Reading · Literary fiction
Literary fiction books
Highstreett has 21 reading guides and 51 book pages on literary fiction.
Prize-listed and character-led novels, including the Booker shortlists.
Literary fiction reading guides and projects
Highstreett published lists are our guides; reader published ones were shared by Highstreett readers. Save any guide as a reading project to work through it in order.
- Highstreett published10 books
Best literary fiction books 2026: ten novels, with the edition dates checked
- Highstreett published12 books
Best translated fiction books 2026
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like A Little Life
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Butter
- Highstreett published8 books
Books like Convenience Store Woman
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Demon Copperhead
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Intermezzo
- Highstreett published17 books
Books like Lessons in Chemistry
- Highstreett published7 books
Books like Normal People
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Piranesi
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Small Things Like These
- Highstreett published8 books
Books like The God of the Woods
- Highstreett published11 books
Books like The Secret History
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Yellowface
- Highstreett published
Classics for beginners: where to start
Six classic novels for adults who have never read the classics, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: two short ones to start with, a gripping horror story, a funny one, an American classic and a long Victorian novel.
- Highstreett published
Dark academia books: the reading list
Six dark academia books, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: The Secret History, where it starts, then a Shakespeare conservatory, an elite school, a British campus, an Oxford game and a Princeton manuscript.
- Highstreett published107 books
Short books
- Highstreett published6 books
The Booker shortlist by Christmas
Literary fiction books recommended on Highstreett
Books Highstreett’s book search has recommended, most recommended first. Each page says what the book is and where to buy it.
- The Buddha of SuburbiaHanif KureishiLiterary fiction
- The Remains of the DayKazuo IshiguroLiterary fiction
- The LeopardGiuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaLiterary fiction
- The Go-BetweenL. P. HartleyLiterary fiction
- London Fields: A NovelMartin AmisLiterary fiction
- The Evenings: A Winter's TaleGerard ReveLiterary fiction
- The Sense of an Ending: A NovelJulian BarnesLiterary fiction
- High FidelityNick HornbyLiterary fiction
- The Old Man and the SeaErnest HemingwayLiterary fiction
- The Housekeeper and the ProfessorYoko OgawaLiterary fiction
- The PastTessa HadleyLiterary fiction
- Then We Came to the EndJoshua FerrisLiterary fiction
- The Master and MargaritaMikhail BulgakovLiterary fiction
- Mrs DallowayVirginia WoolfLiterary fiction
- The Rotters' ClubJonathan CoeLiterary fiction
- The MasterColm TóibínLiterary fiction
- White TeethZadie SmithLiterary fiction
- The Sound and the FuryWilliam FaulknerLiterary fiction
- The Summer BookTove JanssonLiterary fiction
- The Rachel PapersMartin AmisLiterary fiction
- The Secret HistoryDonna TarttLiterary fiction
- The Sea, The SeaIris MurdochLiterary fiction
- HousekeepingMarilynne RobinsonLiterary fiction
- A Passage to IndiaE.M. ForsterLiterary fiction
- The Lying Life of AdultsElena FerranteLiterary fiction
- The Stone DiariesCarol ShieldsLiterary fiction
- England, EnglandJulian BarnesLiterary fiction
- The Blue FlowerPenelope FitzgeraldBiographical fiction
- The House on the LagoonRosario FerréLiterary fiction
- The Enigma of Arrival: A Novel in Five SectionsV. S. NaipaulLiterary fiction
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A NovelRachel JoyceLiterary fiction
- The House on Mango StreetSandra CisnerosLiterary fiction
- The Ice PalaceTarjei VesaasLiterary fiction
- About a BoyNick HornbyLiterary fiction
- StonerJohn WilliamsLiterary fiction
- The House of MirthEdith WhartonLiterary fiction
- The House of the SpiritsIsabel AllendeMagical realism
- The Old Filth Trilogy: The Old Filth, The Man in the Wooden Hat, Last FriendsJane GardamLiterary fiction
- GileadMarilynne RobinsonLiterary fiction
- The Northern Clemency: A NovelPhilip HensherLiterary fiction
- The Children's BachHelen GarnerLiterary fiction
- Excellent WomenBarbara PymLiterary fiction
- The White TigerAravind AdigaLiterary fiction
- The Transit of VenusShirley HazzardLiterary fiction
- The Light Between OceansM. L. StedmanLiterary fiction
- A Month in the CountryJ. L. CarrLiterary fiction
- Brick LaneMonica AliLiterary fiction
- The Interestings: A NovelMeg WolitzerLiterary fiction
- The Memory PoliceYoko OgawaLiterary fiction
- The Tale of GenjiMurasaki ShikibuClassical Japanese fiction
- AtonementIan McEwanLiterary fiction
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