Genre

Contemporary Fiction

Recent stories attentive to the strange pressure of ordinary life, leaving familiar rooms newly charged with possibility.

The best contemporary fiction books ever written, from Flowers in the Attic to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Click a book you love and you’ll get three more like it — each with the reason why.

29 books, most-read first · page 1 of 2

Cover of Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews

Flowers in the Attic V. C. Andrews

Cover of We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

We Need to Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver

Cover of The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

The Thorn Birds Colleen McCullough

Cover of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith

books-like The Bee Sting Paul Murray The Bee Sting Paul Murray

Cover of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

My Cousin Rachel Daphne du Maurier

Cover of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty

Cover of Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

Love in a Cold Climate Nancy Mitford

Cover of Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You Celeste Ng

Cover of Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

Bastard Out of Carolina Dorothy Allison

Cover of Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry

Terms of Endearment Larry McMurtry

Cover of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age Kiley Reid

Cover of A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

A Place for Us Fatima Farheen Mirza

Cover of The Crow Road by Iain Banks

The Crow Road Iain Banks

Cover of A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley

Cover of Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

Behind the Scenes at the Museum Kate Atkinson

Cover of A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

A Kestrel for a Knave Barry Hines

Cover of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Karen Joy Fowler

Cover of Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Anne Tyler

Cover of The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead

The Man Who Loved Children Christina Stead

Cover of Anywhere but Here by Mona Simpson

Anywhere but Here Mona Simpson

Cover of A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

A Map of the World Jane Hamilton

Cover of The Green Road by Anne Enright

The Green Road Anne Enright

Cover of Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett

Imagine Me Gone Adam Haslett