Plano Reads: Book Selfies, Episode 4
4 mins read

Plano Reads: Book Selfies, Episode 4

The libraries may be closed, but our love of reading and recommending never ends!

Your Plano Public Library staff are virtually recommending our latest favorite reads, and below is the list of these titles, with additional read-alikes you can checkout on Overdrive and the Libby app.

See all Book Selfies posts here.



Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Recommended by: Erik from Davis Library, available as eBooks and eAudiobooks

Genre: fiction, mystery

Description from Overdrive: With a knock on the door, a stranger enters Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Street rooms, begging Holmes to solve a ghastly and perplexing mystery. The legendary detective and his longtime friend Dr. Watson set out to explore the scene of the crime, making headway where the literally clueless police have failed. Combining an acute eye for the telling detail with an encyclopedic knowledge of the most esoteric subjects, Holmes follows the clues on a circuitous and perilous path until he solves the case in dramatic fashion. Back at Baker Street, he readily explains to Watson any point in the chain of reasoning that might have escaped the old boy’s understanding.

Sherlock Holmes Read-alikes

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz eBook
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice series by Laurie King eBook
The Anatomist’s Apprentice by Tessa Harris eBook


路遥传 The Biography of LuYao by 厚夫

Recommended by: Amy C. from Davis Library, available as an eAudiobook

Genre: fiction, Chinese literature

Description from Overdrive: Lu Yao’s short life bursts out with a powerful blaze of life, and his works “Life” and “Ordinary World” have affected thousands of ordinary readers. However, the life state of Lu Yao, who died prematurely, has always puzzled readers like a mystery.

路遥的短暂人生迸发出强大的生命光焰,其作品《人生》《平凡的世界》影响了千千万万普通读者。然而,英年早逝的路遥的人生状态始终像谜一样地困扰读者。《路遥传》的作者是路遥生前的忘年交、路遥文学馆馆长以及路遥研究界的权威之一,掌握丰富的一手资料,披露了大量路遥不为人知的往事,还原路遥的写作时代,展现他的写作精神。

路遥传 Read-alikes

我的精神家园 (My Spiritual Home) by 王小波
波西米亚玫瑰的灰烬 by 萧红传
本杰明·富兰克林自传 (The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin) by Benjamin Franklin (Bridge Bilingual Classics)


The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum

Recommended by: Sarah O. from Haggard Library, available as eBooks and eAudiobooks

Genre: juvenile fiction, fantasy

Description from Overdrive: Follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy and her friends as they travel to the Emerald City in search of the great Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz Read-alikes

Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull eBook | eAudiobook
A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz eBook
Story Thieves series by James Riley eBook | eAudiobook


Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez

Recommended by: Andrea from Haggard Library, available as an eBook

Genre: junior biography, nature, science

Description from Overdrive: While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere—she even brought a crocodile to school! When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children’s tea parties—with her komodo dragon as the guest of honor.

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor Read-alikes

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly eBook
Ada’s Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson eBook
Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prévot eBook


Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Recommended by: Tenille from Haggard Library, available as an eBook

Genre: fiction, fantasy, thriller

Description from Overdrive: “The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different.

Odd Thomas Read-alikes

Welcome to the Night Vale by Joseph Fink eBook | eAudiobook
Slade House by David Mitchell eBook | eAudiobook
Locke & Key series by Joe Hill eBook

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2 thoughts on “Plano Reads: Book Selfies, Episode 4

  1. Sherlock Holmes is definitely worth checking out. I’ve read a few of the short stories and they never fail to amaze me. What seems plain and ordinary becomes to him a myriad of clues to solve a once perfect crime.
    Another book from the library I really like is Persuasion by Jane Austen. Although many people may skip over it because it was written over 200 years ago, I strongly recommend it for the twists and turns and lovable characters in this classic romance. Just don’t give up after the first chapter because it starts with a lengthy backstory.

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