Contemporary
We asked our staff, "What is your favorite contemporary book?"
Read below for their answers!
Plus, contemporary book recommendations from Beaufort County readers
Swan Song
by Elin Hilderbrand
Recommended by BrendaGael Beasley-Forrest,
Catalog Librarian
Hilderbrand is truly the queen of summer beach reads! You will fall in love with Nantucket in each of her 30 novels. Sadly, Swan Song is supposedly her swan song novel set in Nantucket. We shall see!
Funny Story
by Emily Henry
Recommended by Alyssa Krob,
Digital Resources Librarian
Funny Story is my all time favorite Emily Henry novel! It's about Daphne and Miles, two people who are complete opposites but have one thing in common - their ex's ran off with each other.
Starfish
by Lisa Fipps
Recommended by Olivia Perry,
Youth Services Programmer
This book is a great for learning to love oneself and figuring out who you are. It's a great read for 8-14 year old kids.
Anxious People
by Fredrik Backman
Recommended by Debbie Henderson,
Information Services Librarian
Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People is a beautifully layered novel that blends humor, heartache, and hope in equal measure. With his signature Swedish wit, Backman introduces a cast of flawed but deeply human characters brought together by an absurd hostage situation. What follows is a tender exploration of compassion, connection, and the quiet desperation so many people carry. From a mother trying to create a stable home for her daughters to the empathetic police officers handling the case, every storyline reflects the messy, moving truth of what it means to be human. Both funny and profoundly moving, Anxious People is contemporary fiction at its finest.
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
Recommended by Emma Maines,
Information Services Librarian
Backman writes such wonderfully flawed characters; you can't help but root for them and hope everything works out for the better. Reader warning: this one might make you cry...
Atmosphere
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Recommended by Stacey Inman,
Branch Manager
A great book by one of my favorite authors. It is a story about family, love and the space program in the 1980s.
The River is Waiting
by Wally Lamb
Recommended by Candy Van Tine,
Branch Manager
A hugely powerful and impactful story of good humans who make mistakes--as we all do--with unspeakable outcomes.
Love of the Brain
by Ali Hazelwood
Recommended by Libby Voight,
Branch Manager
All of Ali Hazelwood's women in STEM books are delightfully quirky, sweet, and steamy. If you're looking for a cute contemporary romance, with a side of astrophysics, I highly recommend Love on the Brain!
The Glass Girl
by Kathleen Glasgow
Recommended by Leigh Ramey,
User Experience Librarian
This YA title explores the difficulties of 15-year-old Bella as she struggles to cope with her parents' divorce, grandmother's death, and unfortunately turns to alcohol to alleviate her stress. This story shares an honest look at alcoholism from the eyes of a teenager and could offer hope for others facing the same issues.
Contemporary books recommended by our community
