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Book Recommendations for General Fiction + 1st in Series

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All of these books have been read, reviewed, and recommended by our professional reviewers.
Learn how we choose recommended books here.
Total Books Recommended: 142

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Genre: Fiction
Literary Fiction - 28
Historical Fiction - 24
Thrillers - 24
Mystery - 43
Romance/Love Stories - 1
Speculative, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Alt. History - 40

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Firsts
Debuts - 59
1st in Series - 142

Humor & Uplifting
Uplifting - 8
Humor & Satire - 12

Families
Generational Sagas - 15
Parenting & Families - 4

Ages & Stages
Adult Books From Child's Perspective - 3
Coming of Age - 18
Mid-Life Onwards - 6
Dealing with Loss - 7

Ethnicity
Books in Translation - 7
Immigrants & Expats - 7
Black Authors - 8
Latinx Authors - 1
Asian Authors - 13
Jewish Authors - 2
Middle-Eastern Authors - 1
Native and Indigenous Authors - 1

Gender & Sexuality
Female Friendships - 9
Strong Women - 50
LGBTQ+ - 5

Philosophy & Spiritual
Philosophical - 4
Religious or Spiritual Themes - 9

Magical or Supernatural
Magical or Supernatural - 28
Magical Realism - 1

Miscellaneous
Books with Discussion Guides - 46
Small Press Titles - 9
Books about Books - 3
Physical & Mental Differences - 5
Books About Animals - 1
War Related - 17
Nature & Environment - 2
Heroes - 3
LibraryReads Picks - 6

Number of Pages
400+ Pages - 25
250-400 Pages - 142
Less Than 250 Pages - 8

Filter by Time Period
Time Period
17th Century or Earlier - 14
18th Century - 1
19th Century - 12
20th Century (multiple decades) - 3
Early 20th Century - 2
1920s & '30s - 2
1940s & '50s - 8
1960s & '70s - 4
1980s & '90s - 12
Contemporary - 46
The Future - 4
Across The Centuries - 1

Filter by Setting
Major Regions
USA - 47
Canada - 1
Central & S. America, Mexico, Caribbean - 1
Europe - 19
Asia - 17
Africa - 8
Pacific, inc. Hawaii, Aus & NZ - 1
On The High Seas - 2
Global - 3
Imaginary Locations - 22

USA (48 States)
N.H. Vt. Maine - 1
New York State - 12
Md. Del. - 2
Washington DC - 1
N & S Carolina - 1
Mis. Ala. Ga. - 1
Texas - 2
Ark. La. Ok. - 1
Illinois - 1
Ind. Mich. Ohio - 2
Minn. Wis. Iowa - 4
Colo. Wyo. Mont. - 2
California - 8
Wash. Ore. Idaho - 1

USA Regions
New England, USA - 4
Mid-Atlantic, USA - 14
South, USA - 6
Midwest, USA - 7
West, USA - 11

Europe by Region
UK (Britain) & Ireland - 26
Scandinavia - 4
France - 3
Spain - 1
Germany - 1
Italy - 2
Eastern Europe - 1

Asia by Region
Middle-East (West Asia) - 2
Russia (North Asia) - 1
Central Asia - 1
East Asia (except China) - 2
China - 5
South Asia (except India) - 1
India - 5
South-East Asia - 1

Africa by Region
Eastern Africa - 3
Middle & Southern Africa - 4
Northern & Western Africa - 1

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  • The Last Bloodcarver
    The Last Bloodcarver: (The Last Bloodcarver Duology, Book 1)
    Vanessa Le
    Paperback: 03/18/2025
     
    "A gritty world filled with a beautifully crafted cast and an intricate magic system. A smart, lush, and ...
  • Gliff
    Gliff: A Novel
    Ali Smith
    Hardcover: 02/04/2025
     
    From a literary master, a moving and genre-bending story about our era-spanning search for meaning and knowing...
  • The Tainted Cup
    Robert Jackson Bennett
    Paperback: 11/05/2024
     
    A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the ...
  • We Solve Murders
    Richard Osman
    Hardcover: 09/17/2024
     
    Solving murders. It's a family business.
  • Foul Days
    Foul Days: The Witch's Compendium of Monsters #1
    Genoveva Dimova
    Paperback: 06/25/2024
     
    The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice ...
  • Nightbirds
    Kate J. Armstrong
    Paperback: 06/04/2024
     
    In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is ...
  • Spice Road
    Spice Road: Spice Road #1
    Maiya Ibrahim
    Paperback: 04/23/2024
     
    The first book in an epic fantasy series set in an Arabian-inspired land with secret spice magic. Raised to ...

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