literary ladies
celebrating women’s history month with some of my favorite books and authors
currently –
reading: in the near future, a woman tries to prove her innocence for a crime where the only evidence is based on a dream (dream hotel) + following the impacts of colonization’s legacy through one family over 150 years (wandering stars)
(re)watching: the good place
listening: reading, writing and arithmetic (the sundays)
drinking: st. agrestis’ phony negroni and sanzo’s pomelo sparking water are my two non-alcoholic go-tos when out with friends or a way to destress after a long day
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” - James Baldwin
Moving around a lot meant that, except for my two younger siblings, I often spent more time alone than I would have liked.
One constant was the North Texas library system and the piles of books I would check out every other week. Reading was a way to pass the time over the summer when we were new to the neighborhood and the Texas heat meant there were limited opportunities for meeting potential new friends at the park or roaming around. Thankfully there were always summer reading programs and challenges at the library. Maybe a love of reading is simply part of who I was meant to be, but I’m sure rewarding and celebrating books also played a huge role.
As I’ve gotten older, I've grown to have a particular sort of respect and admiration for the writers I’ve encountered throughout my life who have had a profound impact on how I think about the world and make sense of my brief time here. There are the blockbuster names - Morrison, Austen - but also others, like Amy Tan, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Brit Bennett. If you’ve followed the last few newsletters, Lorraine Hansberry is the newest addition to this list as I make my way through her published works.
While I don’t have a Goodreads (I don’t like social cataloging apps, so you won’t see me on letterboxd either!) and my bookstagram days are long gone, I still like to read and like to periodically share recommendations - I just refuse to make it a sole part of my online “identity.” Now that we’re in March, I want to highlight books I’ve read over the last four years written by women.
This is not a comprehensive list of everything I’ve read since 2020, though I have organized it thematically, ranging from some of my favorite coming-of-age stories to motherhood and memoirs. Everything is a “three” or above, meaning I enjoyed it, but I’ve also starred a few titles that I absolutely loved.
coming of age
stories navigating the complex emotions and experiences that define the transition from childhood to becoming an adult.
brown girls // daphne palasi andreades
a kaleidoscope of perspectives from a group of young girls as they grow up in new york city.
** rattlebone // maxine clair
brief snapshots of an observant black girl, her parents, and friends in 1950s kansas city.
dominicana // angie cruz
an immigrant teen searches for identity and meaning following her marriage to an older man.
pizza girl // jean kyoung frazier
an unnamed korean-american becomes obsessed with one of her pizza delivery customers.
nightcrawling // leila mottley
set in oakland, 17-year-old kiara makes her way through the criminal justice system following a traumatic event.
how much of these hills is gold // c pham zhang
two children make their way through california at the height of the gold rush to bury their father.
collegiate
finding yourself among the library stacks, parties, and painfully pretentious conversations that are unavoidable during college.
bunny // mona awad
an exploration of class, femininity, and the niche social dynamics of MFA programs - you’ll either love it or hate it, bunny!
** disorientation // elaine hsieh chou
a delightfully sharp commentary on academics, race, and gender following a taiwanese american woman’s dissertation.
vladimir // julia may jonas
a professor of women’s literature has to confront her husband’s decades-long relationships with his students.
come and get it // kiley reid
a visiting professor and a resident assistant form an unlikely relationship that tests the limits of girlish gossip and race.
ask me again // clare sestanovich
part coming of age, part interior wrestling with modern life and maintaining friendships.
corporate
just a material girl, in a material world.
the new me // halle butler
a biting satire about a depressed woman trying to “find herself” while working a series of equally depressing temp jobs in chicago.
the other black girl // zakiya dalila harris
a young publishing assistant finds a potential ally when another black woman joins the same publishing company.
the best of everything // rona jaffe
the unfiltered sex and romantic lives of women in 1950s new york city.
** there’s no such thing as an easy job // kikuko tsumura
a woman works a series of increasingly odd and fantastical jobs as she searches for the perfect, easiest job.
the modern woman
a second coming of age as women contend with changing social norms around changing political climates, sex and relationships, gender roles, and friendships.
against the loveless world // susan abulhawa
a palestinian woman remembers her life and political activism while in solitary confinement.
the forest brims over // maya ayase
tired of her husband’s constant philandering, a woman protests and ultimately finds herself by becoming a tree.
death valley // melissa border
grief, sex, and self-discovery (plus a magical cactus) collide in the desert.
if i had your face // frances cha
four characters adapt or reject south korean beauty standards and cultural attitudes around women.
cult classic // sloane crosley
a woman keeps running into her ex-boyfriends and discovers a tech company (that maybe, definitely is a cult).
ripe // sarah rose etter
a commentary on depression, the tech industry, and the hoops we jump through to convince ourselves something isn’t wrong.
** girl, woman, other // bernardine evaristo
an exploration of various black character’s lives in britain.
luster // raven lelani
a young artist gets involved with a man in an open marriage, befriending his wife and adopted daughter in the process.
colored television // danzy senna
set at the intersection of race, relationships, and contemporary media, a woman tries to option a television show to improve her family’s financial situation.
detransition, baby // torrey peters
an unexpected pregnancy forces three cis and trans characters to reflect on their relationships, gender identity, and potentially redefining parenthood.
motherhood
one of the biggest transitions a woman can go through -
the push // ashley audrain
a psychological drama about the generational trauma we carry with us - and whether we can really break it.
the school for good mothers // jessamine chan
cancel culture and our modern surveillance state through technological advancements come together as one mother tries to reunite with her daughter.
of women and salt // gabriela garcia
the lives of mothers and daughters across the decades, told through 12 interconnected stories.
short and sweet
for when you want to read but aren’t ready to commit to a full novel and still want something meaningful.
** earth angel // madeline cash
for those who are both chronically online and incredibly jaded about what all of that “connectivity” has actually led to.
daddy // emma cline
brief windows into the lives and psyche of people with varying degrees of privilege during moments that challenge their status quo.
sarahland // sam cohen
a collection of stories exploring relationships, life after death, and more - all experienced by characters named sarah.
whatever happened to interracial love // kathleen collins
themes of sexual liberation, challenging domesticity, and reflections on the civil rights movement.
** neighbors and other stories // diane oliver
commentary on the lives of black americans in the mid-century touching on integrating an elementary school, working as a domestic, and a tragic relationship.
personal reflections
memoirs that made me feel less alone in this world.
** speak, okinawa // elizabeth miki brina
a woman tries to understand her parents and their complicated marriage while also coming to terms with her identity.
** they said this would be fun // eternity martis
reflections on attending a PWI as a black canadian.
i’m glad my mom died // jeannette mccurdy
a former child star comes to terms with the emotional and psychological trauma she experienced from her mother.
once i was you // maria hinojosa
an exploration of how the award-winning journalist and host of npr’s latino usa navigated her immigrant background in chicago.
surviving the white gaze // rebecca carroll
a biracial woman recalls her experience growing up in a white adopted family.