Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Book Recommendations for General Fiction, set in Illinois

Click on the buttons below to filter by subgenre/theme, time period and setting.
Learn how we choose recommended books here.
Total Books Recommended: 33

Page 1 of 5
Reset Filters
Filter by Genre
Genre: Fiction
Literary Fiction - 22
Historical Fiction - 4
Thrillers - 5
Mystery - 4
Romance/Love Stories - 3
Speculative, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Alt. History - 2

Filter by Subgenre/Theme
Firsts
Debuts - 11
1st in Series - 1

Humor & Uplifting
Uplifting - 1
Humor & Satire - 2

Families
Generational Sagas - 8
Parenting & Families - 6

Ages & Stages
Adult Books From Child's Perspective - 1
Coming of Age - 7
Mid-Life Onwards - 4
Dealing with Loss - 6

Ethnicity
Immigrants & Expats - 4
Black Authors - 2
Asian Authors - 2

Gender & Sexuality
Female Friendships - 2
Strong Women - 9
LGBTQ+ - 1

Philosophy & Spiritual
Religious or Spiritual Themes - 1

Magical or Supernatural
Magical or Supernatural - 1

Miscellaneous
Small Press Titles - 1
Physical & Mental Differences - 6
Activism & Volunteering - 1
LibraryReads Picks - 1

Number of Pages
400+ Pages - 4
250-400 Pages - 33
Less Than 250 Pages - 3

Filter by Time Period
Time Period
19th Century - 3
20th Century (multiple decades) - 2
Early 20th Century - 1
1960s & '70s - 3
1980s & '90s - 7
Contemporary - 19
Across The Centuries - 1

Select your view:
Order books by:
  • All You Have to Do Is Call
    Kerri Maher
    Paperback: 08/27/2024
     
    A dramatic and inspiring novel based on the true story of the Jane Collective and the brave women who fought ...
  • Someone Like Us
    Dinaw Mengestu
    Hardcover: 07/30/2024
     
    The son of Ethiopian immigrants seeks to understand a hidden family history and uncovers a past colored by ...
  • Wellness
    Wellness: A Novel
    Nathan Hill
    Paperback: 06/25/2024
     
    The New York Times best-selling author of The Nix is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the ...
  • The Davenports
    Krystal Marquis
    Paperback: 01/02/2024
     
    The first in a breathless YA series set in 1910 Chicago, The Davenports offers a glimpse into a period of ...
  • Hello Beautiful
    Ann Napolitano
    Hardcover: 03/14/2023
     
    From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward comes a poignant and engrossing family story that ...
  • Other People's Children
    R.J. Hoffmann
    Paperback: 04/05/2022
     
    A riveting debut novel about a couple whose dream of adopting a baby is shattered when the teenage mother ...
  • Curious Toys
    Elizabeth Hand
    Paperback: 09/29/2020
     
    An intrepid young woman stalks a murderer through turn-of-the-century Chicago in "this rich, spooky, and ...

Full results are for members only - but you can cross-reference more than one theme by using the buttons in the right column. Members please login. Interested in becoming a member? Explore the many benefits of membership here.

The reviewer of each book decides which categories it belongs in - but we're only human, mistakes happen. If you see a book that you think is in the wrong place, tell us!

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.