(NEXSTAR) – As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, there’s no better excuse to read a book by and about some of the world’s most inspiring women.
From an alternative history of Hillary Clinton’s life to a collection of empowering goodnight stories, these are some of the books you should read in celebration of the month:
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women and Queer Radicals, Saidiya Hartman (2019)
Columbia University professor Saidiya Hartman turns her carefully honed critical lens on the lives of young black women at the turn of the twentieth century in “Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments,” which won the 2019 National Books Circle Award in Criticism. The novel unfolds across Philadelphia and New York as the women develop kinships that often transcend the rules of society.
Rodham: A Novel, Curtis Sittenfeld (2020)
A New York Times bestseller, “Rodham” offers an alternative version of history novel in which Hillary Clinton never marries Bill Clinton. Instead, Hillary Clinton pursues her own political career, one not overshadowed by her former president husband.
We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2014)
A short, book-length essay by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “We Should All Be Feminists” offers a 21st-century definition for feminism and argues that the label “feminist” should be widely embraced by all.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (I Know This To Be True): On equality, determination and service, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2020)
The late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects on her many years working in service of the law, as well as her experience with cancer, in her eponymous book. Ginsburg explores everything from gender equality and literature to fitness and the value of hard work.
Bad Feminist: Essays, Roxane Gay (2014)
In “Bad Feminist,” essayist and cultural commentator Roxane Gay explores the divide between identifying as a feminist and enjoying things that seem insurmountable with the ideology. The essays focus on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Gay’s Haitian-American upbringing to the “Sweet Valley High” series.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women, Rebel Girls, Francesca Cavallo, Elena Favilli (2016)
A New York Times bestseller, “Rebel Girls” tells 100 stories of exceptional women, from Queen Elizabeth I to Malla Yousafzai, with illustrations from 60 female artists across the world. It’s the first in a two-part series, which were funded — and subsequently broke records — on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas, Laura Sook Duncombe (2017)
This deep dive into the stories of female buccaneers examines how women in history viewed piracy as a path to personal freedom. In her writing, Sook Duncombe – who is also the daughter of our parent company’s chief executive – explores both history and myth to explain why some female pirates’ stories have stood through the ages while others have faded to distant legend.
Know My Name: A Memoir, Chanel Miller (2019)
In this stirring memoir, the Jane Doe in the People v. Turner sexual assault case, involving Stanford student Brock Turner, picks up the pen and reveals her identity. Chanel Miller writes about her experience with sexual assault and the subsequent court case.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (2013)
This autobiography follows the life and challenges of activist Malala Yousafzai, including the assassination attempt on her life and her activism for female education. The book has reportedly been banned in many schools in Pakistan.
How Should a Person Be?, Sheila Heti (2013)
Part memoir, part self-help book, “How Should a Person Be?” follows its unreliable narrator as she explores the nature of art, creation and sexuality. Ultimately, she asks: What kind of person should one be?
Voices of Powerful Women: Words of Wisdom from 40 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women, Zoe Sallis (2019)
Zoe Sallis compiles interviews with 40 successful women, including Maya Angelou and Isabelle Allende, and discusses their lives, work and hopes for the future. The book is structured around ten questions, which each interviewee answers in their own unique voice.