“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.
Author Sven Lindqvist takes readers on historical journey across the Sahara Desert and the African continent.
Gloria Steinem reflects on Dorothy Dinnerstein's feminist classic and gender equality in early societies.
Gloria Steinem discusses the continued importance of Marge Piercy's sci-fi classic, Woman on the Edge of Time.
Paula Gunn Allen, a Native American activist, offers hope for the future in The Sacred Hoop, says Gloria Steinem.
How Margaret Atwood's classic shows the significance of reproductive freedom.
How Mary McCarthy's classic can be read as an indicator of change—or the lack of it.
Valerie Hudson's critical book shows how violence against women is a proxy for nationwide violence.
Gloria Steinem discusses the lasting impact of Robin Morgan's political classic on terrorism.
Thoughts on timeless and timely books.
Eileen Goudge takes us behind her writing of Trail of Secrets!
Curl up with crime-solving stories from mystery’s most beloved authors.