance?
It has romantic moments, but the central relationship is a deep, non-romantic friendship.