Whenever I pick up a book, I always have such a huge admiration for the author that went on the vastly long journey it takes to come up with the story idea, pitch it to publishers, fight for their story, and venture to make that story a published reality. Authors put so much work into ensuring their dreams get heard; in ensuring that their stories and the joy that they produce are shared with the world. So, for this year’s National Womxn’s History month, I wanted to highlight four of my favorite books written by strong, powerful, and brilliant female authors.
- Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This dystopian novel follows Juliet Ferrars, a teenage girl with a lethal touch. Locked up and kept in constant surveillance by The Reestablishment, we watch as she is left to navigate a system that will do anything in its power to keep her under its control. Tahereh Mafi, an Iranian American NYT bestselling author, gives us a powerful story about love, power, control, and resistance.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This story follows fictional Hollywood superstar Evelyn Hugo, and the majority of her life as re-told to and captured by reporter Monique Grant. While the two are from vastly different worlds and families, they perhaps begin to realize their lives aren’t as separated as they once thought. Taylor Jenkins Reid not only crafts a powerful narrative about women in Hollywood, but the complexity of humans living in a world with harsh restrictions, assumptions, and expectations.
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo
Desi Lee is determined to use K-dramas as a way to figure out her love life and ultimately get her crush to love her back. However, in the process of using fictional dramas as a way to navigate her reality, she ends up placing herself in some cringey circumstances. Maureen Goo gives a heartwarming young adult romance with K-dramas (one of my favorite hobbies!) driving the plot.
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
A young-adult classic, this novel follows Cath, a college freshman, who is obsessed with writing fanfiction for the fictional Simon Snow book series (you can think of this as a fictional Harry Potter-like series). While at college, she is left to navigate a new life while still holding onto her love for the book series that has impacted her life. Rainbow Rowell never fails to make me invested in her adorable romances, and this is definitely a feel-good book for those cozy reading days.
All of these recommendations make me realize how thankful I am for the female authors who fought for their stories. The next time you buy, borrow, or check out a book, try to pick one written by a female author and read a little bit about who they are. Before, I never truly used to put in much thought about how important authors are in crafting the stories we know and love. And, believe me, I love all of these characters immensely. We all have powerful female writers to thank for their creativity, imagination, hearts, and minds.