This list of books comes from all different genres, styles, periods, but one thing that unites them all is they were written by women. These are just some of my favorite books written by female authors, but the list could go on forever. The women of the literary world, past and present, continue to inspire me every day, and I have such a great respect for the women who wrote these incredible books.
(Trigger Warning: A few of these books contain upsetting subjects like sexual assault, r*pe, and severe mental illness. Please do your research beforehand, and always remember to take care of yourselves!)Â
I Who Have Never Known Men  by Jacqueline Harpman
This is one of those books that leaves you with more questions at the end than when you started it. This dystopian novel is set in a sort of post-apocalyptic world, where a young girl is living in a bunker with a group of other women, watched over 24/7 by male guards who do not speak or interact with them. It’s a short book and you will finish it so quickly because it is so difficult to put down.Â
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This book is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorites of all time. Set before and during the Nigerian Civil War of the late 60s, Adichie’s novel tells a story about the hardships and heartbreaks that come with war, through the lens of three very different characters. I wish I could read this book for the first time again. Adichie’s writing is so captivating and gut wrenching, but out of all her books, this one is the one I always recommend first. She is an incredibly talented and intelligent woman and someone I think all girls should look up to.
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride
When I first opened this book, I had no idea what I was looking at. McBride’s style of writing is so bizarre and unique, and it does take quite a bit of getting used to. This is such an incredible story about a girl living with her disabled brother, and an extremely religious mother, amongst other complicated issues. If you find yourself relating to the term “glass child,” this story will resonate with you. This book was intense, but McBride’s writing is truly one of a kind.Â
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
This book is based on true events that happened within the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia. I went into this book blindly just because I liked the title, and when I found out it was inspired by real-life events, I was equally horrified and astounded by Toews’ ability to create such a powerful book out of such painful events. I don’t want to give too much away, but this book will change you.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This is one of my favorite memoirs I have ever read. Walls’ vivid memory of such early childhood memories is astonishing. This book details what it was like growing up living out in the deserts of the Western United States, moving from houses to trailer parks to cross country road trips with her alcoholic father, her negligent mother, and her siblings. I could not put this book down once I picked it up, and I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to get into reading for that exact reason. Walls has become such an inspiration for me in my own writing.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne GreenbergÂ
This is a semi-autobiographical novel about a teenage girl’s diagnosis with schizophrenia, and her time at a psychiatric hospital where she spent three years of her life. Paralleling her reality is her imagined Kingdom of Yr, created as a coping mechanism while she struggles to grasp what is going on around her. This book is confusing but so eye-opening to read.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
What’s a list of books by female authors without Sylvia Plath? If you have yet to take a deep dive into the poetic world of Plath, you should. The Bell Jar is another semi-autobiographical novel, a different depiction of the journey through mental illness. If you’ve ever heard of the “fig tree analogy,” it comes from this book.Â
Happy Women’s History Month, and Happy Reading!