Anxious People
Fredrik Backman
A failed bank robber takes a group of apartment-viewing strangers hostage, in a comic and deeply human novel by the same author.
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Books like A Man Called Ove
A Man Called Ove is about a grumpy man whose quiet routine is upended when a lively family moves in next door. These seven books bring more prickly characters, unlikely friendships and stories that are funny and sad at once.
Books to read next
Britt-Marie Was Here
Fredrik Backman
A fussy woman in her sixties leaves her husband and takes a job running a rundown recreation center, by the same author.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Gail Honeyman
A socially awkward Glasgow office worker who insists she is fine lets in a kind colleague, in a funny book that turns serious.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Joyce
A retired man sets out on foot across England to deliver a letter, in a gentle novel about regret and kindness.
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
Gabrielle Zevin
A cranky island bookseller's life changes when an unexpected package turns up at his shop, in a warm, bookish novel.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt
A widow working nights at an aquarium befriends a giant octopus who narrates his own chapters, in a warm, funny small-town story.
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Four retirees in a peaceful village meet weekly to study cold cases and land in a real murder, in a cozy mystery with wry humor.
How to choose
Choose by the side of Ove you liked best. If it was Backman's voice, Anxious People and Britt-Marie Was Here are the closest, and Anxious People is the funnier of the two. For other grumpy hearts finding company, try The Storied Life, set in an island bookstore, or Remarkably Bright Creatures. For quiet, thoughtful journeys, Eleanor Oliphant and Harold Fry work best, though both touch on loneliness and loss. The Thursday Murder Club is the lightest, a cozy mystery with a wry sense of humor. Ove itself deals with grief and suicide, as does Anxious People, so check content notes if that is hard for you.
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