8 Soothing Books Like Anxious People By Fredrik Backman

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“We give those we love nicknames, because love requires a word that belongs to us alone.”

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If you’ve just got to the end of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and on the hunt for books that offer the same blend of heart, humour, and humanity, you’ve come to the right place. Backman’s novel, full of quirky characters, emotional depth, and unexpected connections, has touched countless readers, and it’s no surprise you’re craving more. Whether you’re pulled to character-driven fiction, books that explore the messy beauty of human relationships, or simply want a novel that makes you laugh and cry in equal measure, this list is for you. Here at What We Reading, we’ve curated our favourite books like Anxious People that all have similar themes of forgiveness, community, and second chances. So, if you’re a fan of Fredrik Backman and want similar books with emotional resonance, gentle wit, and a big heart, read on for our favourite readalikes for Anxious People! 

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Anxious People Summary

Looking at real estate isn’t typically a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. Each of these strangers carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are all ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. All of them – the bank robber included – desperately crave some kind of rescue. 

As the authorities and media surround the apartment, these reluctant allies will unveil surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a sequence of events so unexpected that even they can believe what occurs next. Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is a story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope – things that save us, even in the most anxious moments. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt

Kicking off our list of the best books like Anxious People is Shelby Van Pelt’s sparkling debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures. After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Keeping busy has always been her way of coping, which she has been doing a lot of since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously disappeared on a boat over the Pacific over three decades ago. At the aquarium, Tova becomes acquainted with Marcellus, a giant Pacific Octopus. 

Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lighting one of his eight arms for his human captors. That is, until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened to Erik. Now, he must use every trick in his old, invertebrate body to uncover the truth before it is too late. Remarkably Bright Creatures is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like Remarkably Bright Creatures

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This Is How It Always Is – Laurie Frankel

Claude is five years old. He is the youngest of five brothers and loves eating peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress and dreams of one day becoming a princess. When he grows up, Claude says that he wants to be a girl. Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the rest of the world. Soon, the whole family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day, when it explodes. 

Similar to Anxious People, Laurie Frankel’s This Is How It Always Is is a novel about revelations, transformation, fairy tales, and family. And it’s also about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard, and parenting is always a brave leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and big hearts. 

Small Pleasures – Clare Chambers

When a young Swiss woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the local paper to claim that her daughter is a product of a virgin birth, it falls down to Jean to work out whether she is a miracle or a fraud. Yet, the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely intertwined with that of the Tilburys. Gretchen becomes a friend, Margaret a sort of surrogate daughter. And Jean doesn’t mean to fall in love with Gretchen’s husband, Howard, but when she does fall, she falls hard. 

But he is married, and married to a friend at that. Not to mention, he is also the subject of the story she is researching for the newspaper. A story that seems to be causing dark ripples across all their lives. But still, Jean finds herself unable to bring herself to deny herself the chance to have a taste of happiness, finally. 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves – Karen Joy Fowler

Meet the Cooke family: Mother and Dad, Lowell, Rosemary, and her unusual sister, Fern. Rosemary begins the story in the middle. She has her reasons. “Until Fern’s expulsion…,” Rosemary claims, “she was my twin, my funhouse mirror, my whirlwind other half, and I loved her.” As a child, Rosemary never stopped talking. But then, something happened, and Rosemary has enveloped herself in silence ever since. 

One of the most heartfelt books like Anxious People, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, is a tale of loving but fallible people whose well-intentioned actions lead to devastating and heartbreaking consequences. 

Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin

When Sam Masur and Sadie Green meet as teenagers in a children’s hospital, a shared love of video games sparks an intense connection. Years on, they reunite in college and begin designing games together, an artistic partnership that catapults them to overnight fame and fortune in the video game industry. Yet, as their careers take off, so do the personal tensions between them. Spanning three decades, the novel charts their evolving relationship through success, grief, rivalry, love, and loneliness. 

Similar to Anxious People, this story is character-driven, emotionally layered, and deeply human. It explores how people grow together – and apart – and how connection is able to endure even when romance isn’t the glue keeping it together. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow 

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The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle – Matt Cain

Albert Entwistle is a private man with a quiet, simple life. He lives alone with his cat, Gracie. And he’s a postman. At least, he was. That was until his sixty-fifth birthday, when he received a card from the Royal Mail thanking him for his service and stating he is being forced into retirement. At once, Albert’s entire connection with the world unravels. Without the work to fill his days, he has no friends, no family, no hobbies. Just a past he never speaks of, and a lost love that fills him with regret. 

And so, rather than continuing his lonely existence, Albert forms a brave plan to begin truly living. It’s time to be honest about who he truly is. To seek happiness, he’s always denied himself. And to find the courage to look for George, the man that, many years ago, he loved and lost – but never forgot. Similar to Anxious People, as he sets out on his big-hearted adventure, Albert finds unlikely allies, new friends, and proves it’s never too late to live, to hope, and to love. 

The Guncle – Steven Rowley

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP for short) has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. At least, he loves spending time with them when they visit him or when he returns home to Connecticut. When it comes to caretaking and relating to two children, he’s prepared to admit that he’s out of his league. So, when tragedy strikes and Masie and Grant lose their mother, Patrick suddenly finds himself taking on the role of primary caregiver. 

Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect. Quickly discovering that parenting isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are soon opened to a new sense of responsibility and the realisation that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human. 

The Authenticity Project – Clare Pooley

Julian Jessop, an eccentric but lonely artist, believes most people aren’t truly honest with one another. But, what if they were? And so he writes – in a plain green journal – the truth about his own life, leaving it in his local cafe. Before long, the other people who happen upon this green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves, and soon find each other in real life in the cafe. 

One of the most poignant books like Anxious People, Clare Pooley’s The Authenticity Project, is by turns quirky and funny on the back of its cast of eccentric and unforgettable characters. It’s a story about being brave and putting your real self forward, and discovering that it isn’t as scary as it first appears. In fact, it looks a lot like happiness. 

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Check Out These Soothing Reads For Anxious Minds

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