become a 'lit fic girlie' | book recommendations to get you into literary fiction

[@is0bellas]

as someone who lives in liverpool you literally have the most soothing and soft scouse accent i’ve ever heard in my life i could listen to you talk all day

[@whatraereads]

Now that’s a kind compliment I’ve never had before 🥰 thanks so much gal ♥️

[@MissAllWednesday]

I really enjoyed your recommendations! Maybe it's just me but I find it hard to find booktubers who love literary fiction. This gave me life! Subscribed. ❤❤❤

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much! I agree with you, that’s one of the reasons I joined bookstagram and booktube, I just felt like I was being recommended the same 10 books over and over (plus a lot were fantasy or romance which I don’t always love)

[@MissAllWednesday]

@@whatraereads Yeah, I 100% agree with you! Not to be elitist, or anything like that, but I find that the overreliance on tropes in those genres really makes it too easy for certain books to overexpose themselves in the algorithm. Almost to the extent that I lose interest in them? I love how diverse, genre-bendy and weird literary fiction can be in its flexibility. 🤭✨

[@TanyaWestley]

I haven't ready of these books yet but I love litfic and will be adding pretty much all of them to my tbr wishlist! Great video as always 🍉🍉

[@whatraereads]

So glad you enjoyed it & hope you pick up some of the books! I’d say The Vanishing Half is a great one to start with 😊🫶

[@ShanReads]

Another fantastic rec video. I just grabbed Blue Sisters and Eileen from the library.

[@whatraereads]

Thank you! Love you going to the library for these too ☺️🫶

[@chelsimullen65]

Immediate subscribe! Great recommendations and I love your energy! So funny 😂 It’s harder to find literary fiction channels on here, so I’m so happy I discovered you!!

[@whatraereads]

Thank you! So many people say the same thing about struggling to find literary fiction channels, a lot of the book channels all recommend he same 10 books lol ☺️

[@ba_samsoum]

I'm binge watching all your videos 😍 finding your channel is the highlight of this month 🩷🍉 you're a darling 💐

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much I appreciate you and your support 😊🫶♥️

[@gabona0]

I found your channel yesterday and watched every video of yours, I must confess I am obsessed 🫡 Thank you for creating these, they made me smile so much 🫠

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much for the support 🫶 so happy to have you here 💕

[@Sophia-jo8tv]

Love your videos!! I hope you get more popular, you're now one of my favorite comfort booktubers Also, I adore the Trixie and Katya clips, you're clearly a cultured woman Also also, maybe weird but I love your accent and voice, you sound so lovely

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much Sophia! This means so much to me ❤️- I’m so glad people are finding my channel and enjoying my videos 😭 trixie and katya are so iconic I love them! It’s so nice when people say they like my accent haha because in the UK a lot of people hate the Liverpudlian accent and rate it as the worst in the country🤣 but I personally love being northern !

[@Sophia-jo8tv]

@@whatraereads Lol that's so funny, I'm from Argentina and we find it very charming here, we find other ones like the RP accent kind of cringe haha

[@JoJosieClemens]

I feel like these books have all been on my radar for so long, but after this video, they are moving right to the top of my TBR!!!

[@whatraereads]

Definitely check them out! I think you’ll find something in there you like 🫶

[@rigelkhris]

If I had Your Face was the book that got me out of reading slump. I like how it portrayed Korean culture like toxic beauty standards, particularly cosmetic surgery. I’ve read Normal People, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Cleopatra and Frankenstein too and loved all of them. I’m currently reading Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends. Blue Sisters got me intrigued. Loved your recommendations 💕

[@whatraereads]

Me too! It had such a poignant take on beauty standards and the fact no matter what we do it’s never enough. So glad you enjoyed all the other read and I hope you like conversations with friends. So excited for Sally Rooneys new book!

[@deadmansmolly]

so refreshing to see so many booktubers supporting palestine. this is my first video of yours that i’ve seen and it’s an immediate subscribe.

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much! Always ❤️🇵🇸🕊️

[@DurgaMol]

I love the garden drama going on outside😂 Great recommendations!

[@whatraereads]

😂I felt personally attacked

[@louisesavidgemuses4135]

Love the way you expose the nonsense of these genre definitions! Terminology often seems to be exclusive rather than inclusive. Thank you 🎉❤

[@whatraereads]

Totally agree! Plus, a lot of books don’t fit neatly into these genres so it can get confusing especially for new readers

[@elifcliff]

❤ 🍉 21:01

[@Slothreadersclub]

It is always refreshing to run into booktubers who openly support the Palestinian struggle. #freepalestine

[@whatraereads]

I always will ♥️🍉

[@cecilialau_]

The face of lit fic 😘 - Normal people is honestly (frustratingly) *chefs kiss* 🤌 And we love the Irish indeed 😍 Currently reading Cleo and Frank, but in a bit of a slump! I was immediately intrigued though so I’m just taking my time with it. Such a weird feeling when I want to read it but I just can’t get myself to pick it up (at all or for that long)… Stan the memes and the vibes 👑

[@whatraereads]

Totally agree with what you said about normal people! Ugh I hate that feeling, sometimes the book isn’t the right thing for the moment and if you can’t get into it you could always come back to it x

[@meganriley4513]

You have made me realize that I too love this genre! I’ve read many books you mentioned. You might like Liz Moore’s book called Long, Bright River.

[@whatraereads]

This is what I love to hear 😊🫶! It wasn’t until I read a fair amount of literary fiction that I realised I actually loved this genre too💕- thank you for the book recommendation I will definitely check it out

[@verschaffeltii]

I also read Against The Loveless World.. cried reading it huhu and FREE PALESTINEEEE

[@whatraereads]

Me too! Free Palestine forever 🇵🇸🍉🕊️

[@SavidgeReads]

Ottessa forever. Rot Girl Summer… hahahaha. That’s totally some of the vibe he’s after this summer. I need to read Rooney’s last book before Intermezzo. I funking loved Normal People, I wasn’t so sure about Conversation with Friends. I must read The Mothers, I loved The Vanishing Half. Thank YOU sooooooo much for making me read The Rachel Incident after you raving about it on here so much. Notes on Execution may be the next of your recommendations I head to! Thanks as always for a fab video 🍉

[@whatraereads]

I can’t help but be an ottessa stan, she always comes through with the mess and weirdness. So excited for intermezzo, conversations with friends isn’t my fave Sally Rooney, but I would say I preferred it to her last (which was still very readable and carried on with themes of the first 2). So excited for your rot girl summer 😂I’m currently in mine

[@juliehughes1258]

You are such a delight and so funny, and well-read as well. I love your vlogs/videos/whatevers. This 67-year-old girlie is a big fan and a subscriber. Keep up the great work, Rae! Oh crap, can a 67-year-old woman be a girlie? 🤔Please advise.

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much Julie! I so appreciate this kind message 🫶Absolutely you are one of the girlies 💅it’s a state of mind so in my eyes you’re part of the gang x

[@juliehughes1258]

@@whatraereads I'm honored. Love you.

[@RhiannaVarney]

Loved this list! I have new books to read :)

[@whatraereads]

Yay so glad you enjoyed and found some new reads 🫶

[@courtenaywrites]

The Passing film is actually based on a Classic book by Nella Larsen! :)

[@whatraereads]

Oh thank you! I will check it out as well as the film 🫶

[@gabysam2136]

I love your top! Could you tell me were it’s from ? 😍

[@whatraereads]

Thank you! I got it in the sale at urban outfitters

[@isaturnmore]

you've simply just listed almost ALL of my favorite books in this video. and I had no idea they were all lit fic. you should definetly read a little life by hanya yanagihara if you haven't already. also I loved your accent, where are you from?

[@whatraereads]

I love to hear that! We are both lit fic girlies then 💅 - I actually have that book on my shelf and have now for a few years. I’ve heard it’s very heavy going, but I may do a reading vlog of it 🤔 Thank you! I’m from Liverpool in the UK 😊

[@WhitneyDahlin]

‼️If you enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation you would definitely love Social Creature. It's another really unlikable woman POV. I don't want to give too much away but it's very single white female meets gossip girl. It takes place in New York City and the main character whos almost 30 meets this extremely wealthy heiress who's like 21 and the main character becomes obsessed with her. And she'll do anything to keep the rich lifestyle her friend is providing her. HIGHLY recommend. People either LOVE this book or HATE it just like MYORAR. If you like reading about horrible people and having a horrible woman as the main character you will love this book. But if you don't enjoy that and you want the POV to be from someone likeable then you probably wouldn't enjoy this book.

[@whatraereads]

This sounds right up my street! I also love single white female so I will 100% check this out. Thank you so much ☺️

[@alice.c27]

Hi, what font did you use at the very beginning of the video please ?

[@whatraereads]

It was Edwardian script I think 😊

[@alice.c27]

@@whatraereads thank you !!

[@babeofwoe]

I am desperate to know where you got that top 😍

[@whatraereads]

It’s from urban outfitters! It was in the sale 💅

[@chelseyummali]

I love you a little, can we be friends? Lol, Im a classics/modern classics snob and my 2025 goal is to read more LitFic. Feels like the second best to classics so I still feel smart and fancy, I suppose.

[@whatraereads]

welcome to the community friend 💖we’re all besties here ☺️ it’s so funny you mentioned you want to read more lit fic because I want to read more classics in 2025! Would love some recs of the best ones 💖

[@HH-zb5ul]

Great channel ❤ where are you from ?

[@whatraereads]

Thank you! I’m from Liverpool in the UK

[@raeandtheirbooks]

hey! - from another rae

[@whatraereads]

Hey Rae 👋😘