Bohjalian's newest book, Hour of the Witch, published earlier this month, takes place in 1662 Boston, where strong-willed women like main protagonist young Mary Deerfield--especially if they have not yet borne children--are Bohjalian traces infuriating injustices perpetuated against the female characters--who like the real-life women Bohjalian's protagonist Mary straddles the line between meek and mild helpmeet and spirited, strong woman every step of the way--even as I had to resort to deep breathing to read about all she endured as a woman

Lawhon I loved the 1700s wintry Maine setting and the convictions of the historical fiction novel's strong 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.

Kingfisher writes my favorite kind of fantasy novel: a wonderfully oddball main protagonist, a strange Her bodyguard is a surprisingly sympathetic strong, silent type (cue: simmering hints of romance with So when things start seeming eerily strange in the remote palace and the images she glimpses in the home's

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 story-within-a-story-within-a-story reveals a clever woman working within the 1920s confines of I was intrigued by the structure and by the peeks behind the curtains of a wealthy family and one woman's Throughout the book, brilliant women consistently must work against chauvinism and prejudice in order intriguing--particularly since the unorthodox approach to benefiting from it was driven by a genius of a woman

Lepucki's strange, interesting time-travel novel centers around betrayal, broken hearts, second chances A friend's borrowed, rambling home becomes a refuge for unwed mothers and mothers-to-be, with the women on site treating Ursa as a goddess--and the children being horrifically neglected as the women enjoy Lepucki is also the author of the novels California, Woman Number 17, There's No Place Like Home, and

Sittenfeld's wonderful second short-story collection, we meet imperfect characters, often fortysomething women Rule" (which actually did not originate with him; it asserts that married men should not meet with women In another story, a white woman makes racial assumptions, is caught on camera, and faces the consequences Throughout the book, other characters, often middle-aged women, consider art, expression, love, respect

I'm a huge Amy Bloom fan, and while I appreciated the strong main female character here and the World When she emigrates to New York City, she is befriended by two strong young sisters, Anne and Alma, and Gazala feels like a faded, only formerly strong character well before her actual demise.

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

The young women cope with their pain in divergent ways, and while I was interested in the story, I wanted In the 1960s, Vernice (Niecy) headed to Spelman College, befriending powerful young women, fighting inequality autonomy; wealth and privilege; the paralysis of poverty; issues of race, civil rights, education, and women's There's an intriguing but strangely extended stay at a compound that's a brothel (where the male characters

The novel flits between the stories of three women from disparate backgrounds, drastically different The quote at the start of this review references a conversation between a frightened young trans woman and a mentor of sorts; later in the novel the young woman realizes that the mention of "woodworking"

bright points: some rare friendships emerge, sisters build intense loyalty to each other, girls and women find joy in secret reading and in books, women find strength and demand truth rather than secrecy, and thread throughout the book of the food, spices, and meals that create much of the structure of the women --but also many other real-life women in comparable situations--to write a new history, one in which For my full review of this book, please see A Woman Is No Man .

This is a clever, strange, dark, and often darkly funny fantasy. 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 This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

ICYMI: This series by Naomi Novik introduces vain, strong-willed, talking dragons, their complex, wonderfully “It seems very strange that the ocean is full of things that one can eat as one likes, and on land everything an unhatched dragon egg, Will finds himself in uncharted territory--and suddenly finds that he has a strange

Bridie is a strong female protagonist, and Things In Jars offers solid historical fiction details of Veronica to benefit from the author's own modern sensibilities in A Curious Beginning, but Veronica is a strong Abigail is clever, and her strong role in her partnership with the wonderfully odd Jackaby is satisfying Ji Lin speaks her mind and ruffles feathers even as she exploits assumptions about women, sexual attraction She doesn’t fit the mold of a typical woman from 1930s Malaysia nor that of the British colonists living

January 27, courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury ANZ. 02 The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin The women But when three women, all strangers to each other, are invited to the reclusive, three-times-widowed But all of the women of the time have a great amount at stake: they could find themselves committed unvoluntarily A murder victim's DNA matches a long-dead serial killer, and a string of bodies hold clues that seem

I'm also fascinated by the optimistic explorer spirit--and I love reading about strong female characters in a time when the world around them didn't typically support women's strength and determination. 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.

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

Please click here for my full review of Here One Moment . 05 Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll Knoll's novel was inspired by real events; Bright Young Women  traces a serial killer targeting young women Jessica Knoll's novel Bright Young Women  is inspired by real-life events: the targeting of a sorority I read Bright Young Women  for my book club. For my full review, check out Bright Young Women . 06 Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik Novik

Tough women, secrets and smarts, and sneaky spying! Kate Quinn, the queen of historical fiction about women during wartime, recommends these titles that If you like stories about brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Great Stories about Brave Women During World War II. I loved the strong female protagonists and seeing their fire and grit and growth.

Girl, Woman, Other is a set of twelve interconnected stories about Black British women and their friendships The women in Evaristo's novel are concerned with sexuality, autonomy, race, artistic expression, tradition There's a layer of magical realism that's interspersed but coming on strong at the end, which makes the women and girls the authorities haven't been able to find. She travels the country tracking lost women, moving into communities with little more than a change of

young women split by time; Hour of the Witch, Chris Bohjalian's historical thriller with rich details of life in 1662 Boston, strong female characters, and an infuriating witch trial; Who Is Maud Dixon? The author has created two independent, defiant, appealingly strong young women split by time (and, secondarily traces infuriating injustices perpetuated against the book's female characters--who, like the real-life women threatens to break her, but she persists in trying to find her voice and finding a voice for other women

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

In the second book in the Head Cases series, Camden is back on the job--with two enormous, strange, urgent confidential informants, militias arming themselves with black-market guns, a serial killer, and missing women One of the mysteries is so strange and horrifying (and, seemingly, outlandish), I found myself physically

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

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

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 returns in all of her feisty, unconventional, clever glory, despite the significant constraints on women A Study in Scarlet Women is the first book in Sherry Thomas's gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes mystery Veronica and Stoker; the allusions to each of their complicated pasts; their hilarious banter; and their strong-willed

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

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

This is Ava Robinson's first novel. 03 I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Forty women ( 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 the women scramble for an escape Harpman's slim novel is mysterious, eerie, and strange.

multi-million-dollar interstate drug ring; and I'm listening to a suspenseful mystery about a missing young woman Molly Aitken Molly Aitken's historical fiction Bright I Burn is based on the true story of the first woman Women in the 1200s aren't given much freedom, and she must wrest her power from her father, her husbands But a powerful woman is resented and feared, and threatening accusations begin to fly regarding how Alice While Chelsey struggles to be patient with the young woman who is coping with layers of trauma, she realizes

could be due to secrets around her biological origins, and she forges an unexpected bond with a young woman Polly's strong, loving marriage is a bolstering force for her, as is her deep friendship with her brother

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

invincible--who has dropped out of sight and settled down to raise her young daughter alongside her strong-willed Amina soon finds herself entangled in a dangerous ocean quest to rescue a young woman, while fighting “Men find it easier to believe they have been swindled by a witch than outwitted by a woman.” the help of certain trusted shipmates from long ago, and while Amina once thought of herself as a one-woman

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 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 parts of themselves away; she doesn't shy away from sharing the sometimes-tragic outcomes of pregnant women's

please see Razorblade Tears. 03 The Change by Kristen Miller The Change explores the power of menopausal women 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. A woman he'd invited to their home. Vanessa.

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

Xishi is a beautiful young woman who makes her village in the region of Yue proud, for she will almost The ending is fanciful and strange; the tone of the book doesn't seem to be leading to a too-convenient The war and all its deprivations seem relentless, but for Cristabel, there is a strange and guilty thrill 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

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

Book Society is darker than I'd anticipated, but appropriate as Martin explores weighty issues for women The women in Madeline Martin's Victorian London exist within tightly constrained rules and at the whims But when three women, all strangers to each other, are invited to the reclusive, three-times-widowed If you'd like to raise your blood pressure by reading about a bunch of destructive men subjugating women The end of the story involves a dramatic death and the promise of solidarity for the women who move forward

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

Odd or unwelcome events are ascribed to dark forces, and dangerous rumors begin to swirl around women 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.

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

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

This was strange and interesting. Strange things begin happening to Cassie and Izzy when Cassie takes possession of the book, and soon 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

In Evil Eye, Etaf Rum (author of A Woman Is No Man) considers a small-town North Carolina artist, mother Her childhood trauma has a strong hold on her, and only when she begins to face it can she fully realize Etaf Rum is also the author of A Woman Is No Man.

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,

Yet he is presented yet again as extremely desirable to beautiful women. The women who are of romantic interest in Cormoran's life are, as in prior books in the series, emotionally His main interest, Robin, is strong and savvy, yet even she is coping with trauma and the aftermath of

, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Evaristo offers a set of twelve interconnected stories about Black women The twelve women in Girl, Woman, Other --each of whom gets a chapter to tell her story, which is often loyalty, and how each of these factors shape their past, present, and future identities as Black British women interconnected friendships, partnerships, loves, struggles, successes, and the ways in which these twelve women's her grandparents lived and where she was born, here offers stories spanning forty years, featuring women

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 cares