Contemporary Fiction Books

An internationally bestselling author, Matt Haig has written over 20 books and has been translated into more than 50 languages around the world.

He’s known for writing deeply personal work, with many of his books inspired by his own struggles with depression and anxiety. Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt’s memoir, which stayed in the top ten of the British chart for 10 weeks. His fiction book, The Midnight Library, contains similar themes and has sold more than 10 million copies, winning a Goodreads Choice Award in 2020.

A New York Times bestselling author, Rhys Bowen is an enormously popular mystery/crime writer who’s real name is Janet Quin-Harkin.

To date she has sold around 10 million books in over 30 languages, and won a number of major prizes including the Agatha Awards, the Anthony Awards and the Macavity Awards.

A Japanese writer who’s books have been translated into several languages across the world, Satoshi Yagisawa’s whimsical slice of life stories have been well received in the UK.

Yagisawa’s first two books about the Morisaki Bookshop are based on the Jimbocho region of Tokyo, which is known for its abundance of bookshops covering all types and specialities. His debut novel, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, is critically acclaimed and won the Chiyoda Literature Prize in 2009.

The hit novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones and the Six is a New York Times bestseller and the first book in TJR’s famous fictional women quartet.

First published in 2019, the book was adapted into a miniseries for Amazon Prime in 2023. Well received by critics and fans alike, the series was accompanied by an album which reached the top 40 of the UK’s Official Album Chart.

Published in 2017, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo forms one part of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s quartet featuring famous fictional women.

The story follows a 1950s movie star as she unravels the secrets of her past. It’s a fantastic read that was well received by critics and gained huge popularity on TikTok, selling more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

The book is currently being adapted into a movie by Netflix, and is set to be directed by Maggie Betts (who replaces Leslye Headland).

Evie Woods is the pen name for internationally bestselling author, Evie Gaughan. Born in Galway, Ireland, Evie describes her books as modern fairytales that blend history, myth and wonder.

Her first breakthrough title, The Lost Bookshop, was published in 2023 and has since sold more than one million copies, and been translated into 30 languages around the world.

Here are all of her books in publication order.

Helen Fielding is the author of the legendary Bridget Jones book series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.

The first book, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was first published in 1996 and adapted into a highly successful movie starring Renée Zellweger. Fielding later wrote an additional 3 books, with the last being penned in 2016. The fourth movie in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy, was released in 2025.

First published in 1996, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding has sold millions of copies around the world, with an enduring appeal that relates to several generations of women.

The books themselves were published in an order that doesn’t follow the story chronologically, and I have to admit, it’s something that I’ve found incredibly confusing in the past. The movies, on the other hand, do follow the chronological order of the story, instead of the publication date of the books.

Born in California in 1960, Kristin Hannah is best known for her multimillion copy bestselling novel The Nightingale.

Hannah’s first published book, A Handful of Heaven, was released in 1991. She has continued to write prolifically since then and now has more than 20 novels to her name. Her very first book, however, was written with her mother who has since passed away from cancer. That novel remains unpublished.