Best Women Author Recommendations

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

—Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, 1818

Historically, women (and people of color) have been sorely underrepresented on many reading lists. To help change that, we're highlighting women authors who more than deserve your attention. 

Discover classic women authors who flew under the radar with male pen names, and re-discover those who broke the mold and dominated their genres (hello, Agatha Christie!) or invented new ones (see: the history of Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein). 

You can also browse books by Black women, by early Irish female writers, or even books by royal women. For more modern and global women’s fiction, we suggest books that pass the Bechdel test, books by Elena Ferrante, and even books by women crime writers. Regardless of what you’re looking for,  all of the recommendations below will add some much-needed feminine perspective to your reading list.

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5 Powerful Books to Read by Mary Glickman

Her depictions of race, religion, and history are uniquely poignant and informative.

10 Must-Read Books by Penelope Fitzgerald

Penelope Fitzgerald once described herself as "an old author who had never been a young one."

Read an Excerpt From To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

This 1927 novel is a philosophical reflection upon the complexity of the human experience.  

The Most Empowering Kids' Women's History Books

Inspire your little ones and honor the women who made history.

Remembering Fay Weldon, 1931-2023

The British author was known for her exploration of men and women.

The Ultimate Mad Men Reading List

Depressed that Mad Men is no more? Read your way through the pain.

18 Mary McCarthy Books to Get Lost In

Mary McCarthy's books pushed boundaries.

Gertrude Stein's Books, Life and Legacy

Love her or hate her, Stein is a part of our literary fabric. 

Sarah Weddington Remembers Arguing Roe v. Wade to the Supreme Court

"For me and the countless women who put their lives at risk to control their own destinies, the world changed in 1973 when Roe v. Wade became the law of the land."