You're bound to crave more after reading some books. The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, two of Khaled Hosseini's best-selling books, had that effect on me. In fact, after reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I remember needing a few days to process and appreciate what I had just read so that I could move on to the next book.

That left me searching for more books like Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns over the course of the following days. Thanks to Khaled Hosseini's epic novels, a slew of books have been written that are eerily similar. There are books here that take a deeper look at Afghan culture, while others deal with more universal themes or writing styles.

Books like A Thousand Splendid Suns

And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

While Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns have received the most praise and recognition, And The Mountains Echoed, published in 2013, is also a best seller and well worth reading if you're looking for books like Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns.

What sets And the Mountains Echoed apart from his previous two works is the book's structure, which is made up of short stories told from a variety of perspectives by a cast of characters.

Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Sons focused on historical events, but And the Mountains Echoed also delves deeply into Afghan culture and individual stories.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, by Nadia Hashimi

You should read Nadia Hashimi's The Pearl That Broke Its Shell if you're looking for more books like A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is a novel that explores Afghan women's lives over the course of two centuries.

Rashima, a modern-day Kabul teen, and her great-great-grandmother, who lived in similar circumstances over a century earlier, are the central characters of the book, which is told in two parts.

And The Mountains Echoed is another film that emphasizes the personal stories of the Afghan residents rather than the historical events that shaped their lives.

The debut novel of Nadia Hashimi is a powerful read for anyone interested in learning more about life as a woman in Afghanistan.

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale, recently adapted into a television series, is set in a near future totalitarian society.

The plot of the novel is based on the aftermath of a staged attack by a militant evangelist group in the United States to overthrow the government.

The government established in the Republic of Gilead is based on fanatical Christian ideals, creating a hierarchical society. All of a woman's rights are revoked, including her ability to read or work.

Women who are found to be fertile are enslaved as handmaids to high-ranking officials and forced to bear children for them in a time when fertility rates have fallen dramatically.

Similar to A Thousand Splendorous Suns, TheHandmaid'sTale is a fantastic speculative fiction novel about the difficulties of living in an oppressive society and how characters cope with this.

If you've already read The Handmaid's Tale, take a look at our list of similar titles.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Readers looking for more works in the vein of Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns should pick up a copy of The Lord of the Flies. Young boys who survive an airplane crash and land on a remote island must now fend for themselves.

There are parallels to the other books listed here, such as the effect that power accumulation has on individual morals and how they treat their fellow humans, in this story as well.

Many of the best books of all time compilations, including BBC's Big Read and Time Magazine's Best English Novels of All time have included William Golding's novel.

We've compiled a list of other books like Lord of the Flies if you've already read Golding's classic.

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

Shantaram, a novel by Gregory David Roberts, is one of my favorite books of all time because it incorporates many of his personal experiences into a fictional setting.

When an Australian man escapes jail and flees to Mumbai, India, his life becomes intertwined with the city's multicultural population..

Because Gregory David Robert's philosophical style of writing shares many similarities with Khaled Hosseini's, I believe this novel is an excellent choice for readers looking for more books in the same vein as Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Further on in the book, Lin's dealings with the Afghan mafia show a different side of Afghan society.

If you're looking for more books like Shantaram, check out our list!

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

In addition to Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist has a lot in common with both. In it, a young shepherd named Santiago sets out to Egypt in search of treasure after having a dream that leads him to believe there is something of value there.

However, the book didn't begin as a huge seller before becoming an international bestseller and topping many lists for both travel novels and inspirational reads.

To find more books like The Alchemist, check out our list of recommended reads here.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

After his father becomes a commander at a concentration camp, Bruno (a young German boy in WWII) is forced to live near the camp and develops a friendship with Jewish boy Shmuel while walking along the fence of the camp one day. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is a New York Times bestseller.

The story follows Bruno as he slowly comes to terms with the horrors that are taking place inside the camp, as well as the unlikely bond that develops between him and the other inmates.

Like Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Sons, this book had a profound effect on me because it was so well-written.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak, an Australian author, wrote The Book Thief, a novel set in World War II.

The story of Liesel, a young German girl whose foster parents hide a Jew named Max in their basement, is very similar to that of The Boy in Striped Pajamas. As Liesel begins to steal Nazi-forbidden books, the plot revolves around their relationship.

In The Book Thief, Death serves as the narrator, highlighting the book's morality and philosophical themes once more, as they do in A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner, among others. In 2013, The Book Thief was made into a critically acclaimed movie.

Do not forget to check out The Book Thief for more book recommendations.

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden

In Memoirs of a Geisha, an acclaimed novel about a young geisha living in Japan, the author tells her story. Young Chiyo, from a poor family, is sold into the life of a geisha in this historical drama. Geishas' secretive lives and Japanese culture during World War II are explored in depth in this book.

One of the best things about Khaled Hosseini's writing is that it transports the reader into an entirely new world.

A Thousand Splendid Suns or Kite Runner fans will enjoy Memoirs of a Geisha for this reason.

Is this your first time reading it? More Memoirs of a Geisha-inspired reads can be found on our list!

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

100 Years of Solitude is a classic Spanish-language novel that tells the story of the Buendia family and their life in a fictional Colombian town.

History and its characters are intertwined in this novel, which follows seven generations of one family.

This is similar to how Khaled Hosseini uses Afghan history as a backdrop to the actions and circumstances of his characters in his novels. Originally written in Spanish, this novel has since been translated into a number of other languages.

My favorite books of all time include The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I hope this list will help you find new books to read if you enjoyed these books as well.

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