Books like 'Happy: A Novel'
Readers who enjoyed Happy: A Novel by Celina Baljeet Basra also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary literary-fiction politics poc-mc coming-of-age
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Hlomu the Wife by Dudu Busani-Dube
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHlomu the Wife is essentially a love story that takes its cues from life in a South African township. A young woman named Mahlomu meets Mqhele Zulu and they fall in love. Even though aspects of Mqhele's personality and past make her uncomfortable, Hlomu is happy. Their love is strong and they stand by each other through good and bad... -
![Hood Rat by K'wan]()
Hood Rat by K'wan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHood Rat (n.): A woman of questionable repute, one who has been known to "get around" in the 'hood.Yoshi is young, fine, and larcenous. She lives her life playing on men's hearts as well as their pockets. She learns the hard way that all that glitters isn't gold. Billy, a former high school basketball star, is at the end of her rope with the opposite sex... -
![The Collected Poems, 1957-1987 by Octavio Paz]()
The Collected Poems, 1957-1987 by Octavio Paz
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNobel Laureate Octavio Paz is incontestably Latin America's foremost poet. The Collected Poems of Octavio Paz is a landmark bilingual gathering of all the poetry he has published in book form since 1952, the year of his premier long poem, Sunstone (Piedra de Sol)―here translated anew by Eliot Weinberger―made its appearance...Categorized as:
poc-mc literary-fiction fiction classics anthologies 20th-century contemporary literary -
![Official Girl by Charmanie Saquea]()
Official Girl by Charmanie Saquea
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReneice “Neicey” Peake is a hardworking 18 year old that goes to school and works a 9 to 5. Losing her mother at a young age and never knowing who her father was forced her to be raised by her older brother, Ramone. Ramone did the best he could to keep his sister on the straight and narrow but, when he gets locked up, he leaves his sister to fend for herself... -
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![Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah]()
Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA moving and deeply engaging debut novel about a young Native American man struggling to find strength in his familial identity, from a stellar new voice in literary fiction...Categorized as:
literary-fiction poc-mc coming-of-age fiction contemporary family indigenous-mc audiobook -
![Dandelion Daughter: A Novel by Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay]()
Dandelion Daughter: A Novel by Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWinner 2022, Prix des Libraires Rights for TV adaptation purchased by Zone 3 A runaway bestseller in Québec, where it has captured the hearts of readers and pushed trans-identity into the mainstream conversation, Dandelion Daughter is an intimate, courageous portrait of what it’s like to grow up having been assigned the wrong sex at birth...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age fiction lgbtq trans-mc contemporary female-author book -
![Han cantado bingo by Lana Corujo]()
Han cantado bingo by Lana Corujo
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTodo empieza con un algunas noches, en los diez minutos suspendidos antes de que Abuela regrese del bingo, dos hermanas salen a escondidas por la puerta de atrás hasta El Ahorcado —un volcán redondo como una panza bocarriba—, cuentan hasta tres y corren de vuelta sin mirar atrás...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction fiction magical-realism contemporary female-author family book -
![Rost by Jakub Małecki]()
Rost by Jakub Małecki
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings2002 sterben die Eltern des siebenjährigen Szymek auf ihrem Rückweg in das kleine Dorf Cholny bei einem Autounfall. Sein Leben vor diesem Ereignis kippt in eine ihm scheinbar unerreichbare Vergangenheit...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction 21st-century adult audiobook book contemporary fiction -
![Want, Need, Love by Niobia Bryant]()
Want, Need, Love by Niobia Bryant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinding Mr. Right isn't easy, but in this sexy new novel from bestselling author Niobia Bryant, one woman knows exactly how to do it--for everyone but herself…Mona Ballinger has a talent for bringing the right people together--and keeping the wrong people apart. But when Anson Tyler's fiancée ends their engagement thanks to Mona's advice, he angrily confronts her... -
![Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre]()
Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvents and decisions of the past almost cost her everything, but she was given a second chance. He marvels at the beautiful life he almost missed out on, vowing never to let anything come between them again. The memory of being apart lingers with both Sam and AJ, but those days are long gone... -
![Captured by Mr. Wild by Elle Nicoll]()
Captured by Mr. Wild by Elle Nicoll
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere are men. And then there’s Blake Anderson.He was my best friend.Until I left.Ten years apart have turned him into a handsome, rugged, tattooed wall of muscle.He even has his own fan club, following the success of his smash-hit TV survival show.They call him Mr. Wild.One night he shows me just how wild.For a moment, I almost believe in magic again.Almost... -
![Everything is Love by Aubreé Pynn]()
Everything is Love by Aubreé Pynn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDakari Summers has returned home after two years of attempting to heal from an unexpected betrayal. With his new contract, new team, and reconnection with his college friends, he has made a vow to himself – to never fall in love again. But life back home has different plans for him and they’re going to shake his core... -
![Trust Me by Farrah Rochon]()
Trust Me by Farrah Rochon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrust doesn't always come easy... As the maverick of the New Orleans City Council, Mackenna Arnold has spent the last four years dismantling the council’s “politics as usual” mentality. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Mack now has her sights set on an even bigger prize: the mayor’s office. But only when the time is right... -
![Unplanned: A 'Snowflake' Drop-in by Nia Forrester]()
Unplanned: A 'Snowflake' Drop-in by Nia Forrester
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA brief drop-in on the couples from 'Snowflake' and 'Courtship' ...Ibrahim Carter has a plan; to learn from his family's mistakes and make for himself and his new wife, Jada, the perfect life he never had. But she has something else entirely in mind.Kal Carter is disciplined and focused and those things have served him well while training for the Olympics... -
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![Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmbark on a final trip through the Something Like… universe with this special collection of stories that promises heartwarming reunions and gut-wrenching closure.Something Like Stars playfully explores what would happen if a movie was made about Ben’s love for Tim and Jace... -
![This Can't Be Life by Shakara Cannon]()
This Can't Be Life by Shakara Cannon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“This can?t be life?at least not a life worth living, I thought, as I moved my aching limbs. I’d been in bed for days in immeasurable pain from a broken heart. I was literally past my breaking point and done with this life... -
![Royal by Tina Martin]()
Royal by Tina Martin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRoyal St. Claire was drawn to Gemma Jacobsen from the start. It was an instant connection that he’d never had with another woman. When she was on her sickbed, he stayed by her side, helped to nurse her back to health and the two became the best of friends. Then that friendship grew into something deeper. Something Royal, the picky bachelor, couldn’t deny. Something he didn’t want to deny... -
![Grown Women by Sarai Johnson]()
Grown Women by Sarai Johnson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves. Erudite Evelyn, her cynical daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s optimistic daughter Corinna see the world very differently...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age poc-mc fiction historical-fiction family audiobook contemporary -
![Los nombres propios by Marta Jiménez Serrano]()
Los nombres propios by Marta Jiménez Serrano
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratings¿Quién es Belaundia Fu? Es la mejor amiga de Marta a los siete años: la amiga invisible que, en esos momentos en que las cosas no salen como había planeado y ni siquiera la abuela es capaz de consolarla, se sienta con ella y espera hasta que se le pase... -
![OUR TREES STILL GROW IN DEHRA by Ruskin Bond]()
OUR TREES STILL GROW IN DEHRA by Ruskin Bond
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFourteen engaging stories from one of India's master story-tellers Semi-autobiographical in nature, these stories span the period from the author's childhood to the present. We are introduced, in a series of beautifully imagined and crafted cameos, to the author's family, friends, and various other people who left a lasting impression on him...Categorized as:
literary-fiction poc-mc action-adventure anthologies children-books contemporary fiction -
![The Dishwasher by Stéphane Larue]()
The Dishwasher by Stéphane Larue
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s winter in Montreal, 2002, when a graphic design student’s gambling addiction starts to drag him under... -
![Kisses Don't Lie by Tamika Newhouse]()
Kisses Don't Lie by Tamika Newhouse
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTheres Dean her first love and then theres Keith Mr. Right Now. Kyla struggles with her desires and her past when she makes a rare trip back home to Fort Worth. After leaving ten years ago Kyla comes to terms with the one who got away; Dean and their short lived romance comes into full swing... -
![A Family Affair - A Free Preview of the First 7 Chapters by ReShonda Tate Billingsley]()
A Family Affair - A Free Preview of the First 7 Chapters by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAward-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, whose bestselling fiction "tackles some of life’s toughest situations" ( The Florida Times-Union ), unravels the secrets in a mother’s past that turn her daughter’s life upside down—by revealing the family she never knew existed... -
![Fighting for Tara: a novel by Sunanda J. Chatterjee]()
Fighting for Tara: a novel by Sunanda J. Chatterjee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow far will a mother go to save her child? “I have no use for a baby girl. Get rid of her tonight!” He towered over her as she cringed in fear. But Hansa, a thirteen-year-old child-bride in rural India, refuses to remain a victim of the oppressive society where a female child is an unwanted burden. Instead of drowning her baby, Hansa escapes from her village with three-month-old Tara... -
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![From Afar by Frank Scozzari]()
From Afar by Frank Scozzari
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor centuries, poets have argued that unrequited love is love in its strongest form. From Afar is a timeless tale of Morgan Stanfield’s search for love in the far northern city of Saint Petersburg, Russia...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction action-adventure adult book contemporary fiction journey -
![Claiming You by Tina Martin]()
Claiming You by Tina Martin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Standalone Novella At 39, Remington (Remy) Lennox married Emory McNeil. They’ve been friends for two years – married for one of those years. He told her the marriage was strictly for business reasons and that they'd keep it between themselves while remaining friends. That the rest of the Lennox family doesn't have to know. What he doesn’t tell Emory is, he’s deeply in love with her... -
![Dinner at Sam's: A Ruby's Novel by D.L. White]()
Dinner at Sam's: A Ruby's Novel by D.L. White
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVanessa Jackson is just trying to get her life together. It's been a year since her marriage ended and her husband left her and their children destitute. If she could just divorce the son-of-a-bitch, the future would be bright, but Warren is fighting the process every step of the way. If she wants a divorce, and to move on with her life, she needs an attorney... -
![Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux]()
Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsONE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF 2017Containing twelve new stories and nine classics from previous collections, Signals is Tim Gautreaux at his best. Effortlessly conjuring the heat and humidity of the author's beloved South, these stories of men and women grappling with faith, small town life, and blue-collar work are alternately ridiculous and sublime...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics fiction contemporary anthologies audiobook 21st-century family -
![In Name Only by Sean D. Young]()
In Name Only by Sean D. Young
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCassaundra Moore, event planner extraordinaire, never believed in fairy tales only in creating them for her clients. Why would she believe something so magical would happen to her after being scammed by her ex causing her loss of business and social standing... -
![No Honour by Awais Khan]()
No Honour by Awais Khan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA young woman defies convention in a small Pakistani village, with devastating results for her and her family. A stunning, immense beautiful novel about courage, family and the meaning of love, when everything seems lost… In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect... -
![Worth the Wait by Synithia Williams]()
Worth the Wait by Synithia Williams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a virgin frustrated by her nonexistent dating life asks a playboy for a one-night stand, can they really ignore their attraction after the affair? After Tasha Smith is dumped yet again because of her virginity, she decides it’s time to stop saving herself for marriage and start dating like women in the twenty-first century... -
![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... -
![On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library by Glory Edim]()
On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library by Glory Edim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn NPR Best Book of the YearProudly introducing the Well-Read Black Girl Library Series, On Girlhood is a lovingly curated anthology celebrating short fiction from such luminaries as Rita Dove, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and more...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction poc-mc fiction anthologies contemporary feminism poc-author -
![The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole]()
The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJules and Leon Silver sit at a dusty Formica table in a cold kitchen, drinking warm sugar water. Downstairs in the basement, their mother is unconscious, having swallowed hundreds of Librium while the brothers were at Boy Scout camp, her latest suicide attempt. The food cupboards are empty. The phone doesn’t give a dial tone. As the sun goes down, the kitchen grows cold... -
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![Skinship: Stories by Yoon Choi]()
Skinship: Stories by Yoon Choi
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA PEN/ROBERT W...Categorized as:
literary-fiction poc-mc fiction contemporary anthologies audiobook poc-author family -
![The House of Gazes by Daniele Mencarelli]()
The House of Gazes by Daniele Mencarelli
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWinner of the 2019 John Fante First Novel Prize The critically acclaimed novel from the author of Everything Calls for Salvation , adapted into a Netflix Original series, is a powerful coming-of-age story about loss, identity, and rebirth Daniele is a young poet plagued by an unknown darkness, “an invisible disease of the heart, or of the mind...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age fiction contemporary audiobook drama psychological book -
![Cómplices by Taibo]()
Cómplices by Taibo
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJulián ha luchado contra el aburrimiento de todas las maneras posibles. Desde que le diagnosticaron hepatitis, ha recreado en su cabeza conversaciones imaginarias entre ostras que no tienen nada que hacer, ha buscado formas fantasiosas en las manchas de la pared, ha lanzado mocos al aire. Pero es feliz porque no tiene que ir a la escuela... -
![With the Indians in the Rockies by James Willard Schultz]()
With the Indians in the Rockies by James Willard Schultz
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrapped in the Rocky Moutains in winter- will the boys survive? Thomas and his friend Pitamakan, a Blackfoot boy, live at Fort Benton on the western frontier. One day, having ventured into the mountains to trap beaver, Tom and Pitamakan are attacked by a band of Kootenay Indians, who spare their lives, but make off with everything they have...Categorized as:
literary-fiction poc-mc book children-books contemporary fiction indigenous-mc western -
![the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois]()
the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBryon died fifty years before his time. Charlotte grew up angry. I grew up scared. And Phillip- well, he never grew up. And now we are all bound together into one painful heap of humanity. Broken, but bound. And maybe it is only the fact that we are tangled in one terrible knot that will hold us together until we heal. This is unfortunately, and miraculously, my story...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction book contemporary female-author fiction realistic young-adult -
![Dear Marley by Danielle Keil]()
Dear Marley by Danielle Keil
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone at Ryder High knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.For Marley “Sunny” Sorenshine, a Secret Admirer might be just what she needs to put her recent, very public, break up behind her.Her optimism is dimmed when she reads the first note—her admirer was tricked into participating. He didn’t choose Marley, a dart did...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult loner-mc fiction book -
![Letting Loose the Hounds by Brady Udall]()
Letting Loose the Hounds by Brady Udall
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHere are eleven big-hearted tales by an inspired storyteller at the beginning of his career. Set in the small towns of Utah and Arizona, most of these stories deal with letting loose - or wanting to - in all its forms. For the family hero in "Buckeye the Elder, " this means reverting to a more raucous past...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction poc-mc adult anthologies contemporary fiction indigenous-mc -
![Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda]()
Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTender and intense, Honeybees and Distant Thunder is the unflinching story of love, courage and rivalry as three young people come to understand what it means to truly be a friend.In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competition is underway...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age fiction contemporary 21st-century realistic book adult -
![And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu]()
And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe inaugural title from Roxane Gay Books, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a searingly honest and resonant debut from a 23-year-old Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist, exploring what love and freedom cost in a society steeped in homophobia.August is a God-fearing track star who leaves Enugu City to attend university and escape his overbearing sisters... -
![Copperhead: A Novel by Alexi Zentner]()
Copperhead: A Novel by Alexi Zentner
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat do we do when the people we love hold beliefs that are fundamentally incompatible with who we are? All Jessup wants is to enjoy his senior year at Cortaca High and get a scholarship to attend college. It doesn’t seem impossible. He’s a standout varsity football player. A good student. He works at the local movie theater to help his mother make ends meet...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age poc-mc fiction contemporary young-adult audiobook realistic -
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![Dawn: Stories by Selahattin Demirtaş, Maureen Freely]()
Dawn: Stories by Selahattin Demirtaş, Maureen Freely
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s imprint, SJP for Hogarth: Written from behind bars, the unforgettable collection from one of Turkey’s leading politicians and most powerful storytellers.In this essential collection, Selahattin Demirtaş’s arresting stories capture the voices of ordinary people living through extraordinary times...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics 21st-century adult anthologies audiobook contemporary fiction -
![The Awkward Black Man by Walter Mosley]()
The Awkward Black Man by Walter Mosley
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA masterful collection of stories that showcases one of the country’s most beloved and acclaimed writers—award-winning author, Walter Mosley. Bestselling author Walter Mosley has proven himself a master of narrative tension, both with his extraordinary fiction and gripping writing for television...Categorized as:
literary-fiction poc-mc fiction contemporary audiobook anthologies poc-author black-mc -
![A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story by Sister Souljah]()
A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story by Sister Souljah
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the New York Times bestseller from the author of the Coldest Winter Ever, the Santiaga family saga continues, this time told by Porsche Santiaga, Winter’s fiery younger sister.At last, mega-bestselling author Sister Souljah delivers the stunning follow-up to The Coldest Winter Ever that fans have been eagerly waiting for...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction poc-mc black-mc book contemporary drama female-author -
![The Few: A Novel by Hakan Günday]()
The Few: A Novel by Hakan Günday
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“I am here. Where are you?” These desperate words link the two protagonists of Hakan Günday’s raw and fearless novel The Few. Derdâ is an eleven-year-old girl pulled out of boarding school by her mother who, without telling her, plans to sell her as a wife to a conservative tribesman. She goes with her new husband to London, where for five years he abuses and all but imprisons her... -
![Lessons by Ian McEwan]()
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has closed, eleven-year-old Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Two thousand miles from his mother's protective love, stranded at an unusual boarding school, his vulnerability attracts piano teacher Miss Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age fiction historical-fiction audiobook contemporary family book -
![Misophonia by Dana Vowinckel]()
Misophonia by Dana Vowinckel
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPart coming-of-age tale, part family saga, an extraordinary debut novel set between Berlin, Chicago, and Jerusalem “about being Jewish and German, and all the awkwardness that entails” (The Guardian).It’s the hottest of summers in Chicago, and fifteen-year-old Margarita is spending her vacation as usual, under the not-so-watchful eyes of her aging maternal grandparents...
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