Anne Tyler Reading Order

6 books (1977–1996)

This complete anthology series edited by Anne Tyler comprises six literary fiction collections published between 1977 and 1996. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Stories of the Modern South and concluding with Listening for God, Vol. 2. The series includes a range of curated short story collections and essay compilations that showcase contemporary and modern American literature, featuring contributions from various writers across different styles and periods.

Start with Stories of the Modern South, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Stories of the Modern South 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Writer on Her Work 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A World of Fiction 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Best American Short Stories 1983 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	New Woman, New Fiction 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Listening for God, Vol. 2 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1994–2002)

The Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith series is a four-volume anthology collection exploring the intersection of faith and modern literature through carefully selected short stories and essays. Published between 1994 and 2002, the series features contributions from renowned literary authors including Flannery O'Connor, Raymond Carver, Alice Walker, John Updike, Louise Erdrich, James Baldwin, and many others, with editorial guidance from Paula J. Carlson and Peter S. Hawkins. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Volume 1. This finished series offers readers a comprehensive look at how contemporary writers have engaged with spiritual and religious themes in their work.

Start with Listening for God Reader, Vol. 1(By: Flannery O'Connor,Raymond Carver,Alice Walker,Garrison Keillor,Annie Dillard,Richard Rodríguez,Patricia Hampl,Peter Hawkins,Frederick Buechner,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins), the first of 4 books in the Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith series.

#	Title
1	Listening for God Reader, Vol. 1(By: Flannery O'Connor,Raymond Carver,Alice Walker,Garrison Keillor,Annie Dillard,Richard Rodríguez,Patricia Hampl,Peter Hawkins,Frederick Buechner,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Listening for God, Vol. 2(With: John Updike,Tobias Wolff,Gail Godwin,Henry Louis Gates Jr.,Kathleen Norris,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,Carol Bly,Andrew Dubus) 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Listening for God, Vol. 3(By: Tillie Olsen,Wendell Berry,John Cheever,Louise Erdrich,Mary Gordon,Tess Gallagher,Reynolds Price,Oscar Hijuelos,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Listening For God, Vol. 4(By: Robert Olen Butler,Allegra Goodman,James Baldwin,Kent Haruf,SueMiller,Doris Betts,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,MichaelMalone,Alice Elliot Dark) 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2015–2018)

The Hogarth Shakespeare series comprises seven contemporary retellings of Shakespeare's plays by acclaimed literary authors, published between 2015 and 2018. Each book reimagines a different play for modern times, with entries by Jeanette Winterson, Margaret Atwood, Howard Jacobson, Anne Tyler, Edward St. Aubyn, Tracy Chevalier, and Jo Nesbø. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Jeanette Winterson's The Gap of Time. These standalone novels offer fresh perspectives on Shakespeare's most famous works while maintaining literary quality across all seven volumes.

Start with The Gap of Time(By: Jeanette Winterson), the first of 7 books in the Hogarth Shakespeare series.

#	Title
1	The Gap of Time(By: Jeanette Winterson) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Hag-Seed(By: Margaret Atwood) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Shylock is My Name(By: Howard Jacobson) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Vinegar Girl 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Dunbar(By: Edward St. Aubyn) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	New Boy(By: Tracy Chevalier) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Macbeth(By: Jo Nesbø) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2016–2016)

The Instaread Summary series is a collection of four book summaries published in 2016, designed to provide concise overviews of contemporary literary fiction titles. This completed series should be read in publication order and includes summaries of The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant, The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, and The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. Each installment offers a standalone summary independent of the others, making the series useful for readers seeking quick insights into these popular novels.

Start with Summary of The Boston Girl(By: Anita Diamant,Instaread Summaries), the first of 4 books in the Instaread Summary series.

2 books (1993–2005)

Anne Tyler's Picture series consists of two children's books published over a twelve-year span, beginning with Tumble Tower in 1993 and concluding with Timothy Tugbottom Says No! in 2005. This complete series should be read in publication order. The books are standalone picture stories suitable for young readers.

Start with Tumble Tower and read in order.

#	Title
1	Tumble Tower 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Timothy Tugbottom Says No! 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2018–2020)

Anne Tyler's complete collection of short stories and novellas consists of two volumes published between 2018 and 2020. These literary fiction works should be read in publication order, beginning with Half-truths and Semi-miracles followed by Teenage Wasteland. The series is finished and contains all the author's contributions to this format.

Start with Half-truths and Semi-miracles and read in order.

25 books (1964–2027)

Anne Tyler has written 24 standalone literary fiction novels from 1964 to 2025, with the series remaining ongoing. Each book can be read independently, though following publication order allows readers to appreciate the author's evolving style across her career. Begin with If Morning Ever Comes and continue through titles including The Tin Can Tree, A Slipping-Down Life, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, The Accidental Tourist, and Breathing Lessons, among others published through 2025.

Start with If Morning Ever Comes, the first of 24 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	If Morning Ever Comes 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Tin Can Tree 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Slipping-Down Life 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Clock Winder 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Celestial Navigation 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Searching for Caleb 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Earthly Possessions 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Morgan's Passing 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Accidental Tourist 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Breathing Lessons 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Saint Maybe 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Ladder of Years 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	A Patchwork Planet 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Back When We Were Grownups 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Amateur Marriage 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Digging to America 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Noah's Compass 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	The Beginner's Goodbye 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	A Spool of Blue Thread 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Clock Dance 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Redhead by the Side of the Road 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	French Braid 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Three Days in June 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Return Trip Is Shorter 2027Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible