The 10 Best Books Like Normal People You Need To Read

Thanks to its richly drawn characters, relatable coming-of-age narrative, and smart commentary on the challenges of modern relationships, Sally Rooney’s Normal People has become a global phenomenon. If you’re a fan of either the original book or the TV show, you’re going to love the ten books like Normal People we’ve selected for this list.

Conversations With Friends- Sally Rooney

If you want to try out more of Sally Rooney’s work, I’d recommend you go back and read the author’s debut novel, Conversations With Friends. The book’s main character, Frances, is a college-age Dublin resident whose life begins to get more complicated when she and her friend, Bobbi, meet a young journalist, Melissa, and her husband, Nick. The connection between Frances and Nick starts off on a strange foot but begins to deepen through a series of interesting conversations that lead to something more. Like Normal People, individual lines of dialogue can lead to fascinating philosophical questions.

The Rachel Incident- Caroline O’Donoghue

The Rachel Incident begins with the titular character meeting her quirky coworker, James, who quickly becomes her best friend and roommate. The pair work at a bookshop and attempt to navigate their twenties together. When Rachel begins to fall for her English professor, Dr. Byrne, James helps her set up a book signing that will bring her closer to her crush. The complications involved with the relationships that follow this event comment on the complexities of modern dating in a similar fashion to Normal People. Bonus points for this book also taking place in Ireland.

Call Me By Your Name- André Aciman

There aren’t many modern romance books out there that feel as genuine and heartfelt as Call Me By Your Name. The novel begins in the early days of summer when Elio’s parents welcome an American colleague named Oliver to their summer villa in the Italian countryside. Elio and Oliver begin to cautiously learn more about one another, and over several weeks, a deep bond starts to grow between them. Unlike the acclaimed film adaption, Aciman’s book gives us the thoughts and desires of Elio from a first-person perspective, which makes for a truly impactful reading experience.

Tender- Belinda McKeon

The first third of Belinda McKeon’s Tender will feel very familiar to fans of Normal People. The book starts with a young girl named Catherine moving from a small town in the Irish countryside to Dublin so that she can attend her first year at Trinity College. There, she meets James, who quickly becomes her friend and ends up having a profound influence on her life. Over time, however, the two begin to head their separate ways, which causes Catherine to latch on to James even more tightly than before. It’s then that the novel showcases the true dangers of obsession.

The Country Girls- Edna O’Brien

The Country Girls is an influential Irish novel that was first released in 1960. Its discussions of sexuality and women’s education were ahead of their time, to the point where the book was, for a time after its publication, banned by the Irish censorship board. The narrative tracks the journey of two girls, Cait and Baba, from their convent school to the streets of Dublin. The book offers the perfect balance between romance, sadness, and comedy. Despite its age, it’s still surprisingly relatable for the modern reader. It’s the first of three books in a trilogy and is followed by the 1962 novel The Lonely Girl.

Brooklyn- Colm Tóibín

In the early 1950s, Eilis Lacey embarks upon a voyage from her native country of Ireland to America. She has little more than the clothes on her back and the promise of a job thanks to a local priest. When she meets and falls in love with Tony, she begins to realize that her real home is wherever he is. Later, when a sudden family incident occurs, she must decide between reclaiming her old life in Ireland or continuing to follow her dreams in New York. Brooklyn was also adapted into a fantastic film with Saoirse Ronan. Whether you read it or watch it, you’ll find it to be an immensely moving tale.

The Sound of Waves- Yukio Mishima

The Sound of Waves is a coming-of-age novel that touches on how divides in social class can affect relationships. The story takes place on a small Japanese island, where one of the main characters, Shinji, works as a fisherman. His love interest is the daughter of one of the island’s wealthiest figures, and as a result, he’ll have to navigate the rumors and gossip that come from living in such an isolated town in order to convince everyone of his genuine intentions. The characters are fascinating, and the setting has both a substantial influence on the plot and a rich metaphorical meaning.

Exciting Times- Naoise Dolan

Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times centers around a main character who has many of the same struggles as Connell and Marianne from Normal People. When Ava moves from Ireland to Hong Kong, she struggles to make ends meet until she finds the companionship of a rich financial professional named Julian. As Ava begins to question her place in Julian’s life and within the patriarchy that comes with her position, she meets a woman named Edith, who enchants her. However, Ava finds commitment challenging and must first confront herself in order to move forward with either of her romantic interests.

Emma- Jane Austen

The characters in Normal People have more than a few ties to the Jane Austen novel Emma. In the most literal sense, Connell reads this book in the early months of his Trinity College studies and feels an emotional connection with the characters when they’re unable to see the love that’s right before their eyes. However, the situation that Emma and Mr. Knightley have is somewhat mirrored by Connell’s own attachment to Marianne. The writing in this classic novel is beautiful and immensely satisfying, and the characters are stunningly drawn. There’s charm, wit, and plenty of small relatable details that give this book some serious staying power even after you’ve finished reading the last page.

Normal People: The Scripts- Sally Rooney

The Normal People Scripts are a fascinating look at the inner workings of the TV show adaption of Rooney’s work and a must-have collector’s item for fans. The hardcover edition has a handful of gorgeous stills from the show printed in color in the middle of the book. Plus, there is a short forward from the director in the opening pages. The quality of the show’s dialogue is readily apparent here, and as a reading experience, this book is just as smart and emotionally satisfying as the original.

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