Recommendations based on What's Eating Gilbert Grapeby Peter Hedges

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Pay It Forward

    by Catherine Ryan Hyde
    A young boy's inspiring acts of kindness to others, sparking a movement of generosity and compassion.

    When twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney begins seventh grade in Atascadero , California, his social studies teacher gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The First Wives Club

    by Olivia Goldsmith
    Three middle-aged women seek revenge on their ex-husbands who left them for younger women. A humorous and empowering story of friendship and second chances.

    Don't get mad. Get everything. When their best friend commits suicide over her divorce, Elise, Brenda and Annie decide enough is enough. Each was crucial to her husband's career. But now that the men ... (Goodreads)

  3. Forrest Gump

    by Winston Groom
    A story of an intellectually disabled man's incredible journey through life, with all its turns and surprises.

    Forrest Gump, named after Klu Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest , narrates the story of his life. The author uses misspellings and grammatical errors to indicate his Southern accent, ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

    by Jonathan Safran Foer
    A young boy's quest to find the lock that matches a mysterious key his father left behind.

    Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and ... (Goodreads)

  5. Beaches

    by Iris Rainer Dart
    A lifelong friendship between two women, their ups and downs, and how they support each other through life's challenges.

    Loudmouthed, redheaded Cee Cee Bloom has her sights set on Hollywood. Bertie White, quiet and conservative, dreams of getting married and having children. In 1951, their childhood worlds collide in ... (Goodreads)

  6. Nine Stories

    by J.D. Salinger
    Nine short stories of insight into the human condition and its mysteries.

    Nine Stories (1953) is a collection of short stories by American fiction writer J. D. Salinger published in April 1953. It includes two of his most famous short stories, "A Perfect Day for ... (Goodreads)

  7. High Fidelity

    by Nick Hornby
    A man reflects on his past relationships while trying to understand the nature of love.

    Rob Fleming is a 35-year-old man who owns a record shop in London called Championship Vinyl. His lawyer girlfriend, Laura, has just left him and now he's going through a crisis. At his record shop, ... (Wikipedia)

  8. A Confederacy of Dunces

    by John Kennedy Toole
    A satirical tale of an eccentric slacker's misadventures in New Orleans.

    Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found, here, "A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles ... (Goodreads)

  9. Ellen Foster

    by Kaye Gibbons
    A young girl's struggle to find a permanent home and family in the face of abuse and neglect.

    Ellen is an only child who does not have a real home, even at the time when both her parents are still alive. Her father is " trash " and has a drinking problem , and the whole atmosphere is one of ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Icy Sparks

    by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
    A young girl with Tourette's syndrome navigates life in rural Kentucky during the 1950s.

    The story focuses on a grown-up Icy Sparks recounting her childhood and adolescence struggling with accusations of Tourette's Syndrome . The novel begins with Icy Sparks, a 10-year-old girl living in ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The Descendants

    by Kaui Hart Hemmings
    A man's journey to come to terms with his family's past, and the future of his home.

    Matthew King was once considered one of the most fortunate men in Hawaii. His missionary ancestors were financially and culturally progressive—one even married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a ... (Wikipedia)

  12. The Education of Little Tree

    by Forrest Carter
    A young Native American boy is taken in by his grandparents and learns about their way of life and the importance of nature.

    The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Corrections

    by Jonathan Franzen
    A family drama exploring the complexities of relationships, aging and life’s choices.

    The novel shifts back and forth through the late 20th century, intermittently following spouses Alfred and Enid Lambert as they raise their children Gary, Chip, and Denise in the traditional ... (Wikipedia)

  14. The Virgin Suicides

    by Jeffrey Eugenides
    A dark and mysterious tale about the mysterious suicides of five teenage sisters in a suburban town.

    As an ambulance arrives for the body of Cecilia Lisbon, a group of anonymous adolescent neighborhood boys recalls the events leading up to her death. The Lisbons are a Catholic family living in the ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Out

    by Natsuo Kirino
    Exploration of the dark side of modern society through the story of four female factory workers.

    The novel tells the tales of four women, working the graveyard shift at a Japanese bento factory. All four women live hard lives. Masako, the leader of the four women, feels completely alienated from ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Brokeback Mountain

    by Annie Proulx
    Forbidden love between two cowboys exploring their sexuality and emotions in a hostile environment.

    Annie Proulx has written some of the most original and brilliant short stories in contemporary literature, and for many readers and reviewers, "Brokeback Mountain" is her masterpiece. Ennis del Mar ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Collected Poems

    by Sylvia Plath
    A collection of poems that explore the complexities of life, death, love, and mental illness through vivid and haunting imagery.

    Pulitzer Prize winner Sylvia Plath’s complete poetic works, edited and introduced by Ted Hughes. By the time of her death on 11, February 1963, Sylvia Plath had written a large bulk of poetry. To my ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. The Thin Man

    by Dashiell Hammett
    A retired detective called to investigate a mysterious murder.

    The story is set in New York City in December 1932, in the last days of Prohibition. The main characters are a former private detective , Nick Charles and Nora, his clever young wife. Nick, son of a ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Calvin and Hobbes

    by Bill Watterson
    The adventures of a young boy and his imaginary tiger friend, exploring the world with humor and imagination.

    This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. ... (Goodreads)

  20. Shadowfever

    by Karen Marie Moning
    A thrilling journey of self-discovery as an ancient evil is unleashed upon the world.

    “Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.” — MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from ... (Goodreads)

  21. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson
    A wild and hallucinatory journey through the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.

    The basic synopsis revolves around journalist Raoul Duke ( Hunter S. Thompson ) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo ( Oscar Zeta Acosta ), as they arrive in Las Vegas in 1971 to report on the Mint 400 ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Killing Dance

    by Laurell K. Hamilton
    A vampire detective investigates a series of gruesome murders, unearthing secrets of the supernatural world.

    The Killing Dance takes place in May, about a month and a half after Bloody Bones and like the previous novels, The Killing Dance begins with a potential job for Anita in her role as an Animators, ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Cat's Eye

    by Margaret Atwood
    A woman reflects on her childhood and her complex relationships with her peers.

    After being lured back to her childhood home of Toronto for a retrospective show of her art, Elaine reminisces about her childhood. At the age of eight she becomes friends with Carol and Grace, and, ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Lottery and Other Stories

    by Shirley Jackson
    A collection of short stories exploring the dark side of human nature and society's norms.

    The Lottery , one of the most terrifying stories written in this century, created a sensation when it was first published in The New Yorker . "Power and haunting," and "nights of unrest" were typical ... (Goodreads)

  25. All the King's Men

    by Robert Penn Warren
    A powerful political drama that follows a governor's rise and fall as he grapples with ambition, morality and power.

    All the King's Men is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. Its title is drawn from the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his ... (Goodreads)

  26. Geek Love

    by Katherine Dunn
    A family of self-made circus freaks navigates love, loyalty, and morality in a world that shuns them for their differences.

    The novel takes place in two interwoven , time periods: the first deals with the Binewski children's constant struggle against each other through life. They especially have to deal with the ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Dissolution

    by C.J. Sansom
    A lawyer in Tudor England investigates a suspicious death, uncovering a vast conspiracy.

    Henry VIII has ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and England is full of informers. At the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control with the murder of Commissioner Robin ... (Goodreads)

  28. Stolen

    by Kelley Armstrong
    A young woman's fight for survival and revenge against a powerful and ruthless criminal organization.

    The story begins with Elena travelling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to follow up a lead the Pack have come across on believe.com which purports to be able to prove the existence of werewolves. ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Defending Jacob

    by William Landay
    A father must defend his son who is accused of murder, unraveling the truth of a complex crime.

    Andy Barber is an assistant district attorney in Newton , Massachusetts. He is investigating the murder of a 14-year-old boy, Ben Rifkin, who was a classmate of his son Jacob and was found stabbed to ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Crash

    by J.G. Ballard
    A dystopian novel exploring the surreal and chaotic landscape of a near-future Los Angeles.

    The story is told through the eyes of narrator James Ballard, named after the author himself, but it centers on the sinister figure of Dr. Robert Vaughan, a "former TV-scientist, turned nightmare ... (Wikipedia)