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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Alberta chapter.

I’ve been into feminism for awhile, but I finally decided to look into feminist theory a couple years ago. While many of us call ourselves feminists, we often don’t delve deeply into the theory and history behind it. There’s a lot of literature out there so it might be hard to figure out where to start, so I’ve provided a list of some of my favourite feminist books that I’ve read so far.

The Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan

This book is a great starting point for anyone just delving into feminist literature. Betty Friedan was at the forefront of the women’s liberation movement in the mid-20th century and her book does a good job of summarizing some of her early findings that lead her to become a feminist leader. This is great for young women to read because it helps us to remember why we needed feminism in the first place and why we still need it now.

Sister Outsider – Audre Lord

For a more intersectional perspective, Audre Lorde is an amazing author to go to. Sister Outsider is a collection of some of her works and poetry which detail elements of her life as a black, lesbian woman. This book is good for expanding your feminism and helping you to consider perspectives of women who deal with multiple, intersecting forms of feminism.

Men Explain Things to Me – Rebecca Solnit

This collection of essays covers many more recent feminist issues as Rebecca Solnit examines many events from recent years such as the Santa Barbara shootings, the issue of mansplaining, and how same-sex marriage allows us to reconceptualize gender roles in marriage. This is good for looking at feminism from a modern context and truly understanding third wave feminist concepts.

Gender Trouble – Judith Butle

This is quite a heavy read so make sure you’re well versed in gender theory before diving in. In Gender Trouble, Judith Butler takes everything you thought you knew about gender and deconstructs it, making you question everything. I have to admit I didn’t completely understand everything when I read it, but it got me re-thinking my conceptions of gender and I definitely want to give it another read at some point.

Abortion is a Woman’s Right – Pat Grogan & Evelyn Reed

This is a more obscure find that I got when I was checking out some independent bookstores in Vancouver. It’s a quick read at under 50 pages that I would recommend to anyone on either side of the abortion issue. While the book is staunchly pro-choice, it delves deeply into pro-choice reasoning, allowing the reader to more deeply understand the implications that abortion access has on women’s rights as a whole. It affirmed and clarified many of my pro-choice positions, while giving me new issues to think about. It is structured as a compilation of articles from the mid 1980s, when the reality of women dying from illegal abortions was still extremely clear in peoples’ memories, reminding younger generations of what lead to the pro-choice movement.

Adrienne Faulkner

U Alberta '21

Adrienne is a law student at the University of Alberta. She was born in Vancouver but Edmonton is where she was raised and is where she calls home. When she's not buried in casebooks, she enjoys video games, dungeons and dragons, makeup/fashion, and creative writing.
Robin is a senior student at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. She is getting a Science Degree, with a Psychology major and a double minor in Sociology & Biology. Part-time jobs, full-time classes, various student groups and volunteering fill most of her time. Robin is the 2020/2021 President of Her Campus at UAlberta and served as the social media director for the 2018/2019 year!