Books like Every day is for the thief by Teju Cole
Every day is for the thief is a gripping novel by Teju Cole, set in Nigeria and America. The protagonist, a former thief named Ebo, seeks redemption through his community's artistry, including painting and music. Through his journey, Ebo confronts his past, rediscovering his identity and finding meaning in his life as a community member. The novel explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the quest for belonging, all woven into the rich tapestry of Nigerian culture and its diaspora.
First publish date: 2007
Genre: Literary Fiction/Contemporary Literary Fiction
Authors: Teju Cole
★
★
★
★
★
4.0 (3 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Every day is for the thief by Teju Cole are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Every day is for the thief (21 similar books)
Cora, a woman enslaved on a Georgia cotton plantation, partners with a new slave named Caesar to flee the South. Their daring escape follows a literal underground network of tunnels that mirrors the perilous journey of countless fugitive slaves toward freedom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Americanah follows Ifemelu, a Nigerian student who moves to the United States for university, exploring her life and love across continents while reflecting on identity, immigration, and cultural belonging.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Balram Halwai rises from servant to entrepreneur, revealing the brutal path of ambition and survival in modern India.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Homegoing is Yaa Gyasi’s debut historical novel that traces generations of an Asante family from 18th‑century Ghana to modern America, exploring the enduring impact of slavery and colonialism.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A biting satire that follows a young man's journey from isolated upbringing in Los Angeles to a Supreme Court race trial, exploring father‑son dynamics, racism, and political satire.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An American pop star wakes up to a world where he never existed, trapped in a police‑state U.S. after a Second Civil War.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Two lovers flee a war-torn city through mysterious doors, carrying hopes and memories into a world of uncertainty.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1950s Massachusetts, resilient widower Boy Novak marries into a family that hides their true race: light‑skinned African Americans passing as white. The arrival of his dark‑skinned daughter, Bird, forces the family to confront beauty, identity, and the mirror’s tyranny.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A novel about a Nigerian doctor in New York navigating the mental and emotional challenges of urban life, identity, and relationships.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A Dominican‑American teenager in New Jersey struggles with weight, family history, and an unbreakable love, while his dream of becoming a writer clashes with a centuries‑old curse that haunts his lineage.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Two close friends in their early thirties navigate a life‑shifting change when one of them unexpectedly discovers she is pregnant.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In San Francisco, a master cat burglar seeks help from an uneasy curator of a famed art collection; together they set a deadly trap that turns into a high‑stakes game where nothing and no one is safe.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
During World War II in Warsaw, the Zabinskis run the city’s zoo while secretly aiding the resistance to rescue Jews from the ghetto.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a magic-powered industrial age, archaeologist Tyen discovers a sentient book that holds a clue to a looming disaster, while Rielle, a dyer's daughter in a priest‑ruled city, learns that using magic may mean stealing from the angels.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A bustling Chinese immigrant family’s fortune crashes, forcing them on a cross‑country road trip that tests their bonds and redefines what home means.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An American Holocaust studies professor spends a week-long spiritual retreat at Auschwitz, confronting his past and uncovering a family secret that challenges his identity and beliefs.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Ike, a Nigerian cab driver in New York, plots to steal an ancient war deity from his homeland to finance his struggle for a better life, confronting cultural tensions, faith conflicts, and the lure of the exotic.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 18th‑century England, Lia, a fragile ‘Drakon’ with prophetic dreams, teams up with Zane to find the Draumr, a diamond that could destroy the long‑dormant dragon race.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An albino woman, Memory, writes her recollected truth while awaiting execution in Zimbabwe’s Chikurubi maximum‑security prison, questioning the nature of her conviction for the murder of her adopted father.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Deola Bello returns to Nigeria and grapples with cultural changes and new relationships.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Shadow of the Sun by V.S. NaipaulThe Lighthouse by Pablo d'Ors
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!