As the battle for equality marches on, reacquaint yourself with some of the feminist texts and empowering stories that help to define what it means to be a woman today.
1. "The Crying Book" by Heather Christle
Honest, intelligent, rapturous, and surprising, Christle's investigations look through a mosaic of science, history, and her own lived experience to find new ways of understanding life, loss, and mental illness. "The Crying Book" is a deeply personal tribute to the fascinating strangeness of tears and the unexpected resilience of joy.
This is the last book I read in 2019 and I couldn't read for a while after it because it is one of those short books that completely change your whole world in less than 200 pages. I will never look at crying the same way and the sheer rawness of this book brings out how powerful and unstoppable vulnerability is.
I would recommend this book to everyone who can't remember the last time they cried. Not because this book will make you cry, but it will make you examine each instance you did, and show you how powerful it was to do so.
2. "The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One" by Amanda Lovelace
The witch: supernaturally powerful, inscrutably independent — and now indestructible. These moving, relatable poems encourage resilience and embolden women to take control of their own stories. Enemies try to judge, oppress, and marginalize her, but the witch doesn't burn in this one.
I am holding this poetry book at this very second while writing this and I need to reread it right now, excuse me.
3. "We Should All Be Feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author's exploration of what it means to be a woman now — and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.
Personally, this is a book that I want a hard copy of in my house in the future so I can reread it anytime I choose.
4. "Feminists Don't Wear Pink and Other Lies: Amazing Women on What the F-Word Means to Them" by Scarlett Curtis
A diverse group of celebrities, activists, and artists open up about what feminism means to them, with the goal of helping readers come to their own personal understanding of the word.
She just released another book that focuses on mental health and it is as brilliant as this one. Another one for the shelves.
5. "Bad Feminist" by Roxane Gay
In a series of sharp, funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay touches on everything from the state of feminism today, how the culture we consume changes who we are and why we all need to do better, while simultaneously reflecting on her own journey of evolution as a woman.
Another essay-based novel that takes you deep into a reflection of the portrayal of yourself and everyone around us. I'd want this one in my hard copy collection at my house, too.
6. "Aphrodite Made Me Do It" by Trista Mateer
In this empowering retelling, she uses the mythology of the goddess to weave a common thread through the past and present. By the end of this book, Aphrodite will make you believe in the possibility of your own healing.
I got this book as a gift for my birthday and I consumed it in a matter of hours. A queer poet, Mateer brings her own personal experience, emotions, and art into this powerful journey of self-love and strength of being.
7. "Women who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D
I really can not explain the sheer beauty and power this book brings to you once you consume it, though it is a heavy read. Here are the reasons why you should read this book immediately.
This is a book I wish I read when I was fifteen to tell myself that hey, you have the power to change the world for the better because you have the power to be authentically you.
There's nothing as empowering as reading about how someone you admire pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and defied all odds. It starts to make you think you can, too.
