If you were captivated by Ray Kinsella's determined quest to build a baseball field for Shoeless Joe Jackson, you'll love The Art of Fielding. This novel follows Henry Skrimshander, a talented shortstop whose entire world revolves around perfecting his game. As his dream collides with the ambitions and hopes of those around him, you'll find the same compelling drive and heartfelt purpose that made Shoeless Joe so memorable.

If you enjoyed the magical realism of ghostly baseball legends emerging from Iowa cornfields, A Prayer for Owen Meany offers a similarly enchanting blend of the mystical within the mundane. Owen Meany, with his otherworldly voice and prophetic visions, shapes the lives of those around him in ways that feel as miraculous and inexplicable as the appearance of Shoeless Joe himself.

If Ray Kinsella's deeply personal journey and voice drew you in, you'll appreciate the close, singular perspective of Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The novel immerses you in Christopher's mind as he unravels a mystery, offering a similarly intimate, heartfelt, and distinctive narrative experience.

If you found yourself moved by the emotional resonance and mythic qualities of Shoeless Joe, The Natural delivers a powerful story of baseball as both redemption and heartbreak. Roy Hobbs's journey echoes Ray's in its longing, its brushes with the miraculous, and the bittersweet emotional payoff that lingers long after the last page.

If you appreciated the way Shoeless Joe uses baseball as a metaphor for hope, redemption, and the American dream, The Shadow of the Wind will draw you in with its rich symbolism. Zafón's Barcelona is a place where books, memory, and identity intertwine, offering layers of allegory and meaning as Daniel Sempere seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding a forgotten author.