an account of the Greek myth. memoirs of a former first lady. gripping multigenerational family sagas. reflective explorations of personal identity. No matter what interests you, something on this list of works by female authors will click. Check out these 31 recent books written by and about women now to celebrate Women’s History Month, or any time of year you’re looking to discover a new favorite read.
1. an american marriage by tayari jones
You are reading: Women’s history month books
heavenly and roy are newlywed professionals who are tipped toward a bright future, a future that is threatened when roy is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.
2. become by michelle obama
These intimate and uplifting memoirs provide a deeper look into the life and story of the former first lady.
3. caste: the origins of our discontent by isabel wilkerson
Wilkerson provides a fascinating look at how caste was implemented in three different places (the US, Nazi Germany, and India) and the effect it had on society in each country.
4. circe by madeline miller
Miller reimagines the story of Circe, the banished witch daughter of Helios, who is forced to choose between the world of the gods and the world of mortals.
5. detransition, torrey peters baby
a trans woman, her transitioning ex, and her cisgender lover build an unconventional family together.
6. educated by tara westover
traces the author’s experiences as a child born to survivors in the mountains of idaho.
7. sigrid nunez’s friend
When a woman unexpectedly loses her best friend and lifelong mentor, she inherits a Great Dane who comes to live in her small New York apartment.
8. good talk : a memoir in conversations by mira jacobs
jacobs graphic novel memoir explores how American identity has shaped his interracial family after the 2016 election.
9. great circle by maggie shipstead
Marian Tombs circumnavigates the globe, flying over the North and South Poles. A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast as Marian in a movie.
10. vanessa veselka’s great seascapes
cheyenne half-sisters and livy set out to claim their inheritance. except instead of money, their father gives them a name that reveals an amazing family secret.
11. hamnet by maggie o’farrell
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the story of an extraordinary and eccentric woman, her son and her husband, who turns out to be william shakespeare.
12. her body and other parties: stories of carmen maria machado
Women, their bodies, and the violence inflicted on them, both by themselves and by others, are at the center of this collection of horror stories.
13. hunger: memories of (my) body by roxane gay
gay reflects on his emotional and psychological struggles to explore women’s anxieties about binge drinking, appearance and health.
14. the invisible life of addie larue by victoria schwab
an 18th century French woman makes a Faustian deal to live forever but never be remembered.
15. know my name by chanel miller
miller was known to the world only as emily doe when she shocked millions with a viral letter about how she felt when her rapist was sentenced to just six months in county jail.
16. little fires everywhere by celestial ng
shaker heights, ohio, is a city that follows the rules. Newcomers Mia Warren and her teenage daughter, Pearl, must find out for themselves what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
17. matrix by lauren groff
Evicted from the royal court, 17-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey.
18. mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia
In this reimagining of gothic fiction, a young woman discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion and the family that inhabits it in 1950s Mexico.
19. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
A candid and personal exploration of the psychological condition of being Asian-American.
20. my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh
A young woman embarks on prolonged hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of drugs he prescribes for her.
21. the night watchman by louise erdrich
The story of a Chippewa council night watchman in rural North Dakota in the mid-19th century who fights Congress to enforce Native American treaty rights.
22. sally rooney normal people
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A secret childhood bond between a popular boy and a lonely, intensely secretive girl is tested as they mature and find their way in the world in their first year at a Dublin university.
23. pachinko by min jin lee
lee fuses historical fiction and family saga in a novel that follows four generations of a Korean family, set in Korea and Japan.
24. power by naomi alderman
alderman’s sci-fi novel explores an alternate reality that gives women and teens immense physical power that can cause pain and death.
25. sing, unbury, sing for jesmyn ward
Leonie, a mother battling addiction, travels with her children to the infamous Parchman Prison to win back her white father in this novel that examines structural racism with a gorgeous touch of magical realism.
26. so you want to talk about race by ijeoma oluo
oluo provides a compelling yet user-friendly examination of race in the united states.
27. trick mirror: reflections on self-deception by jia tolentino
These nine essays examine the fractures at the center of today’s culture and offer insight into the toxicity of social media.
28. trust exercise: a novel by susan choi
In an American suburb in the early 1980s, students at a highly competitive performing arts high school struggle and thrive in a rarefied bubble.
29. the undocumented americans of karla cornejo villavicencio
an ivy league educated daca recipient reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans.
30. the fading half by brit bennett
The twin sisters ultimately choose to live their adult lives in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
31. wow no thanks for samantha irby
This collection of grimly funny essays highlights the ups and downs of aging, marriage, and life with stepchildren in small-town Michigan.
Do you have more space on your shelf? take a look at 365 books written by women authors to celebrate international women’s day throughout the year
Having trouble reading the standard printout? many of these titles are available in formats for readers with reading disabilities.
Summaries adapted through the nypl catalog, which is based on multiple sources. click on the title of each book for more information.
See Also: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle – Audiobook – Audible.com