If you like your books to take place in the modern era, then you aren’t alone. There is a genre called contemporary fiction that focuses solely on books that have been set in the present. But as you may have realized, the present becomes the past. That is why contemporary fiction chose the year 1990 as cutoff. We decided to list the best contemporary fiction books of all time so you can easily browse them for your next read!
If you want a break from fantasy, then this is the genre for you. Not every book needs to include magic or mythical creatures. Books that take place in the modern age can also be a page turner when written by the right author. We have compiled a list of the best contemporary fiction books down below!
The Best Contemporary Fiction Books of All Time
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- Little Bee by Chris Cleave
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
- Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
- Beartown by Fredrik Backman
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Three Junes by Julia Glass
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Normal People by Sally Rooney
Modern Classics
Many of these books can be considered modern classics or just great reads. These books have propelled many of the authors to the top of the best-seller lists over the years. Even if you haven’t read them, there is a good chance you have heard of many of them or have seen them on various lists.
Some of the books on this list that I really enjoyed include Americanah, The Kite Runner, The Goldfinch, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I am eager to read some of them and hopefully get around to doing that soon.
Conclusion
That is all for our best contemporary fiction books of all time list. What books should have made the list? How many of these have you read? Let us know in the comments below!
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles belongs in this category.
It isn’t contemporary fiction. It takes place over a century ago
David Mitchell? George Saunders? Tom Robbins? John Irving? Nadeem Aslam? C’mon man.