a recently published historical fiction story that spans World War I and the 1970s, when the first women real-life stories of the first female volunteer librarians during World War I, as well as the first women The story shifts between 1918, when a young woman at the Dead Letter Office bravely embarks on a dangerous to France to serve as a librarian near the front lines of World War I, and 1976, when another young woman Each women's secrets could be their undoing, and they must each fight harder for their rightful places

seemingly insurmountable complications; chosen family; and the healing power of love--in this atmospheric, strange 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

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. Julia Fine Julia Fine's Maddalena and the Dark is a gothic story set in 1700s Venice in which two young women's But a young woman in that time has little say over her destiny.

The strong, ruthless, intelligent women in Harrow the Ninth absolutely steal the show--which is saying

For my full review, check out The Marriage Portrait. 02 A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1) by irresistible heroine, but a fascinating examination of gender in Victorian society--and what happens when women A Study in Scarlet Women, the first in her Lady Sherlock series, presents Charlotte Holmes, a clever, forward-thinking, independent woman trapped in the Victorian age, a time in which women have little Click here for my full review of A Study in Scarlet Women. 03 True Biz by Sara Nović True Biz is a coming-of-age

of her fellow female students have to put up with from young men who won't hear no and don't treat women She's known for getting into tussles with men trying to prey upon women. The women are becoming less afraid--but the young men who have behaved abominably and often criminally The college friends have strong bonds of loyalty; they sometimes behave impulsively; and they are appropriately to attacks by men, and the women's primary concern is keeping themselves and each other safe.

Those urging me to write my memoir will want a patriotic young woman who fought to defend her country , a heroine to root for with a story clean and simple as a full moon—and I was that young woman, but Russia and the Ukraine, Mila, along with so many others, enlists to fight alongside countrymen and -women the Nazis, Mila forges an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, another formidable woman contrast between active female roles in the Russian military and the supportive, more peripheral positions women

, 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

Women’s stories never are. I read Mary Sharratt's Revelations over the course of this "school year" with my women's group. (To say that producing this publication was a groundbreaking feat for a medieval woman who was stifled Our main protagonist puzzles and angers those around her by challenging the limitations of what women or say in the year 1400, and the Church is particularly galled and upset by the audacity of such a woman

The young women's wartime experiences take Viv to glamorous Harrod's, settle Grace in a dusty old bookshop We see Grace become won over by the creaky old store and by her gruff boss, the shifting role each woman You might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Great Stories about Brave Women During World

Bossy Favorites of the Month Here are my six favorite reads of September, with a strong literary fiction This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author. sometimes testy, often incisive, and at other times diminished--a product of the limitations of single women

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. The issues of race and of young-woman Maddie making her way in the world in London in Maame reminded me somewhat of Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo's interconnected stories about Black women in

That's some strong summer reading!) If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! Yet Kingsolver keeps Demon's voice strong even as he falters and as everything he has counted on seems As always, her main characters are richly layered, struggle with terrible circumstances, retain strong Check out my reviews of So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men and the short story collection Antarctica she pokes fun at her fellow writer in a sketch about talented but average-looking men dating gorgeous women

attention to unspoken bonds, deep and unorthodox friendships, makeshift families, legendary dogs, and strong Kimmery Martin's Doctors and Friends begins with a group of seven women, friends since medical school For my full review, check out Doctors and Friends. 05 Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams Williams's In Beatriz Williams's historical fiction, Our Woman in Moscow it's 1948 and Iris Digby, her American Click here for my full review of Our Woman in Moscow. 06 Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Doerr's Cloud

Simran is a strong female knight sworn to the queen, and Vina is a witch of the woods.

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

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

Sara is detained along with other women who are desperately asserting their innocence. The center's managers keep changing the rules so that he women's stays are prolonged--until a new inmate shakes up everything and becomes the women's biggest hope of escape.

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.

science-fiction novel Those Beyond the Wall; I'm listening to Kristin Hannah's historical fiction about women who served in the Vietnam War, The Women; and I'm listening to Dolly Alderton's contemporary literary Micaiah Johnson is also the author of The Space Between Worlds, a book I loved. 02 The Women by Kristin Kristin Hannah's The Women shines a light on the women who served pivotal roles in the Vietnam War--but I'm listening to The Women as an audiobook. 03 Good Material by Dolly Alderton Andy and Jen were in love

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

in fighting the enemy in World War II offers lots of heart, sassy dialogue, and a showcasing of the women's It's part historical fiction with wonderful World War II details and part sassy modern-day tale about women I love the reveal on an underestimating-women scenario, and kind, unassuming Archie also exceeds expectations If you like books about World War II and women spies, you might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Stories about Brave Women During World War II and Six Books about Brave Female Spies

situation of trapped girls who devolve into paranoia, mayhem, fury, and destruction--with a wonderfully strong The teen girls’ “magic” and its perception by the girls themselves (and especially by the men and women This book brought to mind another young adult dystopian book in which the power of young women is brought

The retelling swirls with family drama, intrigue, bravery--all centered around a young woman determined autonomy, for a voice, for strength, for knowledge--and she is determined to secure these for other women The people of Bharat have often blamed my father for my sins, as if a woman cannot own her actions. Kaikeyi endlessly reinvents herself--as a warrior, a queen, an advisor, and a voice for powerless women

initially annoyed, then inexplicably drawn to Eva--and eventually a torrid love affair begins between the women the form of a detailed hand-written ledger of Isabel's household items) come to a head and cause the women For a resolution to their personal and romantic troubles, both women will need to be more brave and more

are bright points: rare friendships emerge, sisters build intense loyalty to each other, girls and women throughout the book--the food, spices, and meals that are a framework for much of the structure of the women A Woman Is No Man explores the incredible drive and bravery required by Rum's female characters to write For my full review of this book, please see A Woman Is No Man. 06 In Five Years by Rebecca Serle This She goes to sleep one night feeling satisfied, but she wakes up in another life: in a strange apartment

exploration of gender roles, reimagining a rigid faith, marriage/child/parental/educational expectations for women , adventure, strong female loyalty and friendship, love, and lots of fascinating details of life at the

Stephenson was a con man and womanizer who had told enough enormous lies to reinvent himself into one He was no protector of women’s virtue, but a violent predator. But when he met a young woman and promised her career assistance, then abused his position, she threatened

development of her faith and beliefs, and her split with the Southern Baptist Church amid disagreement about women realizes that someone is plunging the party down through layers of reality, through echoes in which strange

grave injuries, a US Marshal's determined search for John himself, the distraction of a clever, brave woman As always, her main characters are richly layered, struggle with terrible circumstances, retain strong

Natalie Haynes's mythological retellings put women at the center of many scenes 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 Haynes's women try to point out the absurdity of the Trojan Horse, they are vulnerable in order to try

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.

DeLozier showcases historically accurate, dangerous demonstrations of men's fears of capable, educated women storylines for the twin sisters diverge and serve as important elements in the plot and in the young women's

The swirl of events draws other innocent young women into Miryem's complicated web and toward potential Ji Lin doesn’t fit the mold of a typical woman from 1930s Malaysia or that of the British colonists living She speaks her mind and ruffles feathers even as she exploits assumptions about women, sexual attraction The Dragon keeps them safe from the Wood, but at a high price: each year he demands one young woman from

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

For my full review, check out The Love of My Life. 03 A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1) by A Study in Scarlet Women, the first in her Lady Sherlock series, presents Charlotte Holmes, a clever, forward-thinking, independent woman trapped in the Victorian age, a time in which women have little Click here for my full review of A Study in Scarlet Women. 04 Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier , she uses a fascinating story structure to explore different potential paths for interlinked young women

But she developed a strange itch in her foot. Russia and the Ukraine, Mila, along with so many others, enlists to fight alongside countrymen and -women the contrast between active female roles in the Russian military and the more peripheral positions women Click here for my full review of The Diamond Eye. 04 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Click here for my full review of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. 05 Upgrade by Blake Crouch Main

India generally keeps her strong opinions about the world to herself (or shares them with her two kids This is your wide, strange, remarkable family in the world, she said.

Strange things begin happening to Cassie and Izzy when Cassie takes possession of the book, and soon India generally keeps her strong opinions to herself (or shares them with her two kids or trusted agent

surprise. 03 The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman Collum is an instinctually gifted, strong

Kitasei offers multiple almost feral, incredibly strong female protagonists making their way in an unforgiving

In Hartman's Tess of the Road, Tess doesn't fit the mold of an obedient, quiet young woman in her medieval desperate for adventure; she is pushing at the edge of the disappointingly limited possibilities for young women frustrated, then furious, about the double standards, injustices, and power inequality between men and women There's a "woman dresses as a man to escape gender limitations" trope; the story emphasizes loyalty,

Mackenzie is a sports agent who's constantly fighting against misogyny and double standards as one of few women and refusal to bend to societal pressures--whether by behaving in a more tough manner because she's a woman in a career where fewer women exist, or by using her femininity as a tool in that career.

The women realize they may know too much about where the bodies are buried--literally--to be allowed I loved the women's complicated bonds, their crafty planning, their fights for justice, and their ability Yet Kingsolver keeps Demon's voice strong even as he falters and as everything he has counted on seems morning self-greeting), but I thoroughly enjoyed and felt calmed by listening to this wise, kind, savvy woman

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

about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze (a reality TV show in which a single woman comments from petty characters or online trolls, and her self-esteem flags briefly at times, but she is strong , resilient, and appealingly her own woman, not reliant on men for her self-worth. fully into the romance, fashion, and reality television ups and downs--while allowing room for the strong young woman's emotional growth, stumbles, and her creation of a new version of a happy ending.

Deanna Raybourn's  feisty Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction mysteries, Veronica remains a strong

dedicating themselves wholly to being submerged in magical waters and conveying their visions and dreams of Omens She starts to question the motivations of those with influence, including the Omens themselves. Lena, Valerie, and Bev are inexorably connected, and Valerie's survival depends upon the other two women's I love a Maine setting, a missing-persons story, and a tale of brave women thriving in a traditionally

Eldest daughter Orsola Rosso is forbidden from working with glass because she's a woman. Mackenzie is a sports agent who's constantly fighting against misogyny and double standards as one of few women

Christina Baker Kline tells the story of three women's lives in the nineteenth century: Evangeline, a pregnant and is ultimately sent to prison in Australia, “the land beyond the seas"; Hazel, a savvy young woman The women's discoveries of their inner strength during their desperation are wonderful lights in the As strong as stone."