Women authors have transformed the literary landscape in recent years, with many books across varying genres dominating bestseller lists and trending on social media platforms. From debut authors to seasoned writers, stories written by women explore various genres and perspectives, ranging from historical fiction to literary thrillers. Whether someone has just started their reading journey or is a bookworm, there are various novels by female authors that deserve a top spot in their to-be-read list.
1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Set between the 1950s and 1990s, this historical novel weaves together the fate of the Vignes twin sisters as they run away from their Southern home. Despite being identical, the twin sisters end up leading vastly different lives, with one of them returning to her roots while the other lives a life of privilege. While the novel focuses on the core theme of the complexities of identity, it also explores the long-lasting impact of the past on a person’s desires, decisions, and expectations.
2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
With its core plot discussing the dynamics of class, race, and motherhood, this novel received lots of rave reviews, often featuring on various bestseller lists after its release. Its widespread popularity even paved the way for a TV miniseries adaptation starring Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. The novel focuses on two families and the complex relationship between two polar opposite mothers.
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This historical drama fiction narrates the story of a fictional Old Hollywood actress, Evelyn Hugo, who decides to give a tell-all interview of her scandalous and glamorous past to relatively unknown magazine journalist Monique Grant.
4. Circe by Madeline Miller
For fans of mythological retellings, this novel is a must-read. Adapted from several Greek myths, mostly from the Odyssey, it explores the origin of goddess Circe and reimagines her story through a feminist lens.
5. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The plot of this coming-of-age mystery novel revolves around Kya, a young orphaned girl who grows up alone in the North Carolina marshes. Lush with descriptions of nature, the book intertwines another timeline featuring a murder mystery with Kya as the prime suspect.
6. A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit
For fans of non-fiction literature, this collection of memoir-style essays can be a good read. In an eloquent and dreamlike style, the author digs into themes of solitude, the dullness of ordinary life, and the space between risk and stability.
7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
A surreal narrative of magic and mystery, this book often gets featured in the list of recommendations on social media platforms like BookTok. The plot of this novel centers around a magical wandering circus, Le Cirque des Rêves, or “The Circus of Dreams,” which is open only during the evening and closes at dawn
8. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Revolving around 12 different characters, each story in this Booker Prize-winning novel is connected with the other through its characters. Known for its hybrid writing style, which combines poetry and prose, this novel depicts the subtle nuances of different relationships between its characters.
9. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
This book is a compelling expose of the shocking yet hidden ways in which gender inequality affects the everyday lives of women. The author demonstrates this by explaining how women are left out of data collection and research in various aspects, ranging from government policies, workplace guidelines, technology, and media reportage from all over the world.
10. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This book tells the story of Eleanor, a social misfit with a traumatic past, who is fascinated with a singer and believes she is meant to be the singer’s soulmate. Enter Raymond Gibbons, whose budding friendship transforms Eleanor’s sense of life and self for the better. This heartwarming book delicately showcases the importance of extending a hand of friendship.Â
11. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
The first book of Ferrante’s globally acclaimed Neapolitan novel series, My Brilliant Friend introduces the intricate story of two friends—Elena and Lila. As they grow up in a poor and vibrant neighborhood along the outskirts of Naples, the girls begin to depend on one another, their friendship deepening with age.
12. Heartburn by Nora Ephron
This semi-autobiographical novel is based on Ephron’s own divorce from her second husband, Carl Bernstein, discussed in a dark comedy narrative. Originally published in 1983, the themes and ideas of the book remain relevant even today.
13. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Often considered a landmark book in the author’s canon of work, White Teeth revolves around two families based in London. The plot depicts the hardships these families face as they navigate the complexities of identity, multiculturalism, and immigration.Â
14. H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Written as a memoir, this book starts off with the author’s childhood ambition of becoming a falconer. As she begins to train a young goshawk, she learns to grapple with her father’s passing. Beautifully intertwining nature writing with grief, H is for Hawk encapsulates the feeling of loneliness and loss after the passing of a loved one.
15. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
This book is ideal for thriller enthusiasts. Set in the backdrop of a campus, this bestseller revolves around a diverse group of students who get entangled in a crime involving one of their classmates. The novel explores how an unfortunate incident shapes the complex relationships between the students and the impact of the crime on their personal lives.
