Contemporary fiction genre books (550)
451.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
A young man born of Indian parents in America struggles with issues of identity from his teens to his thirties.
452.
The Occasional Virgin : A Novel by Hanan al-Shaykh EN
LebanonDescription:
On a sunny beach on the Italian Riviera, two thirtysomething women, Yvonne and Huda, relax by the sparkling sea. But despite the setting, as their vacation unfolds, their complicated pasts seep through to the idyllic present. Both women spent their childhoods in Lebanon—Yvonne raised in a Christian family, Huda in a Muslim one—and they now find themselves torn between the traditional worlds they were born into and the successful professional identities they’ve created. Three months later, when Huda (a theater director from Toronto) visits Yvonne (an advertising executive) in London, a chance e... continue
453.
The Open Door by Latifa al-Zayyat EN
EgyptDescription:
February 1946: Cairo is engulfed by demonstrations against the British. Layla's older brother Mahmud returns, wounded in the clashes, and the events of that fateful day mark a turning point in her life, an awakening to the world around her. Latifa al-Zayyat's acclaimed modern classic follows Layla through her sexual and political coming of age. Her rebellious spirit seeks to free itself from the stifling social codes that dictate a young woman's life, just as Egypt struggles to shake off the yoke of imperialist rule.
454.
The Other Name : Septology I-II by Jon Fosse EN
NorwayDescription:
An elegiac meditation on our unlived lives, from the author of Scenes from a Childhood.
455.
The Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera EN
Country: Oceania / 
New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
A wonderfully surprising, inventive and deeply moving riff on fact and fiction, history and imagination from one of New Zealand's finest and most memorable storytellers. There has never been a New Zealand novel quite like The Parihaka Woman. Richly imaginative and original, weaving together fact and fiction, it sets the remarkable story of Erenora against the historical background of the turbulent and compelling events that occurred in Parihaka during the 1870s and 1880s. Parihaka is the place Erenora calls home, a peaceful Taranaki settlement overcome by war and land confiscation. As her worl... continue
456.
The Perfect Nanny : A Novel by Leila Slimani EN
MoroccoDescription:
She has the keys to their apartment. She knows everything. She has embedded herself so deeply in their lives that it now seems impossible to remove her. One of the 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR of The New York Times Book Review, by the author of Adèle, Sex and Lies, and In the Country of Others “A great novel . . . Incredibly engaging and disturbing . . . Slimani has us in her thrall.” —Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger “One of the most important books of the year. You can’t unread it.” —Barrie Hardymon, NPR’s Weekend Edition When Myriam decides to return to ... continue
457.
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan EN
SingaporeDescription:
"University sophomore Miwako Sumida has hanged herself, leaving those closest to her reeling. In the months before her suicide, she was hiding away in a remote mountainside village, but what, or whom, was she running from? To Ryusei, a fellow student at Waseda; Chie, Miwako's best friend; and Fumi, Ryusei's older sister, Miwako was more than the blunt, no-nonsense person she projected to the world. Heartbroken, Ryusei begs Chie to take him to the village where Miwako spent her final days. While he is away, Fumi receives an unexpected guest at their shared apartment in Tokyo, increasingly fearf... continue
458.
The Private Apartments by Idman Nur Omar EN
ItalyDescription:
Moving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants -- despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland. In the insular rooms of The Private Apartments, a cleaning lady marries her employer's nephew and then abandons him. A woman accepts an opulent gold bangle from one man yet weds another. A depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex. A new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage. A failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. Beginning in 1991, the year the S... continue
459.
The Queen of Water by Laura Resau, Maria Virginia Farinango EN
Country: South America / 
Ecuador
Ecuador
Description:
Living in a village in Ecuador, a Quechua Indian girl is sent to work as an indentured servant for an upper class "mestizo" family.
460.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald EN
SwedenDescription:
Once you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen… Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy's funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don't understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that's almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend's memory. All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to co... continue