Hello all!

It’s been a hectic start to the year, but I wanted to share some of my favorite books (both recent and classic) that are by female authors and focus on female-centered stories. It’s Women’s History Month, and I simply could let the month fly by without paying homage to two of my favorite things: Badass women and fabulous reads.

I tend to gravitate towards female authors in general, but absolutely love when a book resonates with me on a deeply personal level. The books below have made me laugh out loud, cry, become more educated and aware, and made me feel even more proud to be a woman.

I’ve broken the books into three categories: Fiction, Reclaiming historical narratives, and Nonfiction/memoirs. I hope this allows you to find a book that suits your tastes and lets you expand your horizons this month!

Fiction:

I absolutely love getting to explore different experiences and worlds through fiction novels. The ones below in particular feature women challenging sexism across the centuries, taking power into their own hands, supporting each other through life journeys, and carving their unique paths. I hope these works inspire you as much as they have me.

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Olive by Emma Gannon
• Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
• Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
• Happy Place by Emily Henry

Reclaiming historic narratives:

One of my favorite sub-genres in recent years has been stories that reclaim the female villains I grew up learning about. Circe and Medusa get their fair retelling and fight back against the sexist assumptions within Greek mythology, Galatea is no longer an idealized toy for the male gaze, Baba Yaga steps out of the shadows to become a hero, and Dracula’s Bride dares to escape an abusive relationship to live life on her own terms. These stories make me reevaluate the narratives we are all raised on growing up and make me wonder what it would have been like to think of mythological women as protagonists over villains and victims.

• Circe by Madeline Miller (The Odyssey)
• Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (Medusa)
• Galatea by Madeline Miler (Pygmalion and Galatea)
• The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (Baba Yaga)
• A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (Dracula’s Bride)

Nonfiction/Memoirs:

If you’re looking for real-life inspiring women and true stories to empower you, this part of the list is for you! I loved learning more about iconic women such as Marjorie Merriweather Post and Britney Spears, the impact women have had on storytelling and the drink industry, touching prose by authors and poets, and books that help us navigate a sexist, racist world.

• The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
• The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
• Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser
• Homebody by Rupi Kaur
• White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao
• How to Be A Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back by Nina Jankowicz
• What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

I hope this list provides you with some fabulous options as we come into the final week of Women’s History Month. May you always seek to support female authors and listen to women’s stories – this should definitely just be a starting point for my fellow book lovers!

Do you have any favorite female authors or woman-centric books I should check out? Please let me know in the comments!

XOXO

Parisa