Happy Women’s History Month! There are so many ways to celebrate the accomplishments of women this month but in case you need somewhere to start, I compiled a list of some of my favorite books about women by women to read this month.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
If you know me, then you know I live by the words of Glennon Doyle, and I could not start off a book recommendation list with anyone else. She has written many incredible books but her most recent, Untamed, is a must-read. Glennon chronicles her journey of self discovery and acceptance as her marriage crumbles and she meets the love of her life, and learns to love herself better along the way. This book is filled with so many quotable mantras and life lessons, but the whole memoir reads like an ode to the joys and struggles of womanhood.
Eloquent Rage by Brittany Cooper
This book is a powerful indictment of the ways Black women’s anger is seen as destructive, told through heartfelt and entertaining stories from Cooper’s life. She talks about the incredible power of rage, eloquent rage, embodied in women like Michelle Obama and Beyonce, while critiquing respectability politics, toxic masculinity, and the complicity of white women in racism. Most of all, this book chronicles Cooper’s own struggle as a Black woman to embrace feminism.
The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One by Amanda Lovelace
It is not often that I dive into a poetry book, but this short book of poems may have converted me. Lovelace plays with traditional narratives of women as princesses, witches, and damsels in distress, and the result is a beautiful collection of poems about the resilience and power of women. This book will have you coming back to it again and again.
Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco
This book covers the hilarious and high-stakes adventures of former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco. She was the youngest woman to ever hold this position and, as the title suggests, she doesn’t take herself too seriously. The book is packed full of stories about working at the White House and sprinkled with advice on how young women can succeed in the workplace.
She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
This book details the investigative journalism of two New York Times reporters to uncover the persistent sexual harassment and abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein on the eve of the #MeToo movement. It is suspenseful and exciting, but the authors give an intimate window into the development of the movement in Hollywood and other elite circles by telling the stories of women who spoke up as part of this larger cultural moment, from Ashley Judd to Christine Blasey Ford. Frequently compared to All the President’s Men, this book is perfect if you are looking for a way to better understand #MeToo.
I hope you have a chance to check out some of these books as you celebrate all the wonderful women in your life this month!