I am on the hunt for a very specific "vibe" in a book.
Essentially books that feature prominent rituals, routines, or objects central to the character’s life, especially with a very girly vibe to them.
Some examples of books I loved:
My Year of Rest & Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh (specifically her rituals of getting bodega coffee, her descriptions of binge watching movies and online shopping)
Joan is Okay & Chemistry By Weike Wang (I love how tied the characters identities are to their ritualistic roles in medicine and science, respectively)
Convenience Store Woman By Sayaka Murata (once again, routine/ritual description heavy)
Where'd You Go Bernadette By Maria Semple (loved the petit Trianon description, and the escape to Antarctica)
Other media I love: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (specifically her ritual of writing the letters and putting them in the hatbox), The Summer I Turned Pretty (specifically how the beach house as a summer ritual is presented), Legally Blonde (pink everything, nail salon ritual on a bad day etc)
TLDR Looking for books with:
– characters (especially woman main characters) find a sense of control through their daily rituals.
They are heavily described and bonus points if they involve "girly girl things"
– femininity expressed through systems
– spotlight focus during the book on specific objects/activities (eg food, beverage, watching particular movies etc.) that are central to who the character is
by hootandhibernate