Looking for recommendations

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lise8

lise8

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Hi everyone,

I am finding it incredibly hard to find new novels to read in the genre that I want to write in (I must be going about it the wrong way, surely!), and so am wondering whether I could get recommendations from fellow AWers.

So, what am I after?
- contemporary, real life women's fiction
- written in third, past tense

What I would rather avoid:
- chick lit
- topics that I find cliche (life change because hubby/ child dies or leaves...)
- based on mystery/ who done it?
- no erotica (sex is fine if just an incidental part of the story, not its motivation)

As a clue, I have loved novels by John Irving (just would like less adultery), Barbara Kingsolver, Patrick Gale and Chris Cleave.

If you have read books that you have loved and feel fits these descriptions, please please recommend them to me.

If you are writing a book that would fit these descriptions, let me know, I might be interested in beta reading it!

Looking forward to finding out what might crop up!

(and if you have advice on getting better at finding what I want in book stores and online, I am all ears also!)
 
Deb Kinnard

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(Blatant Self-Promotion Warning Follows)

Ignore due to the above if that's your pleasure, but I have two contemp e-book romances (they're not WF specifically, I write romance only) out on Amazon that might interest you. See titles below.

(End Blatant Self-Promotion. Carry On.)

I also heartily recommend Susannah Kearsley (check spelling, I haven't had my 2nd cup of coffee yet). She is a terrific writer who keeps you guessing. My favorite is THE ROSE GARDEN followed by THE SHADOWY HORSES. Great stuff.
 
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gingerwoman

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Well I only have paranormal romance published so far, so no promo for me, but I would suggest Chris Bohjalian.
 
Carrie in PA

Carrie in PA

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I second the recommendation of Susanna Kearsley. My two favorites were The Winter Sea (titled Sophia's Secret in the UK) and Mariana.
 
Lil

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A third vote for Susanna Kearsley. If you haven't read her, you're in for a treat. I just read Season of Storms, and nothing got done until I finished it. My family lived on sandwiches.
 
ARoyce

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A fourth vote for Susanna Kearsley!

And check out Kristin Hannah's novels. I think she fits your criteria.
 
ElaineA

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I, too, love (and recommend) Kearsley, but the ones I've read strike me as magical realisim-ish/historical. They all have a contemporary element, though and are wonderful books.

I'm curious how you're defining "Contemp" and "real-life." Are you most interested in 20/30-somethings in the 21st century? Jennifer Cruisie's books are well-written and fun, although leaning more to the romance end of the spectrum.

I keep wanting to recommend Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris but I'm not sure it meets your criteria. It's haunting, def not chick-lit, it's "real life" but not the real life of a 21st century American. But a powerful (and not necessarily comfortable) read, as most Joanne Harris books are. I guess rather than recommend, I'll say look into it and see if it might suit.
 
beckethm

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I've recently become a fan of Rainbow Rowell. Her best-known book, Eleanor & Park, is YA, but she also writes adult fiction (Landline, Attachments). Her books are funny and smart, easy to read, but they feature real people with real issues.

Others I've read recently that might fit the bill include Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Will North's The Long Walk Home.
 
lise8

lise8

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Thank you so much everyone.

I am glad to see some self-promo, it has to be done, right! Your works might be a little bit too romance based for my research purpose, but when I am after a bit of romantic chick lit, I will give them a try!

Thank you for the recommendations of Kearsley everyone, I have looked at her work on Amazon, and as ElaineA said, it might be a little too
ElaineA said:
magical realisim-ish/historical.
Click to expand...

ElaineA, thank you also for the recommendation of Joanne Harris, I have read everything by her, so your recommendation is bang on.

beckethm said:
I've recently become a fan of Rainbow Rowell. Her best-known book, Eleanor & Park, is YA, but she also writes adult fiction (Landline, Attachments). Her books are funny and smart, easy to read, but they feature real people with real issues.

Others I've read recently that might fit the bill include Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Will North's The Long Walk Home.
Click to expand...

Beckethm, I have ordered Eleanor and Park yesterday, I believe you recommended Attachments to someone on the 200 words thread, I checked it out and it really grabbed me! I shall check your other recommendations too, thank you.
 
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