Reading Lists → A Little Life

Books Like A Little Life (10 Books)

A Little Life was published by Hanya Yanagihara in 2015. Here is a list of 10 books like A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

Last update: January 11, 2024

1. The Secret History (1992)

"Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it."

Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" takes readers on a dark and mesmerizing journey into the lives of a group of privileged students studying classics at a prestigious New England college, where a secret ritual turns their academic pursuits into a gripping tale of obsession, guilt, and murder.

  • 📇 576 Pages
  • 📝 144,000 - 172,800 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 19 Hours Reading Time

2. Never Let Me Go (2005)

"Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading."

In "Never Let Me Go," Kazuo Ishiguro creates an achingly beautiful and haunting dystopian tale that explores themes of love, identity, and the price we pay for societal progress. A thought-provoking masterpiece that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page.

  • 📇 282 Pages
  • 📝 70,500 - 84,600 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 9 Hours Reading Time

3. The Goldfinch (2013)

"I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe."

Donna Tartt's masterpiece "The Goldfinch" takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the turbulent life of Theo Decker. This gripping tale of loss, redemption, and the power of art exposes the pangs of growing up, leaving a lasting impression on all who dare to immerse themselves in its pages.

  • 📇 771 Pages
  • 📝 192,750 - 231,300 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 26 Hours Reading Time

4. All The Light We Cannot See (2014)

"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."

In Anthony Doerr's spellbinding novel "All The Light We Cannot See," two lives intertwine amidst the chaos of World War II. A blind French girl and a brilliant German boy navigate love, morality, and the invisible threads that connect us all.

  • 📇 560 Pages
  • 📝 140,000 - 168,000 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 19 Hours Reading Time

5. The Nightingale (2015)

"If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are."

"The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah is a powerful and emotionally charged story set in WWII France, following the lives of two sisters who find themselves on opposite sides of the war. With heart-wrenching prose, this gripping tale explores love, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit.

  • 📇 440 Pages
  • 📝 110,000 - 132,000 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 15 Hours Reading Time

6. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

"He came. He left. Nothing else had changed. I had not changed. The world hadn't changed. Yet nothing would be the same. All that remains is dreammaking and strange remembrance."

In "Call Me By Your Name," Andre Aciman pens a captivating tale of summer love and self-discovery set in the sun-soaked landscapes of Italy. With lyrical prose and poignant storytelling, he delves into the complexities of desire, heartbreak, and the exhilarating intensity of first love.

  • 📇 256 Pages
  • 📝 64,000 - 76,800 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 9 Hours Reading Time

7. Pachinko (2017)

"Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage."

In Pachinko, Min Jin Lee weaves a sweeping and captivating saga that unfolds across generations, exploring the intricate lives of a Korean family enduring the profound impact of love, sacrifice, and resilience amidst the tumultuous political and social landscapes of twentieth-century Korea and Japan.

  • 📇 544 Pages
  • 📝 136,000 - 163,200 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 18 Hours Reading Time

8. The Hearts Invisible Furies (2017)

"Maybe there were no villains in my mother’s story at all. Just men and women, trying to do their best by each other. And failing."

In John Boyne's captivating novel, "The Heart's Invisible Furies," readers are taken on an emotional journey through the life of Cyril Avery, an Irishman searching for love, acceptance, and his true identity in a strict and judgemental society.

  • 📇 592 Pages
  • 📝 148,000 - 177,600 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 20 Hours Reading Time

9. Normal People (2018)

"I'm not a religious person but I do sometimes think god made you for me."

In Sally Rooney's critically acclaimed novel Normal People, she weaves a tender and intricate tale of first love between Connell and Marianne, exploring the complexities of social class, identity, and the enduring bond that defies the norms of society.

  • 📇 304 Pages
  • 📝 76,000 - 91,200 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 10 Hours Reading Time

10. The Great Believers (2018)

"And was friendship that different in the end from love? You took the possibility of sex out of it, and it was all about the moment anyway. Being here, right now, in someone’s life. Making room for someone in yours."

In "The Great Believers" by Rebecca Makkai, we embark on a powerful journey spanning decades, where love, loss, and friendship intertwine amidst the backdrop of the AIDS crisis in 1980s Chicago. A poignant exploration of resilience and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.

  • 📇 448 Pages
  • 📝 112,000 - 134,400 Word Count
  • ⏱️ 15 Hours Reading Time