October 2025
    M T W T F S S
     12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    2728293031  

    My teenager hasn’t loved reading in a long time 💔 but is loving Jennette mccurdy’s memoir “I’m glad my mom died”, even though she’s never watched a Nickelodeon show. What can I get her to read next?! That’s as chatty and fascinating/ intriguing as this one?

    Edit: thanks for the great recommendations!! I’d also love to figure out a couple of fiction books if possible… I know that’s a big ask, since this is a memoir, but if anyone has an idea for a book with a captivating main (female preferably) character that moves quickly or has an element of gossipy-ness to it, that would be great too!

    by pathologuys

    8 Comments

    1. Books I tend to see recommended on “I’m glad my mom died” posts:

      – The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
      – Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
      – Open Book by Jessica Simpson
      – Educated by Tara Westover

      Born a Crime is easy to read and such a great story. Highly recommend. Audiobook is great too.

    2. Caleb_Trask19 on

      Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley, but it might be too sophisticated for a younger teen. She was one of many young female victims of a famous Toronto DJ who violently sexually assaulted them.

    3. ohdearitsrichardiii on

      Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about a young lesbian woman who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Her salvation is that she’s very smart and a ferocious reader so she keeps her sanity and her sense of self by reading and escaping to the library. It’s a little philosophical about sexuality, identity, religion, education, etc. It’s very good and easy to get into and it might inspire your kid to read more books

    4. I read {{Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson}} after I’m Glad My Mom Died and they both turned out to be some of my favorite books of the year so far.

      Also, the trilogy **Children of Blood and Bone** is fantastic and the third one gets released this year. The audiobook versions are extremely well performed and enjoyable.

    5. Imperator_Helvetica on

      She might like Jenny Lawson – Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened – humourous memoir and essays about her unusual upbringing. It’s been a while since I read them, so someone else might want to double check the content (Her mental health struggles etc, but if she was okay with Jennette McCurdy, she should be okay.)

      I’ll also suggest David Sedaris too.

    6. It’s not a book – as far as I know – but there are movies like “Black Swan” and “No Child Of Mine (1993)” where the mothers were sexually abusive to their daughters.

      Both movies have been aired during prime time viewing hours in my province, 7 pm – 10 pm so I assume they are “safe” for young teens to view.

    Leave A Reply