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Modern & Literary Fiction Books

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Eyes of the Rigel by Roy Jacobsen

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The third novel in a historical trilogy that began with the International Booker shortlisted The Unseen "Taken together, Jacobsen has given us an ...

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The Slaughterman's Daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits

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WINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE 2021SUNDAY TIMES "MUST READS" PICKECONOMIST "BEST BOOKS OF 2020" PICKKIRKUS REVIEWS "10 BOOKS TO LOOK FOR IN 2021" PICK...

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White Shadow by Roy Jacobsen

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The sequel to the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted The Unseen"A gifted writer, stylish, laconic and imaginative" Paul Owen, TLS"A beautiful sequel to T...

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The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting

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A family story of epic scale, by the author of NORWEGIAN WOOD and THE BELL IN THE LAKE. "An intricate story about war, family, secrets and,yes, w...

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A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman

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*A Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick Spring 2016*A YEAR OF MARVELLOUS WAYS is the unforgettable and completely captivating new novel from Sarah Winm...

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When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

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The SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of STILL LIFE'Thronging with incident and wonder' Guardian'Beautifully true . . . superb' The Times'Cap...

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Post Office by Charles Bukowski

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Henry Chinaski is a lowlife loser with a hand-to-mouth existence. His menial post office day job supports a life of beer, one-night stands and race...

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Dear Santa: Settle down this winter with a heart-warming romance - the perfect festive read by Debbie Macomber

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The brand new festive romance from Debbie Macomber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and the queen of Christmas fiction!ALL SHE WANTS FOR C...

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It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber

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The joyful and escapist new novel from New York Times bestselling author Debbie MacomberIt's been nearly six years since Julia Jones had her heart ...

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It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber

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The joyful and escapist new novel from New York Times bestselling author Debbie MacomberIt's been nearly six years since Julia Jones had her heart ...

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Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber

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Could a holiday romance save Everly's Christmas? Everly Lancaster has always had big dreams, but her high-flying career has left little time for an...

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Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan

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Escape with Jenny Colgan this Christmas . . . 'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday Express'An evocative, swe...

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Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan

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'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday ExpressSnuggle up and escape with Jenny Colgan to the beautiful island of...

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The Moroccan Daughter by Deborah Rodriguez

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The BRAND NEW novel from the internationally bestselling author of THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL In Morocco, behind the ancient walls of the medi...

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Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop by Ali McNamara

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Welcome to the glorious little Cornish town of St Felix - where romance and magic sparkle in the summer air'An enchanting escape to the seaside. Pu...

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The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart

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*** A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK ****** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME ***'A fascinating, beautiful, heartwarming novel. It kept me grippe...

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Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza

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THE UNMISSABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GIRL IN THE ICE, NINE ELMS AND SHADOW SANDS, ROBERT BRYNDZA'The thir...

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Five Hundred Miles From You by Jenny Colgan

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Escape with Jenny Colgan. 'This uplifting story is one of Colgan's best to date' Daily Mirror'I wanted to hot-foot it to the Scottish islands' Dai...

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The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

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'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday Express___________________________________In the Scottish Highlands, a ti...

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In the Time We Lost by Carrie Hope Fletcher

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The BRAND NEW NOVEL from Sunday Times bestselling author Carrie Hope Fletcher 'Our go-to for spellbinding stories with a magical edge' HEAT'Enchant...

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Inheritance by Jenny Eclair

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'So immersive, atmospheric and compelling' Marian Keyes'Kept me glued to the page' Alex Marwood'Achingly poignant . . . An absolutely brilliant rea...

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Golden Moments by Danielle Steel

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THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE STORYTELLERNEARLY ONE BILLION COPIES SOLD A dazzling romance - but will their passion survive?As one of the world's richest w...

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The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

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Celebrating 25 years of The Notebook - the classic novel which became the heart-wrenching film. *Once again, just as I do every day, I begin to rea...

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The Search by Nora Roberts

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'If you're after the perfect pick-me-up, take-me-away-from-the-world read, then she's your woman' The Guardian'Nora Roberts is, quite simply, a one...

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Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

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25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR'A true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy' Daily MailIt is 1941 ...

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Restless by William Boyd

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It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian emigree living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret...

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In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

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It's just before New Year, and Frank, an overweight American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's nightlife. But, Frank...

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The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura

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'Chilling.' Vogue'As unusual as it is alluring.' Elle'Delightfully disturbing.' Refinery 29'Very powerful.' Sayaka Murata'Disquieting.' Paula Hawki...

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

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Told in a series of vibrant vignettes, The House On Mango Street is the story of Esperanza Cordera, a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter...

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The Snow Ball: The Dazzling Cult Classic by Brigid Brophy

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When Anna is kissed by a mysterious stranger at a NYE masquerade ball, a dance of seduction begins. 'So original and refreshing.' Hilary Mantel'B...

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By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah

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**By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021**LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2002'One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of...

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Find Me by Andre Aciman

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Elio believes he has left behind his first love - but as an affair with an older man intensifies, his thoughts turn to the past and to Oliver. Ol...

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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

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'I adored The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention Of Wings, which were both wise, charming and sensual' SANTA MONTEFIORE The Secret Life of Bees:...

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This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga

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ONE OF THE BBC'S 100 WOMEN FOR 2020SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 BOOKER PRIZE'MAGNIFICENT.' Guardian 'A MASTERPIECE.' New York Times 'MARVELLOUS.' Sara ...

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Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

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Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize'Lloyd Jones brings to life the transformative power of fiction . . . This is a beautiful book' Sunday Times'Yo...

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The Forester's Daughter: Faber Stories by Claire Keegan

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*From the Booker-shortlisted author of Small Things Like These*Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the shor...

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The Spirit Engineer by A. J. West

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'A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power' DERREN BROWNBelfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society ha...

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The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD'Astonishing.' Stylist'Electrifying.' O: The Oprah Magazine'Brillian...

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Closure Limited: And Other Zombie Tales by Max Brooks

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A terrifying collection of short stories from the master of zombie fiction, Max Brooks. Written in his trademark style, these tales combine horror,...

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The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

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*WINNER OF THE BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2020**ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST BOOKS OF 2020**A NYT CRITICS' TOP BOOK OF 2020*'One of the best debut no...

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

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WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2020Winner of the Library of Congress Prize for Ameri...

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Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

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** DEMON COPPERHEAD: THE NEW BARBARA KINGSOLVER NOVEL IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW **FROM THE GLOBAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE POISONWOOD BIBLEWI...

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Foster by Claire Keegan

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From the author of the Booker-shortlisted Small Things Like These, a heartbreaking, haunting story of childhood, loss and love by one of Ireland's ...

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Transit by Rachel Cusk

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A Guardian, New Statesman, Spectator and Observer Book of the Year**Shortlisted for the Goldsmith's Prize**'A work of stunning beauty, deep insight...

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The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

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'Sparkling... funny, it is also cutting, a nearly forensic study of family conflict... both compulsively readable and thought-provoking.' New York ...

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Kudos by Rachel Cusk

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Author of the Booker-longlisted novel Second Place'A landmark in twenty-first-century English literature.' Andrew Anthony, Observer'Kudos is one of...

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You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

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*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*ONE OF THE EVENING STANDARD'S BLOCKBUSTER BOOK TRENDS OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEARNOMINATED FOR ...

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Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

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'Completely blew me away.' Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under'One of the most dazzling debuts I've ever read.' Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana...

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Creative, formula-bending, genre-defying, character-focused, and most importantly, a literary exploration of the human condition—contemporary & modern literary fiction is arguably the most experimental genre within literature.

The landscape of literary fiction is constantly being revolutionised by literary fiction authors; that are known to constantly push the boundaries of genre fiction and blur the lines of distinction between literary fiction and other genres of literature.

Given the creative ambiguity of contemporary literary fiction; the genre witnesses a dazzling lineup of highly acclaimed debuts and fresh progressive voices each year. From trailblazing memoirs to the cultural history of humanity—no other genre captures the exactness of our collective life experience more creatively than literary fiction.

The list of bestselling literary fiction is an exciting mix of very distinct literary techniques and contrasting voices. Precisely why, we at Books2Door bring you and a carefully curated collection of the best literary fiction books of all time whilst also helping you gain an acute understanding of what qualifies as modern & literary fiction.

Formula-bending, genre-defying, and experimental

Modern and Contemporary Literary Fiction or experimental fiction is possibly the literature’s most rebellious genre. It doesn’t follow any literary formulas, nor does it adhere to any rules. In that, literary fiction authors are free to build an unpredictable narrative. Anything can transpire; exciting or unnerving. In literary fiction, any established literary theme can be turned on its head. For instance, literary fiction authors have challenged the good-triumphs-over-evil theme; so common otherwise in genre fiction books.

George Orwell’s social satire Nineteen Eighty-Four is one example. A book best categorised as dystopian literature; (remember the recently trending hashtag #makeorwellfictionagain ?) Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four not only challenged the good vs evil theme but also blurred the lines of distinction between genre fiction and classic literary fiction.

Employees creative storytelling

Considering literary fiction doesn’t adhere to any rules of genre or sub-genre; every literary fiction author is free to be creative and create his own rules. This makes the storyline an adventure, that can take its readers by surprise.

Devoid of any rules, the literary fiction writer is free to break convention and employ his creativity. This practice has birthed some extraordinary literary works. For example, Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife where Niffenegger’s uses dual narrators from the first person point of view, in the present tense.

Thought-provoking and introspective

Like we said earlier, no other genre captures the exactness of the human condition and our collective life experience more creatively than literary fiction. Whilst most genres are designed to entertain the readers, literary fiction is meant to do more than that. Literary fiction seeks to make sense of the world. It is meant to be thought-provoking, and introspective and is meant to push the reader to think critically of the human condition.

Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, for instance, explores the mind of a depressed, anxious, and neurotic young woman. Whilst the book has a coming-of-age plot line; it is the inner dialogue of this character that truly makes it a memorable book. This strong character study is what makes literary fiction a character-focused and introspective genre.

Explores the human condition

Stories in literary fiction do not shy away from dealing with difficult subjects and the realities of the human condition with artistic honesty. Literary fiction, therefore, is not always designed to help the reader escape. It can make the reader uncomfortable and push them to think about issues.

Literary fiction however is not non-fiction; so it doesn’t just report the truth. Instead, it relies on creative techniques and artsy symbolism to convey a deeper meaning. Literary fiction relies on metaphors and creative storytelling to convey meaningful messages. As a result, the takeaway from these stories is more than just the story, the takeaway is the experience, the message, and at times the characters.

Literary fiction is character-driven

Whilst genre fiction is focused on the story, plotlines, and on being an engaging read; literary fiction is more stressed on the characters or on conveying a meaningful message or idea. At times, it is focused on both. The characters in literary fiction can have layers, the depth of a character's actions and psyche are explored to forward the plot. Literary fiction doesn’t just show a character’s story, it shows how their actions and circumstances change the character.

Literary fiction can be as absurd and ambiguous as life itself

Literary fiction is experimental in nature much like absurd art, which means it doesn’t have to have a happy ending or an ending at all. Art movements like absurdism, dadaism and surrealism, are all, artsy cousins of experimental prose.

Literary fiction gives writers the liberty to let a story end abruptly or for the entire plot to be absurd. Stories in this genre don’t necessarily have to resolve but they have to have meaning. The meaning however is left to the reader’s interpretation.

Literary fiction is good for the reader

Because literary fiction pushes boundaries, employs a unique perspective, searches for meaning, and is designed for intellectual and emotional stimulus--it is much like the art you see hanging in galleries and the movies that bring meaningful conversations alive. Just like artsy movies and art itself, the creative genius of literary fiction is largely open to criticism. Some of the best contemporary literary fiction books have won critical acclaim and awards but missed out on winning the masses.

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