Novels written by female authors hold an incredible amount of gravitas. Storylines, characters, and themes derived from the female perspective inevitably will have a greater impact on the audience due to their unique and poignant points of view. The marginalized will always tap into the heart of politics and literature. Here is a list of women of literature who have engendered work that is fun and satisfying to read. For anyone who is in a literary slump, here are some amazing books that will reignite your passion for reading.
1. "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
A group of strangers is compelled by various reasons to visit a private island. Upon arrival, they realize the visit is not what they were expecting. After a shocking murder, they are led to believe the killer is among them.
Captivating and thrilling, the complex plot and long list of suspicious characters will pull you in immediately. Christie has written a book that even Sherlock Holmes himself couldn't solve. Her work here is perplexing, intriguing, and just creepy enough to make you look over your shoulder once or twice to make sure the murderer is not in fact behind you.
2. "Patternmaster" by Octavia Butler
Butler is an expert in the sci-fi genre. Her identity as a black LGBTQ individual gives her a special look into what it means to be alien. Her novel, "Patternmaster," is the last book in a series which clearly lays out a vivid and complex world to support and an equally labyrinthic plot. An ominous semblance of reality looms between the lines for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.
3. "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Shockingly real and suspiciously casual, our main character Offred tells her story of what happened to her when a world very similar to ours unraveled into a dystopia. Atwood has mastered turning perfunctory and minute details into poetic works of art. What you take for granted are some of the most vibrant and descriptive imageries in the book. The novel will provoke you to question what the current state of our country is, and how it compares to Atwood's fictitious one.
4. "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
Shelley's writing is beautiful and eloquent. Usually, books written in old English utilize language that seems harsh and grandiloquent to the modern reader, but Frankenstein balances artistic language with sharp and cutting statements that propel the reader into a trance. The rhythm and pattern of her voice are mesmerizing and enjoyable, making the plot all the more irresistible. At the young age of 19, Shelley blazes the trail for science fiction and epistolary writing in her classic novel "Frankenstein."
5. "A Crime In the Neighborhood" by Suzanne Berne
Marsha is a girl from a small town in 1973 America. This untrustworthy narrator intertwines the political upheaval of Watergate, the local upheaval of a murdered boy, and her personal upheaval when Marsha's father leaves her family. All this trauma paves the way to confusion, emotion, and subsequent mistakes. Berne's writing contains fascinating and ornate character development, matched with descriptive, acute and open language. Berne engenders mystery in a satisfying balance between imagination and reality.
6. "The Roundhouse" by Louise Erdrich
This coming-of-age story of a Native American boy in a small town contains underlying themes of racism, femicide, colonialism, and sexism. You'll feel the sticky heat from a lazy summer day as you read the sadly common tragedy that strikes Joe and his family, nearly destroying his seemingly picturesque life, all while revealing secrets and lies along the way... but also the truth.
7. "The Hour of the Star" by Clarice Lispector
Lispector is a Jewish, Ukraine-born Brazilian author, sadly unrecognized in the United States. Her work is witty, cunning, and told from a unique perspective. "The Hour of the Star" is naive and innocent in the best ways, playing deeply on the reader's emotions. The synergy between Lispector's language, imagery, and character development plunge the reader deep into a kitschy world that's just a tad off balance.
8. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith
This book isn't quite a comedy. The narrator isn't funny and neither is the plot, but it makes the reader cackle and hiss at the dark and twisted fate of its characters. How far will Mr. Ripley go, and will you be unquestioningly strung along in his frantic but seemingly logical journey? Highsmith makes murder seem like doing the laundry, and you'll uncomfortably squirm as the perfunctory tone creeps into a dense claustrophobia.
9. "Dare Me" by Megan Abbott
Abbott has a knack for cleverly and honestly portraying the darker side of girlhood. Say goodbye to underdeveloped, one dimensional, and uncomfortably sexualized teen girls of mainstream media, and enjoy a relatable tale of a young woman like you, your friend, or your neighbor.
10. "I Will Find You" by Joanna Connors
“This is it. My rape. I knew it was coming. Every woman knows. And now here it is. My turn.”
Painfully honest is all I can say about this non-fiction tale of a mother who begins a journey to learn more about a tragically formative moment in her young life: her rape. What she learns and what the reader is taught along the way is stunning and empathetic.
11. "At The Dark End of The Street" by Danielle McGuire
This text examines the US Civil Rights Movement in a new light. Black women are front and central, and they did so much more than sit on the bus. The radical and insightful analysis of primary documents by McGuire sets a new standard for historians and authors alike.
