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Quick answer: If you loved Sally Rooney, read Sally Rooney's Normal People, Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You, then Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times, then Elif Batuman's The Idiot, and Rachel Cusk's Outline and Stephanie Danler's Sweetbitter. All are sharp, intimate novels about young people and love.
Sally Rooney's Normal People and Conversations with Friends follow young people in Ireland trying to understand love and class. They are quiet and precise. These picks share her dry, honest tone.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal People | Sally Rooney | Adult | readers who like modern Irish fiction |
| Conversations with Friends | Sally Rooney | Adult | messy affairs |
| 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 |
| The Idiot | Elif Batuman | Adult | campus novels |
| Outline | Rachel Cusk | Adult | modern minimalism |
| Sweetbitter | Stephanie Danler | Adult | city life |
| Queenie | Candice Carty-Williams | Adult | readers who like modern London stories |
| Fleishman Is in Trouble | Taffy Brodesser-Akner | Adult | midlife satire |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Adult | readers who like quirky heroines |
| A Visit from the Goon Squad | Jennifer Egan | Adult | linked stories |
| The Vanishing Half | Brit Bennett | Adult | readers who want a recent bestseller |
| Americanah | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Adult | readers who want depth |
| Maame | Jessica George | Adult | readers who like coming-of-age stories |
1. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Connell and Marianne's relationship from school into adulthood. Spare and intimate.
Best for: readers who like modern Irish fiction.
2. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Frances, a college student, begins an affair with an older married man. Sharp, cool and observant.
Best for: messy affairs.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
A Turkish American student navigates her first year at Harvard. Funny, awkward and brilliant.
Best for: campus novels.
7. Outline by Rachel Cusk
A writer teaches in Athens and listens to the stories of others. Cool and thoughtful.
Best for: modern minimalism.
8. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
A young woman works at a New York restaurant and learns about food, sex and ambition. Sensory and bright.
Best for: city life.
9. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie, a Jamaican British woman in London, struggles after a breakup. Funny, honest and raw.
Best for: readers who like modern London stories.
10. Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
A man's divorce is told partly through the eyes of a friend. Sharp on modern marriage and ambition.
Best for: midlife satire.
11. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor, a lonely office worker, slowly opens up to a kind colleague. Funny, sad and healing.
Best for: readers who like quirky heroines.
12. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Linked stories follow people in the music business over decades. Inventive and funny, and a Pulitzer winner.
Best for: linked stories.
13. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Twin sisters from a small Black town take different paths, one passing as white. Compelling and modern.
Best for: readers who want a recent bestseller.
14. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ifemelu and Obinze leave Nigeria and reunite years later. A big, wise novel about race and love.
Best for: readers who want depth.
15. Maame by Jessica George
Maddie, a young Ghanaian British woman, cares for her father and tries to find her own life. Funny and poignant.
Best for: readers who like coming-of-age stories.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Sally Rooney: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Sally Rooney. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the closest match, read The Idiot, Outline or Exciting Times. For friendship and romance, try Sweetbitter or Queenie. For a gentler read, pick Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sally Rooney?
An Irish novelist.
What is her best-known book?
Normal People.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, Normal People was adapted for TV in 2020.
Which book here is best for readers who like coming-of-age stories?
Try Maame by Jessica George, which suits readers looking for readers who like coming-of-age stories.
Which book here is best for readers who want depth?
Try Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which suits readers looking for readers who want depth.
Which book here is best for readers who want a recent bestseller?
Try The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, which suits readers looking for readers who want a recent bestseller.
Which book here is best for linked stories?
Try A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, which suits readers looking for linked stories.