Love stories are a very popular reading matter, which is read not only by beautiful ladies, but also by many men. And what kind of love stories Russians prefer to read was found out by the film channel "Russian Roman".
Its Russian consolidated top-selling book of love in 2020 is compiled on the basis of data provided by book chains and online stores.
10. "Fortune Teller for a Millionaire" by Stella Gray
If most of the books on this list are able to make the reader feel melancholy or even squeeze a tear, then The Fortune Teller for a Millionaire is a fun, interesting and easy reading that is designed to quickly cheer you up.
In the center of the plot - "a fortune teller, medium, herbalist, druid, voodoo master" and simply a charlatan Sissi, who is known to clients under the pseudonym "Lady Morgana". One day a real millionaire named Sebastian appears in her salon of magic services. Having quickly exposed the "fortune teller", he did not refuse her services and instead offered ... to become his bride. Fictitious, of course. But why, and what came of it, you, if you want, will find out for yourself.
9. "Anna Karenina", Leo Tolstoy
Surprisingly, the book about the tragic love of a married lady and a brilliant officer, first published in 1875-1877, remains in demand to this day.
This is facilitated by the film adaptations that support interest in one of the most worthy representatives of the Russian classics, and the plot of the work itself, which subtly and accurately describes the hopes, doubts and prejudices of people in Russia in the 19th century. And if at school you were forced to read Anna Karenina and you didn’t enjoy it, try to return to reading now. Perhaps you will look at this book in a completely different way.
8. "When I return, be at home", Elchin Safarli
This popular love story consists entirely of letters from father to daughter. The volume of each chapter is small, they are easy to read and the title of each of them contains a quote that can be applied in life (or you can post it on a social network, collecting a crop of likes).
In the reviews, Russian readers recommend picking up this book when there is not enough peace of mind, the right words and the right thoughts. It helps us not to lose faith in the best and to remember that we need to rejoice in the little things that surround us.
7. "The Paper Princess" by Erin Watt
The seventh place on the list of the best-selling love books in Russia in 2020 is occupied by a youth novel, which lovingly describes erotic scenes and reveals the relationship between fathers and children. But not Russian, but foreign, since the authors of the book are two American writers at once, working under the same pseudonym.
The main character Ella, by the will of fate, inherited a huge fortune and is now forced to plunge headlong into the life of rich teenagers.But the big family of her father's friend, in which she found herself, does not feel the slightest sympathy for the girl, suspecting her that she is another freeloader who wants to get a lot of money from their father.
6. "One meter apart", Lippincott R., Daughtry M., Iakonis T.
The touching love story of two young people, Stella and Will, is not only one of the most popular, but also a very unusual love story. The main characters are sick, and they cannot come closer than one meter to each other. Agree, this is a serious obstacle to the development of tender feelings.
The book raises such important issues as the value of life, the relationship between fathers and children, and the consequences of fulfilling desires.
And after reading the book, you can check if your ideas about the main characters coincided with the vision of Justin Baldoni, the director of the movie "One Meter Away", which was released in 2019.
5. “Beyond You,” Alex D
This book is marked "18+", and for good reason, because it contains sex scenes and obscene language. And she also has the stormy experiences of the failed ballerina Maria, who found herself in a different field, her first love - her half-brother Mark - and almost the ideal of a man named Dmitry, with whom Maria developed an unequal but great love.
Some readers describe their impressions of reading Beyond You as an “emotional swing”. And they admit that the first pages of the book seemed boring to them, but then what was happening became very interesting, and remained so until the very end.
4. "My Best Enemy," Eli Frey
Why are books about teenagers among the most popular love fiction in Russia?
I would venture to suggest that readers like clean and fascinating stories about those who have not yet been spoiled by everyday life, intrigues at work and problems with children. It's nice to go back at least for a while and remember your own first love. But perhaps, dear readers, you have a different opinion on this matter.
Be that as it may, “My Best Enemy” is just a story about teenagers, the girl Tom and the boy Stas. Their relationship, which at first develops as a friendship, turns into its complete opposite due to betrayal.
3. "City of Women", Elizabeth Gilbert
"A life-like, deep novel", "interesting characters", "read in one breath" - are scattered in the praises of the reader in their reviews. The City of Women is a confession book that shows a lifetime through the eyes of one heroine.
One of the best-selling romance novels in Russia has a lot of descriptions of debauchery. But perhaps this is also part of her appeal to readers.
2. "Normal People" by Sally Rooney
This book is sure to delight people who enjoy the light style, reflection on class and psychological issues, and the strange relationships of the protagonists.
In "Normal People" the main characters are teenagers - Connell and Marianne. He is a handsome and popular with his peers, but a poor guy, she is the heiress of a rich family, a very smart "gray mouse", humiliated not only by her peers, but also by her relatives. Both of them will have to go through a series of misunderstandings and alienation, try on new types of relationships and learn to honestly express their thoughts to their partner.
Based on the novel by Rooney, the series of the same name was filmed, the role of Marianne in it was played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Connella - by Paul Mescal. It was released on Hulu and BBC Three.
1. "After", Anna Todd
The list of the most popular books about love in Russia is headed by the story of the difficulties of the relationship between good-girl Tess and Hardin, a young man with a dark past. This story is primarily intended for young girls, since the topics raised in it (parties, first serious love, first sex) are close and understandable to them.
By the way, Todd was inspired by One Direction member Harry Styles to create the main character.
The volume of the book is large enough, so that you will not guess soon what secret the main character is hiding (unless you read "After" on the diagonal).And if you are too lazy to read, you can always watch the movie "After", filmed in 2019 by director Jenny Gage. It stars Josephine Langford and Hiro Fiennes-Tiffin.