Top 5 contemporary/fiction

What’s contemporary fiction, you ask? Excellent question. It’s real-life fiction. A story set in the real world with events that could actually happen in the real world. No space aliens, no magic abilities, no supernatural creatures or beings. Sound boring? Maybe at first. Although I like my stories with a little something extra in them, some of my favourite books are contemporary fiction.

And this week, on Top 5 Tuesday, Shanah wants to know about my top 5 contemporary fiction books. (and she wants to know yours, too, so join in!)

The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway

This might be a controversial pick. Maybe it’s considered more like a classic, maybe it’s literary fiction (whatever THAT is!) But I’m keeping it. Such a smooth read. It’s not a big book, but I read it in a single sitting.

The Corrections
by Jonathan Franzen

I had no idea what to expect when I picked this book up, and what unfolded in front of me was a wonderful story about a family that was all kinds of dysfunctional, but by the end I was left feeling like I could do anything.

Choke
by Chuck Palahniuk

This is one of the books that inspired me to give writing a real attempt. It was unlike anything I had ever read before. I’ve read a few like it since, but none that have done it on the level of Choke!

The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein

I mean, come on. Do I have to say more about this book? It’s a heart-melter.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
by Michael Chabon

Possibly another controversial pick. This one could qualify as a historical fiction, maybe it even is. It’s about a duo that creates a successful comic book in the 1930s during the rise of the comic book superhero!

Fun fact about this post: I had to look up a definition of ‘contemporary fiction’ before I could make this list.