Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or you’re like me and just need to make time to remind yourself why you love reading, we’ve got you covered. These four female authors completely understand the female gaze and aren’t afraid to write for it. From romantasy (romantic fantasy) to dark academia to sexy 20th-century period pieces, these authors will fulfill all your reading needs.
- R.F. Kuang
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R.F. Kuang’s extensive knowledge of history and politics, combined with her masterful prose, renders her an extremely compelling author. Her latest bestselling novel, Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence, is an insanely haunting dark academia standalone that dares to delve into the evils of imperialism, explore the history of student revolutions, and emphasize the manifold capacities of language. R.F. Kuang is quite the prodigy; she began writing her first bestselling novel, The Poppy War, while still an undergraduate in college and is currently only 27 years old. Support young artists!
- Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Chances are, you’ve heard of Taylor Jenkins Reid in one way or another, whether that be through her New York Times best-selling novel turned series Daisy Jones and the Six or her BookTok sensation The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (also set to be adapted into a series). Reid’s books are meant to be devoured, capturing the essence of love and life in spellbinding (more modern) historical fiction.
- Sarah J. Maas
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Miss Sarah J. Maas is perhaps the sole reason I got back into reading for pleasure this summer. I’ll be honest: I was initially thrown off by the massive hype surrounding the ACOTAR series, but after a coworker convinced me to read the first book, I couldn’t put Miss Maas’ books down (I’m on the Crescent City series now). Maas captures the essence of romantic fantasy, seamlessly blending high-stakes romance with high-stakes plot.
- SALLY ROONEY
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Sally Rooney’s ability to capture candid, authentic human connection in her books is beyond admirable. She proves that the “ordinary” human relationships and emotional connections are worth writing about. Normal People, perhaps Rooney’s most popular novel, is quite the imperfect love story, demonstrating how people weave in and out of each other’s lives, leaving lasting impacts. You can stream the show on Hulu!
So, Her Campus readers seeking to support female artists, I hope you’ve found an author (or four!) to pique your interest. One of these novels might be just what you need to revitalize your lost (or near-lost) passion for reading. I know these authors certainly rekindled my enjoyment in reading for pleasure after almost four years as an English major!