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12 Books To Read If You Loved 'Conversations With Friends' and 'Normal People'

Curl up on the couch with one of these brilliant books - by Maeve Galea
  • 03 Aug 2020
12 Books To Read If You Loved 'Conversations With Friends' and 'Normal People'

Over the last year, it has seemed like carrying a Sally Rooney book was the ultimate Instagram status symbol. And even more so, since the television adaptation of her novel Normal People hit screens and even earned Emmy nominations.

And while we are yet to meet someone who didn't completely love her books and devour them in only a few days, most of us are now in the uncomfortable position of being completely hooked on the young Irish author, while being left with nothing to feed our Sally Rooney addiction.

Since Rooney’s legacy has reminded an entire generation about the absolute pleasure of reading, there’s a whole world of books out there to enjoy.

Below, we have compiled a list of books whose clean prose reveals certain simple yet profound truths about people, human relationships and love—much like Normal People. Some of them are Rooney-esque for their instances of everyday tragedy, while others have the similar impact of teaching you something worthwhile about yourself as you read.

Mr Salary by Sally Rooney

A short story by Rooney herself, I stumbled across this tiny gem in a Melbourne bookshop without even knowing it existed. It may only be 33 (small) pages but it packs a punch and in classic Rooney style expertly builds sexual tension while still managing to reflect delicately on both love and death. It’s a small dose of Rooney, but I guess that’s better than nothing.

Mr Salary by Sally Rooney, $7.99; dymocks.com.au

audreybooksum View Profile
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I 🖤 Sally Rooney * I fell in love with Sally Rooney's writing when I read Normal People, like a lot of people did. I loved her ability to create tension, describe such ordinary events in life (like sex and love in college) in such a literary way. * My favorite kind of book is a book that is about love, but does so in a very literary way, where the extreme pain associated with love is innately laced with the intense pleasure of love. Books like Call me by Your Name and Normal People do this for me. These kinds of books are so inherently different than romance novels, which I also appreciate, but I love these so much more. * So, I picked up Mr. Salary in Prague and read the whole thing while leaning over the Charles Bridge (swoon). What impressed me the most about Mr. Salary was how Rooney could create tension and an intense feeling of love in such a short span. * I knew that Rooney was an expert at the novel, but now I also know that she is an master at the shirt story as well. Five stars for me! * Who else has read Rooney, and who else has read Mr. Salary? * #bookstagram #girlswhoread #vscoreads #booksharks #booksparks #travel #greece #athens #literarylandmarks #bookishtravel #literarytravel #literarytravels #SallyRooney #mrsalary #normalpeople #prague #praha

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I read this book after hearing that it's Harry Styles' favourite. The start is slow but by page 50 you will be totally obsessed. Murakami is the master of communicating profound thoughts with clean and simple prose. Much like in Normal People this is a poignant story of one university student's romantic coming-of-age and takes us to that distant place of a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love. If you don’t believe me, take Harry Style’s word for it. This year he told Rolling Stone “It was the first book, maybe ever, where all I wanted to do all day was read this”.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, $20.56; bookdepository.com

whatshotblog View Profile
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I started Norwegian Wood a week ago but I was trying to read in a busy and loud space so I couldn't get into it. I know this is a book I'll want to savour so I'm putting it down until finals are over and my head is clear ☁️ What's your favourite Murakami novel? #whatshotbooks

The Course Of Love by Alain de Botton

My favourite book of all time, The Course Of Love is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. it’s a story of a perfectly average, normal, couple living mediocre lives from the time before they meet, and after. What makes it remarkable is how de Botton puts his protagonists and the notion of romanticism itself under the microscope. Peppered in the pages is commentary from de Botton, a philosopher, narrating as a god-like figure and revealing his protagonists inner thoughts. Both beautiful and insightful this book is hard to explain but easy to read. 

The Course Of Love by Alain de Botton, $17.50; booktopia.com.au

ourbooketlist View Profile
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The Course of Love by Alain de Botton Publisher: Penguin @penguinukbooks De Botton has a very distinct writing style in this book which took me a couple of chapters to adjust to. From the outset, you know Rabih and Kirsten's marriage is going to become troublesome and that one of them is going to cheat (this isn't a spoiler! It's mentioned in the book description on many websites 😄) The only thing you're left to wonder if who it will be and how it will conclude... I found that this make it extremely hard for me to invest in a relationship that you expect to crash and burn, though I did enjoy the story nonetheless! Throughout, little anecdotal messages are sprinkled between paragraphs offering thoughts on romance, marriage and parenting - the former reminding me of the intermintent clips in the 80's Rom Com, When Harry Met Sally. I did like this one, but I suppose thats all I can really say, is that I liked it... Nothing much more and not much less... Although I was glad for de Botton's realist offering into an, almost, two decade relationship and his removal of rose tinted glasses - R.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Not for the faint-hearted, this book is heavy, both in weight and subject matter. Relentlessly sad and exquisitely written, if it was Rooney's imperfect characters with damaged souls that gripped you in Normal People and Conversations With Friends then A Little Life will totally consume you. A modern-day classic this book, set in the unforgiving, grimy, magical streets of New York City will stay with you long after you put it down. Just don't forget to keep a box of tissues nearby at all times. 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, $17.95; booktopia.com.au

shetellsastory View Profile
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It's a little life .. 🌿 Indeed. __ We get swamped in life, adulting and the responsibilities that suddenly falls upon us and have to be done. Work, work and work some more. Become the success you crave and strive for better, always. BUT, remember to take care of yourself, take a break and do something you love. Dedicate an hour a day for YOU; read, pointlessly watch TV, eat a whole pizza, get a mani-pedi, sit back and do nothing, look at the wall, go on a photography walk by yourself, take a brush and colors and just splash. DO SOMETHING FOR YOU. ... You may not know this but i'm a stress bomb walking on the planet, i get anxious and worry about the smallest things. Some days are good, and others are so bad i'm unable to focus on anything. I know that, and i learned how to manage it. I'm still learning, but now i know that the most important thing in life is for ME to be comfortable, happy and content; that's how i can be able to take care of others, love them and be the source of joy. Example: Coffee time in the morning is a do-not-disturb time, it's #metime! Make your own rules and break them if you want. ... Recommend a good #mentalillness read 📚 and to be honest, i read half of this book and broke down in tears and couldn't bear to continue. Why i still have it? Because it's a challenge, one day i'm going to be able to pick it, read it and finish it. __ #alittlelife #selfcare #readersofegypt #loveyourselffirst #mentalillnessbooks #shetellsastory #bookstagram

One Day by David Nicholls

If it’s the love story of frustration and yearning between Marianne and Connell that got you hooked on Normal People then you will love David Nicholls One Day. Spanning concurrently the lives of two people over 20 years Nicholls gives the reader snapshots of his star crossed lovers lives & relationship in flashes, like flipping through a stack of old Polaroid’s. This story highlights that life and circumstances can change so quickly at times, and sometimes not at all. Funny & moving, this one will give you all the feels. 

One Day by David Nicholls, $19.80; booktopia.com.au

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𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲❤️ One Day is one of my top 10 fave films and I'm so excited to finally read the book!! I'm halfway through Normal People and am rom-drama obsessed atm, so this will be my next read. Summer just makes me wanna feel all the lovin emotions😭☀️🌸💘

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

Set in a performing arts school in 1980s America, David and Sarah fall head over heels in love, and it's nothing like anything they’ve ever experienced before. However, their passion doesn't go unnoticed by their charismatic teacher, Mr. Kingsley. While their storyline appears to be straightforward, it takes the reader on a wild journey and will leave you questioning what is true and what is false.

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi, $27.46; amazon.com.au

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#partner @henryholtbooks I am so happy to have done a buddy read for this book...this one was a real journey and I'm glad I had @thebookishfiiasco along for the ride 😂⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ TRUST EXERCISE takes place in the 80's at a performing arts high school and follows Sarah and David and their cohort of classmates as they navigate their teen years and beyond. Having gone to a performing arts high school myself, I related with this setting (though I wasn't a theatre kid, I was a music nerd 🤓) and loved the reflections on what it means to have these big dreams but perhaps not enough talent to accomplish them. We often, as teenagers, let our passions define us and they can then become such a small part of our daily lives once we start getting older and 'practical' and I appreciated that this book addressed that. Despite it being confusing, I also loved how the book really explored how the different characters perspectives contributed to different memories of a shared experience.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I struggled with the stream of consciousness writing in this one, I had to read it in smaller bits because it felt dense and wandering at points. Susan Choi's writing is wonderful though, I'd be caught in a haze of confusion and then a wonderful point would emerge from her words. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I also struggled with the age and dynamics between these characters. The book was highly sexual in parts and there were adults letting these kids do all sorts of things that just didn't feel realistic. The story felt like it may have been better set in a college-age setting to me. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this one to everyone! It is definitely for a specific type of reader. Have you read this one (LET'S TALK) or is it on your list? It comes out 4/3 via @henryholtbooks⁣⠀ *⠀ ⁣⠀⁣⠀ *⠀ ⁣⠀⁣⠀ *⠀ ⁣⠀⁣⠀ *⁣⠀⁣⠀ #trustexercise #susanchoi #igreads #culturetripbooks #bookishfeatures #ilovebooks #becauseofreading #bookster #instadecor #livesimply #momentsofmine #aquietstyle #bookstafeatures #bookfeaturepage #mybeigelife #simplethingsmadebeautiful #bookstagram #bookaesthetic #culturetripbooks #cozyvibes #darlingdaily #bookishlove #fortheloveofreading #allthebooks #readeveryday #makemoments #petitejoys #booknoo

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Winning the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2019, An American Marriage is just as incredible as you think. The moving novel follows the tale of young couple, Celestial and Roy. The couple have just got married, have secure jobs, and are excited for the future ahead. However, after Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit, their life takes a major turn. As time goes on, she finds comfort in his friend Andre, but when Roy’s sentence is abruptly overturned they have to pick up life where they left off.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, $26.25; booktopia.com.au

lyon.brit.andthebookshelf View Profile
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Why has it taken me this long to read this book??? I should have listened to @oprahsbookclub back in 2018... . . @tayari writes an incredible story. I went into this one without reading the synopsis...like most books I read. I read it in 24 hour. Three alternating POVs 😏 my favorite. I don't want to say to much because I really enjoyed going into this one blindly... but I quickly attached to each character and by the end had no clue what I wanted to happen... also this was probably one of the best epilogues I have ever read! . . I have Silver Sparrow on my shelf and I heard that one is even better than this one... . . Have you read read this one?!?! Or Silver Sparrow?!

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

Diana Evans’ Ordinary People and Normal People have more than just their title in common. Following two epic love stories for the price of one, the book follows Stephanie and Damian, and Melissa and Michael, as they face the troubles of the world. From parenting and grief to ageing and a change of heart, the story is set just after Barack Obama became President of the United States and offers currency and social relevance, even including actual references to John Legend’s song "Ordinary People", which Michael listens to a lot.

Ordinary People by Diana Evans, $17.50; booktopia.com.au

ab_reads View Profile
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Are my fellow UK bookstagrammers lucky enough to have today off enjoying the Bank Holiday? 😍 It's still a novelty to me having worked retail until last year, and I'm very much wishing every Monday could be a Bank Hol 😭 . I'm taking part in Nadia's @the.storygraph readathon #mbhreadathon where the aim is to read 5 hours over each of the bank holidays in May (so 10 in total), but as usual with readathons it's more about sitting down and concentrating on reading instead of pissing about on your phone rather than getting the full 10 hours in! . This morning I've been reading Ordinary People by Diana Evans (thank you for gifting me the shortlist @womensprize!), and while I like her style, I'm not sold on the actual book itself. But we shall see! . And I'm sad we're approaching the end of sweater weather but it's actually chilly today and pouring with rain so this photo is appropriate! Not that the summer stops me from incorporating my jumpers into my photos - #sweaterweatherforever . . . . . . . . . . . #ordinarypeople #dianaevans #womensprize #currentlyreading #nowreading #amreading #whatimreading #bibliophile #bookstagram #reading #igreads #bookworm #booknerd #booklover #booklove #lovebooks #bookish #bookaddict #read #fiction #jumper #cosy

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The Interestings tells the tale of six teenagers who meet at an arts summer camp. Initially, they're brought together by competition, companionship, and shared goals, but as they grow and decades pass, their paths and levels of satisfaction with life diverge. It becomes clear that not everyone can sustain the high of that summer.

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, $27.31; bookdepository.com

becoming_shelf_aware View Profile
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The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer 🏕 I read this book years ago and the characters still pop into my head in a nostalgic way! It's a story of how shared childhood experiences at a summer arts sleep away camp linked a group of friends, "The Interestings," together for life. Although this book is not all happy memories (neither is life 🤷🏼‍♀️), I still get a warm feeling when I think about it ☺️ -📚What books do you find yourself still thinking about long after you read them?📚- ----------------- #bookstagram #megwolitzer #theinterestings #brightbooks #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bibliophile #booknerd #booklover

A Love Story For Bewildered Girls by Emma Morgan

A Love Story For Bewildered Girls follows Grace, Annie, and Violet—who are all in love. However, they’re just not sure that they’re with the person they’re supposed to be with. And while there’s so much emphasis on stability, finding the one, and running off into the sunset; it can make the ups-and-downs of real life even more complicated. A Love Story For Bewildered Girls is about the mess and beauty of female friendships and first loves.

A Love Story For Bewildered Girls by Emma Morgan, $24.25; booktopia.com.au

rebella_reads View Profile
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My next read is A Love Story for Bewildered Girls by Emma Morgan! Thank you so much @vikingbooksuk for sending me a copy of this! This sounds like a super cute read and I can't wait to read it! . Today is the last day of February! How many books did you read this month, and did you read any books you'd recommend? I read 12 books this month (hoping to make it 13 tonight) and some of the best ones were On the Come Up by Angie Thomas and Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami💖

Fates And Furies by Lauren Groff

As one of Obama’s favourite books of 2015, Fates and Furies is one to get your hands on. The story is about a married couple who fundamentally get each other completely wrong. Taking place in New York, it follows and examines how different people in a relationship can have disparate views on the relationship. Much like Normal People, Fates and Furies uses the compelling structure of two perspectives, his and hers.

Fates And Furies by Lauren Groff, $19.80; booktopia.com.au

babe_bookclub View Profile
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HAPPY FRIDAY🙌🏻 Working from home means kicking off the morning with coffee and a book 😍 Picked this up at the library this week! Adding to my ever growing TBR 🙈

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Ghosts follows 32-year-old Nina Dean, a successful food writer with a loyal online following but with a life that is falling apart. After using dating apps for the first time, she becomes a victim of ghosting, and by the most beguiling of men. Her beloved dad begins to vanish in slow motion into dementia, and she begins to think about ageing and the gendered double-standard of the biological clock. Realistic love lives and real-life hurdles make this a perfect companion for Normal People fans.

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, available for pre-order; bookdepository.com

dollyalderton View Profile
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I am so SO excited to share the cover for GHOSTS. My novel - about love and memory, ageing and identity, dads and dating, friends and family and friends with families - is published on October 15th by @penguinukbooks @duchessoffigs. Pre-order a signed edition through @waterstones by clicking the link in my bio!
Maeve Galea
Maeve Galea is a junior features writer and culture editor at marie claire Australia. When she's not reading Malcolm Gladwell books (or listening to his podcast), you'll find her sipping mimosas and/or doing a face mask.

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