Modern Reads for Women's History Month

I recently wondered how March came to be National Women's History Month. Luckily National Women's History Project had some great information.

If you're like me and you like to celebrate holidays by nerding out on information overload, here's a great list of book titles to pick up from ICPL. For this list, I'm choosing to focus on more recent choices that highlight great feminist literature and nonfiction.

My Real Children by Jo Walton

I won't go into too much detail about this book because I don't want to give this wonderful book away. If you're a fan of realistic fiction like John Green and Rainbow Rowell, but you're willing to read something written for and about adults, you'd like this book. This is a story about what it means to have choices in life, and ultimately how women function and age within society.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This book has won a zillion awards for its powerful story of race and identity. Bonus: North Liberty Community Library has selected it for its Bring Your Own Book Club on March 31 at Beer Burger - you've still got time to participate.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

There's a reason the City of Literature recently awarded Roxane Gay with the 2016 Paul Engle prize. She's a tremendous writer doing important work across media and genre. This book of essays is a great introduction to her writing, and it's also really fun to read.

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

So much of the story of 90s music in the pacific northwest comes from the perspective by and about men, that it's particularly interesting to read this story of a young woman finding her calling as part of that scene.

Not only is this story riveting, but Brownstein is a just a fantastic writer and I often recommend this as one of the best memoirs I've ever read. She not only chronicles her turbulent journey but is impressively self-aware, finding deeper meaning as she looks at her story in hindsight.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This debut novel from Angie Thomas just came out in February and is already proving very popular. It's a YA book that everyone should read. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books describes it as follows: "Ultimately the book emphasizes the need to speak up about injustice. That’s a message that will resonate with all young people concerned with fairness, and Starr’s experience will speak to readers who know Starr’s life like their own and provide perspective for others."