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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter.

HC Pitt loves to read, and in this article, we’re sharing some of our favorite female authors!

Joan didion

A feminist icon, Didion is known for her groundbreaking essays, her sharp wit, and her vivid depictions of 1960s and 70s America. Suggested works by Didion include The White Album, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, and Let Me Tell You What I Mean.

bell hooks

Another feminist icon, Gloria Jean Watkins, who wrote under the pseudonym of Bell Hooks, is best known for her works on race, feminism, and class. One of the most illuminating authors of our age, Hooks is a more than necessary read. Suggested works by Hooks include All About Love, Ain’t I a Woman? and Feminism is for Everybody.

Toni Morrison

This acclaimed American novelist is best known for her passionate, thought-provoking books that explore the Black experience. Her work is vital to American literature and demands your attention. Suggested works by Morrison include Beloved, The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon.

zora neale hurston

Another critically acclaimed Black writer, Hurston was both an author and anthropologist. Her iconic work and incredible coming of age story, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a masterwork of the Harlem Renaissance. 

emily henry

This witty romance writer, who is incredibly adept at balancing a beautiful love story and difficult topics, proves to be one of the best writers in the romance genre. She broke onto the romance scene in 2020 with her #1 NYT bestseller Beach Read and has continued to produce more amazing books with People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers.

alice oseman

Alice Oseman (she/they) truly does it all, she is a writer, illustrator and screenwriter. Their works often balance topics of mental health, LGBTQIA+ identity, and adolescence. Suggested works by Oseman include Heartstopper, Solitaire and Radio Silence

emma lord

This ex-Buzzfeed employee, turned adorable romance writer, always delivers with stories that will have you grinning and kicking your feet. Some of Lord’s best works include two YA books: Tweet Cute and You Have a Match, as well as her debut adult novel, When You Get the Chance

jenny han

This iconic YA writer, best known for her two amazing trilogies To All the Boys I Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty, always offers up romances that will melt your heart. Delivering with well-developed characters you’ll come to love, and stories that make you feel like you’re 15 sitting in your childhood bedroom thinking about your first crush, Han proves to be a formidable force in the YA genre.

sabaa tahir

Acclaimed YA author, Sabaa Tahir is best known for her fantasy series An Ember in the Ashes, but she also has a recent contemporary release based on her own life titled All My Rage. Tahir is a master at world building, adding an incredible romance subplot to her stories and creating strong female characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. 

v.e. schwab

An acclaimed adult fantasy writer, Schwab is an incredible creator of intense, deeply layered characters and the complicated worlds that they inhabit. Her writing often offers reflection on human nature, love and literature. Some of her best works include, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Vicious and the Shades of Magic trilogy.

Happy reading (and if you can, don’t forget to shop local)! 

Lauren Deaton is a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh, she is currently serving both as Chapter Chair and Writer. She most frequently writes about entertainment topics– including music recommendations, topics of representation, and anticipated movie lists. Lauren is double majoring in English Literature and Media and Professional Communications with a focus on Corporate and Community Relations. She is also pursuing a Film and Media Studies minor and Public and Professional Writing and Children's Literature Certificates and is a member of the Honors College. She recently completed a research position with the Pitt School of Education and will be continuing a research position with the Language and Literacy Division at Pitt during the Fall 2024 semester. In the future, she hopes to work in publishing helping to increase access to representation. She is also a writer for Studio 412 a creative outlet on Pitt’s campus and is a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority. Lauren loves her dog, her friends, her family, and everything reading and coming of age related.