Top Ten Feminist Non-Fiction Books
I am a dedicated feminist, but I tend to focus on the academic side of feminism over politics. Combining my love of history with my feminist beliefs is one of my favourite past-times, which I why I read so much feminist non-fiction.
Top Ten Feminist Non-Fiction Books
Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O’Toole
One of my ultimate favourite reads. Emer O’Toole became famous for choosing not to shave her armpits, a true story. And she didn’t even mean to become famous, she just didn’t see the point in conforming for the sake of others when she didn’t feel uncomfortable with arm or leg hair. This book looks at all the other ways women have conformed in the past and currently, and why they don’t need to – they can choose too, but they don’t have to. A great read
Girl Up by Laura Bates
If you’re new to Feminism then Laura Bates is a great place to start. If you’re not looking for too heavy then Girl Up is the book for you. It features dancing vaginas with top hats and canes. But the lessons are great.
New Erotica for Feminists by Caitlin Kunkel
A hilarious non-fiction read. I was genuinely laughing out loud each time I turned the page. This book takes the stereotypical erotic moments – like the pizza delivery man, the boss, the schoolteacher scenario, etc and turns them on its head. No pun intended. For example, a woman goes into her boss’s office and he promotes her, again and again, and again!
We Should All be Feminists by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
A quick and easy read to better understand the politics of feminism. Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie is a great writer, feminist, and force. Well worth downloading.
I Call Myself a Feminist by Victoria Pepe
A collection of essays written by top feminists in the UK and around the world about their feminist journeys. An easy read with brilliant insights and stories from the likes of Laura Bates, Louise O’Neill, and Laura Pankhurst.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli
Not just a book for children. I loved the illustration in this collection of biographies. Each page is dedicated to the basic biography of an impressive woman from history and a gorgeous portrait of her. The perfect gift, as well as an informative read for young feminists everywhere.
The Vagenda by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett and Holly Baxter
From the team behind The Vagenda website founded in 2012, this book looks at the way that women are depicted in the media. It is a really good read, not perfect but I still found it very igniting for my feminist brain.
All the Rebel Women by Kira Cochrane
A short read looking at the current landscape of the feminist movement. Comparing it to the suffragettes of the early 20th century, to the second wave, and onwards. We’re now in a whole new period of feminism and this book explores the main arguments and aims.
Eat Sweat Play by Anna Kessel
This is the only book that has ever made me go to the gym, and stick to it… for a little while at least. This book is full of interviews and anecdotes about women in sports and the treatment they receive for not being men. It’s inspiring, fascinating, and infuriating in equal measure. Our bodies are our own and we will do what we like with them.
How to Be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis
I love Samantha Ellis’s biography of Anne Bronte, and this book is the precursor to it. The book looks at multiple heroines from literature, from Emily Bronte’s Cathy Earnshaw to Petrova Fossil and Anne Shirley. How have our interpretations of these characters changed as we got older? Who would we rather be?
What are your Top Ten Feminist Non-Fiction reads? Let me know in the comments below.
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