Nearly one year ago, millions of women around the world took to the streets to show solidarity with one another and to protect their rights and bodies in a time of historic upheaval. As the 2018 Women’s March approaches on January 20 (which is poised to be EPIC btw), we’re here with a round-up of reads to get you inspired to smash the patriarchy. While classics like The Feminine Mystique, A Room of One’s Own, and The Second Sex will never get old, there are countless new feminist titles by both established and up-and-coming voices that deserve a place on your bookshelf. In the last year, a flood of memoirs, essay collections, and nonfiction tomes were released, and we’ve rounded up the best ones your need to read now.
Hunger: A Memoir Of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
This is the book that everyone has been talking about. From the essayist who made us pause to think (and laugh) a few years ago with Bad Feminist comes an honest memoir tackling body image and weight. This is Roxane Gay at her most vulnerable and most brilliant. And if you’re like us and you can’t get enough of her, check out Roxane’s other 2017 release, Difficult Women.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
The title of this book basically sums up what so many people were thinking when they woke up the morning after the American presidential election. In this memoir, Hillary Rodham Clinton reflects on the ups and downs of the campaign, as well as how she found the courage to get back up again after being defeated by Donald Trump. As she writes in her introduction: “I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public… Now I’m letting my guard down.”
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
Why I Am Not A Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto by Jessa Crispin
For those of you looking for some radical get-up-and-do-something feminism, this book is for you. Jessa Crispin picks up her sword pen to condemn what she sees as the irrelevance, cowardice, and obliviousness of modern-day feminism, and instead calls for a complete revolution.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me by Janet Mock
In this honest and compelling memoir, media maven and trans rights activist Janet Mock recounts her twentysomething-year-old experiences with love and intimacy, going to college, and pursuing a career in the New York City magazine industry.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
CODE GIRLS: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II
Fans of Hidden Figures will love this new tome, which tells the inspiring story of a group of American women who used their coding skills to help end World War II. This brilliant piece of herstory is an absolute must-read.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
200 Women: Who Will Change the Way You See the World by Geoff Blackwell, Ruth Hobday, and Kieran Scott
This book is filled to the brim with interviews with 200 super inspiring ladies — such as Jane Goodall, Margaret Atwood, Roxane Gay, and Alicia Garza — illustrated with beautiful accompanying portraits. Each woman answers questions such as: “What really matters to you?” and “What could you change in the world if you could?” You won’t have to look far for a daily dose of inspiration if you have this sitting on your bookshelf.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
The Origin of Others by Toni Morrison
Renowned novelist Toni Morrison draws on her lectures, the world of politics and literature, and her own personal memories to answer questions of race and constructions of “the other.” These are themes that are dear to Morrison’s heart, and have been woven throughout her own work.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
Feminist Icon Cross-Stitch: 30 Daring Designs to Celebrate Strong Women by Anna Fleiss and Lauren Mancuso
Last but definitely not least, this gem-of-a-book features cross-stitch patterns of iconic women spanning centuries: from Renaissance monarch (and my personal girl crush) Queen Elizabeth I to suffragette Susan B. Anthony to contemporaries Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai and Beyonce. Everything you need to know — including a brief history of the feminist movement and a how-to guide to cross-stitching— can be found between its covers. I for one will be embracing my inner granny on my next day off and getting crafty.
Buy it here: Amazon | Indigo
