10 Books Every Young Feminist Should Add to Their List
By: Emily Parris
There’s this magic that I’ve found in books. It wasn’t until my twenties that I actually tapped into it though. In 2017 after months of surgeries and hospital stays, I decided to turn off the Grey’s Anatomy, as good as it was, and pick up a book. What a genius idea, right? With apps like Audible, it made it easy to listen to my favorite books while driving, getting ready for work, or just lounging on the couch after a long day of changing the world. Whether you’re reading for pleasure, growth, or education, I’ve compiled 12 of my must-read books to add to your feminist reading list.
Disclaimer: For sake of accuracy, the following descriptions were pulled from author websites or places of sale ie Barnes and Nobel. All opinions of the book is my own and bare no literary critique weight.
What: In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her — from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it — in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations — and whose story inspires us to do the same.
Why: When I see on my Facebook feed “anyone have any good book recommendations?” this is the book I list. I made a challenge for myself in 2019. I wanted to reach 24 books in 12 months. This was the first book I picked up. I must admit, I didn’t read this book, I listened to it using Audible and what was incredible about that was the fact that it was read by Mrs. Obama herself. I left reading this book feeling encouraged. I oftentimes doubt my capabilities, and hearing her talk so openly about her struggles, goals, and achievements made me feel like I could do the same. Whether you’re an Obama family fan or not, hearing from such a strong woman of color’s story is every piece of empowerment you’ll need.
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What: An illustrated big-sister’s guide to activism — the perfect gift for young feminists and long-time observers looking to enter the fray. Have recent events given you pause? Does Trump’s America make you fearful for the future of women? Do you want to become more involved in helping to preserve women’s rights but aren’t sure how? In A Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance, Emma Rose Gray, Executive Editor at The Huffington Post, outlines all that young women need to know on pivotal women’s rights issues and offers a blueprint for those who want to take a stand and participate in the cause.
Why: Pretty soon after myself and five other women founded Voices United for Women, it was time for my monthly Audible book. Somehow, I like to think the universe played a hand in this, Gray’s book wound up being suggested. I didn’t have any expectations but had I any, it exceeded them all. The book is broken down into chapters with different areas of activism ie. social media, digesting the news, getting started, etc and filled with quotes from those who know what the hell they’re doing in this fight. I’ve now read this book not once, not twice, but THREE times because yeah.. it’s just that’s amazing. Not the mention it’s a quick and easy read and when you’re changing the world, quick and easy is exactly what we need.
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What: Rage Becomes Her makes the case that anger is not what gets in our way, it is our way, sparking a new understanding of one of our core emotions that will give women a liberating sense of why their anger matters and connect them to an entire universe of women no longer interested in making nice at all costs.
Following in the footsteps of classic feminist manifestos like The Feminine Mystique and Our Bodies, Ourselves, Rage Becomes Her is an eye-opening book for the twenty-first-century woman: an engaging, accessible credo offering us the tools to re-understand our anger and harness its power to create lasting positive change.
Why: Growing up, my family displayed anger by raising our voices. We always had to have the last word and took sharp digs in arguments. This book for me was an insight into the ways in which women are taught to deal with her anger. I realized that societies views of a woman tapping into her human emotion of anger were contradicting the role of anger that played in my household. This book is vital for the pissed off feminist of today because well the title says it, “Rage Becomes Her”.
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What: With sincerity, intelligence, and wit, Nugent invites readers in to her most private moments of personal growth. From struggling with an eating disorder for most of her teen years to embracing all aspects of her biracial identity, she tackles tough topics with honest vulnerability making it a perfect gift for teens and young adults. Smartly-written, unapologetic, and laugh-out-loud funny, You Don’t Have to Like Me is perfect for readers of Roxane Gay, Rebecca Solnit, and Sloane Crosley.
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What: Forty-four writers, dancers, actors, and artists contribute essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations about everything from body positivity to romance to gender identity to intersectionality to the greatest girl friendships in fiction. Together, they share diverse perspectives on and insights into what feminism means and what it looks like. Come on in, turn the pages, and be inspired to find your own path to feminism by the awesome individuals in Here We Are.
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What: With humor and insight, The Beautiful Chaos of Growing Up takes you into the turbulent world of young adulthood. Capturing the newfound freedoms of college life and the dizzying adventure of the years that immediately follow it, this poetry collection reflects on the ups, downs, and in-betweens of the journey towards independence. In poems that explore the thrills and anxieties of college friendships and graduation, internships and job interviews, first dates and first apartments, lies a warmhearted, powerful examination of what it means to grow up.
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What: My Own Words “showcases Ruth Ginsburg’s astonishing intellectual range” (The New Republic). In this collection, Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book’s sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, who introduce each chapter and provide biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted.
Why: RBG… need we say more?
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What: It was a fight club — but without the fighting or the men. Every month, women would gather in a New York apartment to share sexist-job frustrations and trade strategies for how to tackle them. For years, these meetings were kept secret. But the time has come to talk about the club.
In Feminist Fight Club, acclaimed journalist Jessica Bennett blends the personal story of her real-life fight club with a studied assessment of the gender gap that continues to plague the American workplace. With equal measures wit and rigor, Bennett provides the tactical strategies — and the camaraderie — every woman needs to fight back, as well as tools for the men who support the cause.
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What: Eloquent rage keeps us all honest and accountable. It reminds women that they don’t have to settle for less. When Cooper learned of her grandmother’s eloquent rage about love, sex, and marriage in an epic and hilarious front-porch confrontation, her life was changed. And it took another intervention, this time staged by one of her homegirls, to turn Brittney into the fierce feminist she is today. In Brittney Cooper’s world, neither mean girls nor fuckboys ever win. But homegirls emerge as heroes. This book argues that ultimately feminism, friendship, and faith in one’s own superpowers are all we really need to turn things right side up again.
What: Imagine a world where all erotica was written by feminists: Their daydreams include equal pay, a gender-balanced Congress, and Tom Hardy arriving at their doorstep to deliver a fresh case of LaCroix every week.
Both light-hearted and empowering, New Erotica for Feminists — based off of the viral McSweeney’s piece of the same name — is a sly, satirical take on all the things that turn feminists on. From a retelling of Adam and Eve to tales of respectful Tinder dates, New Erotica for Feminists answers the question of “What do women really want?” with stories of power, equality, and an immortal Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
What: In her first book of comic strips, Emma reflects on social and feminist issues by means of simple line drawings, dissecting the mental load, ie all that invisible and unpaid organizing, list-making and planning women do to manage their lives, and the lives of their family members. Most of us carry some form of mental load — about our work, household responsibilities, financial obligations and personal life; but what makes up that burden and how it’s distributed within households and understood in offices is not always equal or fair. In her strips Emma deals with themes ranging from maternity leave (it is not a vacation!), domestic violence, the clitoris, the violence of the medical world on women during childbirth, and other feminist issues, and she does so in a straightforward way that is both hilarious and deadly serious.. If you’re not laughing, you’re probably crying in recognition.
What: Andi Dorfman, breakout star of ABC’s The Bachelorette and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not Okay, returns with this new collection of her adventures as a still-single gal surviving and thriving in New York City. Sharing moments like finding her first New York apartment (the front door broke so she had to use the fire escape), her first dates on “celebrity Tinder” and finally, watching her ex-fiancé propose to another woman on Bachelor in Paradise, Andi Dorfman doesn’t shy away from pulling back the curtain on the life of a reality star who’s returned to reality.
Dorfman’s supremely relatable personality has inspired incredible devotion from her fans, who follow her every move on social media. Filled with a mix of romantic mishaps, city adventures, and, of course, plenty of insider Bachelor details, Andi’s new book is Sex and the City for the reality TV generation.
