Feminist Titles to Add to your Bookshelf

The Fight for Equality

In the wars against patriarchal society, there is a plight for strong, independent female characters (written by women). We want to read stories that represent the type of person we want to become. Women who fought against the systems of oppression and stories of women who live in worlds where those systems are naught to exist.

Here are my recommendations to add to your bookshelf:

Top Feminist Literature

1. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries

2. The Priory of the Orange Tree

3. Last Night at the Telegraph Club

4. Lady Tan's Circle of Women

5. The Dictionary of Lost Words

6. A Universe of Sufficient Size

7. Plain Bad Heroines

8. The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls

9. How to kill your Family

See below for a brief description of each book:

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries

• Perfect fantasy story for any feminist looking for a cozy romantasy where the woman is more focused on her commitment to gaining knowledge than the man who follows along with her.

• Emily Wilde is empowered in her growing knowledge about the world of faeries through her own deliberate learning. She is portrayed as entirely capable in her own right!

The Priory of the Orange Tree

• Another feminist high fantasy book and though it is lengthy, it is entirely worth it!

• The story contains an abundance of female characters who are empowered and independent individuals.

• Think Game of Thrones but the women run the show.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

• Historical romance about two girls living in 1950s America who are just trying to figure out their love for each other in the society they live in.

• Great story about intersectional experiences and the LGBTQ+ experience for Chinese Americans.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

• Historical fiction set during the Qing dynasty and her plight to become a female doctor in imperial China. Her life is limited by society which requires her to focus solely on her husband and running his household. Lady Tan has other plans though.

• This novel is not so much a fight against the system but a clever account of one woman's way of manipulating the rules which aim to control her.

The Dictionary of Lost Words

• Historical fiction exploring a woman's experience with the male-centred view of the creation of the dictionary.

• Set against the backdrop of the early 1900's, Pip's story brings to life a feminist perspective about the language we use and whose voice it privileges.

A Universe of Sufficient Size

• Not necessarily feminist at its heart but it does reveal a heart-wrenching story about a woman's life after her attempt to flee from Hungary during the Second World War, and the subsequent effect on the following generation.

• This is a tale of heart ache and family secrets in an effort for survival against all odds.

Plain Bad Heroines

• Queer horror fiction which portrays the story of three women and the ghastly undertakings that occur as they attempt to shoot a new movie.

• I love how flawed each character becomes, representing diverse female experiences in a thrilling manner.

The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls

• Non-fiction book which lists the seven sins women have been historically made to feel shamed for.

• Backed by evidence, Eltahaway explains exactly why we need to do exactly the opposite of what the patriarchy requires of us.

How To Kill Your Family

• Crime fiction about a woman who just wants an even playing field with the rich family she had been shunned from as a bastard child.

• Her plight for revenge leads her down a disastrous road, yet you cannot help but feel in awe with her power and strength.

Any other feminist stories that you have been loving lately? Leave a comment below and share!