These reads, in all their wonderful variations and styles, trample upon the once one-dimensional expectations of what a woman should be. Ranging from non-fiction to fiction, and downtown Los Angeles to the suburbs of Serbia, the representation in this list is far-reaching and expanding, just as every person should be.
More than being aspirational figures, these women inspire readers to be confident and resilient in the pursuit of their goals, and never to let others dim their shine. So sit back, relax, and bask in literature where everyone’s stories are valued.
This list fulfills a prompt in our 2025 Summer Reading Challenge! Learn more and join here.
Mean Moms: A Novel
Meet Frost, Morgan, and Bella, a troop of wealthy New York City moms who run downtown Manhattan—but more specifically, the school their children attend, Atherton Academy. Established as the top private school in the city, the women’s social lives consist of over-the-top parties.
On the first day of school, their lives are shaken up by the arrival of a new addition, Sofia. Quickly, the clique of three becomes four, but her integration coincides with inexplicable disasters...
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism
In this eye-opening memoir, Sarah Wynn-Williams unpacks what happens when absolute power is held in the corrupt grasp of the global elite. She begins with the rise of Facebook and how it has come to shape the wrong turns taken in the past decade, particularly with its impact on Trump’s election.
Drawing from her own experience at one of the most influential companies in the world, Wynn-Williams offers readers a first-hand account of what it’s like to work in a place that rarely takes responsibility for the horrible consequences shaping our lives.
I'll Never Call Him Dad Again: Turning Our Family Trauma of Sexual Assault and Chemical Submission into a Collective Fight
After receiving a phone call from the police, everything that Caroline Darian thought to be true shattered before her. Her father was arrested for drugging and abusing her mother, Gisèle Pelicot, over a period of nine years.
In the face of unfathomable trauma, Caroline tells the story of how she and her mother shared the truth of what happened before the courts—and the movement online that came after, propelling other victims from all over the world to come forward and stand together.
Are You My Mother?
Following the success of Fun Home, Alison Bechdel turns her attention to the story of her creative mother. She explores how her unhappy marriage to a closeted gay man manifested in the downfall of their own mother-daughter dynamic, with any form of physical affection between them halting in early childhood.
In this evocative, and oftentimes funny tale, Bechdel launches on a quest for answers into why their relationship was the way it was—and how she has come to follow in the footsteps of her mother.
The Atlas of Forgotten Places
After spending most of her life working as an aid worker, Sabine Hardt has retreated to a quieter existence in Germany. That is until her niece goes missing while volunteering in Uganda, and she must return to a place she once swore to leave behind.
In Uganda, Rose Akulu is also searching for someone—her lover, Ocen, who has disappeared without a word. Haunted by a past rooted in war, Rose meets Sabine, and the two join forces to unravel what happened, only to discover their lives are inextricably intertwined.
Country of Red Azaleas
When Marija, who has recently moved from Serbia to Sarajevo, first meets Lara at school, the pair quickly realize they are destined to become lifelong friends. But when war means their homelands are at odds with each other, they will be forced to separate—with Lara moving to the Hollywood Hills with her new husband, and Marija returning to Sarajevo, where she will report on the war from behind the Bosnian lines.
Lara finds solitude in America, a life driven by family and work, but soon becomes rattled when all communication from Marija stops. In a journey that will not only redefine Lara but also her relationship with her home country, she resolves to track down her soul sister.
Slow Dancing
Lexi Steiner, a gifted young immigration attorney, appears to have everything—that is, until it all begins to fall apart around her. The legal organization she works for is about to go under, and the flings she once enjoyed with charming men are starting to seem pointless.
Worst of all, her relationship with her best friend Nell is in danger of ruin, all because of two men: Nell’s new life partner and Lexi’s work-fling turned serious commitment. At a crossroads, the friends will learn more about themselves—and, most importantly, love—than ever before.
Big Girls Don't Cry
Amid the sexual revolution of the 1970s, four women decide to open a feminist publishing house. What follows is a story spanning over two and a half decades, in which the women attempt to change the world while navigating their own personal struggles in a time that seeks to stifle their expression.
The Anchoress
Set in medieval England, at the ripe age of 17, Sarah decides to embark on the solitary life of an anchoress. Her days pass as a holy woman, locked away in a small cell next to the village church.
Rather than surrendering to marriage, Sarah flees from societal obligation and the harrowing grief of losing a sister by choosing a life of prayer. But when she begins to hear the voice of the previous anchor, seemingly from the cell itself, she soon realizes the past is difficult to leave behind…
Featured image: Asrul Aqroni / Canva
