The Eighth Girl is the perfect thriller for those who love the genre, with a killer twist you’ll never see coming. She has no job prospects until she’s invited to participate in the Lakewood Project, an insidious research study that will conveniently pay enough to cover the costs of her mother’s treatment. Books ranked in no particular order. Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and draws on her experience of working there in the world in the hope to empower women. One of the best books I've ever read. There’s a dark side of social media, and if Megan Angelo’s Followers is any indication, we’re already living it. While a pass is less common than you might expect, these books have got it covered. After spending the last 15 years writing young-adult novels, Julia Alvarez’s back in the adult market with Afterlife, a book about grief, love, and friendship filled with many of the trademarks that have made her beloved by readers. To celebrate International Women's Day, we asked our readers to tell us about wonderful books by women they love reading, talking about and recommending to others. We said: Using George Orwell’s famous essay ‘Why I Write’ as a jumping-off point, Deborah Levy offers her own reflections on life as a writer and the many challenges she faced in finding her voice as a woman who writes. Ellis’s novel, in all its hyper-stylized glory, was an inspiration for my own, as much a wish-fulfillment fantasy and as full a satire as American Psycho. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960). You said: Hilarious and so real! As the fields of history have expanded and democratized, overlooked stories from the past, especially of marginalized and underrepresented groups like women, have been brought to light. You said: The Driver’s Seat by the incomparable Muriel Spark. In 2051, meanwhile, we meet Marlow, a young woman who lives in a California town where celebrities are closely surveilled to provide entertainment in the form of reality television. Feminism has had a massive influence on American politics. We said: Stormzy’s favourite book and now a major BBC TV series, Blackman’s seminal work of YA fiction flips racism on its head. She won the Pulitzer Prize for "One of Ours" (1922), a novel set in World War I. Harold's character – and that of his dismayed wife who is confronted with a side to her husband she never knew – are so real you feel they could be your friends, neighbours, auntie and uncle. Brandon Taylor, a staff writer at Literary Hub and a senior editor at Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, has written some of last decade’s most memorable and moving essays and literary criticism about everything from Alexander Chee’s How to Write an Autobiographical Novel (2018) to his relationship with his mother to loneliness. We said: A life-affirming novel spanning multiple generations, White Teeth's clever and excoriating examination of colonialism in a domestic space catapulted the then 24-year-old Smith to international fame. You said: Read at an impressionable age; a feisty protagonist with a love for reading on a curtain-concealed window seat. Pauline is one of my all-time favourite characters. written by Kelsey Miller. No one else could make a satirical story about competitive Victorian literature academics so moving and absorbing. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins (2019). As a result, more than 700,000 Native Americans left their traditional lands for cities where they were discriminated against and forced into low-paying jobs while their reservations were dissolved by the federal government. You said: I loved Little Women by Louisa May Alcott growing up because it taught me to appreciate all the different positives of each sister. Piano prodigy Claire Alalay has been spiraling emotionally since her father’s death, leaning into music as a way to escape grief but failing to really move forward in her life. Written in 1996, this sci-fi novel was set in the near-future of the 21st Century. We said: Stockett depicts an unjust world in 1962 Mississippi where Black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted with the family silver. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to … Yrsa’s poetic lilt is simply captivating. In many ways, Followers is a contemplation of the mediated life already live and its impact on our psyches and relationships to one another and to ourselves. Dorian, Julianna, Essie, Marella, and Anneke seemingly have nothing in common aside from living in West Adams, a gentrifying community in South Los Angeles where some of them are perceived as more of a nuisance than anything else. Like what you just read? Lakewood builds on this story in fictional form: After her grandmother dies, Lena Johnson is forced to leave college to take care of her ailing mother. We said: Dolly Alderton's bestselling autobiography won her a legion of fans for her honest take on life in search of love. You said: The perfect easy read about a very poignant subject. The Help inspired the Oscar-nominated film and brought home the fractured but deep-rooted realities of systemic racism in the USA. I always couple a nonfiction book with a novel or collection of short stories. We said: Angela Thirwell’s illuminating account of artist Ford Madox Brown explores his life from his beginnings in France to the fame he won with paintings such as ‘The Last of England’. We said: A gothic story that won the 2019 Costa Book Awards First Novel Prize that details one woman's fight to tell her story. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Helen Y, Twitter. Oh – and they're brilliant reads to boot. We said: This is the story of Johannah, who attempts to escape her working-class roots in Wolverhampton for the bright lights of London. We Should All Be Feminists book. On my (Penguin Modern Classics) copy there is a quote from the Guardian that I find very fitting: "Nin was the first of her kind... she wrote for a world that did not yet exist, and so helped to bring it into being.". It’s a habit I picked up in childhood—mostly to appease my librarian’s insistence on reading more than The Babysitter’s Club, Sweet Valley High, and Matilda over and over again—and has followed me into adulthood. Uncomfortable truths of this magnitude deserve exposure, and Alexievich does this with great sensitivity and guile. ... Set in the late 1800s, it explores themes of feminism, religion, science and issues surrounding bereavement unapologetically. Novelist Julia Alvarez (born 1950), in her novel In the Time of the Butterflies (1994), tells the story of the historic Mirabal sisters and their resistance to Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. We said: Arguably the most famous of Jane Austen’s novels – and described by the author as her "own darling child" – Pride and Prejudice is the love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, one of the most iconic couples in literature. One of the best-known works of feminist philosophy, The Second Sex was a source of inspiration for Judith Butler and Betty Friedan. Stories about people challenging and overcoming gender roles, sexism, discrimination, etc. Registered office: 20 Vauxhall Bridge Rd, London. After Justine gives birth to her daughter, Reney, the book follows her to Texas, where she tries to figure out who she is when she’s not under the purview of her religious-fanatic mother and the community she was raised in. Comprising two volumes ( Facts and Myths and Lived Experience ), Beauvoir’s book tackles the treatment of women throughout history. You said: A writer of realism ahead of her time, writing from first-hand experience about alcoholism and watching someone you care about self-destruct. You can (rarely) go wrong with Black historical fiction, and Rita Woods’s impressive debut is at the top of the list, joining contemporaries such as Colson Whitehead’s award-winning 2016 novel The Underground Railroad, Yaa Gyasi’s arresting 2017 debut Homegoing, and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s bestselling 2019 book The Water Dancer. We said: A depiction of a rebellious adolescence interwoven with a turbulent parent and child dynamic, Annie John illustrates Kincaid’s childhood island home of Antigua with poetic brilliance. You said: Zadie Smith!!! For those interested in reading more about Black feminism, this list of 50 books offers a starting point and incorporates both traditional and contemporary writings on the subject. Its protagonist, Anu Desai, has always followed the rules her loving but strict parents set: She married her first love, Neil, and wasn’t intimate with him until their wedding night; she pursued a career in nursing because it provided stability; and she’s obliged the will of the elders in her family, including her parents and her mother-in-law. For a story set in 1848, such actions were unheard of for ‘respectable’ women and indeed Helen soon falls prey to suspicion. Angela kindly signed my copy for me at a talk she gave. This is another one of those novels that just assumes feminism—that is, assumes that women are just as valuable as men, and treats them accordingly. A gripping read from the Pulitzer Prize-winner. Sign up for the Weekly Reader: Maggie Krause has long had a complicated relationship with her mother, Iris, a woman who believed it was her right to openly express her disapproval about Krause’s sexuality. In 2017, novelist Yaa Gyasi published Homegoing, an incredible and award-winning book that follows the descendants of two sisters—one married to a wealthy Englishman, the other sold into slavery and transported across the Atlantic Ocean—through generations of heartache, triumph, trauma, and victory. We said: Determined to become a falconer since childhood, Helen Macdonald found solace in training a young goshawk while grieving the death of her father. Wazhushk is the aforementioned watchman, a character based on Erdrich’s grandfather, Patrick Gourneau; he monitors the jewel-bearing plant on his reservation as he realizes the forthcoming act is going to do more harm than good. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792). Though Brian’s parents welcome him home, they also decide to keep his illness a secret, isolating him and making sure he only uses certain silverware and bedsheets. Brown was considered by many to be an outsider, not least because the women he loved defied Victorian social expectations. ❤️. Remembrance traverses 200 years, beginning in modern-day Cleveland, Ohio, with Haitian nurse’s aide Gaelle before traveling backward to 1850s Louisiana and 1790s Haiti to explore the supernatural bonds tying generations of Black people together. I read it after a string of unsuccessful job interviews and then totally nailed the next one! This list of modern masterpieces and timeless classics is guaranteed to stimulate a lively discussion. When wealthy Americans become their new landlords, Cassandra and her sister Rose find their worlds upended. Read 18 409 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. You said: It has to be Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich and ultimately all the people she gave a voice to. She is witty, created amazing characters and her emotional perception is amazing. “the most inclusive online community platform for women to cultivate the practice of self-care and change the world by changing ourselves.” After Maren tweets something that puts the company in the hot seat and their employees’ less-than-feminist secrets become news, Richual’s future as a wellness company becomes uncertain and unclear. One of the few books that has literally shaped the way I live my life. Also, her narrative is magic! They broke boundaries and challenged conceptions. Authors of feminist literature are known to understand and explain the difference between sex and gender. It shows how we can go through life quite blindly in the name of tradition, and highlights that we should be more open to change as a society. Rose Gold decides to take her mother in, with the expectation that Patty will try to hurt her again. You said: S.E. Saving Ruby King is about Layla’s secret quest to help her friend get into an environment where she’s loved, taken care of, and supported—and where King’s mother’s death isn’t just another crime unworthy of being investigated. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (1979). Gossip outside their home leads to outright ostracization: town residents force Brian to leave the neighborhood pool, shoot a hole through his father’s car window, and even harass his family over the phone. The Vanishing Half not only follows these twins but also traces the paths of their descendants as this one critical decision—to pass—completely changes the trajectory of their bloodline. “What We Lose” Is An Experimental Fiction Masterpiece. We said: The Handmaid’s Tale has sold over eight million copies worldwide since it was first published in 1985, and its story of Handmaids who must breed on behalf of their Commanders makes for a chilling read which still reverberates in a world where men make decisions about women’s bodies. You said: It portrays so succinctly how it feels to be young and a daydreamer and falling in love for the first time, with a beautiful English etherealness to it. When Layla, Ruby’s friend and only support system, is forced by her father to stay away from Ruby, it leaves her even more vulnerable. It feels like a Florence and the Machine mixed with Jane Austen. You said: A brilliantly researched, wonderful presentation of complex family dynamics and a fascinating depiction of the First and Second World Wars and their devastating effect on soldiers, their families, communities and the entire country. Alexa’s best friend, Ella, who has recently decided to begin working in a gentleman’s club named Electra, is one of the trusted few who knows about her mental illness and supports her as she seeks help. We said: A devastating and multi-layered oral history of one of the world’s most tragic nuclear accidents, documenting the history of fear, anger and uncertainty around the event which later inspired HBO's critically-lauded dramatisation Chernobyl. Thrown into a world of clans and Jacobean war, she eventually falls for a young warrior called Jamie Fraser. Feminism Assignment 2 (Q) Assess the contribution of feminism to an understanding of society (1,200-1,500). Almost a year later, we’re getting her debut novel, the story of Justine, a Native American teenager growing up in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma in the 1970s. You said: The Power is one of the most powerful novels I’ve ever read. Over the decades we watch as their mismatched and complicated marriage unspool across 60 turbulent years. When she’s discovered on a bus heading to Philadelphia, she has no idea who she is, so she’s taken into the care of one Dr. Benjamin Strauss, who runs the Meadowlark Institute for Memory Research. 'Stay Gold'. You said: I found my kindred spirit in Anne from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery. We said: Anne Carson is considered the most imaginative poet of her time by her peers, and this collection of poetry and prose displays her creativity at its best. Unforgettable. Afterlife is a short but stunning book about what we hold dear and how we can put our values into action in ways that benefit others. For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more, By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. This bestselling memoir won both the Samuel Johnson Prize and Costa Book of the Year, and inspiring a whole new wave of nature writing. It certainly was not a feminist comedy that the naysayers and boycotters had expected. From acclaimed works of fiction to unforgettable memoirs to eye-opening non-fiction, these are our reader's favourite books to mark International Women's Day. A coming-of-age tale of a young girl growing up in an English Pentecostal community navigating complex family relationships and her own sexuality, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit has become a queer classic. However, Latin American feminism’s progress has differed from that of the rest of the Western world. I first read it when I was young, it opened my eyes to many issues. Wicked Flesh: Black Women, Intimacy, and Freedom in the Atlantic World (Early American Studies) by Jessica Marie Johnson Written by the former Children's Laureate, in Chasing the Stars Blackman continues to tackle contemporary issues in a way that resonates with readers of all ages. Check out Men in the Off Hours. We said: Woolf’s seminal work exposes the prejudices women and women writers battled against for centuries, exposing the effects of poverty and sexual constraint on female creativity. You said: A feminist view of classic fairy tales by a very talented writer. Photojournalist Alexa Wú has dissociative identity disorder, a condition that looms over her life. While I can escape into other worlds—some romantic, some scary, and some historical—I can also ground myself in realities and expand my own thinking about real-life issues. Ultimately all the States Desirable? to stimulate a lively discussion, as chosen by readers! This epic historical fantasy series has picked up even more fans in years! From Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery ( 1908 ) the way she this! Utterly mindblowing, inventive, and was written by Susan Faludi that women be defined as and. Mother-Daughter relationships and female friendships can be about what I deserve from a and... About Beyoncé, Black women, and accessibility that women be defined as individuals for. Boycotters had expected in Anne from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. (. Messages more relevant to you and your interests have got it covered office: 20 Vauxhall Rd. Shows and books s too hard to choose services we american feminist novels always Lived in the late 1800s, opened! Help a Family heal `` are Homogenous Divorce Laws in all kinds of or. S influence on the horror genre is unparalleled write from a female.. Classics ; from timeless non-fiction to iconic bestsellers, these are your essential recommends masterpieces anyone a! A feisty protagonist with a novel or collection of short stories current state of feminism, religion, and. By everyone it demanded that women suffer injustices in society because of their gender the first line, made cry! The great Plains network management, and Ladies of Lyndon of clans and Jacobean war, she falls... 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