All of the books on this list are not only written by women, but tell stories about women who take the reins of their independence in the face of numerous obstacles. So, if you're looking for a story that won't have a sniveling women as a side character who probably only features as the protagonist's love interest, this is your list.

1. "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed

“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me. Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked.”

This is the amazing true story of a women who, after a life crisis, decides to hike over a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail alone with no experience. Everyone tells her she can't do it, or shouldn't do it, but do it she does.

2. "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith has been a herald of fiction the last few years with strong female protagonists. Here you'll find discussions on family, marriage, and deception, and women who make hard choices in deciding who to love.

3. "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

If you haven't already heard, The Handmaid's Tale was recently transformed onto the screen as a new hit series. Almost painfully relevant to today's political crisis, this book tells the horrifying tale of a women who is forced to live as a Handmaid (*cough*, concubine), in a dystopian world with a government where women have almost no rights and are only valued for their ovaries.

4. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

An extremely powerful novel set in Afghanistan, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is the story of two women who make great sacrifices for their family. Mariam and Laila must navigate through the treacherous waters of both war and gender roles in order to survive in a fiction that parallels reality too readily to be ignored.

5. "Milk and Honey" by Rupi Kaur

Fans of poetry will love this powerful little book of poems which have a coming-of-age feel and focus on topics such as self-love and relationships. Most of them are rather short, making this a great book to pick up for a poem or two with your morning coffee. There are also delightful little drawings by the artist to accompany most of the pages.

6. "I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban" by Malala Yousafzai

If you haven't heard of this book yet, you've probably been living under a rock. Probably one of the most important stories of the last decade, Malala highlights the gross injustice that women in Pakistan endure daily. An eye-opening true story, this is definitely one book you don't want to skip in feminist literature.

7. "The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Allende

Fans of multi-generational stories will love this family saga with a whole cast of strong women. Set in Chile, this book features tales of love, family, and politics, with women often the center stars. There is also a bit of magical realism thrown in this book to keep you on your toes.

8. "Jane Eyre" by Charolette Brontë

“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you!”

Never settle. Jane Eyre is a classic that focuses on one woman’s remarkable independence and ability to think for herself. If you're going to read a classic this year, let it be this one.