The 3 Most Popular Sally Rooney Books To Read While You Wait For 'Intermezzo'
Ever since the release of Normal People, and its miniseries adaptation starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones, the internet cannot stop buzzing over Sally Rooney's impeccable writing and we understand why! Her books have over 1.3 million reviews on Goodreads and 100 thousand reviews on Amazon, and fans praise her accurate and raw realism when it comes to depicting relationships. Not to mention her stories flow so organically with a pace that makes you never want to put the book down! She writes gripping, heartbreaking, and beautiful stories that have you crying with the characters while simultaneously screaming at them.
While we can't read her newest book, Intermezzo, until its release on September 24, we do have the most popular Sally Rooney books to read while you eagerly await the release. Keep reading for all the juicy details!
What is so good about Sally Rooney?
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Sally Rooney's books have become widespread, global hit with millions of readers around the world! The reason she is so beloved by so many is because of her raw depiction of relationships between all of the characters within her books. People love to see this type of accurate and heartbreaking portrayal of what it can be like in a real relationship. We're talking muddled feelings, real life worries, and difficult anxiety. It speaks to a larger group of readers who just want to feel seen within fiction and that's exactly what Sally Rooney does in her writing. She makes you feel seen in her flawed, complicated, and sometimes broken characters. Her writing also flows in a way that feels organic, which helps you to be fully immersed in the book.
What TV shows are based on Sally Rooney books?
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Starting with Normal People and Conversations with Friends would be good because they're both TV shows based on their respective Sally Rooney books. That way, you can see the story play out in the book and on TV! Both had great adaptions as well and stayed fairly close to their book's storyline.
What order should I read Sally Rooney books in?
Normal People
We'd recommend starting with the Sally Rooney books that have been adapted for the screen! This story follows two complex individuals, Marianne and Connell, as they navigate their feelings and friendship toward one another over the years. The plot shows them from school all the way past college. You see them grow into their own lives while trying to stay connected and figure out their feelings for another.
The heart of this story is about the complexity of what it means to be human and how that affects our day-to-day relationships with one another, especially when we're fighting our own demons and misunderstandings. You'll see these two characters explore intimacy, friendship, love, jealousy, and conflict all interwoven together.
Conversation with Friends
This popular best-seller depicts two young college friends, Bobbi and Frances, as they befriend married couple Melissa and Nick. The book shows the challenging and changing dynamic of the relationship when the characters realize feelings are shared between Melissa and Bobbi, and Frances and Nick. Now, they have to This navigate the tangled web of confusion, love, and attraction.
While not necessarily a romance book, it does explore themes of love and how we react when we become overwhelmed by the reality of it. As readers, we slowly get to uncover Frances' real feelings and how complicated it can be to navigate them as a young adult.
Beautiful World, Where Are You
Set in Dublin (like most of Sally Rooney's books), this story shows Alice, a writer, meeting a young man named Felix and asking him to travel to Rome with her. Meanwhile, her best friend Eileen is busy flirting with Simon, a longtime family friend. The book follows the female best friends as they try to grapple with being young women in modern society, and all the relationship problems that come with it.
This book is slightly more mature with the characters in their 30s, and they're able to understand emotions a bit better than the leads in Rooney's previous works. Beautiful World is a Rooney classic — it's got tumultuous relationships, eager anticipation, and exasperating confusion about love and relationships. A tried and true formula we still love to see from her.
Everything We Know About Intermezzo By Sally Rooney
Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the new Sally Rooney book, and so are we! Rooney's latest novel will be out THIS coming fall, specifically on September 24, 2024. According to Rooney, Intermezzo will be a story about two brothers as they navigate grief and overcome their own struggle in order to enjoy life and love, and to find a sense of peace. It'll be an intense story of grief between two brothers as they are trying to find themselves, and their relationships with the people around them.
We can say that definitely sounds like it fits the Sally Rooney bill! While it isn't for sale yet, it is available for pre-order here!
For even more reading recs like these Sally Rooney books, be sure to check out our Amazon storefront to find some of our faves!
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Lead images via Amazon
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