Recommendations based on Espresso Talesby Alexander McCall Smith

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

  1. 44 Scotland Street

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Humorous tale of life in Edinburgh, featuring a cast of quirky characters.

    44 SCOTLAND STREET - Book 1, The residents and neighbors of 44 Scotland Street and the city of Edinburgh come to vivid life in these gently satirical, wonderfully perceptive serial novels, featuring ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Sunday Philosophy Club

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Detective story featuring an amateur sleuth, exploring the mysteries of life and death.

    With The Sunday Philosophy Club , Alexander McCall Smith, the author of the best-selling and beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, begins a wonderful new series starring the irrepressibly ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Right Attitude to Rain

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and amateur detective, navigates through the complexities of life and love in Edinburgh.

    The delectable new installment in the bestselling and already beloved adventures of Isabel Dalhousie and her no-nonsense housekeeper, Grace. When friends from Dallas arrive in Edinburgh and introduce ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Cider House Rules

    by John Irving
    A moral journey through the rural landscape of 1940s Maine, exploring issues of responsibility, family, and love.

    Homer Wells grows up in an orphanage where he spends his childhood trying to be "of use" as a medical assistant to the director, Dr. Wilbur Larch, whose history is told in flashbacks : After a ... (Wikipedia)

  5. The Eyre Affair

    by Jasper Fforde
    An eccentric literary detective, in an alternate 1985, uses time-travel to save kidnapped characters from classic novels.

    In a parallel universe , England and Imperial Russia have fought the Crimean War for more than a century; England still has a parliamentary government, although heavily influenced by the Goliath ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Bloody Jack

    by L.A. Meyer
    A young orphan girl disguises herself as a boy to escape a life of poverty and join the British Navy.

    Mary Faber is a member of Rooster Charlie's orphan gang in Cheapside, London, during the late 1790s. After Charlie is murdered by a grave robber, she disguises herself as a boy and seeks passage on ... (Wikipedia)

  7. The Other Boleyn Girl

    by Philippa Gregory
    A historical fiction recounting the rivalry between two sisters vying for the love of King Henry VIII.

    In 1521 England, Queen Catherine of Aragon's failure to provide King Henry VIII a male heir has strained their marriage. Thomas Boleyn and his brother-in-law Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, plan ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Atonement

    by Ian McEwan
    A tale of the consequences of a child's mistake, and how its effects ripple through generations.

    Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old English girl with a talent for writing, lives at her family's country estate with her parents Jack and Emily Tallis. Her older sister Cecilia has recently graduated from ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

    by Beth Hoffman
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery, gaining strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

    Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years she’s been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille— the crown-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town. Though it’s 1967 and ... (Goodreads)

  10. Cover Her Face

    by P.D. James
    Detective investigates the murder of a young woman in an English country house.

    The story opens with a dinner party hosted by Mrs. Eleanor Maxie at Martingale, a medieval manor house in the (fictional) Essex village of Chadfleet. Mrs. Maxie's son and daughter, Stephen Maxie and ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes

    by Adrian Conan Doyle
    The classic detective stories of the world's greatest sleuth, Sherlock Holmes.

    From the son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and one of America's greatest mystery writers, John Dickson Carr, comes twelve riveting tales based on incidents or elements of the unsolved cases of Sherlock ... (Goodreads)

  12. One Day

    by David Nicholls
    A story of friendship and love, exploring the complexities of life and relationships.

    Dexter and Emma spend the night together following their graduation from the University of Edinburgh , in 1988. They talk about how they will be once they are 40. While they do not become ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Pompeii

    by Robert Harris
    A thrilling historical fiction novel set in Pompeii, leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

    Marcus Attilius Primus arrives in the Bay of Naples from Rome to take charge as aquarius ( hydraulic engineer ) of the Aqua Augusta , the aqueduct that supplies water to the towns in the region ... (Wikipedia)

  14. The Thorn Birds

    by Colleen McCullough
    A powerful tale of forbidden love, set in rural Australia in the early 20th century.

    The story begins in New Zealand on 8 December 1915, the fourth birthday of Meghann "Meggie" Cleary who is the only daughter of Padriac ("Paddy"), an Irish farm labourer, and Fiona ("Fee"), his wife. ... (Wikipedia)

  15. A Suitable Boy

    by Vikram Seth
    Epic story of a young woman's search for love and her family's struggle for acceptance in 1950s India.

    In 1951, 19-year-old Lata Mehra attends the wedding of her older sister, Savita, to Pran Kapoor, a university lecturer. Lata’s mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, says that it is time for Lata to be married as ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Remains of the Day

    by Kazuo Ishiguro
    A butler reflects on his past, grappling with the lost opportunities of a life devoted to service.

    The novel tells, in first-person narration , the story of Stevens, an English butler who has dedicated his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington (who is recently deceased, and whom Stevens ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Northanger Abbey

    by Jane Austen
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery, navigating the complexities of high society.

    Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is one of ten children of a country clergyman. Although a tomboy in her childhood, by the age of 17 she is "in training for a heroine" and is excessively fond of ... (Wikipedia)

  18. A Change in Altitude

    by Anita Shreve
    A newlywed couple's trek in the Himalayas takes a tragic turn, testing their relationship and revealing secrets.

    Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

    by Alan Bradley
    A young girl's detective journey to solve a murder mystery in a picturesque English village.

    As the novel opens, Flavia Sabina de Luce schemes revenge against her two older sisters, Ophelia (17) and Daphne (13), who have locked her inside a closet in Buckshaw, the family's country manor home ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Home Safe

    by Elizabeth Berg
    A widow struggles to come to terms with her husband's death while navigating the complexities of family relationships and personal identity.

    In this new novel, beloved bestselling author Elizabeth Berg weaves a beautifully written and richly resonant story of a mother and daughter in emotional transit. Helen Ames–recently widowed, coping ... (Goodreads)

  21. Confessions of a Domestic Failure

    by Bunmi Laditan
    A humorous and relatable story of a new mother struggling to balance motherhood, work, and domestic duties.

    Instant Bestseller,"Freaking hilarious. This is the novel moms have been waiting for."—Jenny Lawson, ,#1 New York Times, bestselling author of, Let's Pretend This Never Happened,"Perfect for readers ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Countdown

    by Deborah Wiles
    Set in the 1960s, a young girl navigates the Cuban Missile Crisis and her own family's struggles.

    The story of a formative year in 12-year-old Franny Chapman's life, and the life of a nation facing the threat of nuclear war. Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her ... (Goodreads)

  23. All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

    by Kerrelyn Sparks
    A vampire seeks love during the holiday season, but his quest is complicated by his own nature and the dangers of his world.

    Toni Davis's Christmas wish list 1. Springing my best friend from the psych ward. 2. Living somewhere that doesn't have coffins in the basement. Occupied coffins. 3. Finding Mr. Right. Please make ... (Goodreads)

  24. Three Men in a Boat

    by Jerome K. Jerome
    Three friends and a dog embark on a whimsical boat journey down the Thames, encountering unexpected adventures and mishaps.

    A comic masterpiece that has never been out of print since it was first published in 1889, Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat includes an introduction and notes by Jeremy Lewis in Penguin ... (Goodreads)

  25. Girls' Night In

    by Lauren Henderson
    Four friends reunite for a weekend of wine, gossip, and secrets. But their pasts and present collide, leading to unexpected revelations.

    21 TALES FROM THE HOTTEST FEMALE WRITERS In this must-have short-story collection, Jennifer Weiner revisits on of her Good in Bed characters (and tells the story from, ahem, his point of view), Jill ... (Goodreads)

  26. Deep Dish

    by Mary Kay Andrews
    A culinary competition between two rival chefs turns into a personal feud, with secrets and scandals revealed.

    Gina is a 30-year-old chef obsessed with using fresh, wholesome, high-quality ingredients in the food she prepares. Her cooking show is cancelled when a big sponsor pulls out after seeing the show's ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Guy Not Taken

    by Jennifer Weiner
    A collection of short stories exploring the complexities of relationships, love, and self-discovery.

    Jennifer Weiner's talent shines like never before in this collection of short stories, following the tender, often hilarious, progress of love and relationships over the course of a lifetime. We meet ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Clockwork Princess

    by Cassandra Clare
    A thrilling conclusion to the Infernal Devices series, with a final battle between good and evil.

    Two months after the events of the previous book , Tessa Gray is in the midst of preparing for her wedding to Jem Carstairs. Gabriel Lightwood arrives at the Institute and requests help in taking ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Lost

    by Sarah Prineas
    A young boy discovers a magical world hidden within the city, but must navigate dangerous obstacles to save it from destruction.

    “A page-turner of a fantasy with elements of humor as well as intrigue, swordplay, and librarian-versus-hostile-book combat.” — Booklist “A fast-paced, engaging adventure.” ,—Publishers Weekly, “One ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. Savannah Breeze

    by Mary Kay Andrews
    A woman inherits a beach house in Georgia and discovers secrets about her family's past while navigating new friendships and romance.

    “A sheer delight and will have readers laughing out loud by the second page.” — Daytona Beach News-Journal “The perfect mix of comedy, action and romance makes this book nearly impossible to put ... (Barnes & Noble)