Our Imperfect List of Books Like TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW
In 2022, I read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and I, like so many, many others, fell in love with it. So much so that in 2023, I’m looking for more books like it. It’s a lot harder than you think. Tomorrow3 is a pretty unique book. It rests across a few different genres and writing styles, touching upon different life experiences and giving them a relatable setting.
It is not a romance novel, and yet there is a love story. It is not only for gamers, but it is about the creative process behind the gaming experience. It is not a coming-of-age book, although it does show how life experiences can heavily influence our life choices. It is clear Zevin has invested a lot of time and research in bringing this story together. Never before have I read a book and felt as seen across multiple dimensions of my personality.
Finding books like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow usually means resorting to comparing elements of the book with similar elements of another. And while the following list is definitely not exhaustive, it is at least a start based on the key features readers like us responded to.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Set in 20th century Korea, this multigenerational saga builds a world of stories around its female protagonist. Pachinko explores the deep ties within the family, ever-evolving with the changing circumstances. The group in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow are close-knit, to the point of impacting each other’s paths in life. Similarly, Pachinko shows the insights of multiple life stories coming together and influencing the choices of the people around them. It is a heavy tome, both in physical size and the nature of its storytelling.
The book was one of the most popular in 2017, with the adaptation released in 2022. For more books like Pachinko, check out Senjuti’s suggestions here.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
If you knew what would happen, would you still do it? I suppose that is both the bitch and the blessing of hindsight and something to consider after reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It’s a similar premise to The Measure, where everyone in the world wakes up to the opportunity to know the exact number of years you will live. Would this knowledge change how you live? Would it change your relationships? The Measure is a fantastic speculative novel exploring the value we place on time and opportunity with those dear to us. For me, I like how these two books can comparatively address feelings of regret and hope in a world of “what if?”
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Still on the theme of 20/20 hindsight, here’s a story of how time can change our perspective. This Time Tomorrow has a dash of time travel, akin to the TV series Life on Mars. That whole thing about reliving a period in your life but now, with the wisdom of adulthood *cough, cough*, you see things differently. For Alice, that means revisiting her 16th birthday and her then-40-year-old dad. The similarity between Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, This Time and Tomorrow, and also The Measure is the concept of whether our life expectancy truly changes anything. It’s a nice link back to Macbeth’s infamous closing quotes.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
If you read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and feel it had too many triggers, then please skip this recommendation. While A Little Life is a brilliant depiction of life experiences and human relationships, it is a dangerous and volatile story that can elicit very strong responses from any reader — Book Rioter Susie mentioned in her list of 12 Books to Make You Ugly Cry. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it! This coming-of-age story centres on four ambitious and intelligent male characters who are randomly assigned as roommates and form strong bonds for life. Like Sam and Sadie, the four friends have much to work through. Life sucks. This book can be horrible and upsetting at times. But it is beautifully written and an excellent display of surviving life. Maybe not succeeding but at least, sometimes, surviving.
Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
Friendships flex and flow with life, but it can be a real test when they are built on crime — so I’ve read. Similar to Sadie and Sam’s friendship, the friends in Counterfeit are brought together with genius but tested on their morals. Their shared “project” is a counterfeit handbag scheme leading to a successful empire. Ava has a pretty awesome life, but she often wonders how different it would be if she hadn’t followed the rules so much. Her old roommate, Winnie, is happy to show her. Winnie recruits Ava to help her import and sell counterfeit designer handbags. When things go wrong, Winnie disappears, and Ava is left with a shattered mess. When a friendship is built on “moral flexibility,” it’s hard to tell who is really the hurt party.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
If you loved seeing two friends come together in a creative collaboration, then this is the book for you. In pre-WWII America, Kavalier and Clay are cousins. Kavalier is an escape artist who literally escaped Europe before the Nazis gained total control. Clay has lived in Brooklyn his entire (and very different) life. Together, they dive into the comic book industry during the Golden Age whilst trying to make the most of their turbulent lives and keep their friendship afloat.
The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak
Books in the bitpunk genre can be a bit of a coin toss; either cyberdelic bliss or a completely devoid of life outside the fanboy experience. The Impossible Fortress captures the same geeky relationship vibe of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, though a little heavy-handed on the teenage boys in the ’80s trope. It starts off with a simple heist: steal the latest Playboy from the local stationery store by distracting the store owner’s daughter. Seems like a solid plan until Billy learns that Mary is a gamer-geek and programmer like him. Now, who’s distracted? For more of the bitpunk genre, Cassie has your next TBR list.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
Don’t fret if you missed this spectacular book in 2022. Despite its “plague” setting, it featured on many “Best SFF Books of 2022” — including our own. In 2030, an ancient virus devastates the world after its discovery during an archaeological dig. This book quickly becomes a reading experience, connecting various characters with their own independent stories, yet all part of the bigger picture. It’s the connectivity that really makes this such a great read; very much like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It’s about overcoming adversity to discover we are stronger together than apart. Please read with care: this book features the death of many children.
Keep an eye out for the recently released Maame by Jessica George, which I haven’t been able to read yet at the time of writing. Maddie is the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, living with her father as his caretaker while sending money to her mum in Ghana. When Maddie finally has the opportunity to live independently, she learns there is no easy or clear path in life. Coming of age simply means learning to live with the decisions we make. Let us know on social media if you have read it and whether Maddie and Sadie have similar character vibes.
There are sure to be many more books inspired by Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but this list should at least set you up for the next few months!
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