In celebration of Women’s Day, we’ve rounded up a list of books by female authors that will make you feel all the feels. 🌸
From gritty war stories to feel-good romances, soul-searching memoirs, and timeless literary classics, these books are sure to tickle your funny bone, move you to tears, or get you thinking about life in ways you never thought possible.
🌷 Books by Female Authors for Your Women’s Day Reading List
1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, two sisters with opposite personalities are caught up in a battle for survival.
Vianne, a schoolteacher and mother to an 8-year-old girl, fights to protect her family. Isabelle, the rebellious younger sister with a fiery spirit, joins the Resistance after being betrayed by her lover.
This riveting historical fiction novel gives voice to the women who fought back against Nazi rule in a society where “men always think war is about them”—offering a raw, honest, and brutally emotional portrayal of bravery, loss, and sacrifice. 🕊️
2. Evening in the Yellow Wood by Laura Kemp
When Justine Cook visits Lantern Creek to seek answers about her estranged father, her life changes forever. 😲 Not only does she uncover her father’s secret life, but she also meets the mute autistic brother she never knew existed.
Justine and her newfound sibling develop a telepathic bond. But when a girl is murdered, Justine feels compelled to find the killer—even if it means exposing dangerous secrets that could change everything.
Marked by unexpected twists and turns, this gripping story blends mystery, suspense, romance, and… the supernatural.
3. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Celie, an African American woman living in the 1930s, tells her story through a series of letters. 📜 Forced into a loveless marriage to an abusive husband, Celie is mistreated by all the men in her life: her father, her husband, and even her step-children. But her world begins to change when she meets two strong-willed women who refuse to be submissive. One of them is Shug, her husband’s mistress, with whom Celie falls deeply in love.
This epistolary novel was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It offers an unfiltered look at the hardships African American women faced during that era—including oppression, physical abuse, and injustice.
4. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant often blurts out whatever pops into her head—no matter how brutal the truth may be. 🤭 Quirky and hilariously blunt, this oddball heroine is known for her social skills struggles.
Eleanor’s life runs like clockwork; she sticks to her routines and shies away from socializing… that is, until she befriends Raymond from IT—the guy who shows her the meaning of true friendship.
Honeyman’s bestseller blends humor, wit, and quirkiness into a soul-stirring tale that will tug at your heartstrings.
5. Where Hope Begins by Catherine West
After twenty-one years of marriage, Savannah’s husband has left her for another woman. As if that weren’t enough, Savannah still struggles with the loss of her child.
A broken Savannah retreats to the Berkshires to piece herself back together. 💔 There, she finds herself falling for her new next-door neighbor, bestselling author Brock.
When her husband asks for reconciliation, Savannah must decide if there is room in her heart for forgiveness.
The book tackles the heavy issues that many families face today. It’s a story of loss, betrayal, and grief. But also one of hope, faith, and trust.
6. Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts
Some lived to tell the story of a deadly mall shooting, but they’ll never be the same.
This pulse-pounding thriller follows the lives of the survivors as they struggle to heal from their trauma. One becomes a cop. Another finds solace in art. But someone connected to the shooting is hell-bent on finishing what was started that day—and the survivors soon find themselves thrown back into the chaos.
Heartache, fear, courage—this story has it all. 🎢 Plus, amid all the edge-of-your-seat action, a romance blossoms between two characters who find hope in each other in the darkest of times.
7. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Elena Richardson and her family live a carefully ordered life in Shaker Heights. When Mia Warren and her teenage daughter Pearl move into their idyllic suburb, everything is turned upside down.
Mia is an eccentric artist and single mother who lives on her own terms. She’s not like Elena, the Richardson family’s matriarch, who follows every rule in the book. 💁♀️ As the Richardson children befriend Mia and Pearl, Elena grows more and more obsessed with uncovering Mia’s mysterious past.
What unfolds is a fascinating drama that explores the complexities of social class, race, and motherhood.
8. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Father Damien (or Agnes DeWitt, a former nun who assumes the identity of Father Damien Modeste after his passing) wrestles with two fears: that his true identity will be exposed and that he should reveal what he knows about Sister Leopolda, a nun who is being considered for sainthood. ⛪
Should he expose her dark secrets and risk everything he has worked for? Or keep silent and allow her to be canonized as a saint?
The story of Father Damien explores faith, temptation, and the battle of good versus evil… all with an unexpected touch of humor.
9. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Some bonds are unbreakable. 🫶 Or are they?
Jude and Noah are as close as twins can be—even though they’re opposites. Noah loves to draw and spends hours immersed in his sketchbook. Jude is outgoing and the more talkative of the two. But one day, something shatters their connection. What was it that tore Noah and Jude apart? And more importantly, will the once-close twins find a way to heal their fractured bond?
Prepare to be swept up in a whirlwind of emotions by this YA story about love, loss, and family. It will leave you both teary-eyed and laughing.
10. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Mi-ja and Young-sook are not only friends but also haenyeo—the female divers of Jeju Island who risk their lives to provide for their families.
They live through a lot of historical turmoil, including Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, and the Korean War. Despite all they go through, they remain the closest of friends. But their friendship is not to last.
Their story is a tale of female friendship in the matriarchal society of Jeju that is fascinating, tragic, and simply unforgettable. 🌊
11. Separate Things: A Memoir by Ashley Marie Berry
Ashley Berry has had her fair share of battles with mental illness—and came out stronger on the other side.
In her memoir, she writes candidly about her mental health struggles, sharing journal entries written during psychiatric stays. 📖 Berry recounts both her darkest moments and her efforts to find the light.
If you want to understand mental illness and how it affects those who live with it, this memoir is a must-read.
12. The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
Truus Wijsmuller puts her life on the line to save Jewish children from the horrors of war-torn Europe.
As a member of the Dutch resistance, Wijsmuller smuggles children out of Nazi-occupied Europe and brings them to safety. 🙌 Her efforts become even riskier when countries close their borders to refugees. Still, Wijsmuller, known to many as “Tante Truus,” continues to save as many lives as she can.
This heroic story pays homage to Wijsmuller’s bravery, love, and compassion—and shows that one person can make a world of difference in times of conflict.
13. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi was just a child when the Islamic Revolution changed her life.
Persepolis follows Satrapi from childhood to adulthood—and chronicles her life in a politically tumultuous country, her high school years in Vienna far away from her family, and her eventual self-imposed exile from her homeland.
🖌️ Illustrated with black-and-white drawings, this graphic memoir vividly captures the challenges of living under a repressive regime.
14. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers arrive on a private island for a weekend getaway. They don’t know it, but they’ve been invited for a reason: they’re all guilty of a crime—and now, they’re being punished.
A mysterious killer picks off the guests one by one. Who is the puppet master pulling the strings of this island? 🌴
A twisted tale of murder, mystery, and revenge, Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit will keep you guessing until the very end.
15. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
After years of abuse at the hands of her aunt, Jane Eyre finds employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall. 🏰 There, she meets the brooding master of the house, Mr. Rochester—and they fall in love.
But Rochester has a secret that threatens to destroy their relationship… and compromise Jane’s morals.
This award-winning novel by Charlotte Brontë is a timeless story of love, empowerment, and self-discovery.
📖 Discover More Books by Female Authors—and the Best Ways to Read Them
We’ve got a few pointers to help you get the most out of reading 🍊 The Priory of the Orange Tree and 🌺 The Poppy War Trilogy—two not-to-be-missed fantasy books by female authors.
Don’t Forget to Keep Track of Your Reading Progress With Bookly
Whether you track your reading progress in a spreadsheet, journal, notebook, or app, just remember to do it! Bookly makes it easy to track your progress.
Bookly can help keep you accountable, track books, and improve your reading habits. 😎
And don’t forget that Bloo, your reading assistant, will always be by your side and help you improve by tracking all the books you read! 👀
Download Bookly for iOS 👉 https://bookly.app.link/nAH81rtpg9
Download Bookly for Android 👉 https://bookly.app.link/4TMM20xpg9
