The Feminist Know-It-All: You know her. You can’t stand her. Good thing she’s not here! Instead, this column by gender and women’s studies librarian Karla Strand will amplify stories of the creation, access, use and preservation of knowledge by women and girls around the world; share innovative projects and initiatives that focus on information, literacies, libraries and more; and, of course, talk about all of the books.
every month, I provide more. readers with a list of new books published by writers from historically excluded groups.
You are reading: Best feminist books 2021
The objectives of these lists are three:
- I want to do my part in breaking down what has been the acceptable “norm” in the book world for far too long: white, cis, straight, male;
- I want to amplify amazing works by writers who are women, black, indigenous, latinx, apia/aapi, international, lgbia+, tgnc, queer, disabled, fat, immigrant, muslim, neurodivergent, sexually positive, or other historically marginalized identities, you know, the rest of us; and
- I want to challenge and encourage everyone to buy, borrow and read them!
You’ve read the other “best of” lists; now read the other. you know, for the rest of us.
Each year, I review my monthly readings for the rest of us and pick my favorite books of the year. it was a wonderful challenge to go through all the lists and pick my top 50, but here they are.
I hope you had a vibrant, positive, calm, loving and joyful year, and I wish you all the best in 2022.
Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption
by rafia zakaria (@rafiazakaria). w. w. norton & business. 256 pages.
Muslim American, attorney, and political philosopher, Rafia Zakaria has written this uncompromising and necessary indictment of white feminism and the demand for a more radical, inclusive, and transnational Black and Brown feminism.
everything she brought: ashley’s sack trip, a black family keepsake
by tiya miles (@tiyamilestam). random house. 416 pages.
This is the remarkable story of three generations of Black women and the cotton sack that contained the evidence of their lives as passed between them. Through the bag, its contents, and scant archival records, historian Tiya Miles weaves together the stories of these women, from slavery in South Carolina in the 1850s to freedom decades later. Unique and unforgettable, this volume is also a critique of the importance of archives and those that are routinely excluded, to the detriment of all of us.
America on Fire: The Untold Story of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s
by elizabeth hinton (@elizabhinton). liveright 408 pages.
This lengthy and meticulously researched volume provides the context and history we need to not only understand the current moment of rebellion against police brutality and systemic racism, but also to keep the momentum going on the path toward necessary and lasting change. .
beasts from a small land: a novel
by juhea kim (@juhea_writes). echo. 416 pages.
Set during Korea’s struggle for independence from Japan in the early 20th century, this kaleidoscopic debut is powerful, romantic, and utterly unforgettable.
black girl, call home
by jasmine mans (@poetjasminemans). Berkley 256 pages.
For this year’s poetry for the rest of us column in April, I tried something a little different: instead of the usual blurb, I focused my thoughts on each collection into three words (well, or phrases, it was hard! ) . for this collection i chose, “roads, coming of age, queer tenderness”.
border and government: global migration, capitalism and the rise of racist nationalism
by harsha walia (@harshawalia). hay books 320 pages.
In her latest insightful call to action, award-winning writer and activist rougha walia examines how migration is integral to colonization, capitalism, and climate change.
the movement of color conventions: black organization in the 19th century
edited by p. gabrielle foreman (@profgabrielle), jim casey (@jimccasey1) and sarah lynn patterson (@sarah_patterson). North Carolina University Press. 400 pages.
This essential history highlights the thousands of conventions organized by black activists and held across the country to fight for civil rights and social justice throughout the 19th century. contributors include p. Gabrielle Foreman, Daina Ramey Berry, Erica L. ball and more.
dear senthuran: memories of a black spirit
by akwaeke emezi (@azemezi). river head books 240 pages.
In her intimate memoir in letters, the brilliant akwaeke emezi candidly shares her musings on gender, embodiment, queerness, creativity, and relationships with the same fierce dedication and candor that defines her best-selling novels.
detransition, baby: a novel
by torrey peters (@torreypeters). a world. 352 pages.
welcome to a new kind of novel, one that doesn’t shy away from the complex realities of gender, parenthood, love, and relationships. this is a refreshing debut.
do better: spiritual activism to fight and heal from white supremacy
by rachel ricketts (@iamrachelricketts). atria books. 384 pages. available now.
With Do Better, racial justice educator and spiritual activist Rachel Ricketts has provided a guide to self-care and healing while doing the extensive work that comes with fighting white supremacy.
the resounding ida collection
edited by cynthia r. greenlee (@cynthiagreenlee), kemi alabi ( >@kemiaalabi) and janna a. zinzi (@jannazinzi). the feminist press in cuny. 328 pages.
This is the first collection of writing from echoing ida, a collective of Black women and non-binary writers reporting on reproductive justice, health, motherhood, justice, and more.
af feminist: a guide to crush childhood
by brittney cooper (@professorcrunk), chanel artisanal tanner and susana morris (@iamcrunkadelic). norton young readers. 240 pages.
what better introduction to feminism than one written by the founding members of the feminist collective crunk? get one for your little cousin and then borrow it to read it yourself.
the final rebirth of opal & new
by dawnie walton (@dawniewalton). 37 ink. 368 pages.
Dawnie Walton’s immersive debut focuses on a dynamic star of the 1970s Afro-punk scene as she recounts her oral history to a journalist decades later, uncovering universal themes of sexism, racism, creativity and truth. .
firefighter’s daughter
by angeline boulley (sault ste. marie tribe of chippewa indians) (@fineangeline ). henry holt and co. (byr). 496 pages.
This formidable thriller debut centers on a young Anishinaabe woman who, after becoming involved in a local murder investigation and a deadly new drug, faces challenging questions of community, identity and truth.
Four Hundred Souls: A Communal History of African America, 1619-2019
edited by ibram x. kendi (@dribram) and keisha n. blain (@keishablain). a world. 528 pages.
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This is easily, already, one of my picks of the year. a transformative volume, featuring contributions from 80 black writers and ten black poets, more than half of whom are women, queer, and/or transgender, who expertly and creatively cover this 400-year period, #requiredreading.
childhood
by melissa febos (@melissafebos). bloomsbury publishing house. 336 pages.
To counter society’s patriarchal standards and stereotypes that entangle girls in a web of unattainable expectations of mind, body, and soul, melissa febos offers ideas for disrupting the normative narratives that surround childhood and encourages us to recreate agree with ourselves.
middle in the shade: the life and legacy of nellie y.
by shanna greene benjamin (@phdshammy29). North Carolina University Press. 272 pages.
Illustrating the challenges and exclusion Black women often experience in academia, Shanna Greene Benjamin has written this captivating and unexpected biography of Nellie Y. mckay, a formidable scholar of contemporary literature and women’s studies.
home is not a country
by safia elhillo (@mafiasafia). make me a world 224 pages. comes out March 2.
This stunning verse novel features a young Muslim woman who lives in multiple worlds and feels like an outsider in each one. Through poetry and magical realism, Safia Elhillo addresses issues of family, oppression, identity, and belonging.
how beautiful we were: a novel
by mbue symbol. random house. 384 pages.
A story for our time, imbolo mbue’s latest novel is about collective resistance to colonialism and greed, as the people of a small African town come face to face with an American oil company. Mbue’s remarkable storytelling makes this book shine.
hunting for the stars
by cherie dimaline (Georgian bay métis) (@cherie_dimaline). amulet books 400 pages.
If you loved marrow thieves, you’ve probably been looking forward to this follow-up as eagerly as I have. and you won’t be disappointed! Dimaline revisits Rose, Frenchie and the rest of the family to examine the legacies of the Native American genocide.
infinite country: a novel
by patricia engel (@patricia_engel). avid press reader/simon & Schuster 208 pages.
In her pivotal latest novel, award-winning writer Patricia Engel tells a now hauntingly recognizable story of a Colombian family’s experiences with migration, mixed status, and mercy.
in search of the color purple: the story of an american masterpiece
by tillet salamishah (@salamishah). abrams press 224 pages.
scholar and activist salamishah tillet has written the essential companion to alice walker’s pulitzer prize-winning novel, the color purple, exploring its controversies, triumphs, legacies, and lessons.
in the company of men
by véronique tadjo (@vtadjo). another press. 160 pages.
From multiple perspectives, Tadjo examines the effects of pandemics like the Ebola crisis and the toll they take on our health, our communities, and our humanity. particularly relevant for our time.
the love songs of w.e.b. du bois: a novel
by honorée fanonne jeffers (@blklibrarygirl). harpist 816 pages.
This is the absolutely remarkable fictional debut from award-winning poet honorée fanonne jeffers, focusing on a girl exploring her own identity through her family’s sweeping legacy from slavery through the civil war to the present. .
milk blood heat
by dantiel w. moniz (@dantielwmoniz). grove press. 208 pages.
Set against the lush and unpredictable backdrop of Florida, these 11 stories present women and girls as we truly are: complex, deep, intelligent, sour, joyful, tough, loving and powerful.
my maria: surviving the storm: voices from puerto rico
edited by ricia anne chansky and marci denesiuk. hay books 330 pages.
This latest volume in the Brilliant Voice of the Witness series is this collection of 17 oral histories from people who survived Hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico in 2017. This book is not just an illustration of the resilience and community needed to survive a storm. like this, but a testament to the people around the world who are most affected by climate change.
transformed misogyny: digital resistance of black women
by moya bailey (@moyazb). press nyu. 256 pages.
In this long-awaited text, Moya Bailey examines misogynoir, a term she coined, and how Black women are working to disrupt racist misogyny, reclaim their autonomy, and tell their own stories, particularly in precarious digital spaces.
Rain Mouths: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought
edited by briona simone jones. the new press. 224 pages.
Dubbed the Companion Anthology to Beverly Guy-Sheftall’s Groundbreaking Classic Words of Fire, this landmark collection honors the legacy and contributions made by black lesbian writers over the past two centuries.
my hill
by jocelyn nicole johnson (@jocelynjohnson). henry holt and co. 224 pages.
This collection of stories harmoniously marries the ugly with the beautiful, the terrifying with the brave, the disappointing with the hopeful, and makes for a brilliant debut.
noopiming: the cure for white checkers
by leanne betasamosake simpson (michi saagiig nishnaabeg). University of Minnesota Press. 368 pages.
Probably unlike anything you’ve ever read, this remarkable novel is written in prose and snippets and is a startlingly beautiful story of decolonial resistance and the discovery of a world of natural abundance, connection and compassion.
not “a nation of immigrants”: settler colonialism, white supremacy, and a history of elimination and exclusion
by roxanne dunbar-ortiz (@rdunbaro). beacon press. 392 pages.
In this hard-hitting volume, Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz challenges the “nation of immigrants” narrative and reveals the true intent behind this trope: masking the truth of white supremacy, settler colonialism, and genocide.
the nineteenth of June
by annette gordon-reed (@agordonreed). liveright 144 pages.
Part memoir, part Texas history, this little volume is the June 16 story we all need. The incomparable Annette Gordon-Reed provides this essential collection of essays that reflect on racism, history, and home.
revolution in our time: the promise of the black panther party to the people
by kekla magoon (@keklamagoon). candlewick. 400 pages.
An extraordinary and comprehensive history of the Black Panther Party, now a 2021 National Book Award Finalist.
the second: career and arms in a fatally unequal america
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by carol anderson (@profcanderson). bloomsbury publishing house. 272 pages.
dr. Carol Anderson’s latest book is essential for anyone concerned about the Second Amendment and its impact on African Americans in the United States. anderson deftly flips the gun rights debate on its head by changing the frame to one of anti-blackness, vulnerability, and oppression.
the seed keeper: a novel
by diane wilson (dakhóta). milkweed editions. 372 pages.
In elegant prose, Wilson tells the story of one woman’s reflections on her life, her loss, her family, and the seeds she knows are her ancestors and an imperative legacy she must protect at all costs.
someone’s daughter: a memory
by ashley c. ford (@ismashfizzle). iron books. 208 pages.
writer, educator and media personality ashley c. Ford has written this powerful personal memoir about growing up with an incarcerated father and the legacy of her complex relationship.
the sum of us: what racism costs us all and how we can prosper together
by heather mcghee (@hmcghee). a world. 448 pages.
It’s terribly difficult to sum up this brilliant addition to analyzes of inequality, racism, and democracy in this country in one sentence, so I’ll leave it to ibram x. kendi do it for me: “this is the book i’ve been waiting for.”
talking to white women: indigenous women and feminism
by aileen moreton-robinson. University of Minnesota Press. 288 pages.
I would be remiss not to include the 20th anniversary edition of this central text in feminism and indigenous studies. With a new preface, this volume ahead of its time remains #required reading for all of us.
this book is feminist: an intersectional introduction for next generation change agents
written by jamia wilson (@jamiaw) and illustrated by aurelia durand (@4ur3lia). children’s books french lincoln 160 pages.
This volume is packed with information, instruction, and inspiration. gorgeously illustrated, get it for feminists who are young and young at heart.
the three mothers: how the mothers of martin luther king, jr., malcolm x, and james baldwin shaped a nation
by anna malaika tubbs (@annas_tea_). iron books. 272 pages.
To celebrate and honor Black motherhood, Anna Malaika Tubbs has written this triumphant debut that explores the lives and influence of Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little, the mothers of three of America’s greatest figures. history.
no membership
by gayatri sethi (@gayatrisethi). handle & calendula press. 293 pages.
This first volume of prose, poetry, and memoir is a one-of-a-kind model of critical self-reflection. sethi makes an imperative call to action for all concerned with overthrowing the settler colonial white supremacist cissalloheteropatriarchy.
unbound: my liberation story and the birth of the me too movement
by tarana burke (@taranaburke). iron books. 272 pages.
long before tarana burke founded the me too movement, she herself survived sexual assault. Both Imani Perry and Kiese Laymon compare her first memoir to I Know Why She Sings the Caged Bird; survivors and others will be moved by this brave and empathetic story.
Until I’m Free: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Enduring Message to America
by keisha n. blain (@keishablain). beacon press. 200 pages.
As gifted a storyteller and cultural critic as she is a historian, Keisha Blain has written a history of Fannie Lou Hamer that also challenges readers to look to her legacy as a guide to addressing today’s issues of voter suppression, state-sanctioned violence , women’s inequality and racism.
wake: the hidden history of slave revolts led by women
written by rebecca hall (@wakerevolt) and illustrated by hugo martinez. Simon & schuster 208 pages.
In graphic novel format, erudite activist rebecca hall delivers a compelling and little-known history of revolts led by enslaved women. also part memoir, the book speaks to the removal of black women from the archive and the work needed to counter incomplete narratives.
We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World
edited by carolyn holbrook and david mura. University of Minnesota Press. 224 pages.
This collection is diverse, infuriating, heartbreaking, gripping and was November’s #mustread.
We Do This Until We Get Free: Abolitionist Organizing and Justice Transformation
by mariame kaba (@prisonculture). hay books 200 pages.
Through interviews, speeches, personal recollections, and essential lessons learned, feminist organizer and abolitionist mariame kaba speaks to the need for collective action, critical analysis, purposeful evaluation, and compassionate vulnerability in the struggle for true release.
white feminism: from suffragettes to influencers and who they leave behind
by koa beck (@koalani). atria books. 320 pages. out now.
koa beck continues the current discussion of race with this essential examination of the racial bias and elitism of white feminism and how it continues to exclude and undermine our fight for full gender equality.
white magic
by elissa washuta (cowlitz) (@elissawashuta). tin house books 432 pages.
In this captivating and insightful collection of personal essays, Washuta candidly explores addiction, mental illness, coping (and not), relationships, land, pop culture, colonization, magic, and cultural heritage. .
you better be lightning
by andrea gibson (@andrewgibby). button poetry. 128 pages.
andrea gibson is a gift to humanity. read this collection, read their other collections, and then do yourself a favor and listen to them share their poetry audibly. it’s another level.
the 1619 project: a new origin story
by nikole hannah-jones (@nhannahjones). a world. 624 pages.
This volume is a “dramatic expansion” on the original project and is this fall’s required reading.
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