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: January 2026
Publication Order
Small Ceremonies
Buy on Amazon1976
The Box Garden
Buy on Amazon1977
A Fairly Conventional Woman
Buy on Amazon1982
Swann
Buy on Amazon1987
A Celibate Season (With: Blanche Howard)
Buy on Amazon1991
The Republic of Love
Buy on Amazon1991
The Stone Diaries
Buy on Amazon1993
Larry's Party
Buy on Amazon1997
Unless
Buy on Amazon2002
Duet
Buy on Amazon2003
Departures & Arrivals
Buy on Amazon1990
Thirteen Hands
Buy on Amazon1993
Fashion, Power, Guilt and the Charity of Families (With: Catherine Shields)
Buy on Amazon1995
Anniversary (With: DaveWilliamson)
Buy on Amazon1998
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the Standalone series is publication order: 1. Small Ceremonies (1976), 2. The Box Garden (1977), 3. A Fairly Conventional Woman (1982), 4. Swann (1987), 5. A Celibate Season (With: Blanche Howard) (1991), and 9 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The Standalone series by Carol Shields contains 14 books. The series began in 1976 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The Standalone series is written by Carol Shields. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
Reader Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Be the first to leave a review!