Book Lists

Fiction / Coming Of Age Best Sellers

New York Time Best sellers of Fiction / Coming Of Age: Where The Crawdads Sing (2018), Normal People (2018), Beautiful World, Where Are You (2017), Go Set A Watchman (2015), The Goldfinch (2013) and other 16 books.

21 results found

Where The Crawdads Sing

released in: 2018
Where The Crawdads Sing
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENON—NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE! More than 18 million copies sold worldwide A Reese’s Book Club Pick A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade “I can''t even express how much I love this book! I didn''t want this story to end!”—Reese Witherspoon “Painfully beautiful.”—The New York Times Book Review For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Normal People

released in: 2018
Normal People
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan). The basis for the Emmy-nominated Hulu series starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones! “[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other. Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship, and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t. WINNER: The British Book Award, The Costa Book Award, The An Post Irish Novel of the Year, Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country

Beautiful World, Where Are You

released in: 2017
Beautiful World, Where Are You
** Pre-order Sally Rooney''s new novel Intermezzo now ** THE SUNDAY TIMES AND GLOBAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER WINNER OF NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD ACROSS ALL FABER EDITIONS ''A tour de force.'' Anne Enright, Guardian ''Rooney''s best novel yet.'' Brandon Taylor, New York Times ''Get ready to have your heart broken all over again.'' Red ''The book moved me to tears more than once.'' The Times Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he''d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend Eileen is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young - but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they worry about sex and friendship and the times they live in. Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world? Sally Rooney''s book Beautiful World, Where Are You was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 11-09-2021

Go Set A Watchman

released in: 2015
Go Set A Watchman
Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch -- "Scout" -- returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past -- a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor, and effortless precision -- a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context, and new meaning to an American classic. - Jacket.

The Goldfinch

released in: 2013
The Goldfinch
PRE-ORDER THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THE EPIC ROMANTASY THAT HAS SOLD 3 MILLION COPIES ACROSS THE WORLD. AUREN'S STORY ISN'T OVER YET. SHE WILL FLY. SHE WILL SOAR. -- One king caged my body. Another has caged my mind. War has broken out between Annwyn and Orea, though that's not the only battle being waged. There's a fight inside me, and it's one I'm determined to win, no matter how much they try to strip me down and hollow me out. Yet they've forgotten one thing. The ancient magic of the pair bond. One can never truly be lost when two souls are already bound. Because Slade and I? We are connected by more than just fated magic, and we will always find each other. In any life. The fae king is trying to destroy me. My heritage. My memory. But what he hasn't realized is this: gold bends, but stone breaks. And a Goldfinch does not fall. It flies. -- Praise for The Plated Prisoner Series:- 'This series has stolen my heart, my breath, my regard for anything else. I've never been so immersed in a story before-never read characters that have felt so real. I've cried, laughed, screamed, thrown my kindle across the room, picked it up again, swooned . . . These characters, this WORLD . . . it's everything. Raven has written a story for the ages, destined to go down as one of the epics' Sarah A Parker, author of When The Moon Hatched 'This series is gripping, enticing and darkly romantic. Don't miss out on this unputdownable read! - Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti, authors of Zodiac Academy -- Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering. Full content list will be located inside the book, but it includes violence, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.

The Last Song

released in: 2009
The Last Song
NOVEL LEARNING SERIES(TM) THE LAST SONG by Nicholas Sparks STUDENT EDITION Seventeen-year-old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father . . . until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in North Carolina with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children-that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts . . . and heal them. With a NOVEL LEARNING SERIES(TM) Student Guide · Questions about the text after every few chapters check your comprehension · Quizzes throughout help you prepare for standardized tests with SAT- and ACT-style questions using vocabulary and grammar from the book · Sample writing prompts and essays at the end guide you through the elements of an above-average, average, and below-average essay-and explain why!

The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle

released in: 2008
The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle
Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires--spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes--the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain--create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

released in: 1999
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. Now a major motion picture starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. Stephen Chbosky's new film Wonder, starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts is out now. Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. 'A coming of age tale in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace... often inspirational and always beautifully written' USA Today

The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules
First published in 1985, The Cider House Rules is John Irving's sixth novel. Set in rural Maine in the first half of this century, it tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch--saint and obstetrician, founder and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Cloud's, ether addict and abortionist. It is also the story of Dr. Larch's favorite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Hotel New Hampshire

The Hotel New Hampshire
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving is a coming-of-age novel that follows the eccentric Berry family as they navigate life's challenges while running a hotel. The novel explores themes of identity, family dynamics, and the pursuit of dreams. Irving's quirky characters and storytelling style contribute to the novel's unique charm and emotional resonance.

The Chosen

The Chosen
In Not My Will… Jerry Jenkins invites you into the tumultuous final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry—what’s become known as Holy Week. Beginning with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem astride a donkey’s colt, the story covers a side of Jesus we haven’t seen before: His righteous rage at the moneychangers in the temple. The story delves deeply into the minds of the disciples and other close followers of Jesus, including the fear and scheming of both High Priest Caiaphas and Governor Pontius Pilate and his dream-tormented wife. Judas’s haunting betrayal looms while Jesus faces His darkest night of the soul in Gethsemane, where His surrender to His Father and then to the Romans comes at an unspeakable cost. In vivid detail and with emotional depth, this novel captures the heartbreak, hope, and humanity of the most pivotal week in the history of the world. More than retelling the story, Not My Will… takes you deeper into the hearts and minds of the show’s many intriguing characters like Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate and his wife Claudia, and Judas.

Up the Down Staircase

Up the Down Staircase
Up the Down Staircase is a novel by Bel Kaufman, published in 1964. The novel is set in a New York City high school, and it chronicles a year in the life of an idealistic English teacher named Sylvia Barrett.

The Group

The Group
Set in the 1930s, the novel follows the lives of eight Vassar College graduates as they navigate the challenges of adulthood. McCarthy provides a candid portrayal of friendship, love, and the societal expectations faced by women in that era.

Franny and Zooey

Franny and Zooey
The book consists of two interconnected stories, "Franny" and "Zooey," exploring the spiritual and existential struggles of the Glass family, capturing J.D. Salinger's signature themes of alienation and the search for authenticity.

Marjorie Morningstar

Marjorie Morningstar
"Marjorie Morningstar" by Herman Wouk is a coming-of-age novel that follows the titular character, Marjorie Morgenstern, as she navigates the challenges of adolescence, love, and self-discovery in post-World War II America. The novel explores themes of identity, ambition, and the pursuit of personal happiness.

Bonjour Tristesse

Bonjour Tristesse
"Bonjour Tristesse" by Françoise Sagan is a coming-of-age novel that explores themes of love, relationships, and the complexities of adolescence. The story follows a young girl, Cécile, as she navigates the emotional landscape of her father's romantic entanglements during a summer vacation. Sagan's debut novel is celebrated for its evocative prose and portrayal of youthful introspection.

The Green Years

The Green Years
"The Green Years" by A.J. Cronin is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of an orphan named Robert Shannon. Set in Scotland, the story explores themes of family, education, and the journey to self-discovery.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Set in early 20th-century Brooklyn, the novel follows the coming-of-age story of a young girl named Francie Nolan. It explores themes of poverty, family, and the pursuit of education and dreams in a challenging urban environment.

The Yearling

The Yearling
"The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is a coming-of-age novel set in the Florida scrubland during the late 19th century. The story follows a young boy, Jody Baxter, and his relationship with a fawn he adopts as a pet. Rawlings' novel explores themes of family, nature, and the challenges of growing up in a rural environment. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1939.

The Outward Room

The Outward Room
When seventeen-year-old Tom learns he has tuberculosis, he is confined to a sanatorium in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. There, he must come to terms with his own mortality and his emerging homosexuality.

Invitation to the Waltz

Invitation to the Waltz
Rosamond Lehmann's enduring classic, told from the point of view of its seventeen-year-old heroine, who has been invited to her first dance Today is Olivia Curtis's seventeenth birthday. In exactly one week, she will attend her first dance. She is thrilled . . . and terrified. Will Tony Heriot ask her to dance? Will he even remember that they once attended the same costume party? What will she wear? Something bright and beautiful—red silk? In the handsome diary she receives as a gift, Olivia shares her innermost doubts and fears—about her pretty, confident older sister, Kate, her precocious baby brother, James, her eccentric country neighbors, and of course, the upcoming party, which she is sure will be the crowning event of her young life. Divided into three parts—Olivia's birthday, the day leading up to the party, and the breathtaking event itself— Invitation to the Waltz masterfully captures the conflicting emotions of a teenager on the threshold of womanhood. Will this be the night when all of Olivia's dreams come true?
21 results found


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