Modern & Literary Fiction Books
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird
'A FIERCELY INTELLIGENT PAGE-TURNER' PAULA HAWKINS 'WRITTEN PRE-COVID - GRIPPING, SCARY AND PERSUASIVE' IAN RANKIN 'THE STUFF THA...
View full detailsOn a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk
It only takes one night to fall in love... Pre-order now! 'So uplifting and wildly romantic' M...
View full detailsThe Stalker by Sarah Alderson
'WOW! WOW! WOW! What a read!' NetGalley reviewer 'The blockbuster of the summer!' NetGalley reviewer 'THAT twist. I did not see i...
View full detailsThe Cosy Cottage in Ireland by Julie Caplin
The latest book in the international bestselling series that has hit the charts in Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic! Snuggl...
View full detailsUnder the Italian Sun by Sue Moorcroft
'Oh my goodness this book is just gorgeous!!!!! I read it in an afternoon because I couldn't put it down!!... I'm so excited for other people to re...
View full detailsThe Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
*A finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction, discover this year's most uplifting and heart-warming debut* 'Absolutely gorgeous'...
View full detailsThe Dog Share by Fiona Gibson
'Brilliant and funny... I raced through it at 90 mph and was devastated at the last page and just wanted to go read it all again... Sheer genius......
View full detailsCat Lady by Dawn O'Porter
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER **Don't miss the collector's edition with a specially designed board, exclusive ...
View full detailsThe Nurse by Claire Allan
'Wow! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and every time I thought I knew what was going to happen there was another fabulous twist. I loved i...
View full detailsOlive by Emma Gannon
The debut novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author, Emma Gannon. 'Explores such an important topic with a lightness and warmth' D...
View full detailsNight. Sleep. Death. The Stars. by Joyce Carol Oates
The bonds of family are tested in the wake of a profound tragedy, providing a look at the darker side of our society The bonds of family...
View full detailsWho They Was by Gabriel Krauze
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2020 A Spectator Book of the Year 'A literary renderi...
View full detailsBe Careful What You Wish For by Vivien Brown
'A story about friendship and family, and coming to terms with life and the challenges it throws at you while finding the courage and resilience to...
View full detailsAn Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley
Escape to the seaside with this gorgeous new series from the Sunday Times bestselling author - perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Heidi Swain. ...
View full detailsThe Wish List by Sophia Money-Coutts
This Christmas, love is top of Florence Fairfax's wish list 'Feel-good and enormous fun' Sophie Kinsella 'Full of wit, ...
View full detailsFake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE A wry, provocative and very funny debut novel about identity, authenti...
View full detailsHow to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'I loved this book' RICHARD OSMAN 'An antiheroine able to best villainous male protagonists such a...
View full detailsSugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs
A LibraryReads 2022 Top 10 Pick 'This is another winner from Wiggs' Booklist The heart-warming new story fr...
View full detailsThe Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs
'Love, loss, passion and everything in between... I love Susan Wiggs' novels so much.' JENNY COLGAN Heartbroken Natalie Harper i...
View full detailsScabby Queen by Kirstin Innes
'Gripping and moving. A literary triumph' Nicola Sturgeon 'A humane and searching story' Ian Rankin ...
View full detailsWe Just Clicked by Anna Bell
Pre-order your copy of the new heartwarming and romantic Anna Bell novel, Note to Self! 'Such a fun read!' Carrie Hope Fletcher, Sunday Ti...
View full detailsAdults by Emma Jane Unsworth
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'HILARIOUS' Stylist 'DAZZLING' Marian Keyes ...
View full detailsSaving Missy by Beth Morrey
'A touching, deftly written debut that celebratescommunity and kindness' Sunday Times Seventy-nine is too late for a...
View full detailsThe Cornish Cream Tea Summer by Cressida McLaughlin
'Captivating' Heat Magazine 'Beautiful... heartwarming' Zara Stoneley 'A wonderful ra...
View full detailsTake Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay
A missing woman. A husband suspected. The truth will ... Take Your Breath Away Linwood Barclay is... 'A suspense master' Ste...
View full detailsMeet Me at Pebble Beach by Bella Osborne
Meet Me at Pebble Beach was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package. Regan is h...
View full detailsAll For You by Louise Jensen
'A galloping pulse-pounder' Heat '[A] gripping thriller . . . with perfectly observed emotions and red herrings that will boggle the mind'...
View full detailsThe Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen
'The queen of high-tension grip lit delivers a twisted tale that won't let you go' Sunday Times Crime Club ...
View full detailsCrossroads by Jonathan Franzen
'His best novel yet ... A Middlemarch-like triumph' Telegraph 'A pleasure bomb of a novel' Vogue 'A true modern master' Independe...
View full detailsThe Family Tree by Sairish Hussain
SHORTLISTED FOR THE PORTICO PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDSLONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE ...
View full detailsLost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
WINNER OF THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD AND THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE AND THE WOMEN'S PRIZE The movin...
View full detailsThe Dilemma by B A Paris
Knowing the truth will destroy her. Keeping it secret will destroy him. 'A powerful, beautifully crafted story that ratch...
View full detailsForgive Me by Susan Lewis
Don't miss the brand-new book from the Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Lewis! I can't forgive myself. Not afte...
View full detailsRemain Silent by Susie Steiner
LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIAR CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR AN UNMISSABLE NEW NOVEL FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST...
View full detailsDaughters of Cornwall by Fern Britton
The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel! Love can last a lifetime. But can it last three? 1918W...
View full detailsThe Summer Villa by Melissa Hill
THE NUMBER ONE IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER 'Thoroughly enjoyable...sparkling with glamour, romance and suspense' Anna McPartlin, bestselling au...
View full detailsFreckles by Cecelia Ahern
Discover this 5-star read: 'Wow' 'Heartwarming' 'Uplifting' 'Thought-provoking' 'One of those rare, special and unique heroi...
View full detailsPostscript by Cecelia Ahern
The long-awaited sequel to the international bestseller PS, I Love You. The PS, I Love You Club. ...
View full detailsLast Night by Mhairi McFarlane
Two best friends. One missed chance. And a night that changes everything. Eve, ...
View full detailsIf I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it's real? The brand new novel from Sunday Times bestselling aut...
View full detailsThe Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this...
View full detailsSo Lucky by Dawn O'Porter
*Dawn O'Porter's brand new novel, CAT LADY, is available to pre-order now! * *The Sunday Times bestseller and Richard and Judy...
View full detailsStandard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
'I have rarely seen modern marriage reproduced so faithfully in print. It's about love once the early romance has subsided. Hilarious' Jojo Moyes, ...
View full detailsThe Wives by Lauren Weisberger
Perfect marriages. Perfect neighbours. Perfect lies. ...
View full detailsThe Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver
THE BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL FROM THE ORANGE PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. 'Distinctly chilling...
View full detailsThe Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'A genuine masterpiece, the first great American novel of the twenty-first century' Elle ...
View full detailsEmpire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard
The classic, heartrending story of a British boy's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War. Newly reissued with an i...
View full detailsFear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
'We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit ligh...
View full detailsCreative, 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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