Books like…

Books Like My Brilliant Friend

by Elena Ferrante · about this book

Loved My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante? If its literary fiction, series and series starter hooked you, these 20 books hit the same notes — starting with The Wolf Den, Bringing Down the Duke and The Seamstress. Every pick is matched by what’s actually inside the book, not just its genre, and we skip other books by the same author so you find someone new.

What’s inside My Brilliant Friend: Literary Fiction · Series · Series Starter · Female Friendship · Historical Fiction

1. 

   The Wolf Den

   Elodie Harper

   Female Friendship · Series Starter · Feminism · Historical Fiction · Classism

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2. 

   Bringing Down the Duke

   Evie Dunmore

   Female Friendship · Working-Class Protagonist · Historical Fiction · Series Starter · Classism

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3. 

   The Seamstress

   Frances de Pontes Peebles

   Class Struggle · Literary Fiction · Classism · Feminism · Historical Fiction

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4. 

   The Outsiders

   S.E. Hinton

   Class Struggle · Working-Class Protagonist · Literary Fiction · Classism · Coming of Age

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5. 

   The Bookbinder

   Pip Williams

   Female Friendship · Literary Fiction · Historical Fiction · Classism · Working-Class Protagonist

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6. 

   Memoirs of a Geisha

   Arthur Golden

   Classism · Literary Fiction · Historical Fiction · Friendship and Betrayal · Coming of Age

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7. 

   Fall of Giants

   Ken Follett

   Working-Class Protagonist · Class Struggle · Series Starter · Classism · Feminism

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8. 

   Jane Eyre

   Charlotte Bronte

   Working-Class Protagonist · Literary Fiction · Classism · Historical Fiction · Feminism

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9. 

   Ham On Rye

   Charles Bukowski

   Bullying · Literary Fiction · Working-Class Protagonist · Classism · Toxic Family Dynamics

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10. 

    Wolf Hall

    Hilary Mantel

    Working-Class Protagonist · Literary Fiction · Historical Fiction · Classism · Series Starter

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11. 

    The Other Bennet Sister

    Janice Hadlow

    Historical Fiction · Coming of Age · Feminism · Toxic Family Dynamics · Classism

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12. 

    Red Rising

    Pierce Brown

    Class Struggle · Series Starter · Working-Class Protagonist · Friendship and Betrayal · Classism

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13. 

    Little Women

    Louisa May Alcott

    Feminism · Historical Fiction · Classism · Female Friendship · Coming of Age

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14. 

    Threadneedle

    Cari Thomas

    Female Friendship · Friendship and Betrayal · Series Starter · Coming of Age · Character-Driven

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15. 

    Dawn of Wonder

    Jonathan Renshaw

    Bullying · Series Starter · Toxic Family Dynamics · Friendship and Betrayal · Coming of Age

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16. 

    Red Queen

    Victoria Aveyard

    Class Struggle · Series Starter · Classism · Friendship and Betrayal · Series

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17. 

    The Once and Future Witches

    Alix E. Harrow

    Female Friendship · Toxic Family Dynamics · Historical Fiction · Class Struggle · Feminism

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18. 

    Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All

    Laura Ruby

    Working-Class Protagonist · Historical Fiction · Coming of Age · Toxic Family Dynamics · Literary Fiction

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19. 

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee

    Literary Fiction · Classism · Historical Fiction · Coming of Age · Character-Driven

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20. 

    City on Fire

    Don Winslow

    Organized Crime · Working-Class Protagonist · Series Starter · Friendship and Betrayal · Series

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