1.Brutes (group of girls in a small town with secrets and a missing girl) 2. The virgin suicides (Sisters sheltered from the rest of the world and they rebel) 3. The girls (end of 60s. Girl is bored of domestic life and decides to follow a group of hippies ) 4. Bonjour Tristesse (tale of youthful love and rebellion) 5. A Girl is a half formed thing (this is going to make you mega uncomfy. Traumatized girlie. No happy ending) 6. Sharp objects ( Woman detective trying to solve the disappearance of girls) 7. The idiot (coming of age. Culture and college. Kinda like Catcher of the rye if the Main character was a girl) 8. My dark Vanessa (kind of like if Lolita was told from Dolores perspective. Grooming victim trying to come to term with seeing herself as a victim and realizing it’s not actual love) 9. Somebody’s daughter (poor, black girl growing up without a father. Trying to accept her culture and identity) 10. Girl interrupted (girls in mental hospital. Shows how mentally ill are being treated back then (I think 80? Don’t remember)) 11. Diary of a young girl Anne frank
I love this book, it haunted me for so long after reading it that it was difficult to be able to read anything else after it. Moreover I had an intense and sort of codependancy with my bestfriend in middle school so it was weird to feel like we were like the two bestfriend in the book in a way even without being so toxic.
You might like "Her Body and Other Parties" by Carmen Maria Machado! It's a collection of very weird and twisted short stories that are all about womanhood and the horror and grief of it. "The Husband Stitch" is the most famous short story. It's one of my favorite pieces of writing of all time.
1. Brutes by Dizz Tate (4:27) 2. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (6:02) 3. The Girls by Emma Cline (7:47) 4. Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (9:04) 5. A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (10:25) 6. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (12:47) 7. The Idiot by Elif Batuman (14:12) 8. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (15:53) 9. Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (17:20) 10. Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (18:35) 11. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (19:37)
dakota, i’m not sure if you read oranges aren’t the only fruit but i think it would fit wonderfully on this list. it’s about a girl who grows up in a super religious community and her mother is ver controlling. She then discovers queerness and her love for women. i really liked it and it’s one of my favourites. (i also recommended the vintage heroine classics bc the cover is gorgeous)
ahh i was looking for this comment!! nearing finished it ,, its tenderness is so special. Seeing her subtle growth throughout the text as well, going from idolising her mother to pitying her. aghhhhh !! the vintage heroine classic covers and the collection itself are simply beautiful
I second this but I feel like there is nothing like oranges are not the only fruit because it's such a unique and personal novel. A book I've read with similar themes is Naamah by Sarah Blake (religious critique and bisexual, I really loved it!).@@sarahhan1867
I absolutely adore the way you speak about books. Its so eloquent and beautiful. You elucidate books so magnificently, perfectly describing them. I aspire to one day be able to speak about books as you do. ❤️
I love most of the books presented in this video and I would also add "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath to the list. It is one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful novels that most greatly represent the struggles of girlhood and the discovery of identity and in my honest opinion.
Also “Valerie and her week of wonders.”It’s exactly as dreamlike and bizarre as the movie that captures an undercurrent of something sinister in girlhood coming of age
I’ve only ever watched the movie, was completely in awe of the cinematography and symbolism but had to watch about a dozen movie reviews about the actual film before trying to gather my thoughts on it haha. never knew it was a book so thank you for the comment !
ahhhh this is bringing me back to the book called the lying life of adults by Elena Ferrante. I think I mentioned I was reading it to you at the start of year at your Sydney poetry reading but it has all the themes that we love (religion, parents divorcing, sexual discovery, etc.) and it is written so delicately and honestly and I think you'd very much enjoy it,, love you Dakota
Dare Me by Megan Abbott has the iconic "There's something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls" quote and it's truly a fantastic book about girlhood but tbh most of her books fall into that category. They're a sliding scale of traumatizing with The End of Everything being perhaps the most traumatizing and maybe Dare Me is the least..maybe. The Fever is also fantastic. I've never read a book by her that I didn't love.
this is one of my favorite genres honestly, I feel like its especially fascinating how we can connect to such different circumstances, cultures, and time periods, just because of our shared coming-of-age experiences. I'd also recommend Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit, by Jeanette Winterson. It's a semi-autobiographical depiction of Jeanette discovering her sexuality in a poor, religious household. Winterson has a very unique voice, her prose is brilliantly descriptive and unlike anything I've read before. Once you start reading her work, it's hard to stop. The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan- this is about a young girl in the 70s (i think) following the path of her missing sister and maturing into the void her sister has left. Egan is one of my favorite authors and this story feels so hauntingly real. Braided Lives by Marge Piercy- this is also semi-autobiographical about college girls trying to forge their own path to womanhood and take control of their sexuality in 1950's America. Definitely more about the later stages of adolescence, but I would recommend this to anyone in their 20's, especially if you are a writer! thank you for the lovely vid Dakota
I must recommend The Lovely Bones, The Book Thief, and Memiors of a Geisha. Some of my very favorite books are in this category of girlhood. Also adored the virgin suicides, girl interrupted, and sharp objects. Excited to pick up a few of your recs. Thanks for the unique content!
Painting and listening to your videos is my favorite activity. And what a glory to think about and celebrate girlhood with you...a real transcendantal experience I love your selection so far. Bonjour tristesse est magnifique, mais surtout en français
another book that comes to my mind is "abzurdah" by cielo latini, an argentinian author. the book it's a biography about her early years as an anorexic and bulimic girl who also has bpd, it touches really dark topics that are frequently in girlhood
the way you described the virgin suicides 🤧 it’s true we do romanticize our pain. Wonder if it’s something we’ll learned by feminine socialization. I was a little skeptical on that book but you sold it to me
I read Jawbone by Monica Ojeda last year and it was such a visceral experience for me. I have never read a representation of girlhood and the violence of girlhood that rang so true to me. I really wish that book had more readers, Extasia by Claire LeGrand is a fantasy/horror novel (and YA), but still examines girlhood in a way that aches so good. God tier genre, honestly.
@Irene Katona I'm not sure it's super similar to Bunny, however, i do see similarities! Definitely has unwell young women!! Brutes from this video is the closest thing I've read to Bunny thus far, so I'd 100% recommend that!
Hearing you talk about these books made me think of a strange, disturbing book I read this summer called *Chouette* by Claire Oshetsky. While it is not about girlhood but about motherhood, those two somehow feel connected at times, the confusion, overwhelming amount of new experiences, the constant doubt and questions... This book is disorienting, raw and fierce. It's a display of a mother doing her best to raise a child who is non-conforming in various ways and her endless tries at being a good mother while her husband and society tell her she's doing it wrong. Powerful and memorable
Does anyone have book recommendations about an isolated and alienated girlhood? Like about the experience of growing up without teen love, intense friendships, crazy experiences, close relationships to family... And the longing for it but never happening and only having yourself as company through growing up and feeling like you're not really enjoying that time of your life
I recommend the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson !! It explores the main character in Highschool and how isolated she feels in dealing with her depression / trauma. (I’d look up the tw’s) but i think it well describes that feeling.
It’s an amazing book list, thank you so much for introducing this many books exploring the mentality of girlhood! My by far the favorite in this genre is Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson, it is said to be inspired by a true missing person case back in the 60’s, reading it almost feel like having a high fever while tumbling in the dark with sourceless murmurs, hope you enjoy it ❤
another amazing book about girlhood, womens friendship, the role of women in society, racism, and mental health is Sula by Toni Morrison. Its my favorite book and it truly changed by perspective on so many things. Def something everyone should read at least once in their life. Great video by the way :)
What a great idea for a booklist! I remember reading the Gemma Doyle trilogy and the second volume is one I would definitely put on my version of this list
your video just came across my recommended page, instantly subbed when you said you're fostering a community of people who love books that destroy us LMAO. always on the hunt for deep depressing novels
i'd recommend Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai. also this made me realize i haven't read that many books about girlhood, mostly on womanhood. need to check these books out, thanks!
came to this video hoping My Dark Vanessa would be on the list as i just finished it recently and im so glad it is. it has to be the best book i’ve ever read up to date. highly reccomend!!
i recommend white oleander by janet fitch. i almost underlined every page because each line was lush and poetic. the torn skirt by rebecca godfrey is not as outstanding, but it's about girls getting in trouble and it's not talked about enough. marlena by julie buntin is another favourite. happy reading
I just yesterday finished The Master and Margarita that you recommended in one of your videos and absolutely adored it! So excited to pick up one of these books, thank you so much!
i think you'd really like anything written by Megan Abbott! i recommend dare me or you will know me. the prose is beautiful and i love how she breaks down girlhood and the relationships women have with each other
I would also add my year of rest and relaxation, elien, conversations with friends, the bell jar, speak, my brilliant friend to this list, its a brilliant list btw. Thank you dakota!!
I read Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood a while back and I remember that it explored a lot of the dark, shitty things girls go through but in a sort of light, comedic way because the protagonist is just so young, innocent and gullible.
There is one book I haven't seen mentioned so far, although it could have been. A gem that completely envelopes you the moment from the first page. White Bird in a Blizzard by Laura Kasischke. The twisted narrative of girlhood into adulthood with a healthy and unhealthy obsession of a certain individuals disappearing disappointments.
Ugh, the way you talk about books just makes me want to read them all, although I know I can’t! Some books about girlhood (or rather young womanhood) I recommend would be ‘Kim Jiyoung, born 1982’ by Cho Namjoo (it’s about a kind of “every woman”, and all the experiences a girl makes growing up until she end up going a little crazy), ‘Berlin’ by Bea Setton (a chaotic young woman moves from London to Berlin to escape her life, I found it a little too relatable for comfort)and ‘Lemon’ by Kwon Yeosun (super short read, about a girl who’s older sister gets m*rdered and the aftermath)
I love cracks, one of my favorite books and movies Italian aristocrat girl comes to boarding school in South Africa where her female teacher becomes creepily obsessed with her, her fellow peers are extremely jealous and it gets really dark from there
I'm currently reading a book called girl, woman, other and I think the way it follows the characters' journey of girlhood is so beautiful. love love love the book I can't wait to finish it but I'm dreading it as well to be honest
These vibes remind me of The Little Friend, Donna Tartt’s not well-liked second novel. I loved it, it’s about a girl in the American south who is very Scout-from-TKAM-like. It’s written in a Dickensian fashion, as in it goes on and on and on, but contrary to some of the reviews there is a plot and it’s interesting and disturbing and darkly funny. Anyway, just another book to consider 🙂
I'd recommend "Nothing Holds back the night" by Delphine De Vigan. It's about the life of a mentally ill woman, from her daughter's point of view. She tries describing what's her mom has been through, and how suffering it was being her child
I read The Virgin Suicides probably 30 years ago when I was 18. I wonder what it would be like to read now at 48... I would definitely recommend The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis and Sadie by Courtney Summers.
"The Pirate's Daughter" by Margaret Cezair is INCREDIBLE. Set in 1950s-1980s Jamaica - follows the lives of a Black teenage girl impregnated by Errol Flynn, and the childhood through early adulthood of that daughter. It is gut wrenching and so, so beautiful. ♥
i feel like neely’s character and arc in valley of the dolls is an interesting take on girlhood and growing up, expectations, substance abuse and the effects of fame. it has haunted me ever since i read it and it’s one of my favourite books bc of that
Hey Dakota, I found your channel from your collabs with Jack Edwards and this is the video that made me subscribe. You're so lovely and I love all your recommendations.
i feel like sweet days of discipline of fleur jaeggy, sula by toni morrison, and we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson are a few more great additions to this list!
Some of my absolute favourite books on this theme are White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Sister Golden Hair by Darcey Steinke, and the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante.
You should read Salt Slow by Julia Armfield. Its a beautiful collection of short stories about the female experience including tales of girlhood and leading to motherhood. It utilises elements of horror and surrealism to craft a truely unique exploration on girlhood and growing up.
We are Okay by Nina LaCour is such a beautiful book about grief, love, girlhood, and everything in between. Though I believe its classified as YA, the writing is mature beyond its years and it was truly such a wonderful read.
Glad to see you back, Dakota. Great list and I'm as usual impressed by your literary taste (more in tune with my own than many booktubers) and how often you show me books I haven't heard about. I would like to add some of my favorites on girlhood, The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter and My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin. For me, a second runner-up would be The Saskiad, but that one's written by a dude.
Also, I have to put in a word for one of my all-time favorites, Temples of Delight by Barbara Trapido. It's more funny-poignant than wonderful-terrible, but for me it captures perfectly friendship in teenage girlhood and how it can affect your entire life.
hi dakota!! i am doing a project/ essay thing for school on girlhood, but specifically, how it is represented in art. do you have any recommendations for pieces that you think capture the essence of girlhood in the same way that these books do? thank you! :))
I’m fourteen and completely obsessed with The Virgin Suicides after my friend I met at a summer camp recommended it to me. Jeffery Eugenides has such a fascinating yet simplistic style of writing and I recommend it for every girl, but particularly traumatised girls with strict religious parents. (Fun, right?) The film directed by Sophia Coppola is also amazing. Have a good day and God bless you all
I Was A Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block takes the visceral experience of girlhood and runs it through a blender of being a child in an adult's celebrity world. It's about a girl who has a stage manager mother who pushes her into modelling even though it's not what she wants. Think all the things we read about young women who have been chewed up and spat out by being child stars. A lot of FLB's work is about the visceral experience of girlhood, tbh.
I would like to offer Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood. it destroyed me when I read it at 16, it destroyed me when I read it at 25. It is the story of a painter's life, she tells it from childhood in the perspective of a girl- so perfectly explaining the horror and wonder of it.
Unrelated but: You and Jack Edwards give Lana and Taylor stan besties (respectively) and I love the dramatic literary chaos of it
So accurate!
incredibly true
1.Brutes (group of girls in a small town with secrets and a missing girl)
2. The virgin suicides
(Sisters sheltered from the rest of the world and they rebel)
3. The girls (end of 60s. Girl is bored of domestic life and decides to follow a group of hippies )
4. Bonjour Tristesse (tale of youthful love and rebellion)
5. A Girl is a half formed thing (this is going to make you mega uncomfy. Traumatized girlie. No happy ending)
6. Sharp objects ( Woman detective trying to solve the disappearance of girls)
7. The idiot (coming of age. Culture and college. Kinda like Catcher of the rye if the Main character was a girl)
8. My dark Vanessa (kind of like if Lolita was told from Dolores perspective. Grooming victim trying to come to term with seeing herself as a victim and realizing it’s not actual love)
9. Somebody’s daughter (poor, black girl growing up without a father. Trying to accept her culture and identity)
10. Girl interrupted (girls in mental hospital. Shows how mentally ill are being treated back then (I think 80? Don’t remember))
11. Diary of a young girl Anne frank
thank you so much
thanks! :D
Thank youuu
1960s for girl interrupted. i love the film!
@@ictlab1345 oh thanks! wasn't quite sure about the date
the neapolitan quartet by elena ferrante has to be one of the most accurate depictions of female friendships i've come across in literature!
YES. every girl has her own lila.
Yeah, I came to write the same comment. Really recommend Elena Ferrante
I was about to comment this😂
I commented the same! Was shocked to see that it wasn’t included in the video
Dakota you MUST read Jawbone by Monica Ojeda. It is my favorite girlhood horror novel about desire, puberty, purity, and fear. You’ll love it
YESS!!!!
First thing I thought of when I saw the title!
THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT WHEN I SAW THE TITLE
i’m ecuadorian and she’s an ecuadorian author, she literally described many real things about religion and girlhood in my country!!
I love this book, it haunted me for so long after reading it that it was difficult to be able to read anything else after it. Moreover I had an intense and sort of codependancy with my bestfriend in middle school so it was weird to feel like we were like the two bestfriend in the book in a way even without being so toxic.
You might like "Her Body and Other Parties" by Carmen Maria Machado! It's a collection of very weird and twisted short stories that are all about womanhood and the horror and grief of it. "The Husband Stitch" is the most famous short story. It's one of my favorite pieces of writing of all time.
I've heard so much about this book!
I was looking for this comment! I totally agree!
1. Brutes by Dizz Tate (4:27)
2. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (6:02)
3. The Girls by Emma Cline (7:47)
4. Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (9:04)
5. A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (10:25)
6. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (12:47)
7. The Idiot by Elif Batuman (14:12)
8. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (15:53)
9. Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (17:20)
10. Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (18:35)
11. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (19:37)
Doing the lord's work, ty 🫡
dakota, i’m not sure if you read oranges aren’t the only fruit but i think it would fit wonderfully on this list. it’s about a girl who grows up in a super religious community and her mother is ver controlling. She then discovers queerness and her love for women. i really liked it and it’s one of my favourites. (i also recommended the vintage heroine classics bc the cover is gorgeous)
ahh i was looking for this comment!! nearing finished it ,, its tenderness is so special. Seeing her subtle growth throughout the text as well, going from idolising her mother to pitying her. aghhhhh !! the vintage heroine classic covers and the collection itself are simply beautiful
Omg does anyone know more books like this Orange isn’t the only fruit
this is my favourite book of all time recommend x 1000!!!
I second this but I feel like there is nothing like oranges are not the only fruit because it's such a unique and personal novel. A book I've read with similar themes is Naamah by Sarah Blake (religious critique and bisexual, I really loved it!).@@sarahhan1867
I absolutely adore the way you speak about books. Its so eloquent and beautiful. You elucidate books so magnificently, perfectly describing them. I aspire to one day be able to speak about books as you do. ❤️
I love most of the books presented in this video and I would also add "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath to the list. It is one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful novels that most greatly represent the struggles of girlhood and the discovery of identity and in my honest opinion.
Also “Valerie and her week of wonders.”It’s exactly as dreamlike and bizarre as the movie that captures an undercurrent of something sinister in girlhood coming of age
absoluuutely, thanks for words about «Valerie»
@@witchestoast8347 ofc! 😇 you’re gonna love the book!
I’ve only ever watched the movie, was completely in awe of the cinematography and symbolism but had to watch about a dozen movie reviews about the actual film before trying to gather my thoughts on it haha. never knew it was a book so thank you for the comment !
@@jj-lg3lu yes! I thought the same too! Hope you enjoy it! ☺️
ahhhh this is bringing me back to the book called the lying life of adults by Elena Ferrante. I think I mentioned I was reading it to you at the start of year at your Sydney poetry reading but it has all the themes that we love (religion, parents divorcing, sexual discovery, etc.) and it is written so delicately and honestly and I think you'd very much enjoy it,, love you Dakota
Id recommend My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante!! It really showcases the brutality of girlhood
And female friendships
Dare Me by Megan Abbott has the iconic "There's something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls" quote and it's truly a fantastic book about girlhood but tbh most of her books fall into that category. They're a sliding scale of traumatizing with The End of Everything being perhaps the most traumatizing and maybe Dare Me is the least..maybe. The Fever is also fantastic. I've never read a book by her that I didn't love.
this is one of my favorite genres honestly, I feel like its especially fascinating how we can connect to such different circumstances, cultures, and time periods, just because of our shared coming-of-age experiences.
I'd also recommend Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit, by Jeanette Winterson. It's a semi-autobiographical depiction of Jeanette discovering her sexuality in a poor, religious household. Winterson has a very unique voice, her prose is brilliantly descriptive and unlike anything I've read before. Once you start reading her work, it's hard to stop.
The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan- this is about a young girl in the 70s (i think) following the path of her missing sister and maturing into the void her sister has left. Egan is one of my favorite authors and this story feels so hauntingly real.
Braided Lives by Marge Piercy- this is also semi-autobiographical about college girls trying to forge their own path to womanhood and take control of their sexuality in 1950's America. Definitely more about the later stages of adolescence, but I would recommend this to anyone in their 20's, especially if you are a writer!
thank you for the lovely vid Dakota
Love oranges aren’t the only fruit 🧡
I just turned 20 so ill definitely be reading these so thank you!
I must recommend The Lovely Bones, The Book Thief, and Memiors of a Geisha. Some of my very favorite books are in this category of girlhood. Also adored the virgin suicides, girl interrupted, and sharp objects. Excited to pick up a few of your recs. Thanks for the unique content!
Painting and listening to your videos is my favorite activity. And what a glory to think about and celebrate girlhood with you...a real transcendantal experience
I love your selection so far. Bonjour tristesse est magnifique, mais surtout en français
the cat’s eye by Margaret Atwood is a favorite of mine that definitely is a very relatable depiction of girlhood
Dakota is so beautifully well spoken I adore her!!!
another book that comes to my mind is "abzurdah" by cielo latini, an argentinian author. the book it's a biography about her early years as an anorexic and bulimic girl who also has bpd, it touches really dark topics that are frequently in girlhood
your hair has grown so long omg so gorgeous
the way you described the virgin suicides 🤧 it’s true we do romanticize our pain. Wonder if it’s something we’ll learned by feminine socialization. I was a little skeptical on that book but you sold it to me
wake up ladies, Dakota just posted!
I've fallen in love with the layout of the background
I read Jawbone by Monica Ojeda last year and it was such a visceral experience for me. I have never read a representation of girlhood and the violence of girlhood that rang so true to me. I really wish that book had more readers, Extasia by Claire LeGrand is a fantasy/horror novel (and YA), but still examines girlhood in a way that aches so good. God tier genre, honestly.
Hey! Is it similar to bunny? I’m looking for something like that that’s dark but also crazy young women
@Irene Katona I'm not sure it's super similar to Bunny, however, i do see similarities! Definitely has unwell young women!! Brutes from this video is the closest thing I've read to Bunny thus far, so I'd 100% recommend that!
@@sarahmarx2267 ooo looks like I’m reading both! 😂 thanks!
@@irenekatona7856 you're welcome! I hope you enjoy them :)
Hearing you talk about these books made me think of a strange, disturbing book I read this summer called *Chouette* by Claire Oshetsky.
While it is not about girlhood but about motherhood, those two somehow feel connected at times, the confusion, overwhelming amount of new experiences, the constant doubt and questions... This book is disorienting, raw and fierce. It's a display of a mother doing her best to raise a child who is non-conforming in various ways and her endless tries at being a good mother while her husband and society tell her she's doing it wrong.
Powerful and memorable
Does anyone have book recommendations about an isolated and alienated girlhood? Like about the experience of growing up without teen love, intense friendships, crazy experiences, close relationships to family... And the longing for it but never happening and only having yourself as company through growing up and feeling like you're not really enjoying that time of your life
You have to read Jane Eyre!!
I recommend the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson !! It explores the main character in Highschool and how isolated she feels in dealing with her depression / trauma. (I’d look up the tw’s) but i think it well describes that feeling.
It’s an amazing book list, thank you so much for introducing this many books exploring the mentality of girlhood! My by far the favorite in this genre is Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson, it is said to be inspired by a true missing person case back in the 60’s, reading it almost feel like having a high fever while tumbling in the dark with sourceless murmurs, hope you enjoy it ❤
another amazing book about girlhood, womens friendship, the role of women in society, racism, and mental health is Sula by Toni Morrison. Its my favorite book and it truly changed by perspective on so many things. Def something everyone should read at least once in their life. Great video by the way :)
Ah, another cosy video with our favourite little bookworm.
This is so lovely, I also grew up as a small girl in a rural Australian town so I'm excited to add many of these to my TBR. Thank you!
i’ve missed you so my lady, excellent vibes as always (+ I love your dress!!!!!!)
What a great idea for a booklist! I remember reading the Gemma Doyle trilogy and the second volume is one I would definitely put on my version of this list
finding ur channel was the highlight of my night
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala is a gorgeous book set at an idyllic summer camp about the joys & horrors of female friendships.
I've never watched you before and I'm not even 2 minutes in but the way you talk is so beautiful and i love it so much it just resonates with me
your video just came across my recommended page, instantly subbed when you said you're fostering a community of people who love books that destroy us LMAO. always on the hunt for deep depressing novels
i'd recommend Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai. also this made me realize i haven't read that many books about girlhood, mostly on womanhood. need to check these books out, thanks!
I recommend schoolgirl too!!
came to this video hoping My Dark Vanessa would be on the list as i just finished it recently and im so glad it is. it has to be the best book i’ve ever read up to date. highly reccomend!!
You're glowing differently
i recommend white oleander by janet fitch. i almost underlined every page because each line was lush and poetic. the torn skirt by rebecca godfrey is not as outstanding, but it's about girls getting in trouble and it's not talked about enough. marlena by julie buntin is another favourite.
happy reading
not dakota warren making a video on my favourite genre
I just yesterday finished The Master and Margarita that you recommended in one of your videos and absolutely adored it! So excited to pick up one of these books, thank you so much!
i think you'd really like anything written by Megan Abbott! i recommend dare me or you will know me. the prose is beautiful and i love how she breaks down girlhood and the relationships women have with each other
Some incredible books here you've mentioned that I love. I am going to read everything you mentioned that I haven't read yet.
I would also add my year of rest and relaxation, elien, conversations with friends, the bell jar, speak, my brilliant friend to this list, its a brilliant list btw. Thank you dakota!!
Also, valley of the dolls, the woman destroyed, etc.. you can add lots more
my plant of orange lime, i think is my favorite book. i just love it so much, it destroyed me and makes me kinda happy at the same time
your content always manages to inspire me creatively and fill my soul with peace
I read Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood a while back and I remember that it explored a lot of the dark, shitty things girls go through but in a sort of light, comedic way because the protagonist is just so young, innocent and gullible.
There is one book I haven't seen mentioned so far, although it could have been. A gem that completely envelopes you the moment from the first page. White Bird in a Blizzard by Laura Kasischke. The twisted narrative of girlhood into adulthood with a healthy and unhealthy obsession of a certain individuals disappearing disappointments.
YAYAYAY i missed you !!!! and i neeeded one like this
Ugh, the way you talk about books just makes me want to read them all, although I know I can’t!
Some books about girlhood (or rather young womanhood) I recommend would be ‘Kim Jiyoung, born 1982’ by Cho Namjoo (it’s about a kind of “every woman”, and all the experiences a girl makes growing up until she end up going a little crazy), ‘Berlin’ by Bea Setton (a chaotic young woman moves from London to Berlin to escape her life, I found it a little too relatable for comfort)and ‘Lemon’ by Kwon Yeosun (super short read, about a girl who’s older sister gets m*rdered and the aftermath)
That is one magnificent dress… I love it! 🤎🍂
So glad your back missed you and happy you are back 😊
I’d also recommend My Brilliant Friend and The Lying Life of Adults, both by Elena Ferrante, and Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu
thank god i was losing my mind without your videos 🛐
I love cracks, one of my favorite books and movies Italian aristocrat girl comes to boarding school in South Africa where her female teacher becomes creepily obsessed with her, her fellow peers are extremely jealous and it gets really dark from there
ooh whos the author
@@melonramune Sheila Kohler! Bit of a tw tho if you are sensitive to such things
I'm currently reading a book called girl, woman, other and I think the way it follows the characters' journey of girlhood is so beautiful. love love love the book I can't wait to finish it but I'm dreading it as well to be honest
These vibes remind me of The Little Friend, Donna Tartt’s not well-liked second novel. I loved it, it’s about a girl in the American south who is very Scout-from-TKAM-like. It’s written in a Dickensian fashion, as in it goes on and on and on, but contrary to some of the reviews there is a plot and it’s interesting and disturbing and darkly funny. Anyway, just another book to consider 🙂
I'd recommend "Nothing Holds back the night" by Delphine De Vigan. It's about the life of a mentally ill woman, from her daughter's point of view. She tries describing what's her mom has been through, and how suffering it was being her child
YESSS I WAITED FOR THIS VIDEO FOR HOUUURS
I read The Virgin Suicides probably 30 years ago when I was 18. I wonder what it would be like to read now at 48...
I would definitely recommend The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis and Sadie by Courtney Summers.
sadie is one of my favourites! fantastic book!
I read the female of species last year, I loved it so much!!
I’ve never heard anyone else talking about the female of the species, i loved it so so much !!
"The Pirate's Daughter" by Margaret Cezair is INCREDIBLE. Set in 1950s-1980s Jamaica - follows the lives of a Black teenage girl impregnated by Errol Flynn, and the childhood through early adulthood of that daughter. It is gut wrenching and so, so beautiful. ♥
thank you lady dakota for this blessing of a book video 🤍
I love you Dakota!❤
i feel like neely’s character and arc in valley of the dolls is an interesting take on girlhood and growing up, expectations, substance abuse and the effects of fame. it has haunted me ever since i read it and it’s one of my favourite books bc of that
I have an exam in a few hours but it can wait. Dakota's videos are much important
Hey Dakota, I found your channel from your collabs with Jack Edwards and this is the video that made me subscribe. You're so lovely and I love all your recommendations.
i feel like you’re my big virgo sister, i missed youuu❤️❤️
i feel like sweet days of discipline of fleur jaeggy, sula by toni morrison, and we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson are a few more great additions to this list!
my friend and i read brutes after your last book rec video and it was sooo good omg
we gotta seee a new flat tour or room tour! it looks beautiful 😻
I loved The Virgin Suicides, such an amazing, powerful story.
Adding a few of these to my tbr 😊
My copy of on sun swallowing arrived today!!!
Some of my absolute favourite books on this theme are White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Sister Golden Hair by Darcey Steinke, and the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante.
White Oleander is SO GOOD
@@nataliamartinezsanchez1667 Right? It’s one of my favourite books but I don’t hear anyone talking about it. Also Paint It Black by Janet Fitch.
You should read Salt Slow by Julia Armfield. Its a beautiful collection of short stories about the female experience including tales of girlhood and leading to motherhood. It utilises elements of horror and surrealism to craft a truely unique exploration on girlhood and growing up.
Dakota returns . Gifts us another list of horrifyingly interesting books and at the top of it blesses our eyes with her beauty ❤️🫶
She’s so beautiful
We are Okay by Nina LaCour is such a beautiful book about grief, love, girlhood, and everything in between. Though I believe its classified as YA, the writing is mature beyond its years and it was truly such a wonderful read.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is another fantastic insight into this topic.
I also have a book to recommend even tho no one cares but its “i who have never known men” so haunting and about horrors of girlhood
I care and I'm researching it immediately
@@maxjones7303 this made my day thanks 🥹
Glad to see you back, Dakota. Great list and I'm as usual impressed by your literary taste (more in tune with my own than many booktubers) and how often you show me books I haven't heard about. I would like to add some of my favorites on girlhood, The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter and My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin. For me, a second runner-up would be The Saskiad, but that one's written by a dude.
Also, I have to put in a word for one of my all-time favorites, Temples of Delight by Barbara Trapido. It's more funny-poignant than wonderful-terrible, but for me it captures perfectly friendship in teenage girlhood and how it can affect your entire life.
honestly my dark vanessa is a masterpiece 😭
hi dakota!! i am doing a project/ essay thing for school on girlhood, but specifically, how it is represented in art. do you have any recommendations for pieces that you think capture the essence of girlhood in the same way that these books do? thank you! :))
this seems interesting!
Girl pictures by Justine Kurland I think is her name-it’s photography so idk if that’s what you’re looking for but they would be perfect!
This is so beautiful and warm! Thank you
I’m fourteen and completely obsessed with The Virgin Suicides after my friend I met at a summer camp recommended it to me. Jeffery Eugenides has such a fascinating yet simplistic style of writing and I recommend it for every girl, but particularly traumatised girls with strict religious parents. (Fun, right?) The film directed by Sophia Coppola is also amazing. Have a good day and God bless you all
thank you for ending all your videos with a love declaration.
reciprocated love.
One of my favorite books The diary of Anne Frank so emotional sad and heartbreaking and she is so strong and strength and wish person ❤
I randomly checked to see if you uploaded new content a few hours ago and boom lol ✨🤍
you should read ‘the copenhagen trilogy’ by tove ditlevson. it’s about girlhood across a lifetime, it’s about lifehood. it’s excruciating beauty.
Somebody’s daughter beautiful cover and and her character is so strong and loved it ❤
i've missed you dearly! truly hope you are doing well these days 🖤
Such an interesting video, I love the topic and your recommendations)
I Was A Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block takes the visceral experience of girlhood and runs it through a blender of being a child in an adult's celebrity world. It's about a girl who has a stage manager mother who pushes her into modelling even though it's not what she wants. Think all the things we read about young women who have been chewed up and spat out by being child stars. A lot of FLB's work is about the visceral experience of girlhood, tbh.
I just read the lying life of adults by elena ferrante and i think it fits in this list
im reading a girl is a half formed thing, and i am feeling the revelation
I love your videos sm 😭
I make similar videos :) ❤ and yes! Shes got amazing content
@@kelseytaylor6314 i followed you your chanel looks really good too love it 💞
I would like to offer Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood. it destroyed me when I read it at 16, it destroyed me when I read it at 25. It is the story of a painter's life, she tells it from childhood in the perspective of a girl- so perfectly explaining the horror and wonder of it.
Not only I want to read all these books, now I want the same hairstyle, shirt, and lipstick as you
*frantically updates her TBR list*
I absolutely adore you videos so much, what camera do you use? Every frame is so beautiful