The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

44. A contemporary setting

What does a contemporary setting mean? A contemporary setting means that the book is taking place within the present time period. Some books specifically state what year the story is taking place. If it does not, you should be able to guess from the experiences the characters have, and the language and technology they use, whether or not the book is set in a contemporary setting.

It’s up to you to determine how broad of a definition for “contemporary” you want to use. You may decide that the book has to be set in 2023, or you may choose to go with something set five or ten years ago. Historians define “contemporary history” as anything from 1945 onwards, and you may decide to use that as your marker for contemporary fiction.

Creatively, you may choose a book with multiple timelines if at least one of the timelines is contemporary.


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Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

the list is very confusing. I understand that the definition can be broad but surely books set in a time before publication shouldn't be specifically included in recommendations for a contemporary setting.

Are the lists including creative interpretations of the prompts or are they supposed to be for the standard?

Rosalind wrote: "the list is very confusing. I understand that the definition can be broad but surely books set in a time before publication shouldn't be specifically included in recommendations for a contemporary ..."

I never assume that the list is "correct." people add the books that they think fit. It is a great place to start looking. People do add creative interpretations.

Anna wrote: "I never assume that the list is "correct." people add the books that they think fit. It is a great place to start looking. People do add creative interpretations."

Thanks Anna. I'm new to the lists so wasn't sure how they were supposed to be.

The Question of the Missing Head, by E.J. Copperman

Fun mystery series with a lead character who lives with Asperger's Syndrome.

Cruel Princes - Jillian Frost

I read The Shoe Box by Francine Rivers It was short and heartfelt. Perfect for the Contemporary Christmas season. Enjoy

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I read Klein Herbarium

I read VenCo by Cherie Dimaline. 5 Stars, amazing book!

For this prompt, I read A Walk to Remember
Honestly, I only gave this 2.5 stars. For me it just was not that amazing I feel like the movie did a better job at developing the characters and the storyline itself (side note: it's pretty rare for me to say the movie did better than the book). However, this book isn't a bad book. This may be someone else's cup of tea (or coffee, I'm a coffee person XD). The perk about this book is that it is an easy and short read and can feed a hallmark romance junkie's soul. So if anybody is looking for that type of book this is the one for you!

For the prompt I read.....Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple


I very much enjoyed reading this and gave the book 4 stars. It is very well written and the characters are ones I can relate to. And, also I found myself loving them and then not liking them so much!!

Apples Never Fall

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a delightfully quirky book by Japanese author Hiro Arikawa which recounts the story of a young man, Saturo and his cat companion Nana, on a road trip through Japan. The cat has the perfect blend of wisdom and supercilious sarcasm you would imagine if a cat was to narrate and draws you into this enchanting and poignant story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

I read famous last words by Katie Alender

I read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

I read A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy

I just finished “Snowflake” by Louise Nealon, set between rural Kildare and urban Dublin and it’s very much a contemporary time setting. Also, a really great read! 👍

Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse 4 stars

Normal People by Irish author Sally Rooney is a contemporary romance novel which deals with the on and off romance between students Connell and Marianne. The book was longlisted for the Man Booker award. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

For this prompt, I chose All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin . It was a very heartwarming read and the ending was surprisingly satisfying. 😌🤧💕

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Mintner 4.5 stars

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I wanted to read it since it's now a movie. I'm glad it fit a prompt I needed.

If a book doesn't explicitly say when it was set (like the year or time period), can I still use it?
thinking about these options but I'm not sure if they fit the criteria:

I went with Circus Mirandus.

I read Where the Crawdads Sing, absolutely loved it. It was 5 stars for me!

Freedom by Johnathan Franzen. Five stars. I love literary fiction, even better when it's a family saga.

Isabella wrote: "If a book doesn't explicitly say when it was set (like the year or time period), can I still use it? ..."

Isabella, I can only speak for The Woman in Cabin 10, and yes, I would say that is a definite yes. I personally looked at this prompt by defining contemporary as a time frame of 10 years or so, or the topic is still being debated or reported. Your challenge, your rules!

I read The Bullet That Missed, third in the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman.

I read the latest from one of my favourite authors, SANDFORD JOHN,

🌟🌟🌟

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley. https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2023...

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

The Lie of the Land - Amanda Craig

I just finished listening to Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

I am reading The Mostly True Tale of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley.

I read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry. It does not specify the time but for Christmas the characters are given e-readers so it has to be somewhat recent.

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting is a fun book that fits this any several other prompts.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

“The Road to Roswell” by Connie Willis

I read Delphi by Clare Pollard -- about life in London in the pandemic lockdowns, and also about methods of foretelling the future. Beautifully written, recommended.

I read Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas (seriously).

Most annoying to realize a few chapters in that it "borrows" rather blatantly from Antoine Laurain's The Red Notebook.

I read .

I read "Our Souls at Night" by Kent Haruf