Your summer reading list just got fierce
By Alexandra Lourenco
Have you been looking for your next great read?
Well look no further!
I have found 5 books by amazing female authors that empower and celebrate women!
Which one will be your next read?
#1 Endling by Maria Reva
Yeva is a scientist on a mission trying to breed rare snails while balancing her family’s requests for her to settle down. She goes on dates, not for love, but to fund her research. Nastia and her sister, Solomiya, are heavily involved in the marriage industry posing as a promising bride and translator to Westerners coming to Ukraine. They go on a crazy journey to secretly find their mother who went missing. On this wild adventure they meet Yeva. The three of them are trying to accomplish their goals, but their plans come to a halt when Russia invades Ukraine.
Maria Reva was born in Ukraine and raised in Canada. She creates an empowering story of women who are determined to make a life for themselves and accomplish their goals in a society that does not truly give them the chance to do so on their own. This is an empowering story about perseverance and endurance.
#2 Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
After the “All American Sex Killer” targets the top sorority at Florida State University, girls are dead and injured, the lives of survivors are forever changed. Pamela Schumacher, the sorority president, was a key witness to this atrocity. On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon is sure that her missing friend was a victim of this killer. The two join together as they seek justice and answers.
Jessica Knoll shares the empowering story of two women’s journey for answers inspired by the true story of Ted Bundy’s sorority attack. This story negates the narrative the press created idolizing the serial killer and highlights the strength of the victims and witnesses. This is an enthralling read that takes a twist on the story of the “bright young man,” as a judge once referred to him.
#3 The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
In Garner County, a girl’s sixteenth birthday means embarking on an adventure: the Grace Year. All of the girls head to an island to let their “magic” run free and prepare to become docile wives. Not everyone makes it. Tierney James wants to live a better life, but as her grace year comes closer she realizes that enduring the wilderness will not be her greatest challenge— the other girls will be.
Kim Liggett explores themes of friendship and feminism. With heavy themes, this book is bound to evoke emotions and deep thoughts about society. Regarded as a mix of Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games this book has many horror elements, but serves as a celebration of women.
#4 The Art Spy by Michelle Young
Looking out to Paris through the windows of The Jeu de Paume museum, Rose Valland is faced with a difficult situation. The museum which she had worked at was now taken over by Nazi forces and used to store Hitler’s stolen art from around the continent. Rose decides to pretend she cannot speak German and spy on the Nazis. She catalogues each of the pieces stolen and their original location and shares this information with the Allied Troops.
Michelle Young shares the true story of Rose Valland as she risks her life to protect the museum and her staff and share this critical information with the Resistance network. Her work was crucial for the returning of the stolen artwork and helped the Resistance fight the Nazis. This is an empowering read as an unsuspecting woman plays a big role in helping the Resistance network. This novel covers the action going on in Paris during the second World War and how different soldiers and generals played a role in the battles.
#5 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
In 1532 Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a young girl María dreams to escape the world in which she is only seen as a prize or pawn; in 1827 London, Charlotte has been shipped off for a moment of forbidden intimacy and now looks to freedom; in 2019 Boston, Alice has left her old life behind and is now in college, but a one-night stand has her questioning her life and searching for answers. Three women, three time periods, three stories, all combating a male-dominated world. All of these women have something they are fighting for, but are struggling to do so because they are seen as inferior. They are all given a rare chance to fulfill their desires, but it comes at a cost.
V.E. Schwab creates this fantastical story that keeps readers hooked. With the different timelines and point of view this story showcases the different parts of life and emphasizes female strength. This is a great book that ties in fantasy with vampirism and romance.
Find your next beach read at Dear Reader Books & Stationery in Wyckoff, New Jersey
Walking into this store felt like being transported to my dream library!
Independently owned by Allie Yanofsky, this cozy bookstore has an amazing selection of books, and everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I would definitely recommend visiting this bookstore and if you live nearby, join their book club!