Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Book Recommendations for General Fiction + 1980s & '90s

Click on the buttons below to filter by subgenre/theme, time period and setting.
Learn how we choose recommended books here.
Total Books Recommended: 385

Page 1 of 49
Reset Filters
Filter by Genre
Genre: Fiction
Literary Fiction - 222
Historical Fiction - 9
Thrillers - 90
Mystery - 40
Romance/Love Stories - 31
Short Stories - 12
Speculative, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Alt. History - 6
Poetry & Novels in Verse - 1

Filter by Subgenre/Theme
Firsts
Debuts - 96
1st in Series - 12

Humor & Uplifting
Uplifting - 25
Humor & Satire - 32

Families
Generational Sagas - 46
Parenting & Families - 29

Ages & Stages
Adult Books From Child's Perspective - 23
Coming of Age - 64
Mid-Life Onwards - 31
Dealing with Loss - 53

Ethnicity
Books in Translation - 15
Immigrants & Expats - 40
Black Authors - 21
Latinx Authors - 6
Asian Authors - 39
Jewish Authors - 6
Middle-Eastern Authors - 7
Native and Indigenous Authors - 2

Gender & Sexuality
Female Friendships - 23
Strong Women - 54
LGBTQ+ - 14

Philosophy & Spiritual
Philosophical - 7
Religious or Spiritual Themes - 15

Magical or Supernatural
Magical or Supernatural - 15
Magical Realism - 1

Miscellaneous
Small Press Titles - 29
Books about Books - 3
Physical & Mental Differences - 29
Books About Animals - 5
War Related - 39
Nature & Environment - 14
Music and the Arts - 5
Heroes - 2
LibraryReads Picks - 7

Number of Pages
400+ Pages - 42
250-400 Pages - 385
Less Than 250 Pages - 50

Filter by Setting
Major Regions
USA - 229
Canada - 5
Central & S. America, Mexico, Caribbean - 9
Europe - 32
Asia - 42
Africa - 14
Pacific, inc. Hawaii, Aus & NZ - 5
Alaska & Other Polar/Sub Polar Regions - 2
On The High Seas - 1
Global - 9

USA (48 States)
N.H. Vt. Maine - 6
Conn. & R.I. - 6
Mass. - 11
Penn. - 4
New York State - 37
New Jersey - 9
Md. Del. - 3
Washington DC - 11
Tenn. Va. W.Va. Ky. - 2
N & S Carolina - 11
Mis. Ala. Ga. - 9
Florida - 10
Texas - 8
Ark. La. Ok. - 5
Kas. Mo. - 2
Illinois - 7
Ind. Mich. Ohio - 6
Minn. Wis. Iowa - 9
Nebr.& Dakotas - 4
Colo. Wyo. Mont. - 6
Ariz. Nev. N.M. Utah - 5
California - 40
Wash. Ore. Idaho - 6

USA Regions
New England, USA - 30
Mid-Atlantic, USA - 61
South, USA - 55
Midwest, USA - 34
West, USA - 50

Europe by Region
UK (Britain) & Ireland - 43
Netherlands & Belgium - 1
France - 6
Spain - 3
Germany - 6
Italy - 2
Eastern Europe - 8

Asia by Region
Middle-East (West Asia) - 5
Russia (North Asia) - 5
Central Asia - 2
East Asia (except China) - 9
China - 11
South Asia (except India) - 3
India - 8
South-East Asia - 5

Africa by Region
Eastern Africa - 8
Middle & Southern Africa - 5
Northern & Western Africa - 1

Select your view:
Order books by:
  • Where There Was Fire
    John Manuel Arias
    Paperback: 09/17/2024
     
    A lush and lyrical debut novel about a Costa Rican family wrestling with a deadly secret, from rising literary...
  • Our Beautiful Darkness
    Our Beautiful Darkness: A Graphic Novel
    ‍ Ondjaki, Lyn Miller-Lachmann
    Hardcover: 07/23/2024
     
    A blackout leads two teens to discover the intimacy and vulnerability that can only be shared in darkness in ...
  • Bright Objects
    Ruby Todd
    Hardcover: 07/16/2024
     
    A young widow grapples with the arrival of a once-in-a-lifetime comet and its tumultuous consequences, in a ...
  • Long Island Compromise
    Taffy Brodesser-Akner
    Hardcover: 07/09/2024
     
    An exhilarating novel about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and ...
  • 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 ...
  • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
    Gabrielle Zevin
    Paperback: 06/25/2024
     
    In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends - often ...
  • The Unsettled
    The Unsettled: A Novel
    Ayana Mathis
    Paperback: 06/04/2024
     
    From the best-selling author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, a searing multi-generational novel—set in ...

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.