Books about life

The Alice series was very important to me growing up. I read each book multiple times when I was slightly younger than Alice, and they helped me approach each new year of school with confidence.
I am now in my third year of college, and I re-read Now I’ll Tell You Everything during a visit home. Reading this again brought me right back to the experience of being fully immersed in a book, and it was wonderful to reflect on the similarities and differences between my life and Alice’s.
While I have read many incredible books, I rarely encounter a story/character that I relate to in the same way as I do to Alice. I love to read about many things, but one of the most important aspects of a book for me is character development. If I care deeply about a book’s protagonist, I’m happy to read about them doing just about anything. I have recently been struggling to find books with these kinds of characters, especially ones about young women. I really value books that I can relate to that reflect the time of life I am in, but I find that many books that are written for young women lack depth.
Since re-reading Now I’ll Tell You Everything, I have been on the lookout for books that I can deeply connect to. Do you have any suggestions? I am not looking for a “grown up version of Alice,” just for something new to read that will be meaningful, relatable, and engrossing. Beyond that, it doesn’t matter to me what the book is about. Alice’s life was very different from mine, but she was a companion to me growing up. I suppose that now I am looking for more companions, because this growing up process is going to take a lifetime.
Thank you so much for your wonderful writing. The Alice series has brought me, and many others, so much joy. If you have any book suggestions, I would love to hear them!

I’m so pleased that the Alice series meant that much to you.  I’m afraid I spend more time writing than I do reading, and wish I could send a whole list of books you might enjoy.  A friend suggested the author Elizabeth Olgilvie who has written a trilogy (High Tide at Noon, etc.) that takes place in New England. Trying to remember books with a young woman as main character is what’s difficult. I’m embarrassed to mention some of my own you might enjoy–not at all like Alice, but with stories of their own:  Blizzard’s Wake, Send No Blessings, and Ice, come to mind.  I’ll also mention two of my novels for adults you might enjoy–Revelations and Unexpected Pleasures.  I’ll have to say that I probably enjoyed Unexpected Pleasures almost more than anything else I’ve written because I loved the two main characters so much–a shy 32 year-old bridgeworker and a 15 year-old feisty girl from a trailer park .  Each chapter was a joy to write.  Most of these books are available as used books–you can get them on Amazon and other places for $5 or so if your library doesn’t have them any longer.