If you enjoyed Shuggie Bain, Stoner, Such a Fun Age… what do you recommend?!

[Doingprettywellthanks]

Quite an eclectic mix of books that I have recently really enjoyed.

but I have hit a wall in terms of next read.

any suggestions from those with similar tastes.

absolutely despise stuff like Marian Keyes

Anything (& everything) by Fredrik Backman. Especially the trilogy of Beartown, Us against you & Winners. Also A man called Ove, much more light hearted than the other three but still a great read.

Thank you!

have you read queen of bloody everything? It’s in my basket..

On the Stoner tip, Walter Stegner’s Crossing to Safety. For Shuggie - maybe try Marilyne Robinson “Housekeeping “. You mights also like the Margaret Laurence Manawaka trilogy - utterly beautiful writing - she’s an absolute legend in Canada apparently and barely known here - or at least the books aren’t easy to come by. Oh - and Mrs Bridge / Mr Bridge.
all n. American I realise…

No I haven’t but it looks interesting. Also haven’t read Stoner of the three you mentioned so will be looking out for that.

Stoner is phenomenal

Actually also on a Stoner tip - Somerset Maugham “of human bondage” - and from there you end up with Patrick Hamilton and “20,000 streets under the sky” and Hangover Square.
a lot of bleak human tragedy in there, all wrought beautifully.

A Little Life. Marian Keyes has a dark side though; she's not generic chick lit

Loved little life

i just don’t enjoy her
same with Richard osman

Scabby Queen
Lessons in Chemistry
Eleanor Oliphant
Life After Life
Hamnet

American dirt- fantastic
Lessons in chemistry- really well
written characters

There's loads of misery lit out there from the early 2000s. A boy called it and whatnot.

Lowborn by Kerry Hudson

Have you read Young Mungo?

Young Mungo

These 3 by Roddy Doyle
The Woman who Walked into Doors
Paula Spencer
Smile

I loved Shuggie and all these are similar!

Amazing young mungo it is!

@Blackisthecolour what else you rec?

loved Queenie, Educated etc

Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck reminded me of Stoner - partly because both have ageing academics as the protagonist, but also the very restrained but poignant writing. Loved both.

I loved Shuggie. It was the first time I really understood what living with an alcoholic must be like.

Ive recently got the novels that films I really like are based on.

Silence
True grit
Power of the Dog
No country for old men.

Really enjoyed them all, True grit is quite a slim book, but the later film really captured the young heroines voice.

Other favourite books: The colour purple/Beloved (Toni Morrison),/Precious Bane (Mary web).

The hearts invisible furies by John Boyne
I can't put into words how wonderful this was to read, I am going to read it again

If you want something a bit lighter than Shuggie but just as authentic try A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith about a girl growing up in Williamsburg NY in the early 20th century.

If you liked Educated then try Hungry by Grace Dent about her life growing up in the 70s/80s in a working class northern city. I'd also recommend:

Any Human Heart, William Boyd
If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin
The Cider House Rules, John Irving
The Heart's Invisible Furies, John Boyne
Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart

Yes it is!!

Young Mungo and A Fine Balance.

I can’t wait for young mungo to arrive

I take selection of my next book so seriously!