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If you loved
Books like Just Kids
A tender, poetic elegy to a transformative friendship and the gritty, magical crucible of 1970s bohemian New York. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Just Kids.
- nostalgic
- bohemian
- bittersweet
- gritty-yet-magical
- 01
M train
Patti Smith
A quiet, poetic meditation on art, loss, and the comforting rituals of daily life, best consumed with a cup of black coffee.
- 02
Woolgathering
Patti Smith · 1992
A dreamy, poetic exploration of the hazy borderlands between childhood memory and imagination.
- 03
Cherry
Mary Karr · 2000
A sassy, restless dive into the chaotic thrills and paralyzing doubts of teenage rebellion.
- 04
The lonely city
Olivia Laing
A nocturnal wander through the lives of marginalized artists that transforms the ache of urban isolation into a profound sense of shared humanity.
- 05
Humans Of New York
Brandon Stanton
A kaleidoscopic window into the souls of strangers that makes a sprawling metropolis feel intimately human.
- 06
Memoirs of a Beatnik
Diane di Prima
A smoky, unapologetic plunge into the bohemian underground, fueled by female desire and artistic rebellion.
- 07
Hold still
Sally Mann
A lyrical, startlingly revealing descent into a complicated Southern family's archives, blending haunting photographs with page-turning drama.
- 08
The art of asking
Amanda Palmer
A fiercely vulnerable manifesto that feels like a late-night heart-to-heart about the terrifying beauty of letting yourself be seen and supported.
- 09
The Basketball diaries
Jim Carroll · 1978
A raw, poetic plunge into the chaotic streets of 1960s New York, tracing a teenager's free-fall from athlete to addict.
- 10
The cost of living
Deborah Levy
A vibrant, urgent reflection on dismantling the social hierarchies that diminish women, in pursuit of a life lived with meaning, pleasure, and ultimate freedom.
- 11
Running with Scissors
Augusten Burroughs
A hilariously horrifying plunge into a childhood where the adults are the lunatics and survival requires a razor-sharp sense of irony.
- 12
Girl in a band
Kim Gordon
A cool, candid reflection on art, betrayal, and reclaiming one's identity in the aftermath of a shattered partnership.
