Women-centric novels by women authors have the magical ability to remind society about the power and passion of womankind. Here is a list of such books that every woman should read once in her lifetime.

Best Books For Women Written By Women! 💯

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1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

Jane Eyre is a love story, a mystery, a morality tale, and a gothic horror novel all rolled into one. It is the kind of book you want to fall into when you need a good page-turner. The book has a compelling plot of love, mental agony, and passion. A novel with a woman protagonist written when women had no place in the mainstream body of literature is extraordinary. Published in 1847, this book is considered one of the first and best psychological novels.

It was also way ahead of its time by challenging societal norms, criticizing repressive institutions, and portraying a woman who did not conform to the role prescribed for her. It also reflected feminist ideas from the 1840s that had not been accepted in society at that time and is one of the best reads by women for women. The book narrates the story of a small, plain, and sensitive child, Jane Eyre, who survived the deaths of her mother and an aunt and grew up neglected by her wealthy family.

Her story becomes more complicated and filled with ethical drama as she falls in love with her boss, Mr. Rochester. Yet, despite all the drama and complications, Charlotte Brontë gives us a story of a young woman with incredible inner strength who defied all conventions and societal norms in her search to find her true place in the world and ultimate happiness. You can get the book here! 📖

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2. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

If you are looking for a delightfully charming novel by women and for women and that is also a page-turner, I Capture the Castle is for you. This book unapologetically forges relationships between reality and imagination, life and literature. Author Dodie Smith tells the story of a spirited young girl named Cassandra Mortmain who lives with her father in a crumbling castle in England before World War II. Her family has fallen on hard times, and Cassandra writes of their adventures and misadventures in journals, filling them up as the family meets new visitors and deals with their finances

At sixteen, young Cassandra Mortmain is particularly observant. She falls in love with the castle that overlooks her family’s home, but she also becomes conscious of how small her world is and how much larger the world outside is. Her twin sister Rose, who loves to dance, doesn’t seem to share Cassandra’s vivid imagination or deep desire for adventure, but when war breaks out, she bravely sets off to make her own mark on the world. You can get the book here! 📖

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3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the most empowering and well-crafted novels I have ever enjoyed reading. It tells a disturbing story that captivates you from the very beginning. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is an important book for every woman to read. This story presents a vision of the future that feels vaguely familiar. The potential plot twists and disasters make it impossible to put down.

This book narrated the story of Offred when she was young, she dreamed of being a mother, but as she grew up, she realized it is not who she wants to be. Although now her only job is to bear a child for the Commander and his barren wife, she is still a person who has the will to survive. As her world closes in on her, Offred decides to take action and risk her life in order to hopefully find freedom once again. You can get the book here! 📖

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4. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming is a highly anticipated memoir by Michelle Obama. The book is a deeply personal, revealing, and surprisingly funny account of her life – written in her own voice, describing her first steps on the South Side of Chicago, her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, her time spent at the world’s most famous addresses, and, ultimately, the experiences that have shaped her as a woman, a professional, and a public figure.

Becoming by former First Lady Michelle Obama is not only fascinating but also relatable. The book outlines her journey to becoming the First Lady of the United States and what it was like after she and her husband Barack left the White House. This book also shows that anyone can do great things for the world, no matter who holds power. “Becoming” is rich in detail, yet she makes the most complex reality. She shares her memories in a way that allows you to reimagine them from entirely different viewpoints.

I also love how Michelle Obama drew so many conclusions and lessons that resonate with my own personal experiences. Her memoir is a great book for women by women, and it also goes back to Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016, where Michelle first started embracing her role as a public figure and goes all the way back to her college days at Princeton. You can get the book here! 📖

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5. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is more than just a novel; it’s an experience for all women. Set in the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland from 1915–17. The sun was shining, the sea glittering, and the Lighthouse standing above the waters. A boat lay close inshore; a man and a woman were sitting in the stern. So begins Virginia Woolf’s classic tale of a family vacation gone awry as they vacate their summer home. As the plot unfolds broadly over one summer, Woolf develops her characters with depth and detail as they come to terms with their own identities, interpersonal relationships, and pasts.

Through the character of Lily Briscoe, Woolf constructs a depiction of the world that serves to point out the boundaries and constraints that society has had upon creativity. She uses imagery and recurring motifs to build ideas about art (and artists) inside her characters, their relationships, and the events in their lives. In doing so, she creates a rich narrative in symbolism and meaning, yet which has its beginnings grounded firmly in the experience and ideas an ‘everyday person’ (albeit an artist) would have at the turn of 20th century England. You can get the book here! 📖

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These books will remind you of all those women who can face their own storms with grace, the women who continue to stand up straight through times of turmoil, who keep moving despite pain and sorrow, and who remind us that it’s important to stay true to oneself always.

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