The young women cope with their pain in divergent ways, and while I was interested in the story, I wanted autonomy; wealth and privilege; the paralysis of poverty; issues of race, civil rights, education, and women's El-Arifi Saara El-Arifi's Cleopatra offers a picture of a feminist, cutthroat, passionate, dedicated woman Like many of us who question historical accounts that feel whitewashed or wiped of women due to sexism into fiction with a story about a taboo relationship that serves as a catalyst for an increasingly strong

01 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Evaristo won the Booker Prize in 2019 for this novel, which Girl, Woman, Other is a set of twelve interconnected stories about Black British women and their friendships A woman he'd invited to their home. Vanessa. He lets slip that he affectionately calls her "V." There's a layer of magical realism that's interspersed but coming on strong at the end, which makes the She's an unassuming middle-aged woman and a recovering alcoholic who has a compulsion: to locate missing

Kingfisher writes my favorite kind of fantasy novel: a wonderfully oddball main protagonist, a strange Jen Hatmaker, who was married before she could legally have a drink and who built her identity as a woman Collum is an instinctually gifted, strong knight who has literally fought for sword training as a lowly The full roster of knights--and the women who hold important roles in the tale--are all misfits who don't

referenced in Dominic Smith's novel title is a rare landscape by a female Dutch painter--the first woman These richly built elements form a backdrop to two women's linked journeys, separated by 300 years. I was totally taken in by the winding paths of the women's expectations and limitations, and by their

The Golden Enclaves; and I'm listening to Weyward, Emilia Hart's debut novel, about witchcraft and strong women linked across three timelines. In Weyward, Emilia Hart's story of witchcraft and the natural world, she explores three timelines of women connected through the ages by power and by society's historical suspicion of strong women.

Stories. 02 The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei I loved the futuristic space-mission capabilities, smart and strong all-woman crew, the mystery and suspicion, and most of all the character-driven storyline in Kitasei's A Study in Scarlet Women is the first book in Sherry Thomas's gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes mystery Fizzy is a straight talker, a sex-positive woman, and a successful romance writer, but she's never been Veronica and Stoker; the allusions to each of their complicated pasts; their hilarious banter; and their strong-willed

Tough women, secrets and smarts, and sneaky spying! that I'm particularly excited about are: Liar Temptress Soldier Spy (civil war) by Karen Abbott, The Woman below), An Extraordinary Union, Black Roses, The Blue, Spy Princess, Celia Barth, and The Invisible 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.

But the male characters are largely disappointments to the women, who wish they had actually earned the confidence they often exude; wish they were reliable and emotionally strong; and wish the men allowed The women frequently see the clear way but are usually powerless to effect change, so the men's missteps

Marshall's debut historical fiction centers around women's searches for body autonomy in three timelines Looking for Jane is a story of women living in three timelines who are linked through decades by a mysterious letter--and by enormously important, recurring dilemmas for women through the ages: unexpected pregnancies , men's lack of equivalent responsibility for the activities of their sperm as compared to women and For more books I've Bossily reviewed featuring strong women, please click here.

Then Bridget falls for a fellow "sporting woman," and when the Buffalo Queen is threatened, she must Bridget is strong and no-nonsense yet also inexperienced and far from worldly.

overall favorites list for last year: The Last Bookshop in London, Wingwalkers, The Rose Code, and Our Woman or say in the year 1400, and the Church is particularly galled and upset by the audacity of such a woman Quinn The Diamond Eye is historical fiction about a real World War II figure, an unassuming Russian woman life and historical elements that add vivid layers to this story of Utah Territory, Mormonism, and strong women in the mid-nineteenth century.

Natalie Haynes's mythological retellings put women at the center of many scenes surrounding the Trojan I listened to Haynes read her highly entertaining woman-centric version of events surrounding the Trojan These are the women left behind--often women who may have been able to change the course of events if anyone had listened to them or they'd been given some semblance of power--women rolling their eyes at men's foolishness, and women terrified by their imminent sacrifice, slavery, rape, or death because

life and historical elements that add vivid layers to this story of Utah Territory, Mormonism, and strong women in the mid-nineteenth century. The Fire and the Ore by Olivia Hawker, the author tells a tale of the interconnected lives of three women Jane (the character is inspired by the author's own ancestor of the same name) is a tough young woman When the US Army invades Utah late in the book, the women must flee into the desert to survive.

04 Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty I loved this dive into the repercussions of a seemingly psychic woman's An elderly woman is causing a major disruption on an airline flight. novel was inspired by real events; Bright Young Women  traces a serial killer targeting young women But when the studious, responsible Pamela stays home from a party and investigates a strange noise in I read Bright Young Women  for my book club.

It's part historical fiction with wonderful World War II details and part sassy modern-day tale about women But as the first woman admitted into Harvard's library, the first female foreign news correspondent for editor Horace Greeley, and the center of an international scandal when she unapologetically takes a Roman

She begins to believe that the words and ways are whichever ones a woman has, and that a witch is merely a woman who needs more than she has. Each of the three main protagonists here is a young woman in the midst of her own high-stakes crisis, hate feels in her chest: the bitter, futile hatred of the weak for the powerful, the small for the strong I adored how Harrow intermingled the women's suffrage movement with the reemergence of witching and women's

banter, and their in-progress stories as well as a new antagonist and a new potential hero who are both strong , fascinating young women. Meanwhile, two young women, a new antagonist and a new potential hero, trickle into the story until their

Brodie's quiet little town, he's tediously searching for a stolen painting when he stumbles across a string something to hide, and he begins to look independently into the provenance of the painting he calls Woman as well as her fondness for old-fashioned mystery novels--begin to sound similar to that of a young woman

You by Steve Cavanagh In Steve Cavanagh's twisty mystery Kill for Me, Kill for You , two strangers, women Because the women aren't linked outside of an anonymous grief support group, and because their friendship Ruth, a young married woman living elsewhere in the city, is brutally attacked in her own home--and the

gritty underbelly of post-World War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman In post-World War I London, female lawlessness in the form of the Forty Elephants gang of women, an offshoot the Elephant and Castle men's gang, butts up against law enforcement, which only recently includes women When the two aspiring women's bids for victory clash, traditional female roles and power structures are

Then a woman in Frankie's social circle goes missing, and the disappearance serves as a catalyst for I didn't feel fully privy to the women's inner lives or their families' complicated dynamics; I felt

In Kristen Miller's novel The Change, set in Mattauk, Long Island, three women cope with various challenges The tone of The Change is largely campy, as middle-aged women heroines unite against the book's sometimes Good thing we’re extra strong. Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey This sci-fi thriller is about betrayal and revenge, but it's not the other-woman A woman he'd invited to their home. Vanessa.

famed, sought-after "boy player" in Shakespeare's company, and his roles skillfully playing lovely women Unexpected Peril . 03 I'll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom I'm a huge Amy Bloom fan, and I appreciated the strong When she emigrates to New York City, she is befriended by two strong young sisters, Anne and Alma, and When she sees an ad seeking for the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program, Joan becomes obsessed with being part of the 1980s training and with becoming one of the first women in space

invincible--who has dropped out of sight and settled down to raise her young daughter alongside her strong-willed Amina soon finds herself tangled in a dangerous ocean quest to rescue a young woman, while facing complicated

sometimes testy, often incisive, and at other times diminished--a product of the limitations of single women to advance her cause for two specific young children of color--a limited but effective measure for a woman Women pick up the pieces, creatively fashioning avenues in which they may achieve what they wish within

Click here for my full review of The Road to Tender Hearts . 03 This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion I laughed out loud repeatedly while I was reading this charming memoir by this strong, funny woman. Please click here for my full review of This American Woman . 04 Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy When a mysterious woman washes up half-dead on the remote island of Shearwater, home of the world's largest And what on earth is her purpose in stringing along Hayden and Alice for a month--if she even intends

Is this what a woman gives up? Clytemnestra's world is full of men who underestimate women, who threaten cruelty, and who are capable

spinster sister Hester sees how Cordelia shrinks away from her mother and the intense power that the evil woman Hester and her friends--with Cordelia's help--set out to fend off the woman's murderous intentions. This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Blaylock celebrates tough women, stand-up men, and never-ending hard work. The mountain justice that's carried out by the women was thrillingly shocking. Other books I've loved about traveling librarians include The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and The

But the situation isn't exactly what it seems, and when a woman comes to town using Evie's birth name I loved the key elements of this story: the capable con woman, the past coming back to haunt her, the The novel flits between the stories of three women from disparate backgrounds, drastically different The concept is mentioned in a conversation between a frightened young trans woman and a mentor of sorts ; later in the novel the young woman realizes that "woodworking" wasn't meant to be a handbook, but a

When she sees an ad seeking for the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program, Joan becomes obsessed with being part of the 1980s training and with becoming one of the first women in space Schwab's lesbian vampire tale spans centuries, beginning in 1532 Santo Domingo de la Calzada as a young woman

Jen Hatmaker, who was married before she could legally have a drink and who built her identity as a woman Having inspired women for years as a leader in authenticity and a proponent of healthy relationships,

on my first Greedy Reading List of short stories: Six Short Story Collections to Wow You. 01 Girl, Woman The twelve women in Girl, Woman, Other --each of whom gets a chapter to tell her story, which is often Evaristo won the Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other. For my full review, check out Girl, Woman, Other. 02 Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard In Jo Ann Beard's Festival Days is not light reading: "Cheri" delves into the last days of a woman who is terminally ill

Vera and Edith are such a complementary partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong young , 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

Men and women pass by in the street, shadows that avert their gaze and adjust their paths. training and putting a roof over the heads of young boys who have no other options; and the poverty, strong

successful podcaster Alix Summer is celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at the local pub when she meets a strange woman, Josie, also celebrating her birthday. Her "birthday twin" begins popping up where Alix is, and she's got a strange, disturbing life story to

Then Bridget falls for a fellow "sporting woman," and when the Buffalo Queen is threatened, she must Bridget is strong and no-nonsense yet also inexperienced and far from worldly. I read Illuminations with a group of women over a period of months, and we were captivated by the details a River. 06 Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall Marshall's debut historical fiction centers around women's letter--and by enormously important, recurring dilemmas for women through the ages: unexpected pregnancies

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a novel in two timelines about a young woman posing as a cabin abortions in pre-Gilded Age New York, Madame Restell; and I'm listening to Britney Spears's memoir, The Woman But Restell's story swirls with weighty issues still relevant today--women's rights and autonomy; the I'm listening to this as an audiobook. 03 The Woman in Me by Britney Spears In her slim memoir The Woman

She considers her past loves as well as the lives, choices, and challenges of three strong women in her

silver in Seville, but I--being hard compelled by curiosity, which is, of course, the first sin of woman The most socially powerless women--widows, unmarried women, and fatherless girls--are most exposed to Many of these women are appealingly headstrong and willful despite their treacherous situations. Rebecca despairs at her situation, yet she is a wonderfully defiant and strong character--her mother The women are all trapped in a system that's crushing for females.

In Jacqueline Harpman's novel I Who Have Never Known Men , forty women (one is a young girl, our main Male guards come and go, feeding the women minimal rations and never speaking. The women have no recollection of how they came to be in this place, and no information is forthcoming Then a blasting alarm sounds, the nearest guard drops his keys and flees, and the women scramble for My friend Amy suggested that I read this one, and Harpman's slim novel is mysterious, eerie, and strange

use household items as weapons, use their feminine wiles to distract, and use assumptions about young women Deanna Raybourn's feisty Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction mysteries, Veronica remains a strong

This was strange and interesting. Strange things begin happening to Cassie and Izzy when Cassie takes possession of the book, and soon gritty underbelly of post-World War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman When the two aspiring women's bids for victory clash, traditional female roles and power structures are Freddie is reported as having died, but strange and unnerving clues indicate to Laura that something

Saara El-Arifi's Cleopatra offers a picture of a feminist, cutthroat, passionate, dedicated woman who Like many of us who question historical accounts that feel whitewashed or wiped of women due to sexism

find support and to function more fully in the present, she decides to refuse to be shamed as the woman I could see that some people...were uncomfortable with me coming out of my lane, a place where women To them, a woman writing about a man leaving is, somehow, worse than the man leaving.

Everywhere (Frankie Elkin #3) by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin is the best at finding missing girls and women She's an unassuming middle-aged woman and a recovering alcoholic who has a compulsion: to locate missing But a strange feeling pervades everything on the island.

book The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to a wonderfully strange story about the absurdity of human Beautyland is strange, poignant, and funny. later timeline takes place in the time of World War II as Daphne, an intelligent and educated young woman Walsh is also the author of Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, and The Call of the Wrens

, Opal cuts a striking figure, and I loved witnessing her growth from a young, vibrant, unsure, but strong-willed icon of fashion, an outspoken speaker of uncomfortable truths about race and gender, and a determined woman story's early, painful tragedy, she shies away from facing difficult realities for a time before standing strong

exposes age-old power mismatches; offers young characters agency; explores systemic violence against women It's about the infuriating, often tragic power mismatches between men and women, white and Black people Meanwhile our main protagonist is a middle-aged woman appealingly muddling along at times, doing her particularly powerful and heartbreaking in their copiousness--and in highlighting the brutality against women Lists include cases summarized in the vein of "It was the one where [insert specific circumstances of a woman's

released after 22 months' imprisonment for the drunk-driving accident in which she killed an older woman Harriet's fraternizing with the imprisoned women--both in and out of jail--seems particularly ill-advised