With just 10 days to go until The Boy Who Steals Houses is out, some of us just want to read it already.
Enough waiting okay.
Well, “some of us” does not include me, because I have read this book so many freaking times I can close my eyes, point to a page number, and know what scene it is. (Although tbh, if you guess “SAM WAS SAD HERE” then you’re 90% right for every page. But that’s beside the point.)
So it’s time for me to haul out some book recommendations…
6 books to read while you wait for the boy who steals houses!
I did a similar post before A Thousand Perfect Notes came out too, so it is becoming a thing. And I am okay with that. 🙌🏻 I love increasing your TBRs and your chances of being buried alive by good books. I’m just that kind of lovely friend.
Also these are “you might like…” sort of recs. TBWSH is a Goldilocks retelling but still most thoroughly my own monster.
OTHER POSTS TO READ
➸ What Is It Like Having Your 2nd Novel Published?
➸ Q&A About Publishing The Boy Who Steals Houses
PREORDER DETAILS
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…For big family shenanigans 🗝
One of my favourite things to write in TBWSH was the De Lainey family! They have 7 kids, they’re grieving the loss of their mother, their dad is so Chill™ he legit doesn’t notice Sam living in their house for, um, the whole summer, and there is at least 5 dramas happening at all times. Like I just loved writing this ok?! They are loveable chaos. There is a scene where Moxie rates her brothers on Usefulness Rankings. What can I say.
Anyway…you must absolutely try My Life Next Door which also features a Sam (a female one) and her next door neighbours are the messy and loveable Garrett family. This one is way more fluffy than mine loooool.
…For runaways looking for a place to belong 🗝
Am still not over Boomerang and how much it made me feeeel. It’s also about Sean who ran away from a neglectful home life and *found* a better family and a place in the world. Except now Sean has to go back home and he’s leaving people he absolutely loves, but his real-mum wants him back. It’s a book that tugs your heart all over the place. It’s also softly queer and softly stressful.
In my book ➸ Sam also runs away from home, with his autistic older brother Avery. But Sam breaks into houses when the families are home and just lives there. He has so many tragic dreams it’s just !!! kid, you need a hug and a hot drink.
…For autism rep 🗝
In When My Heart Joins The Thousand, Alvie is 17, autistic, and living alone and trying to be emancipated. But she is so lonely. Then she connects with this boy with such fragile bones that he can barely move without hurting himself. It’s an amazing story, and I just loved Alvie’s portrayal of autism?! She represents so many of we autistics: she’s got a job, she can take care of herself…but then she falls apart in so many ways that society doesn’t deem “acceptable” for her age.
This is pretty much Avery from my book. He’s vulnerable and naive and Sam basically gets grey hair the whole time trying to explain to keep Avery safe. Avery can hold down a job. He’s verbal. He has a wicked sense of humour and is so Soft™ and literally craves hugs. But he absolutely can’t see BAD THINGS COMING because he still trusts people. 😭 Dammit, Avery. Also these brothers have some co-dependancy issues and Sam is only 15, so he messes up a lot. He’s basically raising Avery, but the line between “protecting” vs “isolating” gets blurred.
…For found-family and disaster decision makers 🗝
Look The Foxhole Court is like my favourite thing so I had to find a way to mention it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I shan’t apologise. But look in this book we have NEIL who is on the run from an abusive father…but sacrifices safety because he so badly wants to play Exy and have a family. Have a place. And his team gives him that.
All I’m saying is that Sam and Neil have the same issue. “I don’t need anyone,” they say, while clinging to their new family and freaking out when they hold keys because it means they have a place.
Do their bad decisions come back to bite them? Yes.
…For neglected boys 🗝
The Wicker King is actually one of my all-time favourite books. I CRY. 😭 In my top 5, easy. And it’s about August watching his childhood friend spiral down into delusions and mental illness while the adults in their lives fully just neglect them. August and Jack just bREAK me…and their soft realisation that it’s ok to love each other through all of this is just everything.
In my book ➸ Sam has the similar experience of just turning to adults who aren’t there for him. At all. He’s totally ruled by his anxiety (like August) trying to keep it all together by himself. Part of why Sam holds so fast to the De Laineys is that for once he doesn’t have to be the adult. But if he’s not looking after Avery, then who is???
…For anyone looking for a Goldilocks retelling! 🗝
I can’t even recommend any other Goldilocks retellings?! I dare say Im not the first lmao, I juts haven’t found any. So HERE is to my genderbent Goldi-Sam-Locks who steals into houses and eats their pancakes, not porridge.
I have a ton of references too, so keep your eyes peeled for the Easter Eggs! Like the fateful Saturday when the book begins, Sam breaks into 2 houses before the 3rd is…just right.
have you read any of these? (and do you know of any ya Goldilocks retellings?) and if you’re a writer ➸ tell me what books you’d compare your current project to? i’m very curious!
I am waiting for the boy who steals houses! But meanwhile, I shall try some of these. People have been telling me to read The Boy Next Door for-literally-ever but I need to get to it. Really should! And the first book in the Foxhole court series was free on Amazon kindle recently and so I downloaded it! Can’t wait to read it ^.^
It is so good!! I mean, it’s also totally fluffy and definitely fun. I just love big family story lines. 😍
I just want to read the foxhole court again. immediately. also the boy who steals houses. mostly for the haircut and pancakes.
TBH I reread the Foxhole Court series this year just because I wanted to suffer with the glorious feels.
Will definitely check them out!
Lotte | http://www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk
I’m glad you liked these recs!💛
I can’t wait to read your book! I finally ordered it but idk when I’ll get it.
Books like my book… Idk cause I’m on the roughest draft possible. I keep changing the main plot so it’s very confusing. So idk.
I have been waiting WEEKS to get Foxhole court from my library. Do they give it to me? NoooooOoooOooo.
Selfish library.
Quick question: what are you planning to do once it’s published? I’d eat ice cream and read in bed and see if anyone’s talking about it lol.
omg I hope you get the Foxhole Court soon! PREPARE TO SUFFER AND LOVE IT. Selfish library indeed though.
I have ice creams in my freezer 😂😂
The Wicker King is on my TBR list. Mostly because I like the cover, but I’m sure the insides are great, too.
omg, Aj, it’s just my favourite book ever.😍
AARRGHH!! 10 days so exciting!!! And I love this post!!!
You have made me very curious about Boomerang and it does sound like a great read. You have convinced me to pick it up!! haha!!
And the foxhole court— still not over this series!! And I love found families— they should be in every book. And disaster decision making is something I do too so…. snap!! haha!! I also really want to read the wicker king that sounds beautiful as well.
I can’t wait to read TBWSH and get to know all the characters (and cry for them haha)
EXCELLENT. My work here is done. 🎉 Boomerang’s author is also SO lovely!! And omg is there ever a chance of not being obsessed with the foxhole series?! I’m dead. I reread it this year and I’m just 😭💛
I actually haven’t read any of these so thanks for the tbr inflation. Well I mean TECHNICALLY I’ve read Goldilocks, and I also don’t know any retellings. It’s an open market, reimagine Goldilock, get that coin.
I actually compare my writing to other books a lot. Like the one I did for last NaNo I’d say is a bit like Legend meets Six of Crows and there’s one I hope to work on this summer that’s like The Raven Cycle meets Every Heart a Doorway
You are most welcome for the TBR suffering. 😌 Also Legend x Six of Crows is so freaking amazing I can’t even with that combo. And anything you can pitch as like TRC is going to slay me personally and thoroughly. 😍
I haven’t read any of them but the wicker king sound so intriguing! I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOUR SECOND BOOK TO COME OUT! I actually put the ‘event’ in my planner 😂. I loved your first book and I know I will love this one too!
omg my book is AN EVENT. 😭💛I’ll just go and cry with happiness right now ajfkdlsad thank you for being so amazing!!
AHHH so exciting, only a couple days left to wait ahhhh!! <3 <3
Thank you for this amazing list of recommendations! I loved the big family in My Life Next Door so much, they made me so happy. And I really need to read The Wicker King, I've only heard amazing things about this book and you make me want to read it so much everytime I stop by your blog haha 😀
I love big family books!! I wish there were more 😍
You’re making me very exited and very very scared. I’m not ready for the pain TBWSH is going to put me through am I?
The only one of these I’ve read is The Foxhole Court (most of the others are on my tbr tho), and OH MY GOD I LOVE IT SO FREAKING MUCH!
SO MUCH PAIN…um ahem wait I mean it’ll be totally fine and I am a kind writer. 🙌🏻Uh…well the only books I can think of to compare to the one I’m writing is Daughter of the Pirate King and To Kill A Kingdom because they’re pirate books and my book has to deal with pirates? 😂
Ooh I love To Kill a Kingdom! And we NEED more pirate books so yas for yours 🙌🏻
WELP I know what books I need to read ASAP! I mean, to be fair, I wanted to read most of them anyway (and several based on your recommendation, come to think of it!) but I need to bump them up. Especially anything that will even vaguely remind me of the De Laineys because come on. Actually, every last one of these IS on my TBR and I own all but one so… yeah, gotta get myself together here!
You just need 12+ more hours a day for strictly reading. 😂Although I mean…SAME.
Why do I feel like this book is extremely likely to break my heart in a hundred pieces and why am I still very excited to read it? Lol.
I did half expect A List of Cages to be in this list, because Adam and Julian’s brotherly love in that book gave me a lot of feelings and it also dealt with being *very* protective of your younger brother. I still feel like Sam and Avery will have a similar dynamic nonetheless, and I’m totally here for it!
Because you kNOW ME. 😌 and no one trusts me anymore lmao. (Also A List of Cages was just amazing and makes me cry. And yes! Sam/Avery have similar dynamics there too.)
Somehow this list has me even MORE excited for The Boy Who Steals Houses?? Like, I LOVE My Life Next Door, and seeing that on the top of the list had me making grabby hands!
Besides for Goldilocks itself, I haven’t read any of the others on this list, but I think it’s about time I picked up When My Heart Joins the Thousand. I’m pretty sure I saw it in my library a week or two ago and while I knew I’d heard something about it, I wasn’t sure if it were positive or not. But if you’re comparing it to your book child, then I DEFINITELY need to read it! And in a very exciting turn of events, Chana lent me her copy of The Foxhole Court, so I should have that read within the next 2 months to 5 years. I make no promises. My TBR is out to get me.
Ahhh THANK YOU! I hope you also do get a chance to try When My Heart! 😍It was such a good book omg and the Foxhole Court is a DISASTER and I freaking love it!
I am very very late but I FINALLY pre-ordered The Boy Who Steals Houses! So proud and excited for you, Cait. I can’t wait to read about your new shenanigans. ♥
Eeeep thank you, Inge!! 😍 And I’m so late replying to comments I out to be put in a corner, lmao.
I JUST PREORDERED THE BOOK AND I AM SO EXCITED AHHH!!
I want to ask you to be gentle with us readers, but I already know that’s not happening. BRB going to the grocery store to stock up on snacks and tissues.
omgggg thank you !!! 😍 I’m sure I will only *slightly* rip out everyone’s hearts…
HAPPY RELEASE DAY! *throws confetti sprinkles*
All i have to say after reading this post is, that how are you so creative? I would just love to meet you in person you know? Also, I ordered your book from Amazon but because I live in Pakistan, i ordered it at my friend’s place who lives in the US so she’ll get it when she comes here 🙁 it’s a loooooong wait I know but I really hope it’s worth it!!