Looking for short books aside of mainstream ones? We got your back. Presenting 7 short and crisp girl dinner books to rev up your reading game.
Just like your midnight cravings and an in-meeting munch, want some food for thought? Following the trend of Girl Dinner all across the web, we couldn’t help wondering why fewer people on the net talked about plot cravings. Hence, we took it into our hands to do so.
The Trend
The Trend of Girl Dinner originated this very year, and it has taken the internet by storm. Originally the term was said to be believed as an after-comment or observation of shorter appetites and variety in taste selection in one’s tray. More like a snack board with pieces of various dishes or breads or whatever it is to your liking in smaller portions.
The idea can originate from the fact that women were accustomed to eating less and eating after the whole family used to back in the day. Or a comment on diet culture which is sold exclusively to women. But how come this trend took a positive note?
Girl Dinner in the present term of usage can refer to reduced appetites during menstruation or cravings which can accumulate at any time in the cycle after or before. The term can have multiple ways of interpretation and can be deciphered in a way you perceive so. In many cases, folks and influences from other genders and an array of people have also contributed to this trend. So, it is what you make it sound like.
While selecting our book recommendations, we were mindful of selecting books from various genres and plotlines which would act as an anchor point for a renewed sense of familiarity or a sense of discovery. These books are short, crisp and handpicked from genres of horror, philosophy, contemporary fiction, translated fiction, and more. So, you’ll never get bored.
Just like girl dinner, these books are curated to give you a fine taste of the genre without an overwhelming amount of pages to read through. Let’s go!
Our Recommendations for Girl Dinner Books
The Woman in the Dunes
By Kobo Abe
The Woman in Dunes by Kobo Abe
Want a twist of flavors to your philosophical reads? Enter The Woman in the Dunes, a story surrounding philosophy, myth, and gripping suspense, while commenting on the consistent degradation of one’s mental health by the world.
An entomologist finds himself stuck in an odd village with a set of odd circumstances to be dealt with alongside an unasked-for companion. The book discusses the act of survival and the existentialist approach to meaninglessness. It sells itself well for an untimely much-needed cocktail of genres.
Read this because:
With a runtime of 271 pages and an inciting plot from the start, this book is a work of translated fiction set in a Sisyphean world. Mind you the eeriness and claustrophobic appeal of the text, the book actively converses with Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus.
Hence, a great pick for something less mainstream and yet, quality-worthy for your penny. More like the soft loaf on the side with tea, this book is a staple addition to any genre of preference because it has something for everyone.
The Black Tulip
By Alexandre Dumas
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
Let’s end the debate, Historical fiction is evergreen and timeless in the nostalgia of wonder it carries. What if we can have our historical fiction with a blend of drama, obsession, and commentary on relations with one’s passion, and a sprinkle of romance? Sounds like your cup of tea? I present to you The Black Tulip.
Translated from French, this book follows Dr.Cornelius von Baerle, a skilled tulip grower who with a series of his work was one day able to grow a black tulip, the first of its kind. With recognition comes the fear of losing it. The assassination of Cornelius’s grandfather threw him into a brutal political mess, from which he is tagged guilty of high treason. Cast off, he finds solace in the jailer’s daughter and ultimately plans to rejuvenate his creation by re-growing a black tulip.
Read this because:
The book with a mere page count of 246 pages covers enough drama and conspiracy that it will keep you hooked to the last word of this novel. Running strong with the structure of Historical fiction, this classic is packed with energy and romance in the most addicting formats possible. Matching the energy of a good fruit punch drink or a fruit salad, this book has all the talk of the ton you’ll need.
Giovanni’s room
By James Baldwin
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Is your comfort food a drink? And is that drinking wine? I think I have something that you’ll like. Presenting Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, a queer exploration of a young man who is trying to suppress his desires in the city of Paris.
A bit scandalous, yes, David our protagonist is about to get engaged but he catches sight of a charming man named Giovanni. Suppressing his identity as a queer person and falling for a bartender brings out a story full of angst, despair, and ultimately, desire.
Read this because:
This book is a vulnerable, slick, and genius way of putting drama, romance, and exploration of one’s identity while still addressing the fear of societal response to what a person does with their life. Rather, the latter feels like the main theme. B
elow the cover of romance, it questions the restriction put upon an individual just to make them look acceptable in a world where the idea of acceptance has anything but the same definition. It is so easy to fall in love with this book, with every page a fine wine.
Watching Women & Girls
By Danielle Pender
Pender’s Watching Women & Girls is a collection of stories of women and their lives. How and to whom they associate themselves, and how each experience with a new stage of womanhood is intricate and yet, is funny sometimes.
The book explores intimacy, love, sisterhood, womanhood, deserted and resurfaced passions as well as life. It resembles a street food of comfort in many ways, with each story different from the other, this book will get you with the second story if it didn’t get you with the first.
Read this because:
It is light and funny, almost like cotton candy. This book is an interesting take on how women looking at women affect how they perceive themselves and how they stand alike at the very same time. It explores the familiarity between women and society as they live their lives distant in association with whom they live. But closer to those whom they’ve never met. A must-read for sure.
Cherry Beach
By Laura McPhee-Browne
Cherry Beach by Laura McPhee-Browne
A book as timeless and memorable as those fruit punch juices from teenage days, time to introduce you to Cherry Beach. A coming of age story following two friends who have a detached way of living and distinct desires, mixing it up with theorizing what art means to oneself. This book is the doing and undoing of friends to more tropes while dealing spectacularly with the individual lives of the two friends and not backing out on either with the narration.
Read this because:
It carries the heavy nostalgia of first love and unrequited affection that all of us must have felt at one point in our lives for someone. Some unsaid words, some moments we’ve carried as ours even if nothing in true words could explain the relations. This book does it sapphic and that also perfectly.
All Systems Red
By Martha Wells
All Systems Red By Martha Wells
Science fiction with its hefty world-building and complicated plots, sometimes appears daunting. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a book that could act like a tea sampler for this genre? I think I just have the pick for you.
Murderbot and a team of scientists are headed to investigate a distant planet, Murderbot being a SecUnit driven bot wishes anything other than to be in proximity to anyone. In this first installment of the book series, Wells introduces us to a third-person view of human interactions cleverly through Murderbot. When things go haywire and making out alive becomes the only goal, we all have to drop the visage.
Read this because:
This book is funny, gripping, and enjoyable. It is incredibly tough to deliver science fiction successfully in a short span but it is books like these which do the job well. Almost like new taste-building cuisine or dessert, this book will take you by surprise and keep you hooked on the storyline.
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
By Angela Carter
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
Fairy tales are evergreen when it comes to storytelling. But could we better it, how about a change that takes a different root of the same stories we heard while growing up? Presenting to The Blood Chamber, a collection of fairy tales like The Red Riding Hood, and Bluebeard fairy but for an edgier more adult side of narration, sourced from the latent version of the tales. This book comments boldly on sexuality, violence, and the nature of things in between.
Read this because:
A book like this mimics a childhood dish but is redefined to your current wishes, providing the same nostalgia while serving something entirely different. This critically acclaimed book is vital in feminist studies and has a certain grip over its readers due to the strong storytelling. A book that is bound to go down your memory lane.
That concludes our list of seven girl dinner inspired books of varying tastes, and top-tier storytelling. Hope you enjoyed the list.
Till the next time.
Happy Reading!
Check these out alongside our other recommendations:
- 5 Must-Read Female Rage Books: Unleashing the Fury
- 20 Must-Read Fashion Books: ShilpaAhuja.com Approved Compilation
Varnika Thukral is a Staff Writer at ShilpaAhuja.com. She is a B.A (Hons) in journalism from Kamla Nehru College. Interested in philosophy and research, she is also a poet and works as the Assistant Director at Book Reviewing Department, The Young Writers Initiative. She has also worked as a staff writer for Fulminare Review.
She has a knack for literature, and a passion for photography. She enjoys writing unique perspectives while keeping her literary consumption intact. Her work has been published in Hooligan Magazine and Same Faces Collective.