Read Lovely Books
Did you love the book Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng? I feel the exact same way
If you’re at a loss about what to read next, add a few of these books
And if you’re discussing Little Fires Everywhere with your book club or want to dive deeper
Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother’s
Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them
Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to make someone accountable, no matter what the cost
Lydia’s older brother, Nathan, is convinced that local bad boy Jack is somehow involved
But it’s the youngest in the family – Hannah – who observes far more than anyone realises and
If you like Celeste Ng’s writing, you’ll want to check out her debut novel, Everything
It touches on racism, sibling dynamics, identity, and the pressure children feel to please their parents
It’s a character-driven novel that will leave you with plenty to think about
If you loved Little Fires Everywhere, you’re almost guaranteed to like this one too
She’s got her little boy in tow – plus a secret she’s been carrying for five
But a minor incident involving the children of all three women rapidly escalates: playground whispers become spiteful
It was always going to end in tears, but how did it end in murder?
If you liked Little Fires Everywhere and the complicated, tangled family relationships it portrayed then you’ll
The relationships between Madeleine, Celeste, and Jane (and their respective children) are very interesting
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her
But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded
Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story
Unlikely friends, and later lovers, their small town beginnings in rural Ireland are swiftly eclipsed by the
Gradually their intense, mismatched love becomes a battleground of power, class, and the falsehoods they choose to
Normal People is a tale of deceptive simplicity, a very accessible narrative of two seemingly mismatched young
Marianne and Connell emerge almost shockingly real and deeply vulnerable in their different ways
You’ll love the ebb and flow of Marianne and Connell’s relationship, and the way that
The Center for Women’s Reproductive Health offers a last chance at hope – but nobody ends up
Its very existence is controversial, and to the demonstrators who barricade the building every day, the service
And certainties unwind as truths and secrets are peeled away, revealing the complexity of balancing the right
What makes a mother, and who gets to decide where a child belongs?
Similarly, A Spark of Light is a bold take on an emotionally complex issue, but the characters
Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the secondary school social food chain
Tully and Kate became inseparable and by summer’s end they vow that their friendship will last
Kate knows that all she wants is to fall in love and have a family
What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and a mother will change her
They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart
Firefly Lane is another story about two people with vastly different backgrounds
This story is a tender-hearted look at what it means to maintain friendships as an adult, and
It’s heartwarming and uplifting, a perfect read if you want a break from darker themes
It’s an enthralling, unputdownable story about life and death, moving backwards in time to unfold more
Quietly walking across a crowded courtroom to sit behind TJ, and not beside her parents, she announces
He is a criminal who should be brought to justice, no matter what the cost to his
Rain, TJ’s wife, is shocked that her handsome, loving, respected husband has been accused of a
But has her desperation to start a family closed her eyes to the fault lines in her
The Whole Golden World has a similar vibe, exploring the way a scandal can divide not just
This is another great choice for fans of Little Fires Everywhere who love a good mixture of
Ko’s novel is a moving story of how a boy comes into his own when everything
One morning, Deming Guo’s mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to her job at a
Eventually adopted by a pair of well-meaning white professors, Deming is moved from the Bronx to a
Set in New York and China, The Leavers is a vivid examination of borders and belonging
It’s a moving story of how a boy comes into his own when everything he loves
At the heart of Little Fires Everywhere is the story of identity
The plot moves at a pretty decent pace, so it’s another good one if you like
They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness,
But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn’s house just hours later,
Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed,
But Quinn’s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing
Little Broken Things is another story centred around difficult family dynamics, this time surrounding the sudden arrival
Quinn becomes a parent overnight, trying to navigate keeping a colossal secret while trying to keep the
It’s an interesting look at motherhood and the cost that comes with trying to hide a
When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it
But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help
Such a Fun Age is Reid’s debut novel, and it explores race, privilege, and the difficulties
It’s a mixture of wry, observant social commentary and an in-depth look at an unusual relationship
It’s a mature look at what it means to be a grown-up, and the ways we
Amidst flailing careers and faltering marriages, each hungers for what the others have
And each wrestles with the same question: what does it take to lead a meaningful life?
Expectation is a novel of the highs and lows of friendship – how it can dip, dive and
Most of all, it explores that liminal space between expectation and reality, the place – full of dreams,
It’s a little slower and more character-driven than Little Fires Everywhere, but it’s the kind
Each character is so well-developed and believable, you’ll find yourself caring deeply about them even after
Anna and Constant Guillot and their two daughters live in the peaceful, remote mountain village of Carmac
But when both families come under financial strain, the underlying class and racial tensions of their relationship
People Like Them is inspired by a true story, and it’s incredibly well-observed
Again, it explores the differences between an insulated local family and new, wealthy outsiders
In this book, the difficulties between the two families, particularly the racial and class tensions, reach a
It is unafraid to take a look at the uglier parts of the human heart, with subtle
Nobody wants to fit in more than Cali, a bright, small town girl with family secrets too
Sorority rush is weeks away and without a pedigree, Cali doesn’t have much of a chance
Her dorm room alone is as plain as a cardigan sweater, while the girls next door have
When a chance for promotion arises, Lilith slams her Chimmy Choo heel down fast, crushing Miss Pearl’
Lisa Patton’s Rush takes a sharp nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while examining the complex
Achingly poignant yet chock-full of humor, Rush is an uplifting novel universal to us all
Rush by Lisa Patton alternates between the perspectives of main characters Cali, Wilda, and Pearl, each with
In a similar vein, this book explores the class divide, and the way money and status can
There you have it – my top recommendations for books like Little Fires Everywhere
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