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.

4af56302c502-birdillustration.png

13 Books for Fans of Little Women

"I like good strong words that mean something..." —Louisa May Alcott

Gloria Steinem on The Color Purple

The iconic feminist praises Alice Walker's ability to move readers.

[CLOSED] GIVEAWAY: Win a Bundle of Novels from Marie Benedict!

Enter by December 16 for your chance to score four books about unsung heroines from history!

Getting to Know Anna and the King of Siam

Understand the story like never before with an excerpt from Margaret Landon’s novel.

10 Alice Walker Quotes That Amaze and Inspire

Powerful wisdom from the author of The Color Purple.

14 Groundbreaking Female Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors

Women did more than break their way into science fiction and fantasy—they helped define it.

The Best Book Club Books for Fall 2019

There's something for everyone in this list!

10 Books Like The Nightingale

Revel in the resilience of women with these historical fiction novels.

8 Books We Wish We Read in High School

If we could do it all over again, we'd make time for these stories.

8 Romantic Books to Read If You Love Jane Austen

This one's for all the Mr. Darcy lovers out there.

9 Engaging Books Like Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Get ready for more sharp humor and touching family stories.

Iris Murdoch: Remembering a Literary Icon

100 years after her birth, we celebrate the impact of the novelist and philosopher.

Art in Fiction: 10 Novels That Take You Beyond The Goldfinch

If you loved Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, we know what you should read next.

Old Flames Reconnect in This Poignant Novel by Anita Shreve

Where or When explores the joys—and consequences—of rekindling a decades-old romance.