Any recommendations for contemporary fiction?

[Brownskins]

Contemporary Fiction is a broad genre - so I will try to narrow it down to contemporary writing which is thought-provoking and have characters with psychological depth (which I define as characters whose psyche and motivations are "subject to the reader's interpretation and subject to debate"). 

I have 2 extreme examples of contemporary fiction books that I really liked:

1) Best American Mystery Stories 2011 - especially Something Pretty, Something Beautiful by Eric Barnes
2) Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich - I know that not many people like Mezrich and his controversial/speculative style of writing, but this book to me can be a book selection for a class paper on today's youth

I expect there to be diverse opinions and recommendations and I am excited to hear y'all's input.

Thanks in advance!

[Ann Herrick]

I just finished reading Brookyn: A Novel. Beautifully written, though a lot of "telling" and the end struck me as a bit odd, but overall a very good read.

[Brownskins]

Thanks - I checked the summary and gauging from the diversity of the reviews, definitely an interesting read.  I will put this in my list.

[docnoir]

I think something like The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris falls into this category. It was really fascinating.

My favorites are those that are right on the edge of crime fiction, but not really a good genre fit. A lot of the stories in Best American Mystery Stories are like that. It's a great series, full of surprises. You might also like Best American Non-required Reading, too.

[MadCityWriter]

I am reading a fascinating book called People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

Here's part of a review on Amazon: One of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah survived centuries of purges and wars thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it... [The story] retraces its turbulent journey. In the hands of Hanna Heath, an impassioned rare-book expert restoring the manuscript in 1996 Sarajevo, it yields clues to its guardians and whereabouts: an insect wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair... Hanna pursues its secrets scientifically, and finds that some interests will still risk everything in the name of protecting this treasure. A complex love story, thrilling mystery, vivid history lesson, and celebration of the enduring power of ideas... [reviewer: Mari Malcolm]

[MadCityWriter]

I just realized that my recommendation above might not be considered "contemporary" fiction, because the characters are from throughout history, and even the main character's story takes place in 1996.  I guess I'm just old enough that 1996 still feels contemporary to me. However, I think the book meets the other criteria proposed by Brownskins, in terms of depth of character.

[nogdog~6op6ou]

Another 1996 book, though it did not appear in English until 2001: Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov.

[Brownskins]

Thanks for the recommendations!  I can't wait to read these suggestions.  I like diversity in my reading choices.  I just finished one of Ed McBain's books (Hail, Hail) and surprisingly, I felt like he wrote that day-in-the-life-of-cops in a very contemporary manner - despite the book being written in 1971!  The writing style was amazingly ahead of the book's time.  Now that I've read a thriller, I am moving on to a non-fiction, and then to my contemporary or literary fiction book.  If you have any other suggestions, they are very much welcome.  I trust this community as well as GoodReads (well, for the most part).

[Profwool]

I am also looking for recommendations in this genre.  I got a Kindle for Christmas and have been looking for more books to read on it.  I recently finished reading the Tenant Lawyer by Eric Dinnocenzo, which I really liked and recommend.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WI266K/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb  I am on hold for a couple of ebooks at my Library.  However, I may end up breaking down and buying one of the books if I have to wait much longer (e.g., Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long).

Look forward to this thread growing.

[RobynH]

Then you've gotta read Angela's Coven by Bruce Jenvey!
It's the first book in his Cabbottown Witch Novels series but it's a really good one! It's modern day witches, no magic wands, a rock star who sold his soul to the devil and now wants out of the deal. He's even got guardian angels that carry guns like secret body guards! It's funny, it's sad and it goes back and forth. Really a great story and I hear he's almost finished book two in the series now!
http://www.amazon.com/Angelas-Coven-Cabbottown-Novels-ebook/dp/B005W62FDM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326808018&sr=1-1
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbH92Lrrtdg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbH92Lrrtdg</a>

[StephenLivingston]

I read and write contemporary fiction.  Of the novels I've read recently I'd particularly recommend "Anathem" by Neal Stephenson and "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga.
Best wishes, Stephen Livingston.