Recommendations based on Ordinary Peopleby Diana Evans

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

  1. The Gifted School

    by Bruce Holsinger
    The cutthroat competition among parents to get their children into a new gifted school leads to secrets, betrayals, and moral dilemmas.

    Smart and juicy, a compulsively readable novel about a group of friends and families that is nearly destroyed by their own competitiveness when an exclusive school for gifted children opens in the ... (Goodreads)

  2. The New Me

    by Halle Butler
    A darkly comedic novel about a woman stuck in a dead-end job and struggling to find meaning in her life.

    A biting satire of the false promise of reinvention, by a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree and Granta Best Young American Novelist I'm still trying to make the dream possible: still might ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Other Half of Augusta Hope

    by Joanna Glen
    Augusta Hope seeks to find her place in the world, while her twin sister Julia struggles with her own demons.

    Augusta Hope has never felt like she fits in.At six, she’s memorising the dictionary. At seven, she’s correcting her teachers. At eight, she spins the globe and picks her favourite country on the ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Last Romantics

    by Tara Conklin
    Four siblings navigate life after their father's death and their mother's subsequent breakdown, exploring love, loss, and family bonds.

    The, New York Times, bestselling author of, The House Girl, explores the lives of four siblings in this ambitious and absorbing novel in the vein of, Commonwealth, and, The Interestings.,“The ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. In Twenty Years

    by Allison Winn Scotch
    College friends reunite after 20 years and confront secrets, regrets, and missed opportunities.

    Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. The Lido

    by Libby Page
    A community comes together to save their local lido from closure, changing the lives of two women in the process.

    A tender, joyous debut novel about a cub reporter and her eighty-six-year-old subject—and the unlikely and life-changing friendship that develops between them. Kate is a twenty-six-year-old riddled ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Man of My Dreams

    by Curtis Sittenfeld
    Hannah Gavener navigates through her relationships with men, family, and herself in this coming-of-age novel.

    Hannah Gavener is fourteen in the summer of 1991. In the magazines she reads, celebrities plan elaborate weddings; in Hannah’s own life, her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And somewhere in between ... (Goodreads)

  8. Half a World Away

    by Mike Gayle
    A man discovers he has a teenage daughter he never knew existed, and must navigate the challenges of building a relationship with her.

    Strangers living worlds apart.,Strangers with nothing in common.,But it wasn’t always that way…,Kerry Hayes is single mum, living on a tough south London estate. She provides for her son by cleaning ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Gatecrasher

    by Madeleine Wickham
    A middle-aged woman crashes funerals to find wealthy widowers to marry, until she meets her match.

    Everything's coming up roses for Fleur Daxeny, as she goes through more rich men than she does designer hats... if that's humanly possible. Beautiful, charming, and utterly irresistible, her success ... (Goodreads)

  10. One Fifth Avenue

    by Candace Bushnell
    The lives of the wealthy and glamorous residents of One Fifth Avenue intertwine in a tale of ambition, betrayal, and scandal.

    From one of the most consistently astute and engaging social commentators of our day comes another look at the tough and tender women of New York City – this time, through the lens of where they ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Sunshine Sisters

    by Jane Green
    Three estranged sisters reunite to care for their narcissistic mother, confronting their past and present struggles along the way.

    The, New York Times, bestselling author of, Falling, presents a warm, wise, and wonderfully vivid novel about a mother who asks her three estranged daughters to come home to help her end her life. ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Reckless Oath We Made

    by Bryn Greenwood
    A knight-obsessed woman and a man with a brain injury form an unlikely bond and embark on a dangerous mission.

    Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

    by Jonathan Evison
    A man becomes a caregiver for a disabled teenager and embarks on a road trip, discovering the true meaning of life and friendship.

    The book (and adapted film) follow a 39 year old man who has experienced personal tragedy and is currently climbing out of depression and grief. His estranged wife has been waiting for months for him ... (Wikipedia)

  14. I Don't Know How She Does It

    by Allison Pearson
    A working mother juggles career, family, and social obligations while trying to maintain her sanity.

    Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson's smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as "The national anthem for working mothers." Hedge-fund manager, wife, and ... (Goodreads)

  15. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

    by Joshua Ferris
    A successful dentist questions his identity and purpose after discovering a fake website impersonating him.

    A big, brilliant, profoundly observed novel about the mysteries of modern life by National Book Award Finalist Joshua Ferris, one of the most exciting voices of his generation Paul O'Rourke is a man ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Singles Game

    by Lauren Weisberger
    A young tennis player navigates the cutthroat world of professional tennis, facing tough choices and personal sacrifices along the way.

    The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Revenge Wears Prada—a dishy tell-all about a beautiful tennis prodigy who, after changing coaches, suddenly makes ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Matchmaker

    by Elin Hilderbrand
    Dabney, a matchmaker, tries to find love for her daughter while keeping a secret from her past. A heartwarming story of family and love.

    In this moving story about losing and finding love again, a woman sets out to find the perfect matches for those closest to her., 48-year-old Nantucketer Dabney Kimball Beech has always had a gift ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Lost Children Archive

    by Valeria Luiselli
    A family road trip to the US-Mexico border becomes a journey of self-discovery and reflection on the refugee crisis and lost indigenous cultures.

    From the two-time NBCC Finalist, an emotionally resonant, fiercely imaginative new novel about a family whose road trip across America collides with an immigration crisis at the southwestern ... (Goodreads)

  19. Motherhood

    by Sheila Heti
    A woman contemplates whether or not to have a child, exploring the complexities and societal expectations surrounding motherhood.

    From the author of How Should a Person Be? (“one of the most talked-about books of the year”— Time Magazine ) and the New York Times Bestseller Women in Clothes comes a daring novel about whether to ... (Goodreads)

  20. Espresso Tales

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    A collection of stories set in a small Edinburgh coffeehouse, where the patrons share their joys and sorrows over a cup of coffee.

    Pat is still sharing a flat with Bruce, the good-looking egoist, although she is no longer attracted to him. She decides to go back to university and obtains a place at Edinburgh, but still works ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries

    by Helen Fielding
    Bridget Jones navigates the ups and downs of pregnancy and motherhood while trying to figure out who the father of her baby is.

    Bridget Jones is a Bangor University graduate. She is a 32-year-old single woman whose life is a satirized version of the stereotypical single London 30-something in the 1990s and very unlucky in ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Brown-Eyed Girl

    by Lisa Kleypas
    Wealthy businessman meets his match in a spirited woman who challenges his beliefs and steals his heart.

    The much anticipated final book in the Travis series,, Brown-Eyed Girl, from beloved author Lisa Kleypas, Wedding planner Avery Crosslin may be a rising star in Houston society, but she doesn't ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. Akin

    by Emma Donoghue
    A retired professor and his 11-year-old great-nephew embark on a trip to France, uncovering family secrets and forging a new bond.

    A retired New York professor's life is thrown into chaos when he takes a young great-nephew to the French Riviera, in hopes of uncovering his own mother's wartime secrets in the next masterpiece from ... (Goodreads)

  24. We Met in December

    by Rosie Curtis
    Jess and Alex meet in a London house-share in December. Their friendship blossoms into a romance, but life and secrets get in the way.

    Following a year in the life of a twenty-something British woman who falls hard for her London flat mate, this clever, fun, and unforgettable romantic comedy is the perfect feel-good holiday read. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. Billy and Me

    by Giovanna Fletcher
    A small-town girl falls in love with a famous actor, but struggles to adapt to his glamorous lifestyle.

    In this utterly sweet and moving women's fiction novel, a celebrity comes to town and sweeps a young woman - who is used to being overlooked - off her feet. Sophie May is content with her life in her ... (Goodreads)

  26. We Are Called to Rise

    by Laura McBride
    A tragic event brings together four strangers in Las Vegas, revealing their interconnected lives and the power of compassion.

    Three lives are bound together by a split-second mistake, and a child’s fate hangs in the balance. What happens next will test—and restore—your faith in humanity. Far from the neon lights of the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

    by Kelly Harms
    After her husband returns from a long absence, Amy Byler takes a break from single motherhood and rediscovers herself in New York City.

    An Amazon Charts and, Washington Post, bestseller., ,“A laugh-out-loud funny, pitch-perfect novel that will have readers rooting for this unlikely, relatable, and totally lovable heroine,, The ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Faith

    by Jennifer Haigh
    A family's faith is tested when a priest is accused of sexual abuse. The novel explores the complexities of belief, loyalty, and forgiveness.

    "[Haigh is] an expertnatural storyteller with an acute sense of her characters' humanity." — NewYork Times "We have the intriguing possibility that the next great American author is already in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. No Judgments

    by Meg Cabot
    A young woman returns to her hometown in Florida to help her grandmother during a hurricane, and finds love and self-discovery along the way.

    The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life… When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. The Middlesteins

    by Jami Attenberg
    A family struggles with the matriarch's obesity and its impact on their relationships. A poignant and humorous exploration of love, addiction, and forgiveness.

    For more than thirty years, Edie and Richard Middlestein shared a solid family life together in the suburbs of Chicago. But now things are splintering apart, for one reason, it seems: Edie's enormous ... (Barnes & Noble)