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Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Standalone series? Start with "The Sweet Shop Owner" (1980) and follow publication order through all 16 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Sweet Shop Owner
1980
Shuttlecock
1981
Waterland
1983
Out of This World
1988
Ever After
1992
Last Orders
1996
Waterland / Last Orders
1999
The Light of Day
2003
Tomorrow
2007
Wish You Were Here
2011
Mothering Sunday
2016
Here We Are
2020
Chemistry
2012
Learning to Swim
1982
England
2014
Twelve Post-War Tales
2025
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