I have grown up reading Jane Eyre, Virginia Woolf and Louisa M. Alcott and these books have made me the writer AND the reader I am today. I really feel every young woman should read books by women, books by women, they make a huge part of your personality. Here are some of my favourite women centic books-
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
This list is incomplete without Jane Eyre and I feel this is a must read, the way the story unfolds, the coming of age trope. This is a masterpiece.
Little Women based Alcott’s early life, follows the story four sisters, Meg, Amy, Jo and Beth. It’s easy to read, grasps reader’s attention and the characters are so carefully built!
If I had to describe this book, it would be powerful. It’s an extended essay on the speech she gave on “Women and Fiction”. It majorly focuses on two points: i) women must have a fixed income and ii) a room of her own.
Every woman should read this at least once. It may not be easy to grasp for a beginner, so, I would recommend you to start with the easy to read classics mentioned above and then move onto this one!
”Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Without that power probably the earth would be unknown”
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
I read Anne of Green Gables as a child and it still is one of my favourite books, it’s the perfect book if you are a beginner to reading!
I still haven’t the series adaption, Anne With An E, but let me know if you have watched it and your views about it!
The Bell Jar follows the story of Esther Greenwood’s journey of mental illness and her recovery. This book is dark, depressing but hauntingly beautiful.
Wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
I have loved Sylvia Plath’s poetry since forever and the poet in her is seen so gracefully in this book, the metaphors, poetic sentences and even the symbolism of “Bell Jar” are so carefully built.
They are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo. And anyway, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife.
Evelyn Hugo, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The protagonist, Evelyn Hugo, is one of the greatest characters written in all time. The book follows the story of Evelyn, a bisexual woman of color’s, life of glamour, success, relationships and discovering herself.
“I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.”
Evelyn Hugo, The Seven Husbands
Also, this book smashes patriarchy SO WELL.
The Palace of Illusions shares the re-imagining of Mahabharat from Draupati’s perspective and this is a MUST READ! Retelling a folklore with a completely new perspective in around 300 pages, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni did it so well.
“The power of a man is like a bull’s charge, while the power of a woman moves aslant, like a serpent seeking its prey. Know the particular properties of your power. Unless you use it correctly, it won’t get you what you want.” His words perplexed me. Wasn’t power singular and simple? In the world that I knew, men just happened to have more of it. (I hoped to change this.)”
A beautiful tale following three generations of women from India to California to Texas. I feel like this book isn’t talked about enough, it’s so beautiful with the indian culture, delicacies and the strong women characters.
My mother clutches at the collar of my shirt. I rub her back and feel her tears on my neck. It’s been decades since our bodies have been this close. It’s an odd sensation, like a torn ligament knitting itself back, lumpy and imperfect, usable as long as we know not to push it too hard.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
An essay to understand what feminism actually is and why we need it. Chimanda Ngozi Adichie makes some very effective points in the book!
We must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists
Revolving around the aftermath of the protagonist being raped, The Rape Trial shows us the story of the victim and the harsh realities.
“Rape isn’t just that one time of sexual violence; women have to live with it long after it’s done. Once you’re dead, it’s over. Murder, at least in my opinion, is not the best, not the most accurate response to rape.”
Bidisha Ghosal, The Rape Trial
BONUS BOOKS!
1. Endurer: A Rape Story by Kapil Raj
2. Becoming by Michelle Obama
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
AVNI JAIN 