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Books like The authenticity project
24 connected reads, with a reason for every recommendation.
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8 reading possibilities- 01
A warm London-set story brings two strangers together through an unusual living arrangement and a gradual exchange of trust.
- 02
A young journalist and an older swimmer form an unexpected friendship while rallying their neighborhood around a threatened pool.
- 03
A mysterious reading list connects people from different generations as they find comfort and companionship in books.
- 04
An unexpected connectionA writer’s correspondence with an island book club reveals how shared stories can sustain a community.
- 05
A collection of lost objects and the people seeking them sets off a gently eccentric story of grief, kindness, and connection.
- 06
A socially isolated woman’s carefully ordered life begins to change through friendship and small acts of human warmth.
- 07
A grandmother and granddaughter trade homes and routines in a feel-good story about fresh starts and family bonds.
- 08
An unexpected connectionAn unexpected friendship in an English village prompts a retired major to question convention and reconsider his future.
Explore 16 more recommendations
- 09
An ordinary man’s impulsive journey across England opens space for encounters, memories, and renewed connection.
- 10
A librarian follows clues hidden in a book and begins to reconsider the family stories that shaped her quiet life.
- 11
A book-loving bookseller discovers an unexpected family while navigating romance, trivia, and her own anxieties.
- 12
An unexpected connectionA by-the-book caseworker encounters an unusual household and discovers a gently magical version of found family.
- 13
A prickly bookseller’s life changes through a surprising discovery and the people who gather around his shop.
- 14
A fiercely self-reliant woman faces family upheaval and the possibility that letting others in may be worthwhile.
- 15
An older woman’s orderly outlook is challenged by the lively neighbors who bring unexpected friendship into her life.
- 16
An unexpected connectionFour very different women share a rented Italian castle and find their outlooks softened by friendship and a change of scene.
- 17
A shy librarian finds her voice when she and her neighbors unite to save the library that anchors their community.
- 18
A varied group of villagers comes together to preserve Jane Austen’s legacy and, in the process, builds new bonds.
- 19
A widowed illustrator finds companionship and renewed confidence in an unexpectedly lively gardening class.
- 20
An unexpected connectionA circle of vividly drawn friends navigates mishaps and adventures in a pastoral classic centered on loyalty and belonging.
- 21
Three women’s intertwined experiences explore friendship, family pressures, and the complications of making a life.
- 22
A meticulous professor’s search for a partner takes an unexpected turn when he meets someone who resists his careful plans.
- 23
A familiar London commute becomes the setting for an ensemble story about strangers discovering one another’s hidden lives.
- 24
A regular train journey brings a disparate group of commuters together in a story of kindness and second chances.
About the book
Clare Pooley’s 2020 novel is contemporary fiction set in London, with family life at its heart; it was a New York Times bestseller.
About the author
Clare Pooley is a British author known for contemporary novels about connection and community.