Recs if you like Betty...
every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
lit fic featuring dysfunctional families
Girl Who's Going to Be Okay
books that feel like the moment at the end of a movie when the protagonist has been through hell and back, gets into a cab, and gazes silently out the window as she goes home. she smiles ever so slowly before the screen fades to black.
coming of age (lit/contemporary fiction specific)
bildungsroman if ya nasty
Sun Bleached Flies
God loves you, but not enough to save you from these stories. Ethel Cain & Preacher’s Daughter vibes/inspired fiction
weird girlhood(s)
the books that are most interesting, inventive, and complex for the girlhood studies grad student in me. whose “girlhood” are we talking about? i’m thinking of girlhood as a liminal, queer, socially constructed, often traumatic, uncanny space.
books involving motherhood
some book recs that involve the complexities of motherhood: the tough and tender, chaotic and beautiful, exhausting and full of purpose.
Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is one of my top pics as you can get a variety of flavors within it. Want to cry? Historical Fiction. Your skin to crawl? Historical Fiction! The world is your oyster
50 States, 50 Books by Women
List from Sadie Hartmann's Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women
Books Represented by Lexi (NewlyNova)
For those of you who subscribe to newlynova on either YouTube or TikTok, I have compiled a list of books that she has mentioned in her videos
Weird and Unhinged Women
All sorts of stories about all sorts of women. Mostly litfic, some horror.
You Look Like Taylor Swift In This Light
Forever searching for book titles that are nods to the pop queen. 🦋💛✨🧣🕶️🐍💕🧥🌿🌙🖊️❤️🔥
Baby Name Generator
Name generators my beloveds. Just a list made by someone whose D&D characters were mostly christened with the help of RNG. The one and only criterion: Title is a first/given name (or nickname too)! Some are verified by the book actually containing a character with that name.
Books so good they leave you staring at a wall
Books from all genres that are gut wrenching and beautifully written
Feel free to comment your recommendations!!🫶
Mother Wounds 🕯️
Stories of mothers and daughters tangled in love, grief, and ruin.
Spotify, play Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain’s bookshelf. Haunted churches, dirt roads, and hymns gone sour.
Devasting Books - when you need a good cry
A collection of emotional books with a wide range of genres, themes, plot, etc. Make sure to check TW, these books can be intense. I personally love to sob my eyes out while reading, so if you do too, check if any of these books appeal to your tastes.
The Writer's Syllabus (by Shaelin Bishop)
Shaelin Bishop (aka ShaelinWrites) is a Canadian writer and YouTuber who makes lots of great videos with really helpful writing advice. She also has two videos called "The Writer's Syllabus" with book recommendations that will help you become a better writer and I decided to make a list of them here!
gut wrenching coming of age
these poor kids
i wish i could wake up with amnesia!!!
books so good i want to forget so i could read them for the first time again!!!!
What's it like to be a child?
Books from all genres that provide a reflection about childhood and what it's like to be a child. Expect coming of age stories, early ages memoirs, and more far-fetched novels depicting childlike wonder! Let yourself be taken away on an adventure to rediscover what childhood is through real stories, invented ones and metaphors of childhood!
