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Quick answer: If you liked Conversations with Friends, read Sally Rooney's Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, then try Exciting Times, Luster, Queenie and Writers & Lovers. They share sharp narrators, messy love and quiet, precise writing.
Rooney writes about young people in complicated relationships, with dry dialogue and a clear-eyed view of class and love. These picks share that restrained, observant style. Most focus on young women finding themselves. All are real books, and all are adult fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal People | Sally Rooney | Adult | Rooney fans |
| Beautiful World, Where Are You | Sally Rooney | Adult | readers who like ideas |
| Intermezzo | Sally Rooney | Adult | latest Rooney |
| Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Adult | dry-humor readers |
| Luster | Raven Leilani | Adult | bold voices |
| Real Life | Brandon Taylor | Adult | campus novels |
| Queenie | Candice Carty-Williams | Adult | messy-life stories |
| Acts of Desperation | Megan Nolan | Adult | dark love stories |
| Writers & Lovers | Lily King | Adult | aspiring writers |
| My Brilliant Friend | Elena Ferrante | Adult | friendship epics |
| Sorrow and Bliss | Meg Mason | Adult | funny-sad novels |
| Heartburn | Nora Ephron | Adult | divorce comedies |
| Open Water | Caleb Azumah Nelson | Adult | lyrical romances |
| Dept. of Speculation | Jenny Offill | Adult | fragment lovers |
| Ghosts | Dolly Alderton | Adult | dating comedies |
1. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Marianne and Connell drift together and apart through school and university. The obvious next read, and a quietly devastating one.
Best for: Rooney fans.
2. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Four friends trade emails and romances. A more reflective Rooney, with long letters about life and meaning.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
3. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Two brothers cope with the death of their father. Rooney's newest work is a close look at grief and love.
Best for: latest Rooney.
4. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
An Irish teacher in Hong Kong is torn between two people. Dry, witty and observant.
Best for: dry-humor readers.
5. Luster by Raven Leilani
A young Black artist enters an odd relationship with a married couple. Sharp, strange and very funny.
Best for: bold voices.
6. Real Life by Brandon Taylor
A Black gay graduate student in a Midwestern science lab faces a weekend of change. Quiet, honest and moving.
Best for: campus novels.
7. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
A young Jamaican British woman in London spirals after a breakup. Funny, honest and sad.
Best for: messy-life stories.
8. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan
A young Irish woman loses herself in an all-consuming relationship. Intense and unflinching.
Best for: dark love stories.
9. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
A waitress writes a novel while choosing between two men. Warm, wry and honest about creative life.
Best for: aspiring writers.
10. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Two girls grow up in postwar Naples. Intense female friendship drives the first Neapolitan novel.
Best for: friendship epics.
11. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Martha's life is shaped by an undiagnosed illness. Funny, sad and surprisingly warm.
Best for: funny-sad novels.
12. Heartburn by Nora Ephron
A cookbook writer discovers her husband's affair. Witty and bitter in equal measure.
Best for: divorce comedies.
13. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Two Black Londoners fall in love as the city weighs on them. Lyrical, short and intense.
Best for: lyrical romances.
14. Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
A fragmentary portrait of a marriage. Short, clever and emotionally precise.
Best for: fragment lovers.
15. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
A food writer's dating life hits a wall in her thirties. Funny and honest about modern love.
Best for: dating comedies.
How to Choose
If you want more Rooney, start with Normal People. For humor, choose Exciting Times, Queenie or Ghosts. For a darker take, try Acts of Desperation. For a classic about female friendship, pick My Brilliant Friend. For short, lyrical reads, try Open Water or Dept. of Speculation. Do not expect plot twists. The pleasure in these books is the voice and the way small moments carry weight, so give each one a few chapters before deciding. If you enjoy audiobooks, Rooney's novels work well read aloud by Irish narrators. Whatever you pick, borrow it from a library or sample the first chapter before buying. Tastes in this genre vary, and a few pages will show whether the voice suits you. Check the page counts in the table so you can plan your reading time.
Related: 15 Books Like It Ends with Us You’ll Love: Emotional Romance and Hard Choices · What Age Is It Ends with Us Appropriate For? A Parent’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after Conversations with Friends?
Normal People is the easiest next step. After that, try Exciting Times or Luster for similar voices.
Do I need to read Rooney in order?
No. Each novel stands alone, so start wherever you like.
Why is Rooney so popular?
Her spare style, honest dialogue and focus on class and young love make her novels easy to read and hard to forget.
Are there lighter alternatives?
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton and Queenie are lighter and funnier, though both have sad turns.
Is Conversations with Friends a love story?
It is more a study of attraction, friendship and honesty than a classic romance. The love triangle is only part of the story.
Are the books similar to the TV series?
The Hulu series follows the plot closely, but the books give more of Frances's inner voice.
Which book is best for Rooney readers who want something lighter?
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton and Queenie are funnier, though both still deal with serious feelings.
Are these books good for book clubs?
Yes. They raise questions about class, honesty and desire, which makes for lively discussion.