I loved Sunny's body positivity and her self-made-woman status. shake off the fact that nothing in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit section comes even close to fitting a woman Handles It and makes her dreams come true--thereby also taking care of fashion-conscious plus-sized women I loved Sunny's independence, savvy abilities, strong will, and, of course, her fashion sense.

Kate is a tough young woman posing as a male cowboy. Turner's story is inspired by her family's memoirs, and her Sarah Prine is a strong woman living on the Walk on Earth a Stranger tells the story of Lee, a young woman with a powerful secret: an ability to Yet I'm also fascinated by the optimistic explorer spirit--and I do love reading about strong female characters in a time when the world around them didn't always support women's strength and determination

woman helping to feed a village by manning fishing boats when the men are all lost—is enough to lead connected through the ages by power and by society's historical suspicion of strong women. a reason to kill you; witch might be someone to heal you; witch can be the Devil, or witch can be a woman In Hester: A Novel, Laurie Lico Albanese imagines the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's Hester needlework and the colors she sees in the world are captivatingly described, and the tenuous situation for a woman

Yet Kingsolver keeps Demon's voice strong even as he falters and as everything he has counted on seems It ticked many of my boxes: a woman in a conventionally male role, richly wrought characters, and a vivid I love a World War II story about strong women making a difference, but I admit that I was curious about here . 06 Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead Shipstead has created two independent, defiant, appealingly strong young women split by time.

I loved each time period and the evolution of each strong female character. Schwab's lesbian vampire tale spans centuries, beginning in 1532 Santo Domingo de la Calzada as a young woman I loved that the women of each time insist upon creating situations in which they have autonomy and agency Within the female-focused vampirism of the story, women demand even more from their lives, refusing to be limited by other women, by expectations, or by fear.

“To be thought of as the perfect woman for a man isn’t a compliment to a woman, it’s more about how a And then Sherlock Holmes had turned out to be a woman with loose morals and no remorse. didn't involve a male proxy by which Charlotte explored avenues of discovery--this was a small all-woman cast of strong, defiant, clever women assessing and intuiting their way to the truth. Two more madeleines and she felt like a new woman.

Vera and Edith are such a complementary partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong young women. World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman The world is unraveling on the cusp of World War II, and three strong We've got the strong, gruff Hanni with a heart of gold; young Ettie, who is idealistic, tough as nails What are some of your favorite books about brave women during World War II?

book, please see The River. 03 Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera Although the three interconnected women during the first chapter that Gertrude was going to feel like a caricature of a backwoods Southern woman The world is unraveling on the cusp of World War II, and three strong women will be tested beyond anything The strong, gruff Hanni has a heart of gold; young Ettie is idealistic and grows to be tough as nails other ethereal elements could have been distracting or take the book in a direction that made for a strange

figure whose existence the Catholic church has officially denied for a thousand years: Joan, a young woman I'm fascinated by stories in which a woman poses as a man in order to achieve freedoms otherwise not offers fascinating, grim, brutal details of life in the Dark Ages to bring the story of the brilliant, strong-willed In the seven years since, Belle's mother has reinvented herself as a society woman and has remarried, gritty underbelly of post-World War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman

The Isle in the Silver Sea ; I'm reading Thrity Umrigar's recently published mystery about a missing woman Simran is a strong female knight sworn to the queen, and Vina is a witch of the woods. As Sam's disappearance stretches on, Ali, as a gay culturally Muslim woman, is excoriated in the press daughter Ash thinks Nick might be too smooth, and the timing of his entrance into their lives seems strange

God of Small Things recounts her path from life with her volatile, emotionally and verbally abusive, strong Roy was shaped by the woman she calls "my shelter and my storm," and she tracks back to her childhood This activism somewhat mirrors her mother's years-long, public fight for women's rights in India against

realizes that his mother is not dying, only experiencing the natural process of menstruation; a young woman Strong local figures, primarily women, drive the forces of good and the uncovering of truth. Kirsten Miller is also the author of The Change , a novel that I said " explores the power of menopausal women

The first in the author's young adult steampunk Finishing School series offers wonderful, typically strong Carriger women with unique talents, clever minds, a nose for mystery, and next-level bantering capabilities items as weapons, use their feminine wiles to distract, and use diminishing assumptions about young women teachers and quirky school leadership, the persistent young people's shifting knowledge base, and the strange

Inland by Téa Obreht Much of Téa Obreht's Inland is centered around Nora, an impulsive, hot-tempered, strong woman fighting for a hardscrabble life for her family in a remote town during a devastating drought.

includes nods to Outlander and The Last of the Mohicans, considers the trials and adventures of a feminist woman But she's determined to follow her own path--and her strong-willed decisions fly in the face of rigid society's expectations concerning women, slavery, and appropriate marriage prospects. Elizabeth is a feminist in a time in which independence and freedom are not encouraged in a woman. She finds clever ways to assert her strong will by working within and around the confines of the law

, whip-smart young Indigenous woman in a steampunk 1800s Nordic setting, with plenty of dragons, dragon But everyone's about to find out how disruptive a whip-smart, open-minded, and strong-willed young woman single-mindedly set out to learn enough complex, intuitive, precise, powerful magic to become the first woman Jensen The first in Jensen's fantasy series ticked many of my boxes--strong female main character, a This is my kind of "romantasy": adventure, fate, a strong main female character, a Chosen One setup--

Reading Now I'm reading a historical fiction story set just before the Civil War, about a young enslaved woman Riddle ; and I'm reading feminist activist Mona Eltahawy's nonfiction work The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls , which encourages women to be loud, strong, and free of shame and self-doubt in order to and Girls by Mona Eltahawy Feminist activist Mona Eltahawy encourages women and girls to practice an within--stories many women will easily relate to--and also includes inspiring stories from women of

retelling of the Cinderella story from the perspective of the "evil" stepmother, who is actually a strong , determined woman set on protecting her daughters and securing futures for them in a world where the safety and security of unmarried women is far from assured.

mixes a Western setting with strong feminist messages, magical realism, haunting elements, and the terrifying Victor LaValle's Lone Women begins in 1915 with a determined young woman, Adelaide Henry, covering her (Nampeshiweisit #1) by Moniquill Blackgoose Blackgoose offers a fascinating, layered story about a strong-willed , whip-smart young Indigenous woman in a steampunk 1800s Nordic setting, with plenty of dragons, dragon But everyone's about to find out how disruptive a whip-smart, open-minded, and strong-willed young woman

I loved the 1700s wintry Maine setting and the convictions of the historical fiction novel's strong midwife I loved the details of life in the time period, as well as the unassuming women who show their true strength I love a story about a woman in the medical profession during an era when this was not the norm, and In Lawhon's story, Martha is also a strong-willed feminist who is set on fighting for the rights of the largely powerless women in her orbit.

famed, sought-after "boy player" in Shakespeare's company, and his roles skillfully playing lovely women to Bacon's pursuits, and in boy's dress she has freedoms she never could during the era as a young woman

ICYMI: My favorite Kate Quinn books center around strong young women proving their mettle during wartime crises, and The Alice Network offers the tales of two women whose stories span decades and who become In this historical fiction novel by Kate Quinn, the stories of two women—an imagined World War I spy I loved the strong female protagonists and seeing their fire and grit and growth. ’d known the information from the author’s note as I read because of how much of the stories of the women

ICYMI: I loved being along for the ride with Moyes's five strong women characters as they traveled through Wright traveled from England in hopes of adventure in her new married life; Margery is independent and strong-willed ; and together with three other women, they make up the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. Plunging into the unforgiving, beautiful, wild land, the women face dangers and surprises in order to Another book I loved about traveling librarians was The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

into fiction with a story about a taboo relationship that serves as a catalyst for an increasingly strong McCurdy plunges the reader into a fascinating, deeply uncomfortable scenario in which Waldo, a young woman Waldo is eager for affection but in many ways is not a desperate young woman, nor is she gleefully testing book somehow separately and compartmentalized from the story, it's clear that Half His Age features a strong watch Waldo (within a consensual but morally horrifying relationship) grow into herself as a young woman

The deep bond that builds between an injured Union soldier and the Virginia woman who secretly takes fighting for the Confederacy since soon after they were married, and Libby is warden to her orphaned, strong-willed Because she hopes that a Union woman would take pity on her husband in the same situation, she secretly The story is based upon a real account of a Southern woman who helped a Union soldier during the Civil

Gwendoline has strong opinions and is feeling constricted in her prescribed royal role even without the , whip-smart young Indigenous woman in a steampunk 1800s Nordic setting, with plenty of dragons, dragon But everyone's about to find out how disruptive a whip-smart, open-minded, and strong-willed young woman a Western setting with strong feminist messages, magical realism, haunting elements, and the terrifying Victor LaValle's Lone Women begins in 1915 with a determined young woman, Adelaide Henry, covering her

The first in the author's young adult steampunk Finishing School series offers wonderful, typically strong items as weapons, use their feminine wiles to distract, and use diminishing assumptions about young women I loved each time period and the evolution of each strong female character . Schwab's lesbian vampire tale spans centuries, beginning in 1532 Santo Domingo de la Calzada as a young woman Collum is an instinctually gifted, strong knight who has literally fought for sword training as a lowly

a fictional 1960s sitcom is layered with the complex issues of the changing world at that time for women Now it's 1964, and times are changing for women, people of color, gay people, and society in general. The women make a rocky start but forge an unlikely, formative friendship with each other. I loved Niven's exploration of feminism and strong women, characters' rethinking of the dynamics of some

Mistress by Chris Bohjalian The deep bond that builds between an injured Union soldier and the Virginia woman fighting for the Confederacy since soon after they were married, and Libby is warden to her orphaned, strong-willed Because she hopes that a Union woman would take pity on her husband in the same situation, she secretly The story is based upon a real account of a Southern woman who helped a Union soldier during the Civil Kevin Wilson's latest gem, his quirky characters are irresistible and his heartwarming story is messy, strange

Joe's neighbor Lila is a tough young woman who's endured hardship and is slow to trust. and Joe's budding love coming from a mile off (his early, eager interest in her came off as a little strong The pacing of this one felt strange to me.

I love historical fiction about female physicians before this was common; Nora is a willful, clever woman fighting against prejudice in 1849 London and aiming for better healthcare for women--until cases of Gibson is a female surgeon (the only female surgeon in the city) in a time when it was a battle for a woman Nora is battling prejudice against women in the medical field while also trying to do something revolutionary weaves in issues around body autonomy, pregnancy challenges, and societal and professional issues for women

Tough women, secrets and smarts, and sneaky spying! Reading List Six Great Stories about Brave Women During World War II . , political machinations, and significant and rankling discrimination against her because she was a woman Yael, a tough young woman who escaped from a concentration camp, has been training as a spy for years I loved the strong female protagonists and seeing their fire and grit and growth.

listening to Sherry Thomas's Victorian mystery (the first in a hefty series) starring an independent young woman , which presents Charlotte Holmes, a clever, forward-thinking, independent woman trapped in a Victorian ability to play parts and facilitate meetings and encounters, Charlotte reimagines what a Victorian woman Charlotte is strong-willed and an irresistible character so far. help those in need there--including giving away her own papers and ration cards to a hungry Jewish woman

Xishi is a beautiful young woman who makes her village in the region of Yue proud, for she will almost This story ticked so many of my boxes--a strong, young, underestimated female; an important quest; forbidden The ending is fanciful and strange; the tone of the book doesn't seem to be leading to a too-convenient

, The Fragile Threads of Power; and I'm listening to Lone Women, Victor LaValle's Western, which so far features strong female characters and a gothic undercurrent. Victor LaValle's Lone Women begins in 1915 with a determined young woman, Adelaide Henry, covering her She's set on becoming a homesteader in Montana, one of the "lone women" taking the government up on its I'm listening to Lone Women as an audiobook.

Marjan Kamali's The Lion Women of Tehran is historical fiction that begins in 1950s Tehran, where young For my full review, please check out The Lion Women of Tehran. 04 Be Inspired by a Female Doctor in a Nora Gibson is a willful, clever woman fighting against prejudice in 1849 London and aiming for better healthcare for women--until cases of cholera emerge and all rules must be reimagined. I loved Niven's exploration of feminism and strong women, characters' rethinking of the dynamics of some

Blackgoose offers a fascinating, layered story about a strong-willed, whip-smart young Indigenous woman And everyone's about to find out how disruptive a whip-smart, open-minded, and strong-willed young woman

story of sisters trying to find their way back to their childhood closeness in the midst of a local woman's Marjan Kamali's story of class, politics, and enduring friendship in Tehran and New York, The Lion Women Then a woman in Frankie's social circle goes missing, and the disappearance serves as a catalyst for I'm listening to an audiobook version of this title courtesy of Libro.fm and Harper Muse. 03 The Lion Women But after her father's untimely death, daughter and mother quickly face the hard reality of women's inability

Anatomy of an Alibi pits privileged greed against savvy morally gray characters, and the women caught Aubrey Price, a local bartender, was orphaned as a young woman when her parents were killed in a hit-and-run The two women become unlikely partners in sniffing out the truth about Camille's husband Ben's secrets Only one of the women has an alibi, and the security of both of their precarious lives is on the line I was obsessed with the premise of Elston's First Lie Wins (con woman possibly being double-crossed)

Sybil is a strong-willed widow who, after refusing a powerful suitor, is accused of witchcraft and cruelly Since Lilith's mother's death, she has developed strange powers and visions, and when her future is foretold real-life witch hunts, featuring men's past, horrific abuses of control in order to silence powerful women

For my full review, check out Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook . 02 Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams For my full review of this book, please see Our Woman in Moscow . 03 A Murder by Any Name by Suzanne The Invisible Woman is historical fiction about the real-life World War II-era spy Virginia Hall. For my full review of this book, check out The Invisible Woman . 05 The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Kate The book explores clashes of ideology; the challenges of a woman pursuing spy work; and general, often

figure whose existence the Catholic church has officially denied for a thousand years: Joan, a young woman I'm fascinated by stories in which a woman poses as a man in order to achieve freedoms otherwise not offers fascinating, grim, brutal details of life in the Dark Ages to bring the story of the brilliant, strong-willed

Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powers Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna A Really Strange music and the ways women make music. How Women Made Music draws also on fifty years of NPR coverage of women in music, as well as newly commissioned traveling musician father; of Van Halen band politics and complicated dynamics; and of the brothers' strong background soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement. 04 Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher The only woman

Abriel Vera and Edith are such a complementary WWII partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong , great adventure, strong female loyalty and friendship, love, and lots of fantastic details of life He primarily serves as a character who cares for, understands, and supports the woman he loves. during the first chapter that Gertrude was going to feel like a caricature of a backwoods Southern woman But the details of cooking, strong women's determination to survive, race relations, and life in 1924

Aubrey Price, a local bartender, was orphaned as a young woman when her parents were killed in a hit-and-run When the two women become unlikely partners in sniffing out the truth about Camille's husband Ben's secrets and loss of beloved friends and family members, all women. Givhan explores Latina culture, Indigenous issues, folklore, instinct, tough women, magical realism, Jennifer Givhan is also the author of River Woman, River Demon; Trinity Sight; Jubilee ; and other novels

story rather than showing it, which kept me somewhat removed from its immediacy and from feeling a strong (One minor example: When Gette is a grown woman, she conveniently recalls a moment when she was a very

Mistress by Chris Bohjalian The deep bond that builds between an injured Union soldier and the Virginia woman fighting for the Confederacy since soon after they were married, and Libby is warden to her orphaned, strong-willed Because she hopes that a Union woman would take pity on her husband in the same situation, she secretly The story is based upon a real account of a Southern woman who helped a Union soldier during the Civil Crosby Eckstine's richly detailed historical fiction explores the life of Junie, an enslaved young woman

ends, ultimately shattered those primal beliefs, empowering humankind with the knowledge to unveil strange responsibility to each other and to our earth while highlighting the pivotal contributions to science by woman Strong-willed, educated, independent, with wild streaks, the women set out to run the rough, boulder-strewn I love a story about strong women in the past braving the wild. characteristics, including the mother octopus, who goes without food while keeping her eggs safe; the strange

a character-driven story of the shocking, widespread, deadly West Virginia Mine Wars and thousands-strong What brings the book to life are versions of the real-life figures of Mother Jones (the elderly woman once called The Most Dangerous Woman in America) and the sharpshooter Sid Hatfield; and characters like

not only helps rebuild communities destroyed by war, but along with her ambitious, inspired team of women artists, women of color, and women of various social classes--as well as their determination to find Yet I loved the rich early-1900s San Francisco setting, the focus on the arts, the strong women characters In Michelle Moran's novel Maria , she uses two timelines to shape the story of the real woman behind later timeline takes place in the time of World War II as Daphne, an intelligent and educated young woman