10 books to read during the #MeToo era
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In the #MeToo era, both men and women are being encouraged to speak out against sexual misconduct and in favor of greater equality. And learning other people's stories and perspectives can provide a sense of comfort, understanding, and encouragement as we work toward a better future for everyone in society.
Standout works of powerful fiction and intimately personal essays, both old and new, have the power to educate, spark discussion, and above all, inspire participation in movements for equality across all ages.
SEE ALSO: 10 books by black authors that are shaping our conversation about race
Here are 10 books by women that explore some of the most important issues facing society today, from sexual assault and the value of sharing your voice to the intersections of the many identities we may hold true.
Image: Random house
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou had one child, a son. But in Letter to My Daughter, the author, poet, professor, and civil rights activist speaks to the daughter she never had — a daughter she sees in millions of women all around the world. Angelou passes along inspirational life lessons and advice she’s found useful over the years. She recalls encounters with significant people in her life, memories of growing up, poems, lighthearted stories, and more. At a time when so many people are eager to make a difference in the world, Angelou's 2008 work remains critically relevant.
Image: National Geographic Society
In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules
Karen Karbo
Karen Karbo’s In Praise of Difficult Women is the book to read whenever you’re looking for encouragement to take a risk. Sharing the stories of 29 history-making women across all industries, the book serves as a reminder that “being difficult,” or standing up for your own beliefs and working to inspire change, can lead to an incredibly fulfilling life. The book imparts life lessons and advice gleaned from 29 very different women — from Frida Kahlo and Elizabeth Taylor to Carrie Fisher, Hillary Clinton, Amy Poehler, Shonda Rhimes, and more.
Image: Little, Brown and Company
Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything
Aly Raisman
Raisman’s debut autobiography gives the world a deeper look at what it takes to become an Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast. The now 23-year-old shares intimate details of her life — from obstacles she’s bravely overcome and the ways she's dealt with body shame over the years to how she learned to develop confidence and self-love.
Raisman, who bravely spoke out against former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar in 2017, revealing that he'd sexually assaulted her during treatment sessions for years, has become a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement. In Fierce she further touches upon her experiences with Nassar, sharing how she first came to understand his behavior was wrong. Raisman's book includes inspiring photographs, journal entries from her younger years, and advice for all those seeking strength.
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color
Edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa
This feminist anthology is full of essays by women of color who explore the nuances that come with intersecting identities. These woman break down race, class, sexuality, and gender, and examine how those factors inform their feminism. It’s a collection of important perspectives that all too often get brushed aside in mainstream conversations about women. Published in 1981, this book continues to be an essential read for anyone wanting to arm themselves with the powerful thoughts of some radical women.
Image: Plume
You Don't Have to Like Me: Essays on Growing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding Feminism
Alida Nugent
"Feminism" can be a loaded word. Author Alida Nugent does a beautiful job of breaking down her own feelings about the term in a collection of essays about exactly what the title says: growing up, speaking out, and finding feminism. Nugent is funny and approachable in her writing, making serious topics easily digestible and compelling through her analysis and philosophy on life.
Jenny Zhang
In her debut story collection, Sour Heart, Jenny Zhang shares a perspective we rarely get a chance to explore in mainstream texts. Her stories are glimpses into the lives of Chinese immigrants who, all women, navigate their intersectional identities and their new lives in the United States. These coming-of-age stories are raw and not for the faint of heart — and they're incredibly necessary to read.
Image: Crossing Press
Audre Lorde
Sister Outsider is a book for any and every generation. Scholar, acclaimed activist, and queer luminary Audre Lorde’s collection of essays and speeches has a transformative power that links together the intricacies that come with the crossroads of race, gender, class, and more. This book, originally published in 1984, manages to consistently remain fresh; it's a staple for an inclusive and intersectional bookshelf.
Image: Farrar Straus Giroux
Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson’s 2001 novel tells the powerful story of Melinda Sordino, a freshman struggling to find herself in a challenging new high school environment. After Sordino is raped by an upperclassman at a party and calls the police, she becomes ostracized by her fellow classmates. Anderson takes readers on the teen's difficult journey, highlighting struggles that face young men and women who want to be heard, the trauma of sexual assault, and the importance of sharing your voice. In 2004 the novel was made into a film starring Kristen Stewart.
Image: Haymarket Books
Rebecca Solnit
This book isn’t long, but it packs a powerful punch in its forthright look at how men and women communicate and the problems that have risen from traditional gender roles in our society. Rebecca Solnit is powerful and clear in her message throughout her essays, and she imbues our misogynistic culture with a fresh and empowering perspective. Plus, there’s an essay that inspired the ever-popular term “mansplain.” You’ll read about marriage equality, violence against women, feminism movements, and more — but don’t worry, you might chuckle a bit, too.
Image: Plume Books
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman
Anne Helen Petersen
Anne Helen Petersen might be one of the most brilliant writers around when it comes to penetrating the curtain around celebrity. In Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, she does so through the lens of feminism, looking to the women in Hollywood who are smashing boundaries, those “unruly” ladies in the public eye who we love and/or hate, and examining everything from why we feel that way to the unfair double standards placed upon such women. It’s a book perfect for this moment, as women of the entertainment industry take charge of conversations regarding sexual violence and gender equality with the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up.
