10 Must-Read Literary Novels

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Here are ten fantastic literary novels about a variety of important themes, including feminsm, race, war, gender, love, tradition, and so much more!
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[@RachaelsLibrary]

My fave post: recommendations from Willow. You have a sophisticated taste, I'm all ears 💕

[@professor_handricka]

I need to stop watching your videos, everytime I'll add at least 5+ books to my to-read list, lol. But for real, thank you. I love reading, but honestly I couldnt pick up a book and finish it in ages. Since I found your channel 4 months ago I'm on my 16th book and I cant get enough. Im currently reading Breast and Eggs, and only after couple of pages in, I know its gonna be a treat. Thank you again for helping me find a way back! ❤

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Oh wow, I’m so happy for you! 💜

[@Tutankhamun18Reads]

Fantastic definition of literary fiction at the start. Watching this has made me realise that I just sort of accepted what literary fiction was and particularly vs. commerical fiction w/o really trying to grasp what it is acctually. Thanks for sparking some interesting thoughts!

[@drew037]

i LOVED bellies. just discovered your channel and im excited to check out some of these other recs!

[@sylviakanel9766]

So now that I have encountered your take on Convenience Store Woman several times in different videos I realize I have developed a great desire to read it. What a different experience from the usual way I encounter a book through reviews, Willow. It's like encountering a person several times in different situations and finally realizing how much I want to start being very intentional about getting to know that person in a deeper way than mere happenstance allows. Thank you!

[@flyleafdiaries1819]

I tried reading Chain-Gang All-Stars on audio and had to dnf it because it was too overwhelming, but I’ve ordered the hardback because I think that experience will be more conducive. From everything I’ve heard it just ticks so many boxes for me-the American prison system, capitalism, racism-I can’t imagine I won’t appreciate it.

[@iamangieh]

the books mentioned 🫡 the remains of the day *kazuo* *ishiguro* i'm a fan *sheena* *patel* second place *rachel* *cusk* finger bone *hiroki* *takahashi* shy *max* *porter* breasts and eggs *mieko* *kawakami* convenience store woman *sayaka* *murata* mrs. s *k.* *patrick* bellies *nicola* *dinan* chain-gang all-stars *nana* *kwame* *adjei-brenyah*

[@vitareads]

Wonderful recommendations as always! Most of these are on my TBR, but I've only read Convenience Store Woman so far, and I loved it. 🖤

[@hazelsun8493]

I loved Second Place! Thank you for such a great recommendation for this. I’ve heard so many people talk about it and not get it. I think it might be time for a reread.

[@Rinn421]

Thanks for making this video! I wrote down a few that I wanna check out including convenience store woman. It’s been on my radar for a while but the way you described it makes me wanna read this this august. 😊

[@aldakendall4921]

Well, there goes the tbr list. I will need a reading day now.

[@potatosocreepy7778]

Just wanna say you’re my favorite booktuber ❤

[@AlFrBu]

The Remains of the Day is also my favorite novel. Cheers!

[@itsGabrielaCristina]

Well… added like 5 more books to my wishlist! 😂 Thanks, Willow! I love your reviews.

[@kellymcfarlane6120]

Ohhhhhhhh ok you convinced me to read all of these… including the ones I already read 😂 particularly intrigued by Mrs S.

[@bobbykeniston7240]

As always, thanks for your recommendations! Ishiguro is also one of my absolute favorite living authors, and Sayaka Murata and Mieko Kawakami are becoming others (thanks to your channel introducing me to them!) . Have you read any Jesmyn Ward? She is one of my favorites as well, and I think her "Sing, Unburied, Sing" is perhaps my favorite American novel of the last twenty years

[@isirlasplace91]

15:49 I definitely need to read this book. After doing the married thing and having children, I got divorced and have been single for 17 years now with no interest in being in a relationship ever again. I'm very close to my kids and I have friends and family and that's enough for me. But according to my family, "I'm doing it wrong!! I should find another husband!" Uhh, no thanks!? And who's to say I wouldn't want a wife instead?! Come to think of it, I should get a gf!! Haha, make those French prissy conservatives' tongues wagging😂

[@vitoriar8753]

i've had Mrs. S release marked on my calendar since before it's release!! haven't been able to read it yet bc the transportation fee to my country is ridiculous but now that you've talked about it i'm even more eager to get to it 😅😩

[@tesswood411]

I absolutely loved "Woman, Eating" by Claire Kohda. The book was honestly the best lit fic I've read all year. Who doesn't love a modern day vampire obsessed with humanity and battling her hunger in a multitude of ways.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I have it but still haven’t gotten to it

[@im_a_passenger]

This is the first time I am commenting on your video, even though I have been following you for a couple of months and have watched so many of your videos (sorry) Thank you for sharing your opinions and views on each book. I initially found your channel while searching for more contemporary Japanese novels to read, and it turns out I now have a pile of horror novels in my collection. 😂As a slow, non-English native reader, it might take me a while to read them all. Nevertheless, the books in this genre are exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again for your wonderful videosit's so nice to discover more books from various types of authors from different backgrounds, genders, and races Breasts and Eggs and Convenience Store Woman are my all-time favorites too!

[@KDbooks]

Cusk being described as the “Queen of Literary Fiction” sent shivers down my spine. I need a moment to reflect on this 😅

[@WillowTalksBooks]

That’s fair

[@philstrand]

Thanks for this list! Breast and Eggs is one of the greatest things I’ve ever read. And Chain-Gang All-Stars is astonishing both in its construction and its blistering critique of the American prison industrial complex. It left me crushed and amazed. I need to read more Ishiguro and Porter but they’re both authors whose works astound me. By the way, I wanted to offer the viewpoint that literary fiction is, itself, a genre. A very flexible one, but a genre nonetheless with its own typical concerns, subject matter, style, and tone. As I tend to view it, any fiction writer who thinks they’re not writing within a genre is simply mistaken. Even if they’ve created their own genre by combination, such as W.G. Sebald or Clarice Lispector. Just a thought.

[@queenmotherbug]

Kazuo Ishiguro is a brilliant novelist. My favorite book by him is oft-overlooked and more polarizing to readers-- The Unconsoled. It's bizarre and dreamlike and thought-provoking. It's not always an easy read, but it's fascinating and left me thinking about it long after I finished reading it.

[@rachel1021]

I just noticed that The Wind that Lays Waste is featured in the article. I'm planning to read that for WIT month :) Some literary novels I've read and enjoyed recently are Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell, Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova, Witches by Brenda Lozano (translated by Heather Cleary), and The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter by Soraya Palmer. And I'm really liking Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns, then soon I'm going to start Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst. I'm such a sucker for literary novels. :D

[@keys2stone1984]

I've been watching recently your videos..and this vid made me hit Subscribe after... I've been looking for more book recommendation that explores book selection I can relate too and includes book Id prefer. Most are based on booktok or whatsoever that's popular..but yours is eclectic and recently my vibe for TBR. Thank you for the list. New fan & subscriber here from the Philippines 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇭

[@amysmith1044]

Please do a video on Eve babitz❤ would love to hear your thoughts on her as I respect your views so much❤

[@o_o-lj1ym]

I love your definition of literary fiction

[@radiantchristina]

As always, excellent recommendations 😘

[@kmaggs7804]

Great reviews. Thanks.

[@Rosonicole]

Thank you for this!

[@veschannel]

These are amazing book recommendations! Thank you so much for sharing them. And I am so happy that Breasts and Eggs is included here since it is also one of my favorite books of all time. 😊❤

[@wsmith4020]

I'm very interested in this Shy book 👀

[@jackseney7906]

Yes "Second Place" was impressive in that most abundantly clear of ways: I could not put it down until I was done with it. Oh yeah, and because it was short 😁😸 I need to read "Breasts and Eggs" which is NOT short, but considering it's Kawakami I figure I will burn right through it. Thank you for including Sayaka Murata here and for being one of those who introduced me to her 👍

[@stephenholloway9395]

Check out all max porters novellas, fantastic author

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I have. I’m sure I mentioned that in the video

[@stephenholloway9395]

@@WillowTalksBooks 👍

[@steveurick3044]

It’s scary when you get me all hyped to read Second Place, which I had been ambivalent about, and then give high praise to Convenience Store Woman, which (I’m sorry) I found vapid…but I guess we all just have different tastes…

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I guess so

[@steveurick3044]

@@WillowTalksBooks Anyway, sorry to be somewhat negative with my first comment. I really like your channel and you’ve introduced me to lots of books that I would not have encountered otherwise. Peace and love!

[@ThilagamNagaraj]

Ol

[@josephr9930]

these books sound amazing, going to read some of these for sure 🧐🙂🙃🤔

[@spexi513]

Read I’m A Fan recently and was blown away - it’s a literary achievement imo 📖🪱💚