In case you've been living under a rock, March is Women’s History Month. And even though the month is coming to a close, it's time to appreciate some brand-new books about women that are by women. Take the time to check out some of these, coming near you this month.
Jessica Valenti
Published February 19, 2019
Goodreads Score: 3.7
A collection of short stories and essays by famous actresses like Salma Hayek, Mindy Kaling, Roxane Gay, Chelsea Handler and more, reflecting on what it means to be a feminist woman in today’s society. Both humorous and insightful, these stars talk about battling “resting bitch face” and workplace harassment under Hollywood’s spotlight.
Margaret Atwood
Coming September 2019
Goodreads Score: 3.67
Any The Handmaid’s Tale fans here? How about those of you who binge-watch it on Hulu? Fifteen years later, Atwood wasn’t ready to end the story. Coming in September, she offers the testaments of three women from Gilead to help answer those open-ended questions, like what happened to Offred and what is happening in Gilead, continuing the dystopian future exploring women’s roles in the patriarchal society.
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published March 5, 2019
Goodreads Score: 4.41
Daisy Jones & The Six is a killer rock-and-roll coming-of-age story about a teenager in the late ‘60s with a radical voice who finds success when joining a band. The band is fictional but follows the talented Daisy’s growth as she becomes a wildly successful singer in the 70s. Filled with sex, drugs, and rock and roll, you’ll wish The Six was a real band thanks to Reid’s brilliant world-building and distinctive storytelling voice.
Candice Carty-Williams
Published March 19, 2019
Goodreads Score: 3.87
Queenie Jenkins is a hardworking Jamaican-British young woman that loves her job at the newspaper but is honestly quite tired of comparing herself and competing with her middle-aged white coworkers. Queenie breaks up with her long-term white boyfriend and begins to explore the meaning of who she’s meant to be while making some mistakes along the way.
Laurie Halse Anderson
Published March 12, 2019
Goodreads Score: 4.51
It’s been 20 years since Speak hit the shelves, which was a coming-of-age story about [spoiler alert] a quiet girl whose rape at a high school party changed her life. Speak was a timeless and incredibly important novel for all ages, encouraging both men and women to have the courage to speak up for themselves. Shout is Anderson’s mostly free-verse poetry collection about her own experiences with sexual assault, also touching on today’s ongoing dialogue with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
Anissa Gray
Published February 19, 2019
Goodreads Score: 3.71
This is Gray’s debut novel and she does not cut us short. Described as An American Marriage crossed over with The Mothers, Gray’s novel follows the story of the Butler family, and when the oldest and most matriarchal sister Althea is suddenly arrested, their entire world is flipped upside down. Gray tackles issues and conversations about mothers and daughters, identity and family, and how even the most precious relationships can consume you.
Rachel Hollis
Published March 5, 2019
Goodreads Score: 4.26
If somebody is going to tell you that you’re not reaching your full potential, who better than famous motivational speaker Rachel Hollis? Author of Girl, Wash Your Face, her newest book Girl, Stop Apologizing talks about how women have been taught to define themselves into little boxes — mothers, daughters, wives, employees — and how that mindset can seriously distract a woman from reaching her full potential. Hollis offers tips on how to step out of the comfort zone and adopt new behaviors that will help encourage readers that they can break through that glass ceiling.
Samantha Downing
Published March 26, 2019
Goodreads Score: 4.89
Author Samantha Downing takes an average couple living an average life and adds a mix of Dexter, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Gone Girl. This is the story of a loving couple who fell in love at first sight; who settled down and got married; who moved to the suburbs and had kids; who then got bored. Some may ask what the secret to a happy marriage could be, but you’ll soon find out that getting away with murder is the spiciest ingredient.
Etaf Rum
Published March 5, 2019
Goodreads Score: 4.39
A Woman Is No Man introduces a new but important voice to fiction in America. 18-year-old Deya is an Arab girl in Brooklyn who has come of age and is being forced into marriage. The story flips between Deya and her mother, Isra’s, perspectives, uncovering the truths behind the conservative culture that takes place in Arab-American households — and what it means to be part of that expected-to-be-perfect family portrait.
Cara Robertson
Published March 12, 2019
Goodreads Score: 3.55
Everybody loves a good murder mystery story, but one of the most popular ones dates all the way back to 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts when Elizabeth Borden allegedly killed her father and stepmother with an axe. Although she was acquitted, the question still remains: Did she do it? Crime lovers will love this story as Robertson uses sources like the Fall River Historical Society to help shed light on what really might have happened.