Here are 67 books that Intermezzo fans have personally recommended if you like Intermezzo. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of All the Light We Cannot See

Mercedes M. Yardley Author Of Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales

From Mercedes' 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Mercedes' 3 favorite reads in 2024

Mercedes M. Yardley Why Mercedes loves this book

What an utterly charming book. It's written beautifully, has characters I cared for, and was literary while still being easy to digest and understand. It often delves into the brutality of war but the chapters are so short that you're in the darkness for a brief time before taking a breather. I enjoyed it immensely.

By Anthony Doerr ,

Why should I read it?

56 authors picked All the Light We Cannot See as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTION

A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II

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

For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Klara and the Sun

John Priest Author Of i4Ni

From my list on AI that show science fiction is quickly becoming science fact.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was raised in a large family, and we were taught to be respectful, honest, and polite to everyone. I've never been able to understand the mind of a 'nasty' person or how a person can hurt another. When these people are brought to justice, how can we know they are telling the truth?

Expanding on this, I started thinking about Artificial Intelligencecould this be the creation that gives us the way to see into a person's mind; to find out what crime they have committed? But then I thought, what if the actual creator was a criminal? How would anyone even know? That was the route of my research which led to i4Ni being written.

John's book list on AI that show science fiction is quickly becoming science fact

John Priest Why John loves this book

I bought this book because of the great write-ups about it. The author won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and this was his first book following that award, so for me, it was recommended as soon as the author won the award.

It's a great read and has filled me with a mixture of emotions, so it will be interesting to see how you feel after reading it. For me personally, it's a book to study and learn from, as there is always room for learning in any career you decide to do.

It fascinated me because Klara is an 'Artificial Friend', which ties in with my research and interests in Artificial Intelligence.

By Kazuo Ishiguro ,

Why should I read it?

26 authors picked Klara and the Sun as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*The #1 Sunday Times Bestseller*
*Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021*
*A Barack Obama Summer Reading Pick*

'A delicate, haunting story' The Washington Post
'This is a novel for fans of Never Let Me Go . . . tender, touching and true.' The Times

'The Sun always has ways to reach us.'

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges…


Book cover of My Brilliant Friend

John T. Hancock Author Of Murders on the Ski Slopes

From John's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

John's 3 favorite reads in 2025

John T. Hancock Why John loves this book

"My Brilliant Friend" is the first of four books following the lives of fictional characters, Elena Greco, and her close friend, Raffaella Cerullo (Lila). The other three books are "The Story of a New Name", "Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay", and "The Story of the Lost Child". The books are full of well-crafted characters, with their lives set mainly in Naples. I read all four books back-to-back and loved them. An excellent translation by Ann Goldstein helped. The story carries you along, through ups and downs, but you really need to know how the relationships develop and how their lives pan out. A captivating read, and one I will remember for a long time.

By Elena Ferrante , Ann Goldstein (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked My Brilliant Friend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OVER 5 MILLION COPIES SOLD IN ENGLISH WORLDWIDE

OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD IN THE UK

OVER 14 MILLION COPIES OF THE NEAPOLITAN QUARTET SOLD WORLDWIDE

NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES

GUARDIAN 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY

58 WEEKS ON THE BOOKSELLER'S TOP 20 ORIGINAL FICTION BESTSELLERS LIST

SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015

43 INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS DEALS

Now in B-format Paperback

From one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, comes this ravishing and generous-hearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime. The story of Elena and Lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Margaret Gardiner Author Of Damaged Beauty

From my list on working out who you really are.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever had anyone say something about you with utter conviction that isn’t true? Have you ever looked at someone famous and thought their life looked perfect? Ever felt not enough because of the way you look? As a former Miss Universe, international model, fashion editor, and entertainment journalist with a degree in psychology, I’ve lived these truths vicariously. I’m fascinated with image, perception, and truth. What’s behind the smile? What happens when the lights dim? Who are you when no one is watching? What secrets do you hide, how do they damage you, and what will you do to keep them hidden? I’ve been the target. I know the cost.

Margaret's book list on working out who you really are

Margaret Gardiner Why Margaret loves this book

Nothing is accidental. Every word that you think is throwaway is part of the character build. Nothing is told. You have to link it. You have diverse characters without commentary. You have an understanding of motivation. You have illicit love. You have a challenging protagonist. What you think is true may not be true. You may glimpse real people, but you cannot say for sure. Unspoken truths. Secrets. Sex. Glamor.

Written from alternative viewpoints, it rounds out the real-life aspect that there is no truth because everyone’s truth is colored by their own bias. Again, it's unexpected and a fast read–and just like with my last recommendationyou don’t like her, then you do.

By Taylor Jenkins Reid ,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"If you're looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read." -Bustle

From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & the Six-an entrancing and "wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet" (PopSugar) as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready…


Book cover of The Secret History

yes

From Yes' 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Yes loves this book

I think the characters in The Secret History are very interesting, and how they interact with each other and the world around them paints a truly vivid picture for the reader. Maybe I'm biased, as a classics student myself haha.

By Donna Tartt ,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked The Secret History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGE

'Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!'

Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries.…


Book cover of The Vegetarian

Brinda Charry Author Of The East Indian

From Brinda's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Brinda's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Brinda Charry Why Brinda loves this book

I’ve read few that pack so much into this length. This compact novel by the Nobel Prize Laureate is disturbing (terrifying, actually), tragic, powerful and beautiful.

By Han Kang , Deborah Smith (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Vegetarian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people. He is an office worker with moderate ambitions and mild manners; she is an uninspired but dutiful wife. The acceptable flatline of their marriage is interrupted when Yeong-hye, seeking a more 'plant-like' existence, decides to become a vegetarian, prompted by grotesque recurring nightmares. In South Korea, where vegetarianism is almost unheard-of and societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye's decision is a shocking act of subversion. Her passive rebellion manifests in ever more bizarre and frightening forms, leading her bland husband to self-justified acts of sexual sadism. His cruelties drive her towards attempted suicide…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Measure

ericka

From ericka's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why ericka loves this book

I liked the questions it purposed and the way the plot unfolded. I was curious about how the characters would handle the situations they were in. I also liked seeing the parallels of this in the world we live in today

By Nikki Erlick ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Measure as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'GRIPPING AND POIGNANT' RUTH HOGAN, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things

'CLEVER AND ENTERTAINING' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'A THOUGHT-PROVOKING READ' PRIMA

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like just another morning.

You make a cup of tea. Check the news. Open the front door.

On your doorstep is a box.

Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live.

The same box appears on every doorstep across the world.

Do you open yours?

THE MEASURE

IT'S THE DECISION OF A LIFETIME.

'EXAMINES THE BIG LIFE AND DEATH QUESTIONS IN A CLEVER AND,…


Book cover of The Story of a New Name

Laura Catherine Brown Author Of Made by Mary

From Laura's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Storyteller Comics maker Obsessive reader Artist

Laura's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Laura Catherine Brown Why Laura loves this book

I don’t know why I stopped reading this quartet of novels after the first one, My Brilliant Friend, which I loved.

Maybe it was the hype? A few years later, I finally picked up Book Two of the Neapolitan Novels and could NOT put it down.

The breadth and depth of the world of Naples in the 1960s-70s, the violence, the patriarchy, and the deep and conflicted friendship between Lila and Elena, who need and hate and love each other, is impossible to summarize. In this story, Lila gets married, and Elena pursues her education—but so much more!

Sheer life is portrayed with such force that my lived experience pales in comparison. Suffice it to say, I did not take a hiatus after finishing this book, and I moved immediately on to the next one and the last one. Now, I want to reread them all.

By Elena Ferrante , Ann Goldstein (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Story of a New Name as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OVER 14M OF THE NEAPOLITAN QUARTET SOLD WORLDWIDE

The Story of a New Name, the second book of the Neapolitan Quartet, picks up the story where My Brilliant Friend left off.


Lila has recently married and made her entree into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighbourhood that she so often finds stifling. Love, jealousy, family, freedom, commitment, and above all friendship: these are signs under which both women live out this phase in their stories. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times…


Book cover of Demon Copperhead

Gill Arbuthnott Author Of The Keepers' Daughter

From Gill's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author History nut Science nerd Mystery lover Feminist

Gill's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Gill Arbuthnott Why Gill loves this book

It’s a fantastic re-imagining of David Copperfield, which I enjoyed much more than the original. It taught me a lot about a side of the USA which, as a Brit, I had never given much thought to. The characters were fresh and engaging - even when they were unlikeable - and I became really invested in them.
I know this is a book I’ll re-read and it might even tempt me to have another try at the Dickens,

By Barbara Kingsolver ,

Why should I read it?

118 authors picked Demon Copperhead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of All the Colors of the Dark

Sherryl Clark Author Of Woman, Missing

From Sherryl's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Crime writer Word soaker Dreamer Curious Stubborn

Sherryl's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Sherryl Clark Why Sherryl loves this book

I love stories in which characters are utterly compelled to follow a path, for myriad reasons, even if it leads to their ultimate destruction. Even better when it leads to redemption. I think redemption stories are very much about the world we live in now, where forgiveness and compassion are so precious. This is such a complex novel with twists and complications, and I never knew whether I wanted her to find him or not!

By Chris Whitaker ,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked All the Colors of the Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story - with a unique twist on each...

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of local teenager Joseph 'Patch' Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who is broken by her best friend's disappearance. Soon, she will eat, sleep, breathe, only to find him.

But when she it will break her heart.

Patch lies in a pitch-black room - all alone - for days or maybe weeks. Until he feels a hand in his. Her name…


Book cover of All the Light We Cannot See
Book cover of Klara and the Sun
Book cover of My Brilliant Friend

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