If you liked: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Read: Breast and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Breast and Eggs is a controversially received Japanese bestseller, exploring bodily autonomy, femininity and motherhood in a contemporary patriarchal society. Similar to Esther in The Bell Jar, protagonist Natsuko is emotionally isolated from the world around her, further emphasizing her inner turmoil. Much like how Plath’s most recognized work critiques the rigid categories women were all too often forced into, Kawakami examines the commodification of women’s bodies and the strict adherence to traditional gender roles and beauty standards in 21st century Japan.
If you liked: Normal People by Sally Rooney
Read: So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
At the core of Marianne and Connell’s intense and intimate romance are complications of misunderstanding, power dynamics, and deep-seated insecurities. Claire Keegan’s 64-page So Late in the Day is told from the unreliable perspective of a man named Cathal as he reflects on his past with a woman named Sabine. Keegan’s short story investigates gender dynamics and understanding in love and relationships.
If you liked: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Read: Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith
Though more recognizable from her classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, author Betty Smith’s 1948 character driven novel Tomorrow Will Be Better is a gut-wrenching portrayal of what it is like to come of age as an impoverished woman in 1920s Brooklyn. Protagonist Margy Shannon reflects all the youthfulness of hope, dreams, and grand ambitions. She is optimistic and chases a better life, in spite of constant struggle and devastation. Tomorrow Will Be Better is a poignant and tender depiction of growing up and the resilience of the human spirit.
If you liked: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Read: The Magic Fish by Trung Le NguyenThe Magic Fish is a graphic novel that follows second generation Vietnamese-American teenager Tiến Phong as he struggles to come out to his immigrant mother, who does not speak English. In order to practice English, Tiến Phong and his mother read fairy tales together, and this storytelling becomes their shared language. Told over the course of three fairy tales and stunningly distinct graphics, Nguyen weaves in themes of cultural hybridity, family, and belonging.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash