Help me find my next book

[happygertie]

So I used to be an avid reader, but I have not read properly except for a few holiday reads for the last 15 years. I have just finished Where the crawdads sing and absolutely loved it. I was to keep my reading momentum going. Like I said I loved the book, think this hot weather helped to draw me to the North Carolina world and I'm now gutted I've finished the book, wished I had dragged it longer.
The book reminds me of other books I've read, but as it was so long ago I can't recall which, and I can't pinpoint what's familiar, whether it is the Carolina setting or the character dynamics so I was hoping you guys could help me out and recommend my next reads - if I loved Where the crawdads sing, what other books would I love?

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

The midnight library

The night circus

Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes
The Lido - Libby Page
Away with the Penguins
Mrs Benson Beetle
seven Sisters -Lucinda Riley

The queen of bloody everything - Joanna Nadin

Such a fun age - Kiley Reid

The Private joys of Nnenna Maloney - Okechukwu Nzelu

10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world - Elif Shafak

Erotic stories for Punjabi widows - Balli Kaur jaswell

I like reading about the deep south and the civil rights era.

The help is a good read.

The poison wood Bible?

Bel Canto has a similar vibe. Any Ann Patchett I reckon you'd enjoy.

I'd really recommend Hamnet. Different vibe, but a similar kind of book if you ask me!

I will think about some more deep south kind of books.

Just popping in to recommend Fantastic Fiction for its "similar books" function: www.fantasticfiction.com/o/delia-owens/where-the-crawdads-sing.htm

And setting-wise, how about Joanna Trollope's The Girl From The South

I came on to say Bel Canto too. Deeply believable characters you feel for.

I have read the first 2 of your recommendations and absolutely loved them. I would be so grateful if you had any more.
If not I will continue down the list!

The Axeman’s Jazz - set in New Orleans in the 1920s, v good

www.waterstones.com/book/the-axemans-jazz/ray-celestin/9781529065633

Very much enjoying The Queen of Bloody Everything - thanks for the rec 😊

It's an older book, but I think The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy has a similar vibe to Crawdads. Set in South Carolina.
www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-Tides-Pat-Conroy/dp/0552773581/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U3NNZ3JY7V7U&keywords=prince+of+tides&qid=1659209745&s=books&sprefix=prince+of+tides%2Cstripbooks%2C70&sr=1-1

I've just finished reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and absolutely love this book. I'm going to read it again and I've just finished it!
I'd probably not have picked this myself so I'm so glad it was voted in by our book club.

10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world - Elif Shafak

Second this fabulous book and adding:

The Madwomen's Ball
The Heart's Invisible Furies
Circe
Pachinko