6 of My Favorite Contemporary Novels of All Time

If anyone talks to me for five minutes about books, they will learn really quickly that I am a contemporary girl through and through. Sometimes I might ease out of my comfort zone and check out a vampire or obsess over fae, but I tend to gravitate towards contemporary. I think it’s because I cut my teeth on it, from my early days of reading Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, Judy Blume’s Margaret and Deenie, and then assorted teen books of that era. Contemporary was pretty much all we had, except for some Christopher Pike and RL Stine.

Here’s what I like about contemporary novels:
• They’re set in worlds with rules I understand.
• No strange monsters.
• No suns that set in the morning and rose at night.
• There’s almost always a love story lurking around, or maybe even center stage!

When I was asked to talk about contemporary novels I love, my favorite of all time, I panicked. I know and respect so many authors. I love their work. But I suppose, if I had to choose, I’m going to think of those books I reach for when I’m craving “comfort food.” Books that aren’t necessarily current, but are set in our world. Words that are familiar, stories that make me smile because I remember how they make me feel, how those characters stick with me long after the cover is closed. Every single time.

So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite contemporary novels of all time!

 

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Dreamland by Sarah Dressen

In it, Caitlin feels that she has lost herself when her older sister runs away. But the real loss doesn’t start until she gets involved with the mysterious and dangerous Rogerson. This book haunts me because it shows how easy it is to get involved with someone, to love deeply the person who hurts you the most, physically and emotionally. How that love turns someone into a shell, trying to keep the next incident from happening. This book is my favorite by Sarah and what got me hooked on her writing.

 

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You by Caroline Kepnes

The novel on which the Netflix series You is based, this novel gets into a stalker and serial killer Joe Goldberg’s head even more than the show does. You get a deep, firsthand account about his obsession with Beck, and how he rationalizes every terrible thing he does. It’s an addictive, dangerous, disturbing read, and I enjoy it because it gives me conflicted feelings that make me think deeply about my ideas of romance, love, and obsession.

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Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer

This book follows Tess McPhail, a mega-famous country singer, who comes home to her small town to take care of her mother after hip surgery. I love the inside look at the life of a country music superstar before the era of streaming and digital downloads, and her frustrations with this small-town life after her fancy life as a performer and recording artist, and producer. I enjoy watching her fall in love with the guy next door who she hated as a teen. This was one of the first romance books I’ve read and it still gives me warm fuzzies, even as I read it with a different lens according to how I grow and change and learn.

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Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

A classic. I enjoyed this book as a kid growing up, but when I became a parent, I appreciated Ramona’s honest take on being a kid, especially a kid in a house where there are financial issues, cranky parents and siblings, and a teacher who might or might not like her. We see frankly the humiliation of getting sick at school, and the comfort of a mommy taking time off work to take care of you, even though money is short and they need the income.

Adults often forget how big problems can seem to a kid, and this really helps me understand their thought processes and point of view. Also, I really, really love the Whopperburger scene. Everything sounds so yummy!

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My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I always love a love story, and this book is one of the best ones. Samantha, wealthy, spoiled, but a good person at heart, is deeply curious about the family that lives next door. They are the exact opposite of what she’s been taught is acceptable. Her world is a spotless kitchen, vacuum lines in the rug, quiet, quiet. But next door, there is chaos. A big, raucous family dealing with their big, raucous issues. Sam is fascinated, especially by one of the kids, a hottie her age named Jase. The two falls in love, and his family embraces her while she has to hide him from hers. It’s a whirlwind journey, and I love that Sam is so well-rounded, that Jase’s family is so colorful, and that the world Huntley built is so vibrant.

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna Oliphant gets sent to France, against her will, to attend her senior year in high school. Not really a hardship in my book but Anna had her heart set on staying in Atlanta with her friends, the guy she liked, and her little brother, who she adores. But things in France turn interesting, fast, when she falls for St. Clair. The chemistry between these two is undeniable, but he has a girlfriend. The will they, won’t they is fab in this book, but what’s even better is that despite all the underlying sexual tension, Anna and St. Clair develop a real friendship. St. Clair is one of the most real love interests I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and this book is one of my all-time favorites.

This is just a sample of all the contemporary novels I absolutely love, books that have absolutely shaped my own writing and inspired my own stories. Most of these books are older, but that’s what makes them special for me. They’re like a warm blanket on a cold day: comforting, fuzzy, and familiar.

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