Happy Women’s Day to all the beautiful ladies out there. I won’t go on and talk about how celebrating women once a year is not enough for Women Empowerment. Instead, I am going to put on a smile and discuss all the books with strong female reads that I love. This list is subjective. All the books that I am listing below are the ones I have read and loved. Also, there are a lot of other books out there, but these are my favorite. I didn’t want to curate a list that sings of heroines or women who changed history. This list is for all the women who are changing the world, living, surviving and winning this patriarchal world in their own small ways.
1.The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart:
A solid teen feminist novel. Frankie is the bunny rabbit of her father. A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school her father wanted her to go to. Frankie is always shadowed and saying yes to whatever anyone asks her. It’s a story of a girl who discovers she is not all that everyone is telling her. She is more intelligent than the superior males around her, and it’s time she proves it.
The whole journey is exhilarating, and you will feel yourself winning through Frankie.
- The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson:
For this book, keep your logic aside and just roll with the story. The story of Nombeko Mayeki born in a shack of Soweto is a blend of cultural diversity, travel, humor and the brave attempts of Nombeko to get out of the gutter she was born in. It might seem nonsensical at times, but like I said it is worth reading. It will leave you with a huge smile and happiness for Nombeko.
- Circe by Madeline Miller:
@rightbrainred_reads
Based on Greek mythology, Circe is the daughter of Helios, The God of Sun. She is a strange child with no beauty and no powers to speak of. At first, I felt bad for Circe. I wanted her to get up and kick everyone’s ass. She does that later on. After being abandoned by everyone she once loved, she focuses on herself and becomes the women she was always meant to be.
- Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood:
I don’t know if I can call Grace a strong female character lead. But she is something. And more than that it’s the lyrical writing of Margaret Atwood that binds you. Every single word is so beautifully placed, the lines so well formed. I am in love with her. The story is based on a real incident. Grace is in jail for the murder of her Landlord and his mistress, but she doesn’t remember killing them.
- The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr:
@kath_reads
This book is so close to my heart. I read it while I was on a break from work. The moment I finished this book, I got up from the bed and shouted at no one in particular, ‘What the hell am I doing with my life?’ Flora has anterograde amnesia. She doesn’t remember anything. She is helpless and so dependent on her mother for everything. But when she finds a ray of hope she breaks through and journeys to the north pole. She can’t even remember her name, and that doesn’t stop her!! Just wow.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
It’s a classic story about March sisters. They all have their different personalities so every girl can find one March sister to identify herself with. They have their own battles and most of all they have support and love from each other. I guess that’s what makes the story so great. Women supporting women.
7.The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah:
The story of two sisters braving the Nazi invaded France is a heart-wrenching. I am still not over the horrors they live through. Vianne and Isabella are sisters, but they have completely different personalities. They are so brave that just reading about them made me proud of the fact that I am a woman. It’s a story of love, courage, will power and so much strength.
8. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng:
In this book, Ng has touched various aspects of being a woman; a wife, a mother, a single mother, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a working woman. And every character brings a new perspective to these relations, the roles we play and how often we end up judging each other without reason. For me, it was a refreshing read with such beautiful insights to the mind of a woman.
- Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Mass:
A YA fantasy novel I could not put down. Feyre is the responsible person in the family who hunts and brings food on the table. She has to go through so much for her sisters, and it’s tiring. But when one hunt goes wrong, Feyre’s whole world changes. What I liked about the book is how Feyre maintained her individuality all through. While she was fighting for other people, giving them more than they deserved she was always herself. She had her own perceptions, ideas, and principles. She was not a meek girl who falters when she falls in love. The portrayal of Feyre’s and Rhysand’s relationship was also what I enjoyed.
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon:
A story of Queens who saved the world and have to do it again. A queendom that requires a daughter to ware off the dangers. It’s everything the world would have been without male superiority. There are so many strong women to look up to who are tirelessly fighting for what they believe in while supporting each other that it’s almost inspirational.
Like I said, there are a lot of other books with strong female leads that I did not include. These ten are the ones I have read, and I can vouch for. You will love them.
