Books like 'Public Library and Other Stories'
Readers who enjoyed Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary literary-fiction lgbtq magical-realism female-mc friendship
-
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It's a rule. But what would happen if they did? From the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, a heartwarming novel about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting... -
![Nantucket Jubilee by Katie Winters]()
Nantucket Jubilee by Katie Winters
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's time for the Nantucket Jubilee— an iconic celebration that calls back the most secretive of the Copperfield children, Ella.Twenty-five years ago, Quentin, Julia, and Alana fled The Copperfield House, leaving Greta and Ella alone— feeling completely abandoned.But it wasn’t the first time.Abandonment, as it turns out, has been the theme of Ella’s life. And she doesn’t even know it, yet... -
![Frank and Red by Matt Coyne, James Killeen]()
Frank and Red by Matt Coyne, James Killeen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEstranged from his friends, son, and the ever-changing world beyond his front gate, Frank is a reclusive curmudgeon whose only company is the 'ghost' of his dead wife, Marcie. Then six-year-old Red moves in next door. A boy struggling to adjust to the separation of his mum and dad, a new school, and the demonic school bully, Red is curious, smart, and talkative. And he has a trampoline... -
![Not My Daughter by Kate Hewitt]()
Not My Daughter by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnna’s hands tense on Alice and she hesitates. In that endless pause, I see all I need to know. She doesn’t want to give Alice to me – not now, and not ever. And part of me doesn’t even blame her… Milly always dreamed of being a mother. Adopted herself, she has always imagined a powerful intimate connection with a child of her own... -
-
![Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis]()
Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow long does it take to mend a broken heart?Jess expects life on the Isle of Skye to be calm and peaceful. But when she falls for her colleague things quickly become complicated. Rory comes with a whole load of baggage, but she just can’t seem to stay away from him. When Elspeth is forced to take a break from work, she evaluates what her future holds... -
![Making Waves by Meredith Summers]()
Making Waves by Meredith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMaxi’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expects... Maxi Stevens is at a crossroads. Things between her and James haven’t been the same since their kids left the nest. When she finds proof that indicates he may have strayed, she strikes out on her own. James’ infidelity has a silver lining, though... -
![Retuned: The Price of Time by Tania Joyce]()
Retuned: The Price of Time by Tania Joyce
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA vacation. An unforgettable accident. Lives are changed forever.Gemma and Kyle wanted a quick getaway before they recorded their new album.But one fateful mistake changes their lives forever.Heartbreaking decisions must be made.Friendships will be tried and tested...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc contemporary fiction romance new-adult coming-of-age -
![Four Short Weeks: Return to Lighthouse Point by Kay Correll]()
Four Short Weeks: Return to Lighthouse Point by Kay Correll
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSometimes four weeks is enough… and sometimes it’s not…Lillian Charm is content running Charming Inn. She has everything she wants or needs. Well, she kind of regrets her purchase of the house next to the inn. She wants to turn it into a guest house. But It has been nothing but problem after problem... -
![Dessert at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim]()
Dessert at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne favor deserves another, or does it?Against their better judgment, Ann and Rhonda agree to help a young girl in distress at the request of the vice-president of the United States, Amelia Swanson. After almost losing their lives because of an earlier request of hers, they plan on being more careful... -
![Next Door Nanny At The Cowboy Billionaire Ranch: A Sweet Clean Cowboy Billionaire Romance by Hanna Hart]()
Next Door Nanny At The Cowboy Billionaire Ranch: A Sweet Clean Cowboy Billionaire Romance by Hanna Hart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings... -
![Starfish Cottage by Meredith Summers]()
Starfish Cottage by Meredith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaddie Montgomery has finally found her slice of heaven - a charming cottage on the sugar-sand beach of Shell Cove, Maine. There’s only one problem, the flow of tourists to Shell Cove dried up years ago and now it’s up to her to bring them back... -
![Finding Home on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens]()
Finding Home on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFive women. Five beautiful stories. Follow the women of Whisling as they navigate life searching for peace, hope, and home.Olivia was sure she'd endured the last of Bart's torment, but he's back. And Olivia isn't sure she has what it takes to stand up to him once again. But she has to. Because this time, if Olivia falters, she won't be the one to suffer. No, the suffering will fall on her girls... -
![Sisters and Sunrises by Julia Clemens]()
Sisters and Sunrises by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe women of Whisling are back!In recent days, life has been much kinder to Deb and Gen than in times past. And not only has life been kind, both are in for some of the greatest highs they've ever experienced. Luke has a big surprise up his sleeve for Deb, and Gen's family is about to welcome one of their greatest blessings... -
![The Nanny and the Heartthrob by Krista Sandor]()
The Nanny and the Heartthrob by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThings couldn’t get worse for Harper Presley. Her music career is nonexistent, she’s got pennies in the bank, and her grandmother is on the cusp of losing her house. What’s a gal to do? Go to Vegas and seek a last chance opportunity. What she didn’t expect was to wake up in her birthday suit next to pop star Landon Paige with a massive diamond on her ring finger... -
-
![The Lost House of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary]()
The Lost House of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn enchanting story about forgotten family secrets that will transport you to the charming village of Sandy Cove on the beautiful Irish coast.Allegra Casey is searching for a new beginning. So when she discovers an engagement ring buried in the sand near her home in Cape Cod, the last place she expects it to lead her is to the west coast of Ireland... -
![Three by Valérie Perrin]()
Three by Valérie Perrin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the international bestselling author of Fresh Water for Flowers, a beautifully told and suspenseful story about the ties that bind us and the choices that make us who we are.1986: Adrien, Etienne and Nina are 10 years old when they meet at school and quickly become inseparable. They promise each other they will one day leave their provincial backwater, move to Paris, and never part... -
![A Friend in Need by Hannah Ellis]()
A Friend in Need by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s nothing quite like a baby to turn your world upside down … Just when it seems things can’t get any crazier, Marie and Brian are now navigating the ups and downs of parenthood!As Marie is thrown into the world of playgroups and sleep deprivation, she finds maternity leave isn’t quite the year-long break she anticipated...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction friendship contemporary fiction womens-fiction humor book -
![Invisible Girl by Jill Childs]()
Invisible Girl by Jill Childs
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA heartbreaking story of family secrets from the USA Today bestselling author of Gracie’s Secret. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain.I know you. I know you in a way you can’t even imagine. I have been searching for you in the years since you wrote that letter – the letter that told me you were looking for me too... -
![A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne]()
A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom Melissa Payne, bestselling author of The Night of Many Endings, comes an emotional and suspenseful novel about the weight of secrets and the healing power of friends and family.Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in. Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago... -
![One Last Thing Before I Go by Michele Brouder]()
One Last Thing Before I Go by Michele Brouder
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe retired librarian from Hideaway Bay, Carol Rimmer, has been handed a terminal diagnosis. As she looks over the course of her life, she decides she must do one more thing before she goes. But she’s going to need help and who better to ask than Thelma Schumacher. Despite their history, she puts aside any dislike she has for the woman and asks for help in her last task... -
![Easter on Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross]()
Easter on Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Dillon Delaney’s life might be far from perfect, but it’s one he’s grown accustomed to. Which is why, when his mother announces her ‘most fabulous idea’ of dispatching him to Lovelace Lane to stay with a grandad he barely knows, he has more than a few reservations... -
![A Merry Bramblewick Christmas by Sharon Booth]()
A Merry Bramblewick Christmas by Sharon Booth
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFabrian Books' Feel-Good novels are heartwarming romantic stories that leave you believing that a happy-ever-after does exist. Switch on those Christmas tree lights and settle down with a hot chocolate. It's time for another festive trip to beautiful Bramblewick. Christmas is approaching once again, but the residents of the little village on the North York Moors are almost too busy to notice... -
![In Little Stars by Linda Green]()
In Little Stars by Linda Green
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn a divided northern England, love and hate are about to collide . . .Sylvie and Donna travel on the same train to work each day but have never spoken. Their families are on different sides of the bitter Brexit divide, although the tensions and arguments at home give them much in common... -
![The Mistake by Joanne DeMaio]()
The Mistake by Joanne DeMaio
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes The Mistake, Book 21 of The Seaside Saga.Mistakes. Everyone in the New England beach town of Stony Point has made one. Some mistakes are as big as the blue depths of Long Island Sound. Others, as small as a speck of sand. Some mistakes make their presence known, like the call of the gulls feeding on the bluff... -
-
![Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life by Helen Fisher]()
Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life by Helen Fisher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA thoroughly uplifting novel about a neurodivergent young man who unexpectedly builds a community and saves a friend in need by following—in a way only he can—his mother’s words of wisdom.Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc magical-realism fiction contemporary audiobook fantasy -
![Silver Threads by Bette Lee Crosby]()
Silver Threads by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn the day Jennifer Green was born a pile of stones was placed alongside her scale of life. A few were the dark gray of sorrow, but most were a pale blush color. The largest stone was the rose hue of a sunrise. That one would be placed on the scale the day she married Drew Bishop. Even more brilliant but a wee bit smaller was the pink stone glistening with specs of silver... -
![Good Material by Dolly Alderton]()
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the New York Times best-selling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive bothAndy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can't work out why she stopped.Now he is. . -
![If You Were Here: An uplifting, feel-good story – full of life, love and hope! by Alice Peterson]()
If You Were Here: An uplifting, feel-good story – full of life, love and hope! by Alice Peterson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings'I tend to avoid weepies if I can help it, but once in a while I’ll get stuck into one and I’ll be so glad I did! This is a beautiful story about living life to the fullest and having the courage to overcome adversity' PAIGE TOONI can toast to my future, but the thundercloud over my head, the threat of a storm, will follow me like a shadow wherever I go... -
![Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary]()
Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heart-warming page-turner set on the Irish coast, where secrets hide, romance is waiting and there is every chance to make a new beginning… Jasmine Delon feels completely lost: having just broken up with the man she thought was the love of her life, all she knows is that she can’t face living alone in her empty apartment in Paris... -
![Going Up by A.E. Radley]()
Going Up by A.E. Radley
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA ruthless executive. A destitute woman. Both on the way up. Selina Hale is on her way to the top. She's been working towards a boardroom position on the thirteenth floor for her entire career. And no one is going to get in her way. Not her clueless boss, her soon to be ex-wife, and most certainly not the homeless person who has moved into the car park at work... -
![Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland]()
Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDear Lost for Words,We are trying to stay at home . . . I am enclosing a cheque and I hope that you will use it to send us some books. Please choose books that we might think are wonderful.RosemaryLoveday Cardew's beloved Lost for Words bookshop, along with the rest of York, has fallen quiet...Categorized as:
friendship female-mc literary-fiction fiction contemporary womens-fiction cozy family -
![Spring by Ali Smith]()
Spring by Ali Smith
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the Man Booker-short-listed author of Autumn and Winter comes the highly anticipated third novel in the acclaimed Seasonal Quartet. On the heels of Autumn and Winter comes Spring, the continuation of Ali Smith's celebrated Seasonal Quartet, a series of stand-alone novels, separate but interconnected (as the seasons are), wide-ranging in timescale and light-footed through histories...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism 21st-century adult audiobook -
![The Sweetest Taboo by Risque]()
The Sweetest Taboo by Risque
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe sweetest taboo–if you want it, come get it. . . . Yuri and Drae are keeping secrets–each caught up in her own whirlwind of scandal and passion. They swore as children that they would never conceal anything from each other, but now, as adults, they realize that not everything is meant to be told. Yuri is married to Jeff, a man she never really loved yet settled for... -
![Happy Ever After by Kitty Wilson]()
Happy Ever After by Kitty Wilson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen you’ve spent your life trying to be perfect, how easy is it to let go? Marion Markshop is the undisputed queen of Penmenna and has the perfect life – ask anyone. Doting husband? Hmm, maybe not… Well-behaved, angelic children? Definitely not. A network of close, supportive friends? Not so much, it turns out... -
-
![Baby Talk by Judith S. Keim]()
Baby Talk by Judith S. Keim
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReaders of the Hartwell Women Series asked for more. I listened. Baby Talk is Book 4. When Marissa Crawford and her husband Brad decide to start a family, Marissa has serious doubts about her ability to be a good mother--she was raised by one of the worst... -
![Straight Talk by Judith Keim]()
Straight Talk by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStraight Talk - Book Three in the Hartwell Women Trilogy Samantha Hartwell’s life changes completely when she’s attacked by a client’s boyfriend. She leaves Boston and Straight Talk, her consulting business, and escapes to California wine country to heal and to help her sister and brother-in-law with their vineyard’s growth... -
![One Fine Day by Olivia Miles]()
One Fine Day by Olivia Miles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s official. Sarah Preston has actually given up on finding love. The only problem is that she probably shouldn’t have made that declaration so loudly, in the middle of Bayside Brides boutique, which was once—and still is—her dream job... -
![Robert's Rules by J.F. Riordan]()
Robert's Rules by J.F. Riordan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the new Chairman of the Town Board, Fiona Campbell finds that life has become a series of petty squabbles, dull meetings, and papers everywhere, all complicated by her guardianship of the as yet unidentified screaming goat. In desperation, she hires an unknown newcomer, the compulsively orderly Oliver Robert, to run her office and keep her organized... -
![The House at Hope Corner by Emma Davies]()
The House at Hope Corner by Emma Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe view across the valley takes her breath away; everywhere she looks tiny patches of colour – ochre, chestnut, lime and purple. The farmhouse behind her glows pink in the morning sun. It’s like stepping into a postcard, except that this magical place is real. It’s her new home...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction friendship humor contemporary womens-fiction fiction family -
![Southern Secrets by Phyllis McManus]()
Southern Secrets by Phyllis McManus
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSouthern Secrets is a sequel to The Southern Belle Breakfast Club. The ladies had no idea how their life was going to change after they buried their best friend, Gracie. Gracie had been called by the others the "mystery lady," and this was certainly true, even after her death. She had written letters to the others that could only be opened when she died... -
![A Second Chance in Bent Creek by Catie Cahill]()
A Second Chance in Bent Creek by Catie Cahill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe broke her heart. Now he's back in town. Bent Creek will never be the same . . . Larkin: Nick Harker left me without a word eleven years ago when his family fell apart. And now he's back. He says he's here to help his brother buy back the ranch their family lost when his dad went to prison. But I know what he really wants. He wants the one thing he can never have--a second chance with me... -
![The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Karuna Ezara Parikh]()
The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Karuna Ezara Parikh
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn extraordinary tale of love in a world being torn asunder.It is 2001 and Daya and Aaftab have just met in a park in Cardiff. She is studying ballet and he is practising in a law firm. She falls madly in love. He does, but he also cannot, because he is Muslim and there are certain rules...Categorized as:
lgbtq literary-fiction friendship romance fiction contemporary feminism historical-fiction -
![The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue]()
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhere would I start, and how would it even make sense? How could you understand the year in Shandon Street unless you were there, with us, living it?Rachel Murray is twenty-one years old, platonically infatuated with her housemate James, and less-than-platonically infatuated with her enigmatic, married English professor Dr Byrne... -
![Now and Forever by Michele Brouder]()
Now and Forever by Michele Brouder
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the small town of Hideaway Bay prepares for the wedding of Alice Monroe and Colonel Jack Stirling everything that can go wrong, does.Meanwhile, Della Rossi, the owner of the Hideaway Bay Olive Oil Shop, is busy with her social club and their genealogy project. But the dive into the past opens up a can of worms for one of the residents... -
-
![An Emerald Cove Christmas by Lilly Mirren]()
An Emerald Cove Christmas by Lilly Mirren
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe USA Today Bestselling author of The Waratah Inn series, Lilly Mirren, proves there’s no place like Emerald Cove for the holidays.Adele Flannigan wants a fresh start. She’s moved back to the Cove to escape a failed affair and to repair her broken heart... -
![The Christmas Spirit: A Novel by Debbie Macomber]()
The Christmas Spirit: A Novel by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo lifelong friends decide to trade places the week before Christmas and end up finding love along the way in this delightful novel from the queen of holiday stories, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter is a local pastor who is dedicated to his community... -
![Heartache Falls by Emily March]()
Heartache Falls by Emily March
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe healing magic of Eternity Springs continues in this new novel in Emily March’s vibrant series about a very special town and the people who need it most. Married for more than twenty years, and with her children out of the nest, Ali Timberlake has come to Eternity Springs alone...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction magical-realism adult audiobook book contemporary -
![A Life Worth Living by Louise Guy]()
A Life Worth Living by Louise Guy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAre some white lies simply too big to forgive?Eve and Leah are identical twins—but beyond that, they’re polar opposites. Struggling journalist Leah envies Eve’s seemingly perfect life—the loyal husband, the beautiful twin daughters, the stellar career—little knowing that what Eve longs for most is Leah’s independence... -
![Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, Neil Gaiman]()
Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmerging from a unique and powerful voice, this innovative collection offers a tantalizing glimpse of what lies hidden just beyond the ordinary, skirting the border between childhood and adulthood...Categorized as:
lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism anthologies contemporary fiction low-fantasy magic -
![The Celebrants by Steven Rowley]()
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises--especially to ourselves--by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle. It's been a minute--or five years--since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
