Books like

Books like Normal People

12 books with a reading profile close to Normal People by Sally Rooney. Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

1

Norwegian Wood

by Haruki Murakami

Also inward-looking and contemplative · romance, narrative

Set in late 1960s Tokyo, this novel follows university student Toru Watanabe as he navigates the aftermath of his best friend Kizuki’s suicide.
2

South of the Border, West of the Sun

by Haruki Murakami

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · romance, narrative

Hajime is a successful jazz club owner in Tokyo who leads a stable, middle-class life with a wife and two daughters.
3

Sana Soyleyemedigim Her Sey

by Celeste Ng

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

Set in 1970s Ohio, the narrative begins with the disappearance and subsequent death of Lydia Lee, the favorite child of a Chinese-American family.
4

On Chesil Beach

by Ian McEwan

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

Set in 1962, the novella follows Edward Mayhew and Florence Ponting on their wedding night at a hotel on the Dorset coast.
5

Sana Anlatmadigim Her Sey

by Celeste Ng

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

Set in 1970s Ohio, the narrative begins with the death of Lydia Lee, the favorite daughter of a biracial family.
6

Conversations With Friends

by Sally Rooney

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, psychology

Frances is a university student and aspiring poet in Dublin who performs spoken word pieces with her former girlfriend and best friend, Bobbi.
7

Sally Rooney 3 Books Collection Set

by Sally Rooney

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

This collection gathers Sally Rooney’s early prose, focusing on the intricate social dynamics and intimate exchanges between young adults in modern Ireland.
8

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

by Aimee Bender

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, psychology

On her ninth birthday, Rose Edelstein bites into a homemade lemon cake and inadvertently discovers she can taste her mother’s hidden emotions within the ingredients.
9

Challenger Deep

by Neal Shusterman

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

Caden Bosch is a bright teenager who is slipping into mental illness.
10

Open Water

by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · romance, narrative

Set in South East London, the story follows an unnamed Black photographer and an unnamed Black dancer who meet at a pub and fall in love.
11

Young Mungo

by Douglas Stuart

Also inward-looking and contemplative · romance, narrative

Set in the housing schemes of 1990s Glasgow, the story follows Mungo Hamilton, a Protestant teenager defined by his gentleness.
12

Cat’s Eye

by Margaret Atwood

Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, psychology

Elaine Risley, a middle-aged painter, returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her art.

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