I love reading, and apart from writing these blogs, reading is one of my favourite things to do! This year, I have set myself the challenge to read 30 books, and I thought I might share some of my favourite female empowerment books that I have read recently. Some of these books are fiction and some are non-fiction - I don’t normally read non-fiction, but this year I thought I might try something new! I hope that you will enjoy these books as much as did, they really are brilliantly written. So, try something new, and just read at least one of these books. I promise, you will love it…
6. Bloody Brilliant Women – Cathy Newman
This book is sixth on the list - it doesn’t mean it was my least favourite, because I have definitely read more than six books. Cathy Newman writes about those women that you have most likely learnt about in school. However, this book brilliantly illustrates the lives of the remarkable women that you probably haven’t heard of, because society didn’t believe they were important enough to mention. From memoirs to letters, this book is ingeniously written and is a great place to start if you want an amazing feminist read.
5. The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
This book made fifth - whilst this book is both emotional and at times sad, it also demonstrates how people can show an immense sense of bravery. Starr is the main character and (without giving away the whole story), she witnesses an awful incident with her friend. As a result, she fights the system for justice. This story of bravery, love and strength in the face of adversity will fill you with all the strength you need.
4. Things a Bright Girl Can Do – Sally Nicholls
I thoroughly enjoyed this one as I read Things a Bright Girl Can Do last year and loved it! This book follows the journey of three girls and is set in the peak of suffragette England. The reason I loved this book so much was because it is a fictional book based on the real events of one of my favourite periods in history to learn about. Nicholls takes three individual ladies and takes us through their lives as suffragettes. I would definitely recommend this book as your next holiday read!
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer
This is the last of the fiction books. This book is not totally focused on a feminist theme, but it does have a female main character. The story is based in Guernsey during the Second World War. Not only did I enjoy this book, it also opened up my eyes to the history surrounding the German occupation of Guernsey. As well as the historical story, it also follows an aspiring writer, Juliet. Stuck in a writer’s block, she follows her heart to Guernsey and finds some extraordinary people with extraordinary lives. She defies everyone’s expectations and writes what she believes in.
2. Women on the Front Line Who Fight Back - Stacey Dooley
This non-fiction book by Stacey Dooley is a well deserved second place. I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. Not only did it provide insight into women’s lives in other cultures, but it also provided me with great inspiration for some of my blogs! Stacey writes from her own experiences of visiting different women in various places. She allows the reader to step into the shoes of these women and to learn about their experiences. This book also includes some information about her own life - one could argue that she, herself, is a woman who has had to fight back, as she has had to face up to some adversity in order to get to where she is today.
1. Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies) – Scarlett Curtis
This is my favourite because it isn’t just Scarlett Curtis who writes this book, it is a compilation of many women who want to explain what it means to them to be a feminist. Some wrote their stories; some wrote poems and some just wrote their opinions. I loved this book because it was honest and it told the truth about feminism. And feminists definitely do wear pink!
