Recommendations based on The Charming Quirks of Othersby Alexander McCall Smith

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Right Attitude to Rain

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and amateur detective, navigates through the complexities of life and love in Edinburgh.

    The delectable new installment in the bestselling and already beloved adventures of Isabel Dalhousie and her no-nonsense housekeeper, Grace. When friends from Dallas arrive in Edinburgh and introduce ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Sunday Philosophy Club

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Detective story featuring an amateur sleuth, exploring the mysteries of life and death.

    With The Sunday Philosophy Club , Alexander McCall Smith, the author of the best-selling and beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, begins a wonderful new series starring the irrepressibly ... (Goodreads)

  3. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and amateur sleuth, navigates the complexities of love and loss while solving a mystery involving a rare manuscript.

    ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 2 Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective. Whether ... (Goodreads)

  4. State of Wonder

    by Ann Patchett
    A journey in the Amazon rainforest to find a missing colleague and unlock the secrets of a mysterious drug.

    In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, "State of Wonder" presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional ... (Goodreads)

  5. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

    by Helen Simonson
    A widower finds love and acceptance in an unlikely place, challenging social conventions.

    You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as ... (Goodreads)

  6. Standing in the Rainbow

    by Fannie Flagg
    A comedic story of a small town in Alabama and its eccentric inhabitants, highlighting the beauty of human relationships.

    Along with Neighbor Dorothy, the lady with the smile in her voice, whose daily radio broadcasts keep us delightfully informed on all the local news, we also meet Bobby, her ten-year-old son, destined ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Elegance of the Hedgehog

    by Muriel Barbery
    A story of two unlikely outcasts who find solace and comfort in each other's company.

    The story revolves mainly around the characters of Renée Michel and Paloma Josse, residents of an upper-middle class Left Bank apartment building at 7 Rue de Grenelle – one of the most elegant ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Brooklyn

    by Colm Tóibín
    A young Irish woman's migration to America, exploring themes of identity and belonging.

    Eilis Lacey is a young woman who is unable to find work in 1950s Ireland . Her older sister Rose organises a meeting with a Catholic priest called Father Flood on a visit from New York City , who ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Britt-Marie Was Here

    by Fredrik Backman
    A woman's quest for independence and self-discovery, learning to embrace life and take risks.

    The plot of the novel focuses on a "nag-hag" woman who has recently left her cheating husband and has taken on a job in the city of Borg, working at the recreation center. The city itself is barely a ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Beautiful Ruins

    by Jess Walter
    A romantic story of fate, secrets, and destiny, spanning from Italy in the 1960s to present day.

    "The best novel of the year." — Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air A #1 New York Times bestseller, this “absolute masterpiece” (Richard Russo) is the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the ... (Goodreads)

  11. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

    by Fredrik Backman
    An imaginative quest to uncover the truth behind a beloved grandmother's mysterious stories.

    The story takes place in Sweden and follows Elsa, a 7-year-old who knows she is different from other children her age. Elsa has a habit of correcting others' grammar, she is smart for her age, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  12. While You Were Mine

    by Ann Howard Creel
    A nurse in WWII falls in love with a soldier, but when he returns home engaged, she must raise his child alone.

    Everything she loved could so easily be lost. The end of World War II should have brought joy to Gwen Mullen. But on V-J Day, her worst fear is realized. As celebrating crowds gather in Times Square, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. The Sympathizer

    by Viet Thanh Nguyen
    Vietnam War refugee returns to his homeland and struggles to reconcile conflicting loyalties.

    It is April 1975, and Saigon is in chaos. At his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army is drinking whiskey and, with the help of his trusted captain, drawing up a list of those who will be ... (Goodreads)

  14. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

    by Robin Sloan
    A young man's exploration of an unusual bookstore, unlocking a world of secrets.

    The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon away from life as a San Francisco web-design drone and into the aisles of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, but after a few days on the job, Clay ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Invention of Wings

    by Sue Monk Kidd
    A powerful story about a girl's journey to freedom, despite the limitations of slavery.

    Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world—and it is now ... (Goodreads)

  16. Ghost Gifts

    by Laura Spinella
    A woman with psychic abilities is hired to solve a murder case, but the ghosts she encounters may be more than she bargained for.

    All Aubrey Ellis wants is a normal life, one that doesn’t include desperate pleas from the dead. Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Atomic City Girls

    by Janet Beard
    A historical fiction novel set in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during WWII, following the lives of workers involved in the Manhattan Project.

    ",The Atomic City Girls, is a fascinating and compelling novel about a little-known piece of WWII history."—Maggie Leffler, international bestselling author,, of, The Secrets of Flight,, In the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Beautiful Exiles

    by Meg Waite Clayton
    A fictionalized account of the tumultuous love affair between Ernest Hemingway and journalist Martha Gellhorn.

    From, New York Times, bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton comes a riveting novel based on one of the most volatile and intoxicating real-life love affairs of the twentieth century., Key West, 1936. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

    by Edward Kelsey Moore
    Three lifelong friends navigate life's ups and downs in a small Indiana town, sharing laughter, tears, and secrets over plates of fried catfish.

    Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat diner in Plainview, Indiana is home away from home for Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean. Dubbed "The Supremes" by high school pals in the tumultuous 1960s, they’ve weathered ... (Goodreads)

  20. Cutting for Stone

    by Abraham Verghese
    A sweeping journey of two twin brothers and their search for identity, belonging and family.

    The story is told by the protagonist, Marion Stone. He and his conjoined twin Shiva are born at Mission Hospital (called "Missing" in accordance with the local pronunciation), Addis Ababa , in ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Life After Life

    by Kate Atkinson
    A woman lives multiple lives, reflecting on choices and consequences and the power of love.

    The novel has an unusual structure, repeatedly looping back in time to describe alternative possible lives for its central character, Ursula Todd, who is born on 11 February 1910 to an ... (Wikipedia)

  22. A House Without Windows

    by Nadia Hashimi
    A woman in Afghanistan is imprisoned for killing her abusive husband. Her lawyer fights for her freedom and uncovers the truth.

    A vivid, unforgettable story of an unlikely sisterhood—an emotionally powerful and haunting tale of friendship that illuminates the plight of women in a traditional culture—from the author of the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. A Fire Sparkling

    by Julianne MacLean
    A family secret is uncovered when a woman discovers a WWII soldier's ring in her grandmother's house.

    An Amazon Charts and, Washington Post, bestseller.,, From the, USA Today, bestselling author of, A Curve in the Road, comes a spellbinding novel about one woman’s love, loss, and courage during ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Shepherds Abiding

    by Jan Karon
    A heartwarming Christmas story about the residents of Mitford, as Father Tim tries to restore a Nativity scene.

    The eighth novel in the beloved Mitford series, by the bestselling author of, At Home in Mitford, and, Somebody Safe with Somebody Good, Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite ... (Goodreads)

  25. A Keeper

    by Graham Norton
    A woman returns to her hometown in Ireland to settle her mother's estate, uncovering secrets about her family's past.

    From Graham Norton—the BAFTA Award–winning Irish television host and author of the “charming debut novel” (,New York Journal of Books,), Holding,—a masterly and haunting tale of secrets and ill-fated ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. The Truth According to Us

    by Annie Barrows
    A story of a family in small-town America and the secrets they keep.

    In the summer of 1938, Layla Beck’s father, a United States senator, cuts off her allowance and demands that she find employment on the Federal Writers’ Project, a New Deal jobs program. Within days, ... (Goodreads)

  27. Blood Defense

    by Marcia Clark
    A criminal defense attorney fights to clear her own name when she becomes the prime suspect in a murder case.

    Samantha Brinkman, an eager criminal defense attorney with few clients but a good reputation in the Los Angeles courts, lands the high-profile double murder case of Detective Dale Pearson. Initially ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Flying Too High

    by Kerry Greenwood
    Phryne Fisher, a glamorous detective, investigates the disappearance of a young woman in 1920s Melbourne.

    Having established herself as a private detective in Melbourne and solved a number of cases after the events in Cocaine Blues , Phryne Fisher is engaged by Mrs. William McNaughton to investigate a ... (Wikipedia)

  29. A Conspiracy of Paper

    by David Liss
    A historical mystery set in 18th century London, following a Jewish detective as he uncovers a conspiracy involving the stock market and his own family.

    Benjamin Weaver, a Jew and an ex-boxer, is an outsider in eighteenth-century London, tracking down debtors and felons for aristocratic clients. The son of a wealthy stock trader, he lives estranged ... (Goodreads)

  30. On What Grounds

    by Cleo Coyle
    Clare Cosi, manager of a coffeehouse, investigates the murder of her assistant's ex-husband. A cozy mystery with coffee and romance.

    Introducing a delightful new series featuring Clare Cosi, manager of the historic Village Blend coffeehouse... Clare arrives at work to discover the assistant manager dead in the back of the store, ... (Goodreads)