A cross-cut

Women, Writing, Lives

Books about women's experience, ambition, interior life and the arguments made about them — fiction, memoir, research and reporting, drawn from every shelf in the library.

55 books

Storytelling & narrative

The Bell Jar by Sylvia PlathThe Bell JarSylvia PlathThe Bell JarSylvia Plath1963·3 min read

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale HurstonTheir Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale HurstonTheir Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale Hurston1937·3 min read

The Color Purple by Alice WalkerThe Color PurpleAlice WalkerThe Color PurpleAlice Walker1982·3 min read

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieHalf of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi AdichieHalf of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi Adichie2006·3 min read

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieAmericanahChimamanda Ngozi AdichieAmericanahChimamanda Ngozi Adichie2013·3 min read

Circe by Madeline MillerCirceMadeline MillerCirceMadeline Miller2018·3 min read

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniA Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled HosseiniA Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled Hosseini2007·3 min read

Pachinko by Min Jin LeePachinkoMin Jin LeePachinkoMin Jin Lee2017·3 min read

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka MurataConvenience Store WomanSayaka MurataConvenience Store WomanSayaka Murata2016·3 min read

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia WoolfMrs DallowayVirginia WoolfMrs DallowayVirginia Woolf1925·3 min read

The God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyThe God of Small ThingsArundhati RoyThe God of Small ThingsArundhati Roy1997·3 min read

My Brilliant Friend by Elena FerranteMy Brilliant FriendElena FerranteMy Brilliant FriendElena Ferrante2011·3 min read

The Vegetarian by Han KangThe VegetarianHan KangThe VegetarianHan Kang2007·3 min read

Lives

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya AngelouI Know Why the Caged Bird SingsMaya AngelouI Know Why the Caged Bird SingsMaya Angelou1969·3 min read

Know My Name by Chanel MillerKnow My NameChanel MillerKnow My NameChanel Miller2019·3 min read

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan DidionThe Year of Magical ThinkingJoan DidionThe Year of Magical ThinkingJoan Didion2005·3 min read

Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiPersepolisMarjane SatrapiPersepolisMarjane Satrapi2000·3 min read

Wild by Cheryl StrayedWildCheryl StrayedWildCheryl Strayed2012·3 min read

Untamed by Glennon DoyleUntamedGlennon DoyleUntamedGlennon Doyle2020·3 min read

H Is for Hawk by Helen MacdonaldH Is for HawkHelen MacdonaldH Is for HawkHelen Macdonald2014·3 min read

Just Kids by Patti SmithJust KidsPatti SmithJust KidsPatti Smith2010·3 min read

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn WardMen We ReapedJesmyn WardMen We ReapedJesmyn Ward2013·3 min read

Lab Girl by Hope JahrenLab GirlHope JahrenLab GirlHope Jahren2016·3 min read

Wild Swans by Jung ChangWild SwansJung ChangWild SwansJung Chang1991·3 min read

Wintering by Katherine MayWinteringKatherine MayWinteringKatherine May2020·3 min read

Suspense & unease

Jane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëJane EyreCharlotte BrontëJane EyreCharlotte Brontë1847·3 min read

Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierRebeccaDaphne du MaurierRebeccaDaphne du Maurier1938·4 min read

Big Little Lies by Liane MoriartyBig Little LiesLiane MoriartyBig Little LiesLiane Moriarty2014·3 min read

Frankenstein by Mary ShelleyFrankensteinMary ShelleyFrankensteinMary Shelley1818·3 min read

The Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsThe Woman in WhiteWilkie CollinsThe Woman in WhiteWilkie Collins1859·3 min read

Out by Natsuo KirinoOutNatsuo KirinoOutNatsuo Kirino1997·3 min read

The Hacienda by Isabel CañasThe HaciendaIsabel CañasThe HaciendaIsabel Cañas2022·3 min read

The Silent Companions by Laura PurcellThe Silent CompanionsLaura PurcellThe Silent CompanionsLaura Purcell2017·3 min read

Psychology

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori GottliebMaybe You Should Talk to SomeoneLori GottliebMaybe You Should Talk to SomeoneLori Gottlieb2019·3 min read

Burnout by Emily NagoskiBurnoutEmily NagoskiBurnoutEmily Nagoski2019·3 min read

Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover TawwabSet Boundaries, Find PeaceNedra Glover TawwabSet Boundaries, Find PeaceNedra Glover Tawwab2021·3 min read

Quiet Power by Susan CainQuiet PowerSusan CainQuiet PowerSusan Cain2016·3 min read

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené BrownThe Gifts of ImperfectionBrené BrownThe Gifts of ImperfectionBrené Brown2010·3 min read

Come as You Are by Emily NagoskiCome as You AreEmily NagoskiCome as You AreEmily Nagoski2015·3 min read

Love & attachment

It Ends with Us by Colleen HooverIt Ends with UsColleen HooverIt Ends with UsColleen Hoover2016·3 min read

Persuasion by Jane AustenPersuasionJane AustenPersuasionJane Austen1817·3 min read

Once Upon a Curfew by Srishti ChaudharyOnce Upon a CurfewSrishti ChaudharyOnce Upon a CurfewSrishti Chaudhary2019·3 min read

The Idea of You by Robinne LeeThe Idea of YouRobinne LeeThe Idea of YouRobinne Lee2017·3 min read

Everything else

A Room of One's Own by Virginia WoolfA Room of One's OwnVirginia WoolfA Room of One's OwnVirginia Woolf1929·3 min read

Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja NobleAlgorithms of OppressionSafiya Umoja NobleAlgorithms of OppressionSafiya Umoja Noble2018·3 min read

All About Love by bell hooksAll About Lovebell hooksAll About Lovebell hooks1999·3 min read

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee ShetterlyHidden FiguresMargot Lee ShetterlyHidden FiguresMargot Lee Shetterly2016·3 min read

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado PerezInvisible WomenCaroline Criado PerezInvisible WomenCaroline Criado Perez2019·3 min read

Lean In by Sheryl SandbergLean InSheryl SandbergLean InSheryl Sandberg2013·3 min read

The Creative Habit by Twyla TharpThe Creative HabitTwyla TharpThe Creative HabitTwyla Tharp2003·3 min read

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Handmaid's TaleMargaret AtwoodThe Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood1985·3 min read

The Radium Girls by Kate MooreThe Radium GirlsKate MooreThe Radium GirlsKate Moore2016·3 min read

The Second Sex by Simone de BeauvoirThe Second SexSimone de BeauvoirThe Second SexSimone de Beauvoir1949·3 min read

Wordslut by Amanda MontellWordslutAmanda MontellWordslutAmanda Montell2019·3 min read

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie GoldbergWriting Down the BonesNatalie GoldbergWriting Down the BonesNatalie Goldberg1986·3 min read