I love reading, and while I would love to be one of those people with a well organised book list or TBR, I am a mood reader at heart. I am also someone who picks books based on vibes and nothing else. I have been collecting a list Niche book recommendations to help me figure out what I like based on specific ‘vibes’ or aesthetics, which really suits me as a mood reader- and I hope it helps you too!
1)If you loved the Gone Girl movie
- Rebecca by Daphne De Murier: Truly a wonderful examination of power dynamics in personal relationship and a really interesting analysis of femininity and the struggle to find your identity.
2)If you love the Dark Academia aesthetic
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt- The ultimate dark academia classic, this book has everything you need. Beautiful writing, unlikable but interesting characters, a university setting and an interesting plot.
- Babel- An Arcane History by RF Kuang: I love the dark academia aesthetic, but it can be hard to avoid the colonialism and elitism overtones which are usually present. Babel is based in 18th century Oxford, and has
3)If you loved succession
- The 48 laws of power by Robert Green: Probably one of the most amoral books I have ever read, and somehow one of the most influential business books of all time?
4)If you love the bachelor
- The charm offensive by Alison Cochrun: Dev is a hopeless romantic who is a producer on the Bachelor-esque show Ever After, Charlie is the new star of the season. It’s fluffy, its sweet and it’s a great love story.
5)If you loved Shadow and Bone
- The Diviners Series by Libba Bray: A bunch of rag tag magitians in 1920s new york, great characters, a good plot and great diversity.
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: Dragons, queer romance and a great plot, what more is there to love?
6)If you’re burnt out and disillusioned by capitalism:
- Theres no such thing as an easy job by Kikuko Tsumura: This story is told through a series of dead end jobs, and its quietly funny and deeply attuned to the deadpan absurdity of the ‘daily grind’
- Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata: A book about a 36 year old woman who can not understand herself beyond her job as a convenience store worker
- Careering by Daisy Buchanan: While this book was slightly traumatising because it reminded me of my own intern days of toxicity and cofffe runs, this book is relatable (sometimes TOO relatable) fun and thought provoking story about being a woman in the workplace.
7)If you loved Daisy Jones and the Six
- Eve Babitz- Slow Days Fast Company A collection of short essays about Babitz’s life in the 1960’s and 1970’s, its a great look into the ultimate ‘1970’s party girl’ including pop culture run ins and really in depth and interesting observations about the culture and LA at the time. The book is full of dry humour and her descriptions really evoke the time and place.
- John Didion- the White Album More intellectualised than Eve Babitz, Joan Didion disects her life like a surgeon, and watching counter culture, and deep personal experiance addressed like that is truly an experiance.
8) You want to come across as a huge red flag:
- American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis: I know this book is a satire, but it is a ROUGH read.
- Boy Parts by Eliza Clark – Boy parts is a visceral portrait of female rage, with a deeply unlikeable main character with a healthy dose of revenge and a critical review of gender roles.
- You love Taylor Swift
- Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier: A massive inspiration for the Folklore and Evermore albums, paricularly no body no crime and tolerate it
- Sense and Sensability by Jane Austen: Rumoured to be a huge influence on ‘All too well’
- The great gatsby- happiness and ‘this is why we can’t have nice things’
10) If you love reading about familial trauma:
- I went to see my father by Kung Sook Shin: A deeply tender story about how we can never truly know our parents, familial trauma and the intertwined nature of familial trauma and national tragedy in the Korean War.
- I’m sorrry you feel like that by Rebecca Waits: Difficult and compelling characters, an interesting plot and the impact of mental illness on the family.
- I’m glad my mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: an unflinching and honest look at parental abuse and child stardom.
- the vanishing half by Brit: Two sisters who take different paths in life, one appearing as a black woman and one presenting as a white woman;
11) You want to relate to tik tok
- A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J Maas: Fairies, fantasy and romance
- The invisable life of addie la rue: A romance of death
- The 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo: The ultimate queer golden age romance.
- You have anxiety:
- I want to die but i want to eat tteokbokki by Baek Sehee: Told through a series of thearapy sessions, it talks about anxiety, social anxiety, catastrohaising and the way we perceive events vs what actually happened.
What niche book recommendations do you have?