strange books for strange people

a little bird told me you too have an affinity for rather strange literature with morally reprehensible protagonists so naturally I took it upon myself to provide 12 recommendations of this exact niche genre for you.
love always,
Lady Dakota
IG: @dakota__warren
TT: @sp3llb00k
Contact (business): [e-mail]

[@julypheobe]

"I have books for you" is such a comforting thing to hear. Dakota saying that brought me so much joy

[@jw.9719]

i literally squealed in delight when i heard that 😭💛

[@LaraAvellaneda]

receiving the notification that you posted was better than receiving a flower bouquet for Valentine’s Day

[@leonorbarrelas1378]

so true!

[@flamingaish]

for later use 1:53 things we say in the dark 3:38 brutes 5:44 the dolls 6:47 if cats disappeared from the world 7:55 paradise rot 8:58 earthlings 10:40 perfume 11:30 sharp objects 13:46 the doloriad 15:50 carmilla 17:26 master and margarita 18:44 nadia

[@soobinsolos]

thank you ily

[@sandhyachristine7173]

Thanks! But at 17:26 its the master and margarita. Bulgakov is the author i believe :)

[@sclumptuous]

@@sandhyachristine7173 and vintage is the publishing house !

[@love13f]

Thank you!

[@exlibrisdeclan]

a couple other strange books: - the collector by john fowles - the discomfort of evening by marieke lucas rijneveld - lapvona by ottessa moshfegh - the woman in the dunes by kobo abe - a certain hunger by chelsea g. summers

[@aleksandrawilkos1278]

I came here to mention Abe and Fowles

[@nedludd7622]

"Woman in the Dunes" was also made into a great movie.

[@teresa-ee8sm]

anything recommended by dakota is a gift from heaven

[@frerardenthusiasm]

bunny by mona awad is my recommendation for everyone reading this comment! i’m only halfway through, but it’s so strange and wonderful. i can get why a lot of people dislike it because it has a sort of campy side, but it’s so hauntingly written and perfect to me. i love it. also lady dakota, if you see this, i love your spotify

[@johnbohr7645]

strange films for strange people: 1: Blood Tea and Red String (2006) 2: Wool 100% (2006) 3: Les garçons sauvages (2017) 4: Manôushe (1993) 5: The Flew (2003) 6: The Wolf House (2018) 7: Freak Orlando (1981) 8: Dandy Dust (1998) 9: Daddy (1973) 10: Salomè (1972) 11: I am the Night (1993) 12: ...................................

[@amartyasingh6295]

Perfume is literally a PERFECT book, I don't re-read books and I've read it 5 times, I genuinely can't find a flaw in it

[@HeyyyitsBell]

have you seen the film adaptation? I thought it was good in its own right

[@amartyasingh6295]

@@HeyyyitsBell yeah I mean, there was absolutely no way it could capture the "magic" of the book iykyk. Still a good film

[@HMarie.99]

Two strange books I’d recommend are ‘Cursed bunny’ by Bora Chung and ‘Diary of a murderer’ by Kim Youngha, both Korean short story collections. Cursed bunny is seriously weird, at times gross and it feels like a fever dream that I’ve read it. Diary of a murderer is a little less strange, but as you can guess from the title, it’s not exactly a joyride and pretty dark^^

[@sophiaisabelle0227]

It's nice to see Dakota again. We hope she's living life to the fullest.

[@armyst_0797]

This video literally made me feel so good I was crying 10 minutes ago and now I can't stop smiling bcz of you, Dakota😭😭 love you sm I hope you're doing as good as this video made me feel today 🥺🦋💖💖💖💖🫂

[@virgovvitch]

one of my favorite strange book is "Bunny" by Mona Awad. the writing style is just so different and the story is very thrilling and also very confusing but I loved it. I can say that it's similar to "The Secret History" in a way. I reaally recommend it.

[@RoundSeal]

I couldn't stop myself from doing a lil boogie at every interlude. What a perfect gift of a video for today!

[@vitoriar8753]

a dakota update was literally what i needed to make my day better ☺☺ watching you talk about books so tenderly while i drink my morning coffee is when i feel the most peaceful. hope you're doing great dear

[@jenniferdivito4563]

The Pornographers Poem by Michael Turner. Honestly I bought the book for its fantastic title and was not disappointed. There's something so beautiful and nostalgic about it despite the fact that the implications of the story are quite dark. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

[@himadriiii7]

I wish you would make book recommendations based on your playlists. That would be so beautiful honestly 💗

[@zoilalulu3798]

"Little girls start disappearing"...sirens in the distance grow louder. Love that!

[@ic3peak276]

God, the angels and the unsettling movies for the transition of topics really got me. Love the editing, books and set. Dakota has my whole heart

[@terribleeyesshining]

Lady Dakota making me feel less alone on Valentine’s Day

[@serinad1982]

Thank you for bringing joy to my day Dakota❤️

[@emmaopaline]

Thanks for these recommandations ! ❤ Mine are : The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Our part of the night Mariana Enriquez What we lost in the fire by Mariana Enriquez Hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Chouette by Claire Oshetsky Vita Nostra by Serguei Diatchenko and Marina Dyatchenko Piranesi by Susana Clarke Rain by Kim Chew Ng

[@schpiffle2653]

I'm so happy someone finally recommended vita nostra

[@katja0811]

waaaa tysm lady dakota!!! love you and happy valentine’s🫶❤️

[@honeymoonavenue97]

Hi!!! I love you so much. Your video about making “bad art” relaxed my soul quite a bit. I adore you and your aesthetic!!!

[@MaBelleIndifference]

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Paint it Black by Janet Fitch. And, of course, Bunny by Mona Awad. ❤

[@AnnaShikari]

have so many recs for you oh my god 🖤 and i LOVED things we say in the dark, kirsty logan is incredible. currently reading her newest book 'now she is witch', literally only just started but the prologue was beautifully written (wouldn't expect anything less from her honestly) -white is for witching by helen oyeyemi (or anything else by her tbh, i love her) -the hoarder by jess kidd -vladimir by julia may jonas -the rabbit hutch by tess gunty -our wives under the sea, and salt slow by julia armfield -what big teeth by rose szabo (not quite fantasy, but defo fantastical) -all the bad apples by moira fowley-doyle -kissing the witch by emma donoghue -picnic at hanging rock by joan lindsay -the harpy by megan hunter -through the woods, and when i arrived at the castle (graphic novels) by emily carroll -warlow experiment by alix nathan -lullaby by leïla slimani -sawkill girls by claire left and (again not fantasy but fantasy themes) -the last days of leda grey by essie fox -from the wreck by jane rawson -the first book of calamity leek by paula lichtarowicz -the furies by katie lowe -the victorian chaise-longue by marghanita laski -we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson -in the house in the dark of the woods by laird hunt -the beginning of the world in the middle of the night by jen campbell -the poisoning angel by jean teulé -the land of decoration by grace mccleen sorry that was such a massive list but also i hope there's at least one or two in there you've not heard of and want to pick up 🖤🖤

[@user-ff5er2jb7g]

i feel like you would love Zinaida Gippius (Hippius) she’s a russian poetess and one of the biggest proponents of symbolism in poetry a lot of her poems are quite odd and unsettling and innovative for the time, so yeah she also wrote in prose, but i haven’t had the chance to read it yet

[@chuucake]

dakota you are such an inspiration. happy valentine's day!♡

[@belzorahollow3888]

"I like to share magic things" now a favorite quote of mine.

[@h_55555]

your videos are simply beauty incarnate to me. I would also recommend The Bloody Chamber and other stories by Angela Carter, quite unsettlingly beautiful.. (where are the bed sheets from im obsessed!) xx

[@ElectricSnufalufagus]

i’m not sure if you’ve already read Difficult Women - Roxane Gay but i think you would love it! your description of Things We Do in the Dark reminded me of her collection of short stories

[@imjustpab]

it is thanks to you that a year ago i started reading consistently again and now, having read over 30 books in the past twelve motnhs, i am in love with literature more than i ever have been. currently reading my second dostoyevsky novel, notes from the underground, and he is easily one of my favorite authors. love u lady dakota

[@perksofbeingadeadpoet]

it's so enjoyable to see you talk about books!

[@nicothyun]

thank you for your recs. ❤️ really like the curation

[@laurajl7039]

Here are a few lesser known strange books I’ve really enjoyed: - Shit Cassandra saw by Gwen E Kirby - My mess is a bit of a life by Georgia Pritchett - My sister the serial killer by Oyinka Braithwaite - What it means when a man falls from the sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah. Love Sharp objects, both the book and the tv series!

[@fayesavanne]

already adding every book to my wishlist

[@fatimash.9223]

The best way to spend valentine is with one of your videos. the notification made my day. I love you too lots

[@cye8388]

i missed you so much, thank you for this!!! I LOVE YOU, TOOOOO

[@zeyneptopkaya1998]

thankyou so much for making my day! and on valentines day, of all days! you are wonderful and a delight :)

[@GraveyardShift-tl6ri]

nice to see you again! happy valentine's, Lady

[@libraryofjonathan]

I'm excited that I have read some of these and want to read some of the others. Great video!

[@beautifullykayla]

Ok first off I love your hair. The braids, the bows, and even the top is cute. Next I LOVE strangely beautiful books. I really want to read Brutes it seems very interesting

[@ShrimpPirates]

Thank you for highlighting Brutes by Dizz Tate. I remember hearing about her a little while ago. She grew up here in Orlando where I am from and is currently living in the UK - but I believe she will be returning to participate in the writers-in-residence program at the Jack Kerouac house here this summer. Her book is definitely one I will have to check out.

[@mariesshelf]

Whenever I struggle to pick a read I know Dakota's recs will have my back

[@martynamackowiak187]

you bring back my love for reading

[@unluckylibrary4866]

I have a few of these books sitting unread on my shelves, so I'm glad to see your glowing recommendations for them (especially Earthlings- it sounds so right up my alley that I'm almost afraid to read it)! And now I want to read the rest of them too...

[@TheAmicoblu]

I got so much inspiration from this video! I literally was missing this kind of genre in book videos. Now I feel at home. Other weird books for strange girls recommendations are “certain hunger” “we have always loved in the castle”

[@nataliaivonica3488]

Hey Dakota! I was wondering, have you seen the film Babylon? I feel like it'll be your cup of tea. It's about art and obsession and hedonism and the urge we feel to leave a legacy. There's a lot of jazz and oh so many bodily fluids. Now that I think about it, it screams "something lady Dakota would enjoy."

[@krystenjoyespinosa9890]

AND I LOVE THIS BOOK REC VIDEO

[@keralou492]

She talks like a book💞💞 and her choice of words are amazing. This is my first time watching her channel and I'm already in love with her.

[@cheesecheese6950]

I recently read a book called Ring by Koji Suzuki and I think you would really like it! It's the book that inspired the movie Ringu (or the American version The Ring) and it's one of the most genius but also disturbing horrors I've ever read. I think you'd enjoy it because it's both strange and it's written by a Japanese author, plus it's a short and fast-paced read (big trigger warning for sexual assault though).

[@flo.1018]

i missed you so much, you can’t imagine.

[@andresmontielc]

Interesting reads. Thanks for sharing. I'm including some of these books in my to-read list. There are a lot of books out there that most people haven't heard about that should get a lot more exposure. The last one I read was When Dying Is Not a Problem and I really liked it, but very few people know about it.

[@melinda9188]

LOVE The Master and Margarita! It is definitely in my top 3 favorite books lol

[@acedia2]

love the music for the intermissions, everything in this video just goes so well together! i feel really compelled to read these because of your commentary and description, i've been wanting to read more so maybe i'll add them to a list or something. i assume some of these might hit a soft spot (i know this isn't the idiom but i can't think of the actual one right now) in me as a trans man though lol

[@acedia2]

also queer book yeahhh

[@natalielinda130]

Lady Dakota, give me heart to show your love and appreciation to Dakota for Valentine’s Day

[@praalgraf]

oohh brutes sounds and looks so good! can't wait to read that also, to do justice to 13 year old me, i will recommend the carmilla webshow on youtube bc i loved it so much even tho looking back it is.. of varying quality also, for a book recommendation: rant by chuck paluhniuk came to mind

[@itsevealeksyeva]

thank you for the valentine's day present 💝

[@Puty0urlipstick0n]

You made my Valentine's Day

[@distractdiffusee]

omg im so happy that someone here loves carmilla!

[@NicheCraftwithKassi]

Thank you for the recommendations, Dakota. You seem to always know what my soul needs. My Recs (I see some have already been recommended) *Piranesi by Suzannah Clark *The Collecter by John Fowles *At Night all Blood is Black by David Diop The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst - and this one is my very special recommendation for you specifically. The book is lyrical and haunting, a deep dive into a beautifully strange girl who has passed and her husband is attempting to solve her death as the dog is the only witness. He believes, in his grief, that if only he can somehow teach the dog to communicate, he will be able to understand what happens. A beautiful story of grief and a tale of a hauntingly strange woman. I think you would find it completely delicious.

[@einepersondiekeinelusthat3875]

The scent of an unpicked flower :D

[@spungo6179]

AAAAGHHHH I've never watched this channel before but as soon as you mentioned The Doloriad I went bonkers. One of my favourite books ever so incredible!!!!!!!! The short story about the girl and her brother is one of the most sickening and impactful things I've ever read.

[@victoriatangk]

I have added Nadja onto my tbr, though I'm a bit worried because the blurb hits a bit close to home (as in I've encountered several men on the streets who have then become obsessed with the idea of me) Aside from the already well-loved Kafka & Moshfegh I recommend: + Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez + The Day the Sun Died by Yan Lianke + Sarahland by Sam Cohen + Violets by Shin Kyung Sook + Identiti by Mithu M. Sanyal + Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata + Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector + Bluebeard's First Wife by Ha Seong Nan + The Disaster Tourist - Yun Ko Eun

[@kiwi2153]

babe wake up Dakota uploaded a new video

[@phoebewhitaker4036]

Strange, bizarre, and grotesque reads are my absolute favorite! I recommend Follow me to Ground by Sue Rainsford and also the novella Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba!

[@vampabe523]

Highly recommend trying bugambilia flower tea with honey

[@laurenschenck5355]

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️💗💗🤍🤍❤️❤️🤍💗💗🤍❤️❤️❤️🤍

[@taylag2380]

What a glorious way to end valentines day

[@Anna-cs6zf]

I looove earthlings i read it in one day ❤️ But i think looking up the trigger warnings for earthlings spoils the end i remember you mentioned the trigger warnings last time and you spoiled the end for meee 💔💔 Also, I would also recommend bunny by mona awad

[@love13f]

Yesterday i found out your channel and ive watched multiple videos of yours. What a beautiful young lady you are! Love what you're doing🩷

[@jana-qc1nr]

i've missed youu

[@milizav]

could you do a video recommending gothic novels like carmilla, please? love your videos

[@JourneyThroughGenres]

I love weird books 💗💗 have you read Things We Have In Common by Tasha Kavanagh? One of my favorites, also Lapvona is my favorite of Ottessa Moahfegh, it’s more on the disturbing side, even more so than Earthlings… also a period piece, which if you think about the kind of disturbing things they would be able to get away with back then, it’s brilliant… If you loved Earthlings, read Follow me to Ground by Sue Rainsford, it’s just as weird and unsettling.. and Woman Eating by Claire Kohda is beautifully strange as well!

[@laurenschenck5355]

SO EXCITED!!! 💗🤍❤️💗💗

[@bailey_sachs]

I'm currently reading The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall for my Queer Literature class. I feel like you would love it if you haven't read it yet. The blub is 1920s Lesbian classic fiction. Sounds perfect for your vibe.

[@ReadingNymph]

A strange book I read recently is Swanfolk, an Icelandic book that was so unusual but also fascinating

[@Alex-ek8ly]

Another amazing video from an amazing woman, love it

[@valerieregina444]

i’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of paradise rot i can’t wait to read it

[@Crankhy]

y'all know the publisher is called Vintage, it's not the first name of Mikahil Bulgakov?!? 😭

[@tabithafahey]

Terminal Boredom is another strange short collection. Really interesting and great book.

[@RandomPerson-bc6td]

If you enjoyed Earthlings, I suggest giving No Longer Human by Dazai a try. I wouldn’t call it a “strange” book, but they have similar themes.

[@aaubreyy]

the bagpipes really caught me off guard every time lmao

[@bailey_sachs]

Im very surprised you didnt mention metamorphosis by kafka 👀

[@TheKickasskatie]

I really enjoyed these recommendations and added a few to my tbr, so thank you!!! I do have to admit though, the lighting situation bothered me the entire time 🙁

[@marasimpson2128]

i love you so much your videos are just lovely! i'd love to see your thoughts on the book This is How you Lose the Time War :333

[@viiviieennee]

dakota !! we are studying carol ann duffy in class and i think you like her work very much !!! she is a strange girl too !!!! her writing reminds me of your works !!!!!!

[@hillofhoax]

the giggling in this video made me smile ! I love books

[@kaeh7332]

The Master and the Margarita will hold the most special place in my heart ❣

[@reemaabdulaziz9225]

I'm currently reading Naked Lunch, and I think it is one of the strange books I've read. Also, A Clockwork Orange, it was difficult to read, but so worth it.

[@pinkchildrensglue]

have you read any vonnegut? he's super famous so i assume so but also i'm not sure what's famous in australia & europe but i love love his work it would fit into this video so well

[@karensmithduh]

The end of perfume had me flabbergasted lmao

[@NyleGames]

Great video, all of these sound incredible! If you haven’t read it already I thoroughly recommend The Story of my Teeth by Valeria Luiselli. It is very weird and also very readable, it was written in collaboration with some workers of a juice factory.

[@MlleGhoul]

YES! Paradise Rot! I don't often hear people talk about Jenny Hval's writing, so it was a treat to see it here. And hahaha, Earthlings for sure was a weird one. And hoo boy do I ever have some recommendations. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang and The Centre by Ayesha Manazir were two strange books I read in 2023, and Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt. Full Immersion by Gemma Amor, and Mother Thing by Ainslie Hogarth were a trio of weird ones from the previous year!

[@margaux8442]

I think the weirdest book I've ever read is Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah, I still don't know if it was genuis or just bad because of how feverish it was!

[@monomoon255]

I loved it so much. I guess it's a pattern of dissociation in books written during or just after a period of a fascist state.

[@hcoffeegirl]

i really loved all's well by mona awad and oh, honey by emily austin (this one is not so strange more like dark and twisted but also really funny - so i'd say that is the "strange" thing about it)

[@krystenjoyespinosa9890]

I LOVE YOUUUUUUU

[@emmynem8218]

Peach by Emma Glass is a book that came to my mind! It’s a depiction of how a young woman survives and deals with being raped in the form of stream of consciousness (kind of). To be honest, it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but you can easily read it in one go and I’d be really interested to hear what you think of the ending! (Check content warnings, although it doesn’t seem like there’s anything you won’t read lmao). Also beware that it’s not a realistic depiction of what most victims go through, but rather a book on female rage induced by fear and suffering. Loved the video as always

[@valeriaparedes2497]

if you haven’t read “A Certain Hunger” by Chelsea G. Summers, I recommend it a lot as a strange book for a strange person

[@elisazouza]

happy valentines 💘

[@nedludd7622]

A few by Boris Vian: "The Heart Snatcher", "L'Ecume des Jours", "Autumn in Peking", etc.