With Women’s History Month already here, you might be looking to add a few women authors to your reading list. I’m a bookstagrammer and (relatively) avid reader, and these are some of my all-time favorite women authors. Trust me, you can’t go wrong with any of these writers!
This guest post was contributed by Cameron Katz
1. Celeste Ng
Celeste Ng is definitely at the top of my list of women authors to read. I have read both of her books, Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere, and both are well worth your time. I adore Ng’s work because her books are concise yet impactful and deal with major, relevant themes like race, class, and gender. She has a way of wrangling these themes and giving them life through her characters, who feel so three-dimensional and familiar. Ng has also mastered description, managing to tell you exactly what you need to know about each character, place, and feeling without any fluff.
I prefer Little Fires Everywhere to Everything I Never Told You (it just has an extra “oomph” to it than Ng’s debut), but both books effectively capture complex families navigating a world shadowed by all the terrible “ism’s” out there.
If you’ve already read these two books, you can look forward to the new book Ng will be releasing this year titled Our Missing Hearts. You know I’m ready!
Read this author if you’re looking for a short, fast-paced, and emotional novel that explores family dynamics, the withering effects of racism, and wealth.
2. Bernardine Evaristo
Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other was recommended to me by a professor in college. I read the book in January 2020, and yet it has still stuck with me.
Girl, Woman, Other follows a series of women in Britain, each with their own stories and challenges. There is a richness to Evaristo’s writing that is hard to find. Because she explores so many different perspectives, there is a completeness to it. It’s as if it somehow captures the experience of being a woman today. It is beautifully written, and does that wonderful thing that books sometimes do: everything somehow gets connected by the end.
This book was eye-opening to me in multiple ways, but namely by exposing me to the sexism and racism that occurs in Britain, and how different it looks there than in the U.S. I often find myself drawn to books by American authors, so I try to make an effort to read works by international authors (although I certainly could do a better job at this), and Evaristo was definitely a great choice.
Read this author if you’re looking for a novel with an unconventional structure that tells more than one story.
3. Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler was a recent addition to my list. In fact, I am reading Parable of the Sower right now! But, I can already tell she will be one of my favorites.
Where other dystopian books struggle to ground themselves in all of the challenges currently facing our society, Butler does not stumble. Compared to a dystopian book like The Road by Cormac McCarthy (which, don’t get me wrong, is still a very good book), there’s a realness and tangibility to Parable of Sower that helps it shine.
Butler is all too aware of how race, class, and gender would impact individuals living in a dystopian society. While these themes are often ignored by other dystopian books that mostly feature white casts, Butler takes them on with full vigor, which makes the book feel frighteningly real.
Parable of the Sower is a fantastic and chilling book. I will admit it has been difficult to read given the current state of the world. However, if you can manage, I highly recommend it.
Read this author if you’re looking for some sobering sci-fi with smart narrators and even smarter prose.
4. Min Jin Lee
Min! Jin! Lee! So fantastic. Min Jin Lee’s the author of Pachinko, and if you’ve heard of it recently, that’s because a TV adaptation is coming out this month.
Pachinko follows a Korean immigrant family living in post-World War II Japan. It follows four generations and asks big questions about identity, belonging, family, and love. I loved this book. It was uplifting. It was heart-breaking. It was everything you might expect to feel when following the triumphs and hardships of any family.
I spent a lot of time with Pachinko – around three months. I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this book (aside from my honors thesis, but that’s another story). But, I am glad that I did. Pachinko is a book that deserves to be cherished. The longer you spend with it, the more time it has to marinate, sink in, and leave an impact on you.
Read this author if you’re looking for a sweeping, generational drama – and ready to watch a TV adaptation!
5. Carol Anderson
Alright, so maybe you’re not in the mood for fiction. Maybe you’re worried about the state of the world, or the upcoming midterms. Or, perhaps, you just want to know a little more about how our democracy has worked. If so, Carol Anderson is the author for you.
I took a class with Dr. Anderson at Emory, and she is a phenomenal teacher and an excellent writer. Her books, including White Rage, One Person, No Vote, and, more recently, The Second, all make our history relevant and will inspire you to take action. Anderson’s work focuses on racism, voter suppression, and violence – specifically how the three intersect. Her thorough research and accessible writing style will leave you a more informed citizen.
Read this author if you want to learn more about voter suppression, white supremacy, and the second amendment. Prepare to rage.
Each of these women authors has written something near and dear to my heart, and I hope that you’ll discover the same depth, intrigue, and joy that I did while reading them. Enjoy!
Cameron Katz graduated from Emory University in 2021 with a double major in American History and English Creative Writing and loves to combine her creativity with history knowledge to create engaging content. In her free time, she likes to write, overanalyze books and movies, and create digital art. She is currently based in Atlanta and has no pets (but has been meaning to get a fish for some time now).
