If He Wanted to, He Wood: Romance Books Like the Wicker Movie

Never in the history of the internet have I been sent something as many times as I was sent the Wicker trailer. And that made me feel seen. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I’ll be there on opening night, October 23. I’m praying for a commemorative popcorn bucket. I’ve also been looking for books that give Wicker vibes. I’ve seen some lists and social media posts out there, but only a few are on the right wavelength, if you ask me. There are plenty of books released in the past few years in the “weird girl lit” subgenre that feature women in love with various inanimate objects—a printer, an airplane, a blob, etc. Granted, I haven’t read all of them. Still, the sense I get from a lot of these books is that the protagonist’s alienation doesn’t necessarily resolve through the relationship with the object. If it resolves, it’s often because of the reestablishment of human connection. And that’s great. What I get from the Wicker trailer is different, and it’s downright gleeful. Olivia Coleman’s character was feeling alienated, and her wicker man (insert your “not the bees!” joke here) is bringing her back to life. So I’m not looking for aloof and detached books. I’m looking for books th...