July Reads: A Month in Books for the Thought Daughter

July was for me. As my birthday month, I wanted to make sure my monthly book theme was something reflective of myself. When I discovered the newest term “thought daughter” from no other but TikTok, I took a deep dive into it’s meaning and felt quite the connection.

Whatever our souls are made of, mine and the thought daughter are the same.

What Is A Thought Daughter?

Being a Thought Daughter means reading into everything and giving deep meaning to even the smallest moments. We’re curious, nostalgic, and endlessly overthinking the beautiful, messy details of life.

We’re readers and journal keepers, we watch the same movies on repeat, and listen to one melancholic song for a week straight.

Sharing our inner world takes trust, a little coaxing, and the right timing. Our minds are crowded galleries of memories, feelings, and ideas, and only the right person or moment can draw those pieces out.

We turn everything into something. One thought becomes another becomes a whole notes app full of half-finished poems and dreamy monologues. Sometimes the thoughts are fleeting. Like suddenly the wind picks up and the scent of an amusement park from childhood back, or the scent of cleaning products used more than a decade ago in a college dorm sneaks in.

Every feeling finds its way into a note, the back of a photo, or the margins of a book, because nothing is ever wasted. That’s the thing about being a Thought Daughter: every thought, every ache, every little moment of meaning lingers and matters.

Books For The Thought Daughter

Here is what I read in July:

The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Why I Picked It:

Classic Thought Daughter territory.

My Thoughts:

My exact thought when I started the book: “why is it called the virgin suicides when they all clearly aren’t virgins?” Once I continued reading, I understood the perception of the “virgin” title given to the sisters. All the layered meanings of the word “virgin” are not just sexually, but spiritually and even martyr-like. Five stars.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Why I Picked It:

I picked this up for 75c at my local thrift store. It was in perfect condition, the title and cover photo grabbed my attention instantly. I judged a book by its cover and am so happy I did.

My Thoughts:

I don’t even know. The ending? I felt it coming. Her friend Reva was a surprise for me, but I felt the ending coming for so long. It’s dark, satirical, disturbing, and sometimes just funny. I’m not sure if I have had an iced coffee since finishing the book and haven’t thought “I need to chug this one and then sip on a second iced coffee”. Five stars.

Eileen

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Why I Picked It:

Ottessa Moshfegh did not disappoint with My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Why not try another…

My Thoughts:

I never knew where this story was going. Happy to discover there is a movie based off of this book, so I will absolutely watch and try to better absorb what madness I just read. 3 stars

Pizza Girl

by Jean Kyoung Frazier

Why I Picked It:

Honestly, the name of the book got me. Without reading too much into the books’ summary, I thought it sounded entertaining.

My Thoughts:

I got Juno vibes the whole time. It’s been YEARS since I’ve seen that movie, so I could be totally off base with my memories. But Juno is what I felt. It was witty, messy, and morally complicated. 3 stars

Alone With You In The Ether

by Olivie Blake

Why I Picked It:

A TikTok recommendation, and although those recommendations have betrayed me in the past, I had high hopes for this one.

My Thoughts:

Obsessed. This one hit me so deep in the feels, all the way into my bones. It’s a gorgeous, intimate, and a weird little love story that pulled such a familiar feeling from me. 5 stars

Blue Sisters

by Andrea Portes

Why I Picked It:

A buddy read with my bestie!

My Thoughts:

I never felt emotionally connected to any of the sisters. No, actually I felt closest to Nikki because she was dead. Dead: that’s how I felt reading this. So disappointed especially because it was a buddy read! 2 stars.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

by Lana Del Rey

Why I Picked It:

Lana’s poems are a window into melancholia, nostalgia, and obsessive reflection. Quite honestly the most perfect Thought Daughter companion.

My Thoughts:

Like Lana’s music, each poem is intimate and vulnerable, full of longing and poetic reflection. I could feel myself sinking into the dreamy, haunting quality of her words, pausing to savor each image, each emotional beat. Lana may be our Thought Daughter queen. 5 stars