Now, suppose a stranger approached me in a bookstore and asked for a recommendation for a novel he should read. Aside from any classic or any novel by one of the contemporary authors I listed, what one novel would I recommend? (Though the stranger wouldn't be disappointed with any number of novels I could offer from those lists, the point of this list is to introduce incredible books by lesser-known contemporary authors.)

For a man, I'd recommend Gates of Fire, by Stephen Pressfield.

For a woman, I'd recommend Handyman, by Linda Nichols.

But what if those two books aren't in the store? (Well, order them!) But pretend you're in a rush. What else would I recommend?

Okay, a list of books, in alphabetical order by author, this time for either man or woman.

The Night Inspector by Frederick Busch
The Palace Thief by Ethan Canin
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Tell No One by Harlan Coben
The Killing Kind by John Connelly
The Caveman's Valentine by George Dawes Green
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon
Hart's War by John Katzenbach
To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
Early from the Dance by David Payne
The Emperor's General by James Webb
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I can still remember plots, characters, writing styles, and settings from each and every one of those novels, though I haven't read some of them in years. For me, that's the ultimate sign of a good book.