Contemporary fiction genre books (550)
161.
Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda EN
JapanDescription:
THE MILLION-COPY AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE BESTSELLER In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competiton is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three students will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they don't know it yet, each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others, for ever. Aya is a piano genius, well, she was, until she ran away from the stage and vanished; will Makun, tall and talented in every way, bring her back? Or will it be child of nature, Jin, a pianist without a piano, who ca... continue
162.
IndiaDescription:
"The story of two Indian women, one a victim of a brutal crime and the other an Americanized journalist returning to India to cover the story, and the courage they inspire in each other"--
163.
Hopeless Kingdom by Kgshak Akec EN
Country: Africa / 
South Sudan
South Sudan
Description:
Akita's family have always kept moving to survive. Sudan to Cairo. Cairo to Sydney. Sydney to Geelong. At each new place, challenges test and break Akita, her four siblings and her parents. Just when eight-year-old Akita is feeling settled at her new school and community in Sydney for the first time in her life, her parents decide to relocate to Geelong to be closer to their Sudanese relatives. The move is the beginning of a downward spiral that threatens to unravel the fabric of their family and any hope for finding peace and belonging.
164.
Country: Asia / 
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Description:
A strong and courageous novel that deftly tackles psychosis. In Melbourne, Australia, a woman in her late thirties is diagnosed with her third episode of psychosis, amounting to schizophrenia. What follows is a frenzied journey from home to a community house to hospital and out again. Sanya, the protagonist, finds herself questioning the diagnosis of her sanity or insanity, as determined and defined by a medical model which seems less than convincing to her. Having studied psychology herself, she wonders whether, even if the diagnosis is correct to some extent, the treatment should be differen... continue
165.
Country: Africa / 
South Africa
South Africa
Description:
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, Hot Milk moves "gracefully among pathos, danger, and humor” (The New York Times). I have been sleuthing my mother’s symptoms for as long as I can remember. If I see myself as an unwilling detective with a desire for justice, is her illness an unsolved crime? If so, who is the villain and who is the victim? Sofia, a young anthropologist, has spent much of her life trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s unexplainable illness. She is frustrated with Rose and her constant complaints, but utterly relieved to ... continue
166.
Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah EN
LebanonDescription:
A 2023 Canada Reads Finalist Longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize A vivid love letter to the 1980s and one woman's struggle to overcome the challenges of immigration. It's 1986, and Muna Heddad is in a bind. She and her son have moved to Montreal, leaving behind a civil war filled with bad memories in Lebanon. She had plans to find work as a French teacher, but no one in Quebec trusts her to teach the language. She needs to start making money, and fast. The only work Muna can find is at a weight-loss center as a hotline operator. All day, she takes calls from people responding to ad... continue
167.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz EN
Country: North America / 
United States of America
United States of America
Description:
Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight
168.
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid EN
PakistanDescription:
Follows the journey of a young, impoverished boy in an unspecified Asian nation to the top of the corporate world and the twists and turns of his relationship with a beautiful woman.
169.
I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War EN
MyanmarDescription:
In this smart and swoony adventure rom-com, a journalist and a movie star find themselves teaming up to cover up a murder... What could possibly go wrong? When freelance journalist Khin Haymar is assigned by Vogue to get a scoop on Tyler Tun, Hollywood's hottest movie star, it's a dream come true. Tyler has returned home to Yangon to shoot his latest film, and if Khin gets an exclusive, she'll have a chance at securing a permanent position at the magazine. Tyler is notoriously private and doesn't show any signs of letting down his walls. But then one night on set, a man follows Khin into the p... continue
170.
I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
The third novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and the graphic novel series Heartstopper - soon to be a major Netflix series.