Here are 6 books that The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife fans have personally recommended if you like The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry

John R. Nicholson Author Of Discover Excel 97

From John's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

John's 3 favorite reads in 2025

John R. Nicholson Why John loves this book

There is almost nothing I didn’t love about this book.

By Bonnie Garmus ,

Why should I read it?

96 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads

"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…


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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 The Winners

Katie Powner Author Of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

From Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Small town resident Animal lover Question asker

Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Katie Powner Why Katie loves this book

I’m a sucker for Fredrik Backman’s work, and this was a long-awaited and satisfying conclusion to the Beartown trilogy.

Yes, it was over 600 pages. Yes, the plot was complex and meandering. But each book in this series got better and more endearing, and I couldn’t put it down.

Backman knows how to inhabit a story, and the residents of Beartown will forever inhabit my heart.

By Fredrik Backman ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'It's often said that winners write history, but there are no winners here'

This is a small story about big questions.
It's a story about family, community, life.
It starts with a storm - and a death.
But how does it end?

Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there's something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life's big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to…


Book cover of Lady Tan's Circle of Women

nancy5

From Nancy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Nancy loves this book

I'm not immediately drawn to books written about Chinese history but Lisa See writes such great characters that I was thoroughly pulled into Dr. Tan's life and times

By Lisa See ,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Lady Tan's Circle of Women as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Despite the inordinate limits placed on women, See allows their strengths to dominate their stories' Washington Post
'Poignant . . . quietly affecting' Time

In 15th century China two women are born under the same sign, the Metal Snake. But life will take the friends on very different paths.

According to Confucius, 'an educated woman is a worthless woman', but Tan Yunxian - born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separation and loneliness - is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. She begins her training in medicine with her grandmother and, as she navigates the…


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Book cover of The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More: A Great Wharf Novel

The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More by Meredith Marple,

The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying.

Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so…

Book cover of There Are Rivers in the Sky

Angela V. John Author Of Behind the Scenes

From Angela's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Angela's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Angela V. John Why Angela loves this book

Elif Shafak has done it again! A consummate storyteller, she immerses us in the very different stories of three individuals across time and place, their experiences linked by the part played in their respective fates through two of the great rivers of the world. This compassionate, profound novel, beautifully articulated, makes us think about the significance of belonging, displacement and much else. It makes for a compelling read and I see it as a joint first choice rather than a second favourite!

By Elif Shafak ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked There Are Rivers in the Sky as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE TOP FIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

This is the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives - all connected by a single drop of water.

*****

In the ruins of Nineveh, that ancient city of Mesopotamia, there lies hidden in the sand fragments of a long-forgotten poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In Victorian London, an extraordinary child is born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames. When his brilliant memory earns him a spot as an apprentice at a printing press, the world opens up far beyond the slums and across the seas.

In 2014…


Book cover of Under the Same Stars

Karol Ruth Silverstein Author Of Cursed

From Karol's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Unapologetic underdog Champion of misfits Disability activist Fearless ally Obsessed with cats

Karol's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Karol Ruth Silverstein Why Karol loves this book

I loved untwisting the mystery of how the characters of the three timelines are connected. The three separate stories are equal parts fascinating, terrifying and deeply moving. The parallels of the horror of WWII, the thrill of West Berlin circa 1980 and the isolation of spring 2020 work beautifully to illuminate the human condition and how, even in the worst of times, our connections are what make us whole. It was an exhilarating page-turner!

By Libba Bray ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Under the Same Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Instant New York Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • An Indie Bestseller • A Good Morning America Book Club Pick

"Under the Same Stars will leave you shattered and wildly hopeful." ―E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

"Stirring and absolutely unforgettable" ―Samira Ahmed, New York Times-bestselling author of Internment and Hollow Fires

"Full of banter, romance, humor and a little bit of magic" ―Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing and After Life

From New York Times-bestselling and Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray comes a propulsive historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what…


Book cover of The Incredible Winston Browne

Katie Powner Author Of When the Road Comes Around

From Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Small town resident Animal lover Question asker

Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Katie Powner Why Katie loves this book

This heartfelt story was right up my alley. Small town, quirky and lovable characters, a rich and self-assured voice. A book you can't stop thinking about.

By Sean Dietrich ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Incredible Winston Browne as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Beloved writer Sean Dietrich-also known as Sean of the South-will warm your heart with this rich and nostalgic tale of a small-town sheriff, a mysterious little girl, and a good-hearted community pulling together to help her.

Folks in Moab live for ice cream socials, baseball, and the local paper's weekly gossip column. Sheriff Winston Browne has watched over Moab with a generous eye for a decade, and by now he's used to handling the daily dramas that keep life interesting for Moab's quirky residents.

But just after Winston receives some terrible, life-altering news, a seemingly mute runaway with no clear…


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Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater Ibáñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of…

Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry
Book cover of The Winners
Book cover of Lady Tan's Circle of Women

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