My Favourite Feminist Reads

I’ve recently been lucky enough to enjoy reading loads of great feminist novels and thought I’d share some with you. So without further ado, we have:

The Revenge Playbook – I feel like I’ve talked a lot about this book lately and I’m not at all apologetic about that! This book is about 4 completely different girls who band together to take the football team down. This book tackles losing your virginity or choosing not to, religion, rape and the attitudes that surround it as well as football culture in the US. It doesn’t pull any punches and refuses to hide the ugly truth.

The Winner’s Curse series – The heroine of this novel, Kestrel is undoubtedly one of the best fantasy heroes I’ve ever read about. Rare for a woman in fantasy, she is strong mentally rather than physically. She is stubborn, brave, loyal and determined and above all a great example of a feminist character! Pretty dresses don’t mean you can’t be strong and feminist and she proves it.

Am I Normal Yet? – This book features teenage girls struggling through life, like we all do but actively thinking about feminism and why it is important and how it relates to them. These girls definitely don’t have it all figured out and this book is simply an invitation to join them as they attempt to navigate the world.

All The Rage – I don’t even know where to begin when talking about this book. It will rip you into thousands of tiny pieces, that you will be left do assemble once you close the book. This book looks at the attitudes surrounding rape and is one of the most important books I’ve ever read. It is by no means an easy read, but a gripping, unforgettable novel that everyone should read.

Eat, Sweat, Play – This one is the odd one out of the bunch as a non fiction book. However I think it definitely earned its place on the list as a fascinating exploring women in sport, covering a wide variety of topics and telling stories of amazing sportswomen from Olympians to mums. This book really inspired me to reclaim sport as my own and enjoy it for once.

Harry Potter – This famous series is full of fabulous feminists, especially Ginny and Hermione. Both are surrounded by boys and at times sexism, but they don’t let that stop them from doing anything, from dating who they like to helping defeat Voldemort. These two girls are the epitome of girl power and are definitely not to be trifled with.

Lois Lane: Fallout- This book I only recently discovered and it follows the story of Lois Lane before she’s Superman’s girlfriend. Lois is smart, determined and follows her gut. As a teenager, she proves that is an amazing independent girl, who doesn’t need Superman to define her or make her complete. This is a fascinating insight into a well known and popular character.

Rites of Passage – I absolutely adore this book, which follows Sam as one of first girls ever admitted into a military school and the sexism and secret society she has to deal with. Sam overcomes some real obstacles and has to fight for her right to belong but she is by no means the only feminist in this book, they are people, both male and female who support. This book is unputdownable and truly fantastic!

Beautiful Broken Things – This book focuses on the rollercoaster that are female teenage friendships. It acknowledges that we all mess up and paints pictures of real girls with genuine problems, without stereotyping. The feminism in this book seems subtle, but it is found in the intricacies of each of the characters.

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