Books like On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
12 books with a reading profile close to On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
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1
The Emperor of Gladness
by Ocean Vuong
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
In this debut for young readers, the narrative combines structured verse and prose to follow a young protagonist navigating the quiet landscapes of suburban New England.
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2
Jesus’ Son
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Eleven linked stories follow a drifting narrator through the drug-addled margins of the American Midwest and Pacific Northwest in the 1970s.
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3
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
by Elif Shafak
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been murdered and dumped in a trash bin.
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4
The Promise
by Damon Galgut
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
The narrative follows the Swart family, white farmers living near Pretoria, across four funerals spanning four decades of South African history.
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5
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
This collection of short stories presents the domestic lives of working-class people living in the Pacific Northwest and American West.
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6
Recitatif
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Toni Morrison’s only short story follows Twyla and Roberta, two girls who first meet as roommates at the St.
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7
Bridge of Clay
by Markus Zusak
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Matthew Dunbar, the eldest of five brothers, tells how the boys were raised alone in a Sydney house after their mother's death and their father's disappearance.
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8
The Discomfort of Evening
by Lucas Rijneveld, Michele Hutchison
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
On a strict Reformed dairy farm in the rural Netherlands, ten-year-old Jas navigates the disintegration of her family following the accidental drowning of her older brother.
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9
No One Is Talking About This
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
The first half of the narrative follows a woman who has achieved minor celebrity status within a digital landscape called the portal.
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10
Men Without Women
Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, literary
Across seven short stories, various men cope with the physical or emotional absence of women in their lives.
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11
Lanny
by Max Porter
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Lanny lives in an English village where his unusual sensitivity draws the attention of Dead Papa Toothwort, an ancient, mythical presence woven into the land.
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12
Trust Exercise
by Susan Choi
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Set in a highly competitive arts high school during the 1980s, the narrative begins with Sarah and David, two drama students entangled in a pressurized romance under the watchful eye of their charismatic teacher, Mr.
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