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Quick answer: If you loved Where'd You Go, Bernadette, read Today Will Be Different, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, A Man Called Ove and The Rosie Project. All feature quirky narrators and a warm, funny look at modern life.
Maria Semple's novel tells the story of a missing architect mother through emails, letters and her daughter's search. It mixes satire, family warmth and a sharp look at Seattle life. The books below share that comic, human tone and offbeat heroes. Most are adult contemporary fiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today Will Be Different | Maria Semple | Adult | more Semple |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Adult | quirky heroines |
| A Man Called Ove | Fredrik Backman | Adult | grump-with-a-heart stories |
| Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | Adult | ensemble comedy |
| Britt-Marie Was Here | Fredrik Backman | Adult | late-life reinvention |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Adult | romantic comedy |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Rachel Joyce | Adult | gentle journeys |
| Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty | Adult | domestic satire |
| Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Adult | suburban drama |
| Dear Committee Members | Julie Schumacher | Adult | letter-format humor |
| Fleishman Is in Trouble | Taffy Brodesser-Akner | Adult | midlife satire |
| Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan | Adult | escapist comedy |
| Bridget Jones's Diary | Helen Fielding | Adult | diary humor |
| The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows | Adult | epistolary charm |
| This One Is Mine | Maria Semple | Adult | Semple completists |
1. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
A cartoonist tries to be a better person for one day and fails in spectacular, funny ways. Semple's second novel keeps the same wit and the same love for chaotic women.
Best for: more Semple.
2. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely Glasgow office worker with a rigid routine slowly opens up to others. Funny, sad and full of the same odd confidence as Bernadette.
Best for: quirky heroines.
3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
A grumpy widower is drawn into the lives of his new neighbors. Backman mixes comedy and grief and ends with plenty of heart.
Best for: grump-with-a-heart stories.
4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A failed bank robber takes hostages at an apartment viewing. A funny, humane mystery about regular people under stress.
Best for: ensemble comedy.
5. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
A fussy woman takes a job at a small-town recreation center. Warm, awkward and a gentle look at starting over.
Best for: late-life reinvention.
6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A genetics professor designs a questionnaire to find a wife. A romantic comedy with an unusual, lovable hero.
Best for: romantic comedy.
7. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
A retired man sets out to walk the length of England to save a friend. Quiet, funny and moving.
Best for: gentle journeys.
8. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Three mothers and a school trivia night end in a suspicious death. Sharp, funny and full of secrets.
Best for: domestic satire.
9. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A tidy Ohio suburb is shaken by a mysterious mother and daughter. Smart and tense, with a satirical look at privilege.
Best for: suburban drama.
10. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
An English professor's letters of recommendation reveal his life. A short, laugh-out-loud epistolary novel.
Best for: letter-format humor.
11. 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.
12. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
A professor visits Singapore and meets her boyfriend's very rich family. Glittering, gossipy and funny.
Best for: escapist comedy.
13. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
A British woman records her year of self-improvement and love. The model for funny, relatable female narrators.
Best for: diary humor.
14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Letters tell how a book club formed during the Nazi occupation. Witty, warm and full of eccentrics.
Best for: epistolary charm.
15. This One Is Mine by Maria Semple
A wealthy Los Angeles woman risks everything for a musician. Semple's debut, a sharp and funny novel of discontent.
Best for: Semple completists.
How to Choose
For more Semple, read Today Will Be Different. For lovable misfits, try Eleanor Oliphant, A Man Called Ove or The Rosie Project. For letters and emails, pick Dear Committee Members or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. For suburban satire, try Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere. Many of these books are quick to read and work well as audiobooks, so they suit busy schedules and long commutes. If you want a shorter or longer commitment, check the page counts: Dear Committee Members is a quick afternoon read, while Crazy Rich Asians and Big Little Lies take a few evenings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Where'd You Go, Bernadette a funny book?
Yes. Semple uses satire and absurd situations to poke fun at modern parenting, tech and Seattle life.
How is the book structured?
It tells the story through emails, letters, memos and narration by Bernadette's daughter Bee.
Is there a movie?
A 2019 film starred Cate Blanchett, though the book is more detailed and funnier.
What age is it for?
It is written for adults but is suitable for older teens.
Which book is most like Bernadette?
Eleanor Oliphant and Today Will Be Different share her quirky voice and sharp humor.
Is Maria Semple's work similar to her TV writing?
Semple wrote for shows such as Arrested Development and Mad About You, and her novels share that comic timing.