Books like 'We Live in Water'
Readers who enjoyed We Live in Water by Jess Walter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary literary-fiction family dark realistic humor zombies drama poverty satire
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The Summer Escape by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCould it be more than just a holiday romance?Single-mother Beth desperately needs a break.Grieving the loss of her mother, she sets off to the Isles of Scilly with her five-year-old daughter, Ellie.Their holiday cottage is utterly charming, but it’s meeting Trystan – the owner of the cottage – that makes Beth’s stay so perfect... -
![Someone To Love Me by Anne Schraff]()
Someone To Love Me by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWelcome to Bluford High. This widely acclaimed teen series set in an urban high school features engaging, accessible writing and appealing, contemporary storylines.At first, Bobby Wallace was everything Cindy Gibson hoped for. He was friendly, seemingly mature, and hansome--the perfect escape from her problems in school and even bigger troubles at home... -
![Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt]()
Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"A brave and breathtaking musical... -
![Summer Delights by Bella Osborne]()
Summer Delights by Bella Osborne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA cosy and heartwarming seasonal romance, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley.Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a warm, caring and safe place for little Leo... -
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![Finding Love by Judith Keim]()
Finding Love by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs Regan Sullivan continues to work with her sisters, Sheena and Darcy, to meet their Uncle Gavin’s challenge to make the Salty Key Inn a success, she wonders why she can never find the man of her dreams. Her sisters are happily settled with men they love... -
![Finding Family by Judith Keim]()
Finding Family by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSheena Sullivan Morelli and her sisters, Darcy and Regan, work to complete their Uncle Gavin’s challenge of turning his rundown hotel into a profitable operation within one year. Winning means earning a share in their uncle’s sizable estate. More than that, it determines how they’ll spend the rest of their lives. Sheena wants to stay on at the hotel, overseeing the hotel operation... -
![Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan]()
Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou're six years old. Mum's in hospital. Dad says she's 'done something stupid'. She finds it hard to be happy.So you start to make a list of everything that's brilliant about the world. Everything that's worth living for.1. Ice Cream2. Kung Fu Movies3. Burning Things4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose5. Construction cranes6. MeYou leave it on her pillow... -
![The Boy Under the Table by Nicole Trope]()
The Boy Under the Table by Nicole Trope
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTina is a young woman hiding from her grief on the streets of the Cross. On a cold night in the middle of winter she breaks all her own rules when she agrees to go home with a customer.What she finds in his house will change her life forever.Across the country Sarah and Doug are trapped in limbo, struggling to accept the loss that now governs their lives... -
![Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins]()
Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinner of the 1999 Paterson Poetry Prize Over the past decade, Billy Collins has emerged as the most beloved American poet since Robert Frost, garnering critical acclaim and broad popular appeal. Annie Proulx admits, "I have never before felt possessive about a poet, but I am fiercely glad that Billy Collins is ours... -
![Sabtu Bersama Bapak by Adhitya Mulya]()
Sabtu Bersama Bapak by Adhitya Mulya
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“Hai, Satya! Hai, Cakra!” Sang Bapak melambaikan tangan. “Ini Bapak. Iya, benar kok, ini Bapak. Bapak cuma pindah ke tempat lain. Gak sakit. Alhamdulillah, berkat doa Satya dan Cakra. … Mungkin Bapak tidak dapat duduk dan bermain di samping kalian. Tapi, Bapak tetap ingin kalian tumbuh dengan Bapak di samping kalian. Ingin tetap dapat bercerita kepada kalian... -
![A Spring Affair by Bella Osborne]()
A Spring Affair by Bella Osborne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA cosy and heartwarming seasonal romance, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley.Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a warm, caring and safe place for little Leo... -
![Adriana by Kat Masen]()
Adriana by Kat Masen
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe vows were exchanged and Adriana had her whole life planned out. Marriage, babies and a fabulous career. Life was perfect, until the day the only man she had ever been with, the man who had stolen her heart at the tender age of seventeen, was taken away before his time. Desperate, angry and unable to heal, Adriana hits rock bottom and is forced to seek help for the sake of her son... -
![The Chronicles of Audy: 21 by Orizuka]()
The Chronicles of Audy: 21 by Orizuka
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHai. Namaku Audy. Umurku masih 22 tahun. Hidupku tadinya biasa-biasa saja, sampai aku memutuskan untuk bekerja di rumah 4R. Aku sempat berhenti, tapi mereka berhasil membujukku untuk kembali setelah memberiku titel baru: "bagian dari keluarga". Di saat aku merasa semakin akrab dengan mereka, pada suatu siang, salah seorang dari mereka mengungkapkan perasaannya kepadaku... -
![Desired by Mya Grey]()
Desired by Mya Grey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLeaving Dario might be my only way outBut it’ll tear my heart out to lose himAnd to complicate everything… I’m pregnantI know his past weighs heavily on him.But he’s responsible for what he does in the present.Losing his mother by his father’s hand must have destroyed him, because Dario wants to fix what can’t be fixed.I know he wants out. Wants a better life for us... -
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![David Goes to School by David Shannon]()
David Goes to School by David Shannon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNo, David!David's teacher has her hands full. From running in the halls to chewing gum in class, David's high-energy antics fill each school day with trouble—and are sure to bring a smile to even the best-behaved reader... -
![Christmas Cheer by Bella Osborne]()
Christmas Cheer by Bella Osborne
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA cosy and heartwarming seasonal romance, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley.Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a warm, caring and safe place for little Leo... -
![Si Anak Kuat by Tere Liye]()
Si Anak Kuat by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAmelia, si bungsu, anak yang paling kuat. Buku pertama sekaligus terbit terakhir dari Serial Anak-Anak Mamak."Kau anak paling kuat di keluarga ini, Amelia. Bukan kuat secara fisik, tapi kuat dari dalam. Kau adalah anak yang paling teguh hatinya, paling kokoh pemahaman baiknya. Kau menyayangi sekitar, dan sungguh-sungguh mau membantu orang lain... -
![Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, John Hopkins]()
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, John Hopkins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLeonard and Hungry Paul are two friends who see the world differently. They use humour, board games and silence to steer their way through the maelstrom that is the 21st century.‘The figure in Munch’s painting isn’t actually screaming!’ Hungry Paul said. ‘Really, are you sure?’ Replied Leonard. ‘Absolutely. That’s the whole thing. The figure is actually closing his ears to block outa scream... -
![Burlian by Tere Liye]()
Burlian by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBurlian, anak kampung dengan segala keriangan keluarganya. Bercita-cita ingin naik kapal besar keliling dunia. Buku 2, dari Serial Anak2 Mamak. Buku 3, PUKAT terbit Februari 2010, Buku 4, Eliana direncanakan terbit Oktober 2010, Buku 1, Amelia direncanakan terbit Februari 2011... -
![Peas, Carrots and Six More Feet by Hannah M. Lynn]()
Peas, Carrots and Six More Feet by Hannah M. Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis family is about to go nuclear Following straight on from the climatic events of Peas, Carrots and a Red Feather Boa, Eric Sibley faces a completely new landscape. As he struggles to come to terms with his new situation he finds support and help in some of the most unlikely places... -
![3 stepbrothers by Animallover55]()
3 stepbrothers by Animallover55
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTori lived with her dad and little sister. She never expected to have a stepmother, much less a stepbrother. But whats worse is not only one stepbrother, not two either. No three stepbrothers. But it gets worse, the three boys just happen to be the three triplet sport stars of the school. The same three boys that have gone out with nearly all those girls that wear short short skirts... -
![The Pitch Queen by Karin Gillespie]()
The Pitch Queen by Karin Gillespie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA hilarious send-up of the publishing business and a delight for readers who love books about books. If "Yellowface" and "Book Lovers" had a baby, it would be named "The Pitch Queen.". Claire Wyld, a literary agent, is the queen of the flashy pitch and is fighting to be the number one dealmaker in debut novels... -
![Rhoda: A Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist]()
Rhoda: A Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOver the past ten years, Gilchrist fans have enjoyed glimpses of headstrong, redheaded Rhoda in five previous collections. Here, for the first time, are the collected Rhoda stories - including two new ones - offering a full-blown portrait of a woman worth waiting for: one of contemporary literature's most enchanting characters, in all her wicked glory... -
![Einstein's Beach House by Jacob M. Appel]()
Einstein's Beach House by Jacob M. Appel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA couple adopts a depressed hedgehog; a stranger shows up, claiming to be the father of a girl's imaginary friend; a woman kidnaps her ex-husband's turtle; a family is evicted from their home, but was it ever really theirs? Heartbreaking and hilarious, the eight stories of Einstein's Beach House examine how we deceive ourselves and others, all to arrive at something far more real... -
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![Lost Innocence by Susan Lewis]()
Lost Innocence by Susan Lewis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen Alicia Carlyle returns to the home of her childhood after the tragic death of her husband, she is hoping to put the past behind her. But first she must come face to face with the woman who nearly destroyed her marriage and tore her family in two - her sister-in-law, Sabrina... -
![The Prank List by Anna Staniszewski]()
The Prank List by Anna Staniszewski
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRachel Lee never thought she'd fight for the right to clean toilets. But when a rival cleaning business starts stealing her mom's clients, Rachel will do whatever it takes to save herself the horror of moving to Connecticut — which would mean giving up her almost, sort of boyfriend, her fantastic new pastry classes, and her best friend Marisol... -
![Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories by Tobias Wolff]()
Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories by Tobias Wolff
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis collection of stories—twenty-one classics followed by ten potent new stories—displays Tobias Wolff's exquisite gifts over a quarter century... -
![Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair]()
Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJean Collins is in a coma. She stepped out into the middle of the road without looking and was run over by a motorbike. But what had distracted her? And why was she carrying a box of vanilla slices? For Jean's daughter Anne, these questions are the least of her concern... -
![Times Squared by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy]()
Times Squared by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIdentical twin sisters Payton and Emma Mills have “traded faces” and created “twin-dentical chaos” at school and at home. But you haven’t seen anything yet. Payton and Emma are off to “twin-vade” New York City! Payton’s drama club plans a field trip to see an off-Broadway show, and Emma’s mathletes team will compete in an elite competition... -
![All Hat by Brad Smith]()
All Hat by Brad Smith
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratings“All Hat is a winner all the way.” — The Globe and Mail Ray Dokes is fresh out of prison and fresh out of options… He’s determined to turn his life around and stay out of trouble, but that means avoiding Sonny Stanton – the rich and violent heir of a thoroughbred dynasty Two horses – one an arrogant creature that’ll bite you as soon as you look away, the other gentle and friendly... -
![You Only Get So Much by Dan Kolbet]()
You Only Get So Much by Dan Kolbet
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Billy Redmond returns to his hometown to attend his brother's funeral, he's hoping for a quick trip. No reason to stay for more than a few hours. He's been in self-imposed exile from his family after a tragedy 12 years ago. It's better this way. He can't harm people he never sees. Billy soon finds that his family isn't better off without him, in fact he's the only one who can help them... -
![Holy Ghost Corner by Michele Andrea Bowen]()
Holy Ghost Corner by Michele Andrea Bowen
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheresa Elaine Hopson, 46, owner of Miss Thang's Holy Ghost Corner and Church Women's Boutique is puzzled. She can't, for the life of her, figure out why even Baby Doll Henderson, despite her false teeth and her navy-blue-socks-with-yellow-jelly-sandals-wearing self, can find a man and she, Theresa, can't... -
![Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan]()
Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA biting portrait of British class, politics, and money told through five interconnected families and their rising―and declining―fortunes.Campbell Flynn, art historian and biographer of Vermeer, always knew that when his life came crashing down, it would happen in public―yet he never imagined that a single year in London would expose so much... -
![Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen]()
Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIf a brother wanna get ahead, he gotta use every minute to better himself. Everything I did made me better -- tougher, stronger, richer, smarter -- or I didn't do it. Take high school. A waste of time. Nobody there taught me what I needed to survive on the streets.... Ty Johnson knows survival... -
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![Too Many Toys by David Shannon]()
Too Many Toys by David Shannon
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSpencer has too many toys! His father trips over them, his mother falls over them, and the house is overflowing with junk. Now it's time to give some of the mountain of goodies away, but Spencer finds it hard... -
![The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt]()
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Raised in Marrakech by a French mother and English father, a 17-year-old girl has learned above all to avoid mauvais ton ("bad taste" loses something in the translation)...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic humor satire fiction contemporary female-author anthologies -
![Mama's Boy by David Goudreault]()
Mama's Boy by David Goudreault
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWinner of the 2016 Grand Prix littéraire ArchambaultWritten with gritty humour in the form of a confession, Mama's Boy recounts the family drama of a young man who sets out in search of his mother after a childhood spent shuffling from one foster home to another. A bizarre character with a skewed view of the world, he leads the reader on a quest that is both tender and violent... -
![The High Road by Terry Fallis]()
The High Road by Terry Fallis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA brilliant follow-up to the Stephen Leacock Award-winner The Best Laid Plans , this deeply funny satire continues the story of Honest Angus McLintock, an amateur politician who dares to do the unthinkable: tell the truth... -
![Handling Sin by Michael Malone]()
Handling Sin by Michael Malone
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOn the Ides of March, our hero, Raleigh Whittier Hayes (forgetful husband, baffled father, prosperous insurance agent and leading citizen of Thermopylae, North Carolina), learns that his father has discharged himself from the hospital, taken all his money out of the bank and, with a young black female mental patient, vanished in a yellow Cadillac convertible... -
![The Saturday Night Sauvignon Sisterhood by Gill Sims]()
The Saturday Night Sauvignon Sisterhood by Gill Sims
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s time for a w(h)ine‘Oh, for f*ck’s sake’ muttered Claire under her breath, as she opened the fridge to see what she could find for a no effort dinner. The children continued to fight behind her... -
![Members Only by Sameer Pandya]()
Members Only by Sameer Pandya
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFirst the white members of Raj Bhatt’s posh tennis club call him racist. Then his life falls apart. Along the way, he wonders: where does he, a brown man, belong in America? Raj Bhatt is often unsure of where he belongs. Having moved to America from Bombay as a child, he knew few Indian kids. Now middle-aged, he lives mostly happily in California, with a job at a university... -
![Totlandia: Book 4 by Josie Brown]()
Totlandia: Book 4 by Josie Brown
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIN BOOK 4 OF THE TOTLANDIA SERIES: As summer sizzles in Totlandia, emotions boil over for the newest members of Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club, whose trust in each other is sorely tempted by Bettina and her club politics. When Jillian's vindictive joke backfires, she learns the true meaning of forgiveness... -
![Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman]()
Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWe live our entire lives thinking we know those closest to us. But do we ever really? On the outside, Annabel O'Conner has it all - the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and a mother from hell! Just when she gives up trying to regain her overbearing mother's love, an unexpected call turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believes about her life... -
![Five Night Stand by Richard J. Alley]()
Five Night Stand by Richard J. Alley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLegendary jazz pianist Oliver Pleasant finds himself alone at the end of his career, playing his last five shows, hoping the music will draw his estranged family back…Frank Severs, a middle-aged, out-of-work journalist, is at a crossroads as his longtime dreams and marriage grind to a standstill…And piano prodigy Agnes Cassady is desperately grasping for fulfillment before a debilitating disease... -
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![Arnco by Ben Muse]()
Arnco by Ben Muse
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJake Brigham, a wildly successful first time author is drowning in the undertow of his newfound success. After years of "winning," he realizes he has only lost--a beloved mother, a marriage, even his ability to create. Eventually, he leaves the demands of New York and returns to a place once close to his heart: Arnco, a dying Georgia mill village... -
![The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington]()
The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEVERY WRITER KNOWS YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN. But that's just what is required of West Texas expatriate Dee Bennett-Kaufmann when her mother is badly injured in a mysterious car accident. Single-again “Dr. Dee” has never been on the “A-team” in her trendy East Coast MFA program... -
![Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson, W Morgan Sheppard]()
Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson, W Morgan Sheppard
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIn six masterly stories, Johnson delves deep into love and loss, natural disasters, the influence of technology, and how the political shapes the personal. “Nirvana" portrays a programmer, whose wife has a rare disease, finding solace in a digital simulacrum of the president of the United States... -
![Daughters by Kirsty Capes]()
Daughters by Kirsty Capes
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, the story of sisters as they embark on a road trip together to protect the legacy of their brilliant, deeply troubled artist mother, grappling as they go with one sister’s mental health, the other’s poor romantic decisions, and the many scars of the past that keep the two of them at a distanceDaughters is as devastating as it is hilarious, as tender and... -
![How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer]()
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn her dazzling first book Julie Orringer dives into the private world of childhood and immerses us in its fears and longings: the jealous friendships and the bitter sibling battles; the parents that row and the boys that won't dance with you. Then, in a voice that is equally tender and compassionate, she reminds us of those rare, exhilarating moments of victory...Categorized as:
drama family literary-fiction realistic 21st-century anthologies coming-of-age contemporary -
![The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring]()
The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWisconsin, 1961. Evelyn “Button” Peters is nine the summer Winnalee and her fiery-spirited older sister, Freeda, blow into her small town–and from the moment she sees them, Button knows this will be a summer unlike any other...
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