The most recommended books about women

Have you ever had someone mentor you that you’ve never met? The brilliant Hitha Palepu - author, CEO, and investor - certainly has. Throughout Hitha's career and life, she has captured quotes and “Kamala-isms” in a notebook that served as strength and motivation when she needed it most. We're Speaking weaves together wonderful lessons from Kamala's groundbreaking accomplishments along with Hitha's insights from actualizing these lessons herself.

While there is so much to learn from Kamala, Hitha is a star in her own right. She’s the ultimate multi-hyphenate. She’s the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, author, speaker, investor, social media influencer, and more. Just as Kamala has been a mentor from afar to many women around the globe, I suspect that there is a long list of women who would say the same about Hitha. 

This is the perfct book for anyone who is looking to step into their power,… show more.

Bunny is an American teenager in Azerbaijan. Her father is a diplomat. She grows up in a world where oil is everything, listening to the language of the adults around her as some want their share of the profits reaped by this energy source while (a few) others point out the inequities in this industry and its potential long-term effects on the world.

What is fascinating as well is how she herself becomes part of this same world when she is an adult, almost as if she cannot help but be subsumed by the vast structure of the oil industry.

I like fiction that is both sad and funny because that approach represents the most satisfying literary approximation of the contours of real life.

This means I like Irish writers. Edna O’Brien’s Country Girls trilogy is a series of three novels that follows the lives of two friends in 1950s Ireland from the time they were naïve schoolgirls until they became world-weary married women.

The books were banned in Ireland—as much for O’Brien’s audacity in challenging an entrenched literary patriarchy as for their frank sexuality—but that (now quaint-seeming) controversy should not detract a reader’s attention from what is a richly-rewarding, bawdy, sad and funny work of art.    

I am new to this author, but I look forward to reading her future books. Embers on the Wind is a story where time intersects, and generational families intertwine. It is part Black magical realism and part historical fiction.

This tale, which expertly portrays both the Black and the White experience with a delicate sense of balance, reminds us that the atrocities of slavery are still a part of the American fabric.

Even though years separate now from then, the fabric of time has held onto those memories, whether in actual ghostly form or the collective consciousness. Rosenberg is a brilliant literary fiction writer, and Embers on the Wind will last with me for years to come.

Hernández’s book is one of the latest to pick up on the growing trend of studies about or that include anarchist women activists. What is particularly alluring about her book is its transnational focus as she explores how Mexican women agitated for anarchism in the decades preceding, during, and following the violence of the Mexican Revolution. Hernández focuses on one woman in particular: Caritina Piña Montalvo, an anarcho-syndicalist whose fight for gender equity linked anarchists on both sides of the border. Besides its important focus on gender and women’s issues, Hernández’s study illustrates how so much of the writing about Latin American anarchism has become transnational in focus as activists crossed borders—either physically or through correspondence—to promote the anarchist ideal.  

I love this subversive, touching, and weird picture book biography about the author of Goodnight, Moon (and more than 100 other books). In 42 pages, Mac has managed to question the whole concept of biography and traditional notions about what children’s books (and all books) should be like—both sentiments reflected in Margaret life and work—while at the same time providing a perfect portrait of the aspects of the author’s life most relevant to her writing, and probing questions of censorship and tastemaking. Among other things, Mac shows young creators how to live in a celebratory manner even if the world seems to have turned its back on their work. He does all this while keeping the reader curious (there’s tension!), engaged (there’s storytelling!), and happy (it’s funny!)—but not too happy (the ending is tragic and philosophical!). This might be my favorite picture book biography of all time.

The Courage to Heal was another of the first books I turned to when I began reading about childhood sexual abuse.

I felt confused back then and ambivalent about believing that I had been abused that I didn’t borrow the book from a library or buy it. Instead I went to the local bookstore and read it crouched in an aisle. It’s a great survey of the world of people who were sexually abused as children, with many case studies, background research, and resources for community support. 

Neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi dives into the fascinating world of women's brain health and its connection to Alzheimer's disease. She presents cutting-edge research and insights that aim to empower women to take charge of their cognitive well-being.

One of the reasons I love this book is the exploration of various technologies that are revolutionizing the field. Lisa introduces us to advanced brain imaging techniques like PET scans and MRI, which provide valuable insights into brain health and potential early signs of Alzheimer's.

She also delves into the emerging field of precision medicine, discussing genetic testing and personalized interventions for optimal brain health. In addition, Lisa sheds light on the role of lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep in maintaining cognitive vitality.

Lisa’s informal style makes complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging, ensuring that readers can apply the knowledge gained to their own lives.

“When you lift up women, you lift up humanity." These words from Melinda Gates’ book resonate deeply with my own story and experiences. Melinda gives several examples of women driving change on different levels in their families, communities, and societies. Similar to the pages in my book, Melinda shares heart-rending conversations she’s had with women all over the world and offers practical solutions for how we can get involved to make the world a better place.

I identified with WIllow, the musician, who poured her whole heart and soul into a record that never hit the big time. She is disappointed with her current level of success and goes home to New York to stay with her Aunt Gloria in her famous mother’s old penthouse. The story revolves around an investigation into stolen art and I adored the seventy-year-old Gloria who chose herself instead of the love she found in the arms of a passionate artist turned art smuggler. The characters are richly detailed and women you want to know, and the prose is lyrical and complex, so beautiful you have to pause to appreciate it.