Where to Start Reading Dolly Alderton
For the best experience, we recommend starting with Dolly Alderton's debut memoir, Everything I Know About Love (2018). This book serves as the perfect introduction to her signature style: candid, self-deprecating, and fiercely observant. It sets the thematic foundation for all of her subsequent work, exploring the messiness of young adulthood, the evolving nature of romance, and the enduring power of female friendship.
If you prefer to jump straight into fiction, you can start with either of her novels as they are completely standalone stories. However, starting with Ghosts (2020) is highly recommended as it acts as a perfect transition from her real-life memoirs to her fictional universes, dealing with similar themes of modern dating, ghosting, and familial changes in your early thirties.
Dolly Alderton Books in Publication Order
Reading Dolly Alderton in publication order allows you to see how her voice has matured. You can trace her progression from writing about her own chaotic twenties in her debut memoir to exploring fictional lenses and writing from a male perspective in her latest novel.
Non-Fiction and Memoirs
- Everything I Know About Love (2018) – A celebrated memoir capturing the wild ride of her twenties, detailing bad dates, city living, and the profound importance of platonic relationships.
- Dear Dolly: Collected Wisdom (2022) – A curated collection of her most popular, empathetic, and witty columns from her time as the Sunday Times Style agony aunt.
Standalone Novels
- Ghosts (2020) – Her fiction debut, which follows 32-year-old food writer Nina Dean as she navigates the complexities of online dating, user behavior like ghosting, and her father's declining health.
- Good Material (2023 UK / 2024 US) – A sharp, funny, and painful post-breakup novel told primarily from the perspective of Andy, a struggling 35-year-old comedian trying to figure out why his relationship fell apart.
Anthologies and Contributions
- Feminists Don't Wear Pink (and Other Lies) (2018) – An essay collection curated by Scarlett Curtis featuring contributions from various high-profile women, including Dolly Alderton, on what feminism means to them.
Chronological Order and Caveats
Because Dolly Alderton's novels are standalone fiction, there is no strict chronological timeline connecting them. You can read her two novels in any order without risking spoilers or continuity issues.
However, from a thematic and chronological standpoint in terms of her real-world reflections, her non-fiction does follow a natural progression. Everything I Know About Love covers her life through her twenties, whereas her agony aunt compilation Dear Dolly and her novels reflect the mindset, challenges, and shifts that come with entering her thirties.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving in, here are a few things that will help you appreciate Dolly Alderton's writing:
- Platonic Love is the True North: While her books often focus on dating, breakups, and romantic entanglements, the true core of her writing is the importance of friendship. She treats platonic bonds with the weight and romance usually reserved for marriage.
- The Screen Adaptation: If you love her debut memoir, check out the 2022 television adaptation of Everything I Know About Love, which Alderton herself wrote and executive produced for the BBC and Peacock.
- A Distinctly British Tone: Her writing is deeply rooted in contemporary British culture, lifestyle, and dating vernacular (specifically around London). It is full of dry humor, self-awareness, and localized references.