The writing in Dolly Alderton books is so good it'll have you thinking you're in the midst of one of those amazing, 3-hour-long lunch catch ups with an old friend where you cover all the bases: love, career, and your impending existential crisis. It's painfully relatable and oh-so-compelling. This rising author has published a number of books that will make you fall in love with reading all over again!
Dolly Alderton started out as a dating columnist for The Sunday Times and has brought that same wit and voyeuristic observation to her own dating tales in her memoir and fiction books. Voguerecently said that Dolly Alderton was, "something of a modern-day Nora Ephron, bringing a fresh and mordant perspective to the eternal struggle between the sexes."
She has since become known for her impeccably authentic, funny, and deeply meaningful writing. She released her memoir Everything I Know About Love and immediately shot to popularity when people fell in love with her personal and vulnerable writing style. She made so many others feel seen in her depiction of navigating life, love, and friendship as a millennial woman. After her memoir, she dove into a different style of writing with her quick-witted debut novel Ghosts. If you're ready to dive in and learn even more, I've rounded up a list of the best Dolly Alderton books, plus my POV on why you should read them below.
Who Is Dolly Alderton?
Dolly Alderton is a former columnist for The Sunday Times and is now an author of 4 incredible, best-selling books. With almost 300,000 ratings on Goodreads for her debut memoir, she's solidified her status as a rising star in the literary world. Many liken her voice to be today's Bridget Jones or Nora Ephron due to her whip-smart writing and honest storytelling. She creates characters that jump off the page into real life with you and writes about her own life as if she were your best friend. Dolly is definitely an author you should know, so let's break down all of her best works for you to read!
Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir
This incredibly vulnerable Dolly Alderton book is a relatable memoir that explores what it's like to be a young woman navigating life in the current world. Dolly Alderton writes about her experience in life, love, dating, men, and food. You name it, she talks about it. She candidly depicts her pits and peaks managing whatever life threw at her. The book is also deeply rooted in friendship, specifically Dolly's relationship with an old childhood friend named Carly. This is the most painful part of it all.
Dolly confronts the heartbreaking truth that you will not have the same friendship as you once did as you age and evolve. She even writes the painful sentiment, "Everything will change. The love we have for each other stays the same, but the format, the tone, the regularity, and the intimacy of our friendship will change forever.” Her writing is painfully honest, but it'll also have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see what misadventure will happen next. You can't help but root for her in this amazing memoir. Everything I Know About Love was adapted into a British TV series in 2022 starring Emma Appleton, Bel Powley and Aliyah Odoffin. Season 1 is streaming on Peacock.
Ghosts: A Novel
Now moving on to her debut novel, Ghosts, you'll encounter Dolly Alderton's engaging storytelling but with an even funnier wit and flair. Published in 2021, this book tells the story of Nina Dean, a successful food writer in her early thirties. She decides to download a dating app and meets a handsome gentleman named Max. It goes, surprisingly, very well. They hit it off immediately and he even claims that he'll marry her on their first date.
But then she gets ghosted by Max the charmer, and Nina starts to spiral as all of her problems seem to hit at once. Not only is she grappling with the societal and cultural pressures to settle down, but she also must cope with her father's dementia diagnosis and her mother's mid-life crisis. There's a healthy dose of self-reflection and humor that'll keep you hooked until the very end.
Dear Dolly: Collected Wisdom
Asked and answered! This Dolly Alderton book is a compilation of the best guidance from her "Dear Dolly" column with The Sunday Times. In the classic Dolly Alderton way, she gives sage advice and shares funny anecdotes from her own experiences on everything from break ups to body image.If you're feeling lost, confused, or unsure about if you're on the right path in life, then this book will help you through it! Plus, Dolly Alderton is just so charming and thoughtful in her responses that you will be asking for even more!
Good Material
Good Material is the latest Dolly Alderton book, which debuted in November 2023. It offers quite a different feel from her previous works as it's written from a male's perspective. She reveals the story of couple Andy and Jen, who have recently ended their relationship. Andy is gutted by the breakup and hopes to win back his now ex-girlfriend all the while trying to launch his standup career. Throughout most of the book, we see the story from Andy's side. Once you think you have the whole story, a surprising perspective shift will help illuminate what the true downfall of the relationship was, and shed light on Jen's point-of-view. If you're looking for a book to help you cope with a recent breakup, this one is definitely for you. After tearing through this read, we can't wait to see what Dolly Alderton is cooking up next.
For even more reading recs like these Dolly Alderton books, be sure to check out our Amazon storefront to find some of our faves!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
