Modern & Literary Fiction Books
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'A glimpse of the foetid underbelly of the internet' - The Times'Taut as a thriller, sharp as a slug of ice-cold vodka' - Irish TimesTo be a conten...
View full detailsThe Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan
Set in a snow-covered Cotswolds village, The Christmas Postcards is the unmissable, spellbinding new book from the Sunday Times bestseller Karen Sw...
View full detailsThe Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
The Cat Who Saved Books is a heartwarming story about finding courage, caring for others - and the tremendous power of books. 'Enchanting' - Observ...
View full detailsNever by Ken Follett
The Sunday Times Thriller of the Month'Stunning . . . one of the most compelling reads of the year' - Daily ExpressExpertly researched and visionar...
View full detailsRiccardino by Andrea Camilleri
The twenty-eighth and final novel in the thrilling, wickedly funny Inspector Montalbano Mysteries series by bestselling author Andrea Camilleri. ...
View full detailsMercy by David Baldacci
Mercy is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy, A Minute to Midnight and Daylight featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine from one of the world's...
View full detailsMercy by David Baldacci
Mercy is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy, A Minute to Midnight and Daylight featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine from one of the world's...
View full detailsHare House by Sally Hinchcliffe
'Deliciously chilly' Guardian'Humming with suppressed hysteria and madness' The Times'Wonderfully evocative' Heat Hare House is not its real name, ...
View full detailsThe Silence by Don DeLillo
'An apocalyptic novel for our times' - Guardian'Horrifyingly resonant' - ObserverSuperbowl Sunday, 2022. A couple wait in their Manhattan apartment...
View full detailsThe Cook of the Halcyon by Andrea Camilleri
The Cook of the Halcyon is the twenty-seventh Inspector Montalbano mystery from the master of Sicilian crime, Andrea Camilleri. Moments later the...
View full detailsWild Fire by Ann Cleeves
Wild Fire is the eighth and final book in Ann Cleeves' bestselling Shetland series - a major BBC One crime drama, starring Douglas Henshall. On a...
View full detailsDead Water by Ann Cleeves
Dead Water is the fifth book in Ann Cleeves' bestselling Shetland series - a major BBC One crime drama, starring Douglas Henshall as Detective Jimm...
View full detailsThe Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
The Sunday Times Bestseller 2021. As recommended by the BBC Radio 2 Book Club'The novel I've enjoyed most this year' - Hilary Mantel'A mystery, a l...
View full detailsLast Summer in the City by Gianfranco Calligarich
A cult classic of Italian literature, published in English for the first time, with an afterword by Andre Aciman, author of Call Me By Your Name. ...
View full detailsPeople Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
A Richard & Judy Summer Book Club Pick. For fans of Liane Moriarty, People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd is a deliciously dark, page-turning thril...
View full detailsThe Sicilian Method by Andrea Camilleri
In The Sicilian Method, Andrea Camilleri's twenty-sixth novel in the Inspector Montalbano mystery series, Montalbano finds his answers to a murder ...
View full detailsThe Sicilian Method by Andrea Camilleri
In The Sicilian Method, Andrea Camilleri's twenty-sixth novel in the Inspector Montalbano mystery series, Montalbano finds his answers to a murder ...
View full detailsKololo Hill by Neema Shah
'[An] incredible debut' - Stylist'A novel about home, about belonging and exile; a compelling and complex insight into a recent past that still res...
View full detailsThe Promise by Lucy Diamond
The Promise is a unforgettable story about finding love, hope and joy in even the darkest moments, by the Sunday Times bestseller Lucy Diamond, aut...
View full detailsThe Promise by Lucy Diamond
The Promise is a unforgettable story about finding love, hope and joy in even the darkest moments, by the Sunday Times bestseller Lucy Diamond, aut...
View full detailsThe High Notes by Danielle Steel
A moving, compelling and uplifting story of following your dreams against the odds, from the world's favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel. Iris ...
View full detailsThe Challenge by Danielle Steel
You only discover what you can survive when you're put to the test . . . The Challenge is the latest thrilling novel from No.1 New York Times bests...
View full detailsThe Butler by Danielle Steel
The Butler is an extraordinary tale of family, difficult decisions and destiny, from the world's favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel. Joachim v...
View full detailsThe Butler by Danielle Steel
The Butler is an extraordinary tale of family, difficult decisions and destiny, from the world's favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel. Joachim v...
View full detailsComplications by Danielle Steel
Complications is a riveting story of scandal and tragedy set against the backdrop of an exclusive Paris hotel from the world's favourite storytelle...
View full detailsNine Lives by Danielle Steel
Nine Lives is a thought-provoking story of lost love and new beginnings, by the number one bestseller Danielle Steel. After a carefree childhood,...
View full detailsThe Affair by Danielle Steel
The Affair is a compelling story of mothers and sisters who are there for you when things fall apart, by Danielle Steel, whose countless number one...
View full detailsNeighbours by Danielle Steel
Sometimes a crisis can bring people together . . . Meredith White was one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces. But a personal tragedy cut he...
View full detailsAkin by Emma Donoghue
Akin is a tender tale of love, loss and family, from Emma Donoghue, the international bestselling author of Room. 'If Room forced home truths on ...
View full detailsThe Young Team by Graeme Armstrong
The Times top ten bestsellerScots Book of the Year 2021Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award & Betty Trask Award 2021'Trainspotting for a new ge...
View full detailsThe Ophelia Girls by Jane Healey
'An immersive, intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic' - Molly Aitken, author of The Island Child'A potent blend of art, ...
View full detailsSalt Slow by Julia Armfield
'Wickedly clever prose and a sense of humour that seems to loom up like a character in itself' - M John Harrison, GuardianIn her brilliantly invent...
View full detailsYou Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks
'The plot is ingenious, and the writing as clever and tantalising as ever' Daily MailFrom Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the authors of the to...
View full detailsThe Harpy by Megan Hunter
'Brilliant . . . A deeply unsettling, excellent read' - Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under 'A potent contemporary fable . . . riveting' - Gu...
View full detailsMidnight in the Snow by Karen Swan
Set amongst the snow-covered mountains of the Austrian Alps, Midnight in the Snow is the story of a forbidden attraction that will reveal long-buri...
View full detailsTogether by Christmas by Karen Swan
Set in snowy Amsterdam, Together by Christmas is a moving read of secrets, romance and heartbreaking dilemmas by Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan...
View full detailsMum & Dad by Joanna Trollope
A Richard & Judy Book Club pick, Mum & Dad is a heartwarming family drama from number one bestseller Joanna Trollope, with all her trademar...
View full detailsMemory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah
The debut novel by the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureVehement, comic and shrewd, Abdulrazak Gurnah's first novel is an unwavering con...
View full detailsAdmiring Silence by Abdulrazak Gurnah
By the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature'There is a wonderful sardonic eloquence to this unnamed narrator's voice' Financial Times'I don...
View full detailsWhat You Can See From Here by Mariana Leky
'Manages something only a few books achieve: it makes you happy' Munich Mercury 'A clear-eyed tonic in troubled times' Guardian On a beautiful spr...
View full detailsThere's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura
_______________'Surreal and unsettling' - Observer Cultural Highlight'Wise, comical and exceptionally relatable' - Zeba Talkhani 'Quietly hilarious...
View full detailsHere is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan
SHORTLISTED FOR THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDWhat would you do if you lost someone the world never knew was yours? For three years, Ana has been con...
View full detailsMonogamy by Sue Miller
'Penetrating, intelligent, humane, funny too ... Smart and powerfully alive' Tessa Hadley'Superb' Daily Mail'A poignant page-turner, delving deep i...
View full detailsOrlando King by Isabel Colegate
The masterpiece of one of the most important and overlooked British women writers of the twentieth century, with a new introduction by Melissa Harr...
View full detailsThe Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Lose yourself in the story of a lifetime - the unforgettable Sunday Times bestseller'Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than ...
View full detailsThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The beloved, life-affirming international bestseller which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide - now a major film starring Lily James, Matthew...
View full detailsApeirogon by Colum McCann
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIX FEMINA AND THE PRIX MED...
View full detailsThe Farm by Joanne Ramos
A gripping story about race, money and motherhood that asks: what would you sacrifice for a new life?'A firecracker of a novel'Madeline Miller'Inte...
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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