I’m a sort of picky reader. The last book I read was Intermezzo by Salley Rooney, which I adored! I really want to read more books with a similar feeling, not strictly similar plots. Any suggestions are welcome, I’ll look into all of them!
I’m curious about books that include any of the following…
- Competitive chess or other equally nerdy sports/games, or just any sport
- 90s – contemporary setting (not a fan of historical fiction)
- 20-something main characters (as opposed to teenagers or middle adults)
- Romance as a subplot, ideally not the only focus
- Good-quality writing, or written in a unique style (another reason I loved Intermezzo!)
- ”Regular people” characters instead of Hallmark-style cookie cutter characters, if that makes sense
- Happy or at least optimistic ending… nothing that’s going to ruin my week
I also recently read the script to Challengers, and I wish there was a novel based on it! Very interesting character dynamics and drama all through the lens of a high-speed sport.
I feel like when I’m searching with these themes, I’m seeing a mix of frilly, cheesy sports romances and the opposite end with super depressing, pretentious literary fiction. Anything in between? Thanks in advanc!
by 05java