Whether for education or inspiration, feminist books that celebrate women's rights deserve a spot on your must-read list
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28 Feminist Books Every Woman (and Man) Should Read
Updated on Nov. 11, 2024
Your guide to feminist literature
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men,” said Gloria Steinem, an activist, the co-founder of Ms. magazine and the author of one of the must-read feminist books below. The best books in this genre are not only about “feminists” but also about how women live and experience the world. They are books that dream about what life could be like with gender equality—and a world in which men are not encumbered by toxic masculinity either.
To help celebrate and understand feminine power, we rounded up a diverse group of feminist books by some of the most influential writers, researchers, philosophers and poets. When compiling this list, we pulled out our favorite reads, revisited classics and selected modern faves. We also asked four experts (people in the book world who read a lot) to recommend their top picks, so you’re getting a personalized selection.
Read on for the best books for women—and men!—that celebrate feminism in all its many forms.
Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.
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Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
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Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser
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Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
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The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
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We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
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Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
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The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
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Down Girl by Kate Manne
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How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
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Whipping Girl by Julia Serano
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I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
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The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
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The Color Purple by Alice Walker
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The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
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We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
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Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
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Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
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Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
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Don’t Call Me Inspirational by Harilyn Rousso
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The Will to Change by bell hooks
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A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
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What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
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It’s Not About the Burqa edited by Mariam Khan
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This Bridge Called My Back edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
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Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Genre: Nonfiction essays
“I openly embrace the label of ‘Bad Feminist’ … because I am flawed and human.” So begins the hilarious and spot-on 2014 collection of essays by New York Times columnist Roxane Gay. She goes on to admit that she is an imperfect feminist who loves pink, dating competition shows and popular songs with questionable lyrics. Her honesty and willingness to look at and examine herself—and our culture as a whole—is a refreshing and inviting take on feminism that many women will understand. If you enjoy Bad Feminist, you’ll definitely want to check out her memoir, Hunger.
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Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser
Genre: Nonfiction essays
Titled after Cassandra of Greek mythology, who was cursed to tell the future and have no one believe her, this 2020 collection of essays from the founder of the Omega Institute, a center for holistic studies in Rhinebeck, New York, asks the question, “What would happen if history became herstory?” Examining and picking apart the male-focused stories that have defined our culture from mythology to the Bible, Cassandra Speaks offers tools and language to help women write their own versions. It’s one of the best feminist books to add to your library.
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Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
Genre: Gender studies
Contemporary writer Caroline Criado Perez may shake you to your very core with this explosive 2019 data-driven book that explores research bias and its subsequent gender inequalities. “In Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez explores how the world is built mostly for men, while women are often left out of the picture,” says Stephy George, founder of the Creative Muggle book blog. “She shows how everyday things like medicine, public spaces and even car crash tests are based on data from men, meaning women face extra risks, higher costs and more challenges. Perez uses research from all over the world to show how this ‘gender data gap’ affects women’s health, safety and daily lives in ways most people don’t realize.”
But, George adds, this book isn’t just filled with surprising facts—it’s also written in a way that keeps you engaged. “What makes Invisible Women one of the best feminist books is that it reveals hidden problems in a world we assume to be fair,” she says. “Perez’s research helps us see the bigger picture of why equality isn’t just about treating everyone the same but making sure systems work for both men and women.”
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The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
Genre: Nonfiction play
Long before #MeToo, there was The Vagina Monologues. The groundbreaking play, written and conceived by Eve Ensler (who now goes by “V”), was revolutionary when it premiered in 1996 and still wows today. The episodic play covers sexual consent, body image, sex work, genital mutilation, menstruation and other topics that revolve around the vagina.
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We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Nonfiction essays
In this short book published in 2015, Nigerian author and speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shares personal stories from her childhood and onward about the inequalities she faces in Nigeria and in the world. She’s funny and honest, so We Should All Be Feminists would be an ideal book to give to teens and men who are interested in understanding feminism and its intersection with racism.
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My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
Genre: Memoir
Early in this autobiographical book, the feminist trailblazer shares stories of her childhood, when her dad would pack the family in the car every fall for cross-country adventures and work opportunities. This inspired her love of travel and her career as a journalist. Steinem was in her 80s when she published My Life on the Road in 2015, and through the memoir, she covers such milestones as the campaign trails of Robert Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, her life-changing work in India and the founding Ms. magazine.
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Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Genre: Social justice
Growing up in Chicago in the 1980s, Mikki Kendall, now a successful Black author and cultural critic, saw the White faces of feminism and didn’t think it was for her. So when she wrote her manifesto, 2020’s Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, she focused on issues that White feminists weren’t typically talking about, such as gun violence, domestic abuse and food insecurity. This book is for women of color who want to see themselves reflected on the pages but also for White women who want (and need) to learn about these critical issues.
“If you want to take your feminism from allyship to accomplished level, read Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall,” says Carmen Alvarez, who reviews and recommends Latinx books on Instagram and TikTok. “Intersectional feminism is uncomfortable because we must confront our discomfort to enact lasting change. In every chapter, Kendall makes the case for solidarity in every subject from patriarchy to food deserts to reproductive justice. But her most impassioned plea is for action. Don’t miss this riveting work of feminist nonfiction.”
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The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
Genre: Poetry
After her self-published debut book of poetry, Milk and Honey, became a New York Times bestseller, the South Asian poet returned in 2017 with the Amazon bestseller The Sun and Her Flowers, a collection about love, breakups, migration, insecurity and more. This feminist book is told through the five stages of flowers: wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. Rupi Kaur—who was just 25 when her second collection was released—also illustrates and writes with a depth beyond her years. While this work is for all ages, Gen Z readers will especially appreciate the poetry book‘s honest yearning and strength.
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Down Girl by Kate Manne
Genre: Philosophy
Philosopher Kate Manne gives words and understanding to misogyny: what it is, how it works and why. In the 2017 book Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, which is well-researched and filled with case studies, Manne breaks down how women are made to stay in their lane and what they can do about it.
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How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Genre: Memoir/humor
If you enjoy a witty take on life or appreciate a humorous approach to women’s rights, then Caitlin Moran’s 2011 runaway bestseller may be just the funny book you’re looking for. It comes highly recommended by George of the Creative Muggle book blog. “How to Be a Woman is part memoir, part guide, in which Caitlin Moran talks about her own experiences growing up and becoming a woman. She shares amusing, raw and sometimes-awkward stories about her teen years, body image, relationships and life as an adult,” she says.
She’s most impressed with the way the memoir makes feminism easy to understand and relate to. “Moran’s writing is full of humor, making serious topics feel relatable and easier to talk about. She also breaks down what feminism means to her in a very down-to-earth way, showing that being a feminist doesn’t have to fit any one mold,” George says. “Moran’s easy-to-read style, mixed with personal stories, makes feminism feel approachable, especially for people who might feel overwhelmed by the topic. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh, think and feel more confident about what it means to be a woman today.”
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Whipping Girl by Julia Serano
Genre: Nonfiction essays
Written in 2007, the “transfeminist manifesto” Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by biologist and trans activist Julia Serano rails against the outdated frameworks for gender and identity, and makes the powerful case that transphobia is really sexism. Filled with personal stories and poignant insights, this LGBTQ+ book maintains that trans rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.
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I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Genre: Memoir
Malala’s story shocked and inspired the world. A young Pakistani girl was shot point-blank in the head—all because she wanted to get an education. Her beautiful 2013 memoir, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, tells of a girl’s bravery, a parent’s love and the place of feminism in the Muslim world.
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The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Genre: Memoir
Published in 1976 and named one of the top nonfiction books of the 1970s by Time magazine, the richly written The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts from a first-generation Chinese American writer weaves Chinese folktales into the storytelling of mother-daughter love and the indomitable spirit of immigrants—and women—everywhere. It’s also among other feminist authors’ favorite books: Gloria Steinem has called it one of her best-loved works.
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The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Genre: Historical fiction
Published in 1982, the now-classic novel The Color Purple follows a young girl separated from her beloved sister. She finds a group of sister-friends who help one another survive and grow in the early 20th-century segregated South. Despite their lack of choices and while facing widespread discrimination, this female circle defies prejudice and the toxic men around them, including abusive fathers and iron-fisted husbands, to find joy, livelihood and freedom all on their own. You’re no doubt familiar with Hollywood’s take on the classic, but as good as its two film adaptations are, the book is even more powerful.
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The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Genre: Feminist theory/philosophy
Published in 1949 by French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, the essential feminist text The Second Sex tackles the unequal treatment of women as the “other” throughout history. Hailed as revolutionary and rebellious, de Beauvoir’s book asserts that men center themselves in the universe as “subjects,” with women serving as the constant “objects.” She weaves her message of oppression through history, mythology, biology and more. Broken into two volumes, this tome has inspired legions of women, including Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique.
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We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Genre: Literary fiction
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry is a 2020 tale of a team of teenage girls who, in 1989, storm their way to a field hockey championship—and a bit of magic and enchantment might just be involved. This delightful book about witches comes highly recommended by book reviewer Elizabeth Held.
“Quan Barry’s We Ride Upon Sticks is witchy, weird and wonderful, celebrating the power of female friendship,” Held says. “It made me laugh out loud as a teenage field hockey team from Salem, Massachusetts, signs a deal with the devil to become state champions. The perfect read for spooky season.”
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Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Genre: Self-help
Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a cantadora—a keeper of the stories. And in the poetic, allegorical and unforgettable collection of tales that is Women Who Run with the Wolves, she urges women to find their way back to their Wild Women selves. Published in 1995 and lauded by Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and other notable writers, this is one of those timeless self-help books that women, especially those in midlife, will feel in their souls.
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Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
Genre: Nonfiction essays and speeches
“Women are powerful and dangerous,” wrote the queer Black force that was Audre Lorde. In her 1984 collection Sister Outsider, Lorde waxes poetic about sexism, racism, ageism, poverty, homophobia and other intersectional topics in 15 speeches and essays, including the phenomenal “Eye to Eye” and “The Uses of Anger.” It’s one book that belongs on every feminist’s bookshelf.
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Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
Genre: Poetry
Written by one of the most highly regarded contemporary Hispanic authors alive today, Loose Woman, published in 1994, is a poetry collection that has been called “erotic, lustful and foul-mouthed” by reviewers. Written in English and Spanish, the work awakens and inspires the untamed woman in all of us.
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Don’t Call Me Inspirational by Harilyn Rousso
Genre: Memoir
Psychotherapist and disability activist Harilyn Rousso intersects disability rights with feminism in 2013’s Don’t Call Me Inspirational: A Disabled Feminist Talks Back. The memoir focuses on her struggle—not, as one might guess, to overcome living with cerebral palsy but rather to deal with people’s prejudices surrounding the condition and those who have it. (And yes, that includes those who say her life and work are inspirational.) This painful, funny and searingly honest book is a wide-eyed look at a world we don’t always understand.
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The Will to Change by bell hooks
Genre: Gender studies
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love is a 2004 tour-de-force that explores how patriarchal norms actually damage men too. This must-read book for men explores toxic masculinity while also diving into ways that men can reclaim emotional vulnerability and healthier expressions of manhood, all with a strong emphasis on the healing powers of love. The author (who purposefully styled her name in all lowercase) is not afraid to look at fears of intimacy or the loss of a man’s patriarchal place in society.
Barbara Basbanes Richter, founder of DIYBook and In Ink Ghostwriting, strongly recommends this feminist book. “Feminism is important to the health of women and men, but for it to succeed as a social construct, feminism needs men to recognize and rebel against the ingrained power of patriarchy,” she says. “This unexpected volume by noted feminist icon bell hooks is an impassioned plea for men to realize how patriarchy harms men just as much as it harms women.”
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A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
Genre: Nonfiction essay
The profound assertion that a woman must have a room of her own (and some consistent income) in order to create rings as true today as it did when A Room of One’s Own was published in 1929. History has given Virginia Woolf mixed reviews for having first-world problems—wanting to write when so many women were struggling to survive—but the desire to create and the barriers to creation (family life, money, access and time) in this nonfiction book are still as relevant, and painful, to women today as they were nearly a century ago.
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What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
Genre: Health
“I did not come to body positivity for self-esteem. I came to it for social justice,” says author, podcaster and activist Aubrey Gordon. In the popular and heavily referenced What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, published in 2020, Gordon writes about anti-fat bias and the ways it permeates our lives, culture and medical system. This is an important book for teens, moms of girls and anyone who wants to challenge themselves and their views on body image.
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It’s Not About the Burqa edited by Mariam Khan
Genre: Nonfiction anthology
In the timely anthology It’s Not About the Burqa, 17 Muslim women share honestly about faith, wearing a hijab, sex, divorce, queer identity, family pressure and more. Released in 2021, it’s an enlightening and refreshing read from women who are standing up and driving their own narrative about being a Muslim—and a feminist.
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This Bridge Called My Back edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
Genre: Nonfiction anthology
Originally published in 1981, this radical collection of essays, poems and art by feminist women of color took on intersectionality even before it was a word. The editors of This Bridge Called My Back, Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, are queer Chicanx icons, and their examination of gender, race, class and sexuality is as relevant and potent today as it was then.
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Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Genre: Nonfiction essays
A bestselling book since its publication in 2015, Braiding Sweetgrass has a focus on nature, but it’s really a tale of women: the Skywoman who created the Earth; the Mother Earth, who we have to care for; and author Robin Wall Kimmerer herself, an Indigenous botanist, a mother of two girls and now a grandmother. Kimmerer asserts that the Indigenous ways of tending to the earth can be what saves it. Those ways include reciprocity, respect and connection—the very cornerstones of feminism.
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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Genre: Classic fiction
American writer Sylvia Plath published the iconic book The Bell Jar in 1963, chronicling the downward spiral of the young, beautiful and brilliant Esther Greenwood. The story not only presents a close-up look at someone in the throes of depression but also provides a strong critique of the expectations of women and the emotional and psychological toll of conforming to rigid gender norms.
Anyone who wants to read feminist literature should include this classic novel. It lays bare the suffocating impact of societal pressures on individual identity and serves as a compelling reminder that the fight for mental freedom and gender equality is universal and timeless.
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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
