Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Sluts and Shrews That Shaped America
Therese Oneill

This is for you if you like your feminist history with a heathy dose of snark. All of Oneill’s books are hilarious. I also recommend Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners, her first (and probably my favorite) book. They’re quick reads with lots of pictures, and you will LOL.

Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology
Jess Zimmerman

“A fresh cultural analysis of female monsters from Greek mythology, and an invitation for all women to reclaim these stories as inspiration for a more wild, more ‘monstrous’ version of feminism.” It’s got a bit of a memoir vibe too as it includes a bit of the author’s personal experience.

Call Us What We Carry
Amanda Gorman

Remember the poet in the gorgeous yellow coat who read at Biden’s 2021 inaugurations? This is her first collection of poems, and it is magnificent. Audiobook recommended as it’s read by the author, and there’s really no comparison to reading a poem with your eyes and hearing it read aloud by it’s author with all the feeling and inflection as it’s meant to be heard.

This quote from the blurb sums it up nicely:

“Bursting with musical language and exploring themes of identity, grief, and memory, this lyric of hope and healing captures an important moment in our country’s consciousness while being utterly timeless.”

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Amelia Nagoski, Emily Nagoski

Go grab a box of kleenex, cause this book is going to make your face leak, when you realize that your physical and emotional exhaustion is not actually your fault, and that there’s a way to fight back against the societal pressures that force you into giving so much of yourself away. (Hint: screaming into a pillow can do it.)

I met these authors at a workshop in 2019 just before the book came out, and they are delightful and the science here is fascinating. Snag the audiobook if you can, as it’s read by the authors!

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
Erica Armstrong Dunbar

American public school education tends to reduce this kickass feminist hero down to a conductor on the Underground Railroad, leaving her a flat and one-dimensional caricature of herself. But she was so so much more than that. This modern exploration of her life reveals what gets glossed over in history class: Harriet Tubman was not merely an abolitionist; she was a leader, spy, suffragist, social activist, advocate, and like, you know, a fully fleshed out human woman person.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
Hallie Rubenhold

The killer is glorified, the victims are dismissed as society’s trash. This book sets the record straight and breathes life back into the five women whose lives were cut short over 130 years ago.

From the blurb: “It delves into the Victorian experience of poverty, homelessness, and alcoholism, but also motherhood, childbirth, sexuality, child-rearing, work, and marriage, all against the fascinating, dark, and quickly changing backdrop of nineteenth-century London.”

Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained
Maya Rodale

This should be required reading for any romance reader.

You know the world loves to hate on the romance genre—and bodice rippers and fairy smut—but do you know why?

I’ll give you a clue: it has to do with our patriarchal society getting butthurt about anything that women create, especially if it is intended for the consumption of other women.

If you’ve ever felt hidden your book cover or lied about what you’re reading, this book will help you replace your shame with pride (and rage).

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Alison Bechdel

A graphic memoir, feminist history, and queer coming-of-age story set in a funeral home (yes) that deals with issues of mental health and familial relationships. It’s hilarious and moving, and a quick read.

(You’ve heard of the Bechdel test? This is that Bechdel.)

Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs
Jamie Loftus

BONUS: This one doesn’t have anything to do with Women’s History exactly, but it DOES have something to do with the history of hotdogs, and if a woman on a journey of self discovery (and meat) with an incredibly vulgar title isn’t the height of feminism, I don’t know what is. It just has a hilarious title and is a delightful read, especially the audiobook as it’s read by the author. You will snort-laugh.

A Black Women’s History of the United States
(ReVisioning American History #5)
Daina Ramey Berry, Kali Nicole Gross

I love American history (especially Civil War era history), and I try to read diversely on the topic since it’s so dangerously whitewashed, and this book, written by two historians and professors, has been on my list for a while.

From the blurb: “A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are–and have always been–instrumental in shaping our country.”

Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson
Tourmaline

I know almost nothing about the 1969 Stonewall Uprising (the precursor to Pride month) and even less about the legendary woman who threw the first brick (and then, legend has it, checked her lipstick in a broken piece of mirror), and I am so excited to read this book and remedy my ignorance.

The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Timeless Story of an Outspoken Woman and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
Kate Moore

This one is about a perfectly sane and rational woman named Elizabeth Packard who was wrongfully committed to an insane asylum—by her own husband, for questioning his beliefs and disagreeing with his opinions—and the horrific conditions and abuse she suffered there.

She fought back, took her husband to court, won, and and spent the rest of her life advocating for married women’s rights and mental health reform.

If you read The Radium Girls, you may also enjoy this one as it’s by the same author.