20 Best Feminist Books For Women of All Ages Meleah Bowles 7 years ago This post may contain affiliate links. Read the Disclosure Policy. The Hustle Common Cents After Hours Real Talk 20 Best Feminist Books for Women of All AgesBeing a woman in today’s world can feel a bit like slogging through quicksand while wearing concrete-filled boots. Women make $0.80 for every $1 men make. Hillary lost the election and the POTUS is a documented sexist. And not to be shallow, but Powerless, my favorite new TV show, is getting the axe after only one season. When things get tough, I’ve always turned to books and a need for inspiration is no different. There’s a book here for nearly every problem, but I’m going to tell you upfront, if you’re looking for a #babyfeminist reading list, this isn’t the one. I’ve eschewed feminist scholars in favor of more fun, less-academic women’s history and #girlpower feels to compile this list of the best feminist books. Sorry, not sorry. Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesThis section of the best feminist books are all memoirs or biographies that I have either read or have on my to-read list. Personally, reading about successful women is the best motivation, no matter the situation. (I swear on my life, that rhyme was accidental, but when life gives you rhymes, you’ve gotta go with it.) Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesI Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesBossypants by Tina Fey Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesHidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesThe Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace by Lynn Povich Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesNotorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon Inspiring Memoirs and BiographiesRise: How a House Built a Family by Cara Brookins Not Your Mother's History Book#TheFutureIsFemale, but so was the past, tbh. Unfortunately, our high school history textbooks all-too-often skipped all the badass ladies and focused on the white dudes. These are the best feminist books that will help you fill in the gaps. Not Your Mother's History BookHeadstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science — and the World by Rachel Swaby Not Your Mother's History BookWonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs Not Your Mother's History BookAt the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance — A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power by Danielle L. McGuire Coffee Table BooksOne day, I will own all of these and display two or so at a time on a rotating basis. These are the types of #adulting goals that I set. On a more serious note, I like the coffee-table-style anthology for quick reading moments. If you have 10 minutes, you can read a story, making it perfect for killing time while your computer finishes installing updates or while you wait for your Uber to pick you up. These are the best feminist books for the girl on the go (or the girl who likes to show off her feminism to the world). Coffee Table BooksRejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath Coffee Table BooksWomen in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky Coffee Table BooksBad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen Coffee Table BooksRad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! by Kate Schatz Coffee Table BooksRad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz For Actual GirlsA recent study published in Science Journal shows that at age five, girls believe that they are just as smart as boys. By age six, they no longer think that girls are just as likely to be “really, really smart” as boys. These are the best feminist books to help the girl in your life keep her confidence — because let’s be honest, she’s going to need it to fight the #patriarchy. For Actual GirlsGirls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh For Actual GirlsA is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara For Actual GirlsThe Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure by Caroline Paul For Actual GirlsThe Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch Writer’s Note: I think every little girl should have a copy of The Paper Bag Princess. For Actual GirlsGood Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli For Actual GirlsGrace for President by Kelly DiPucchio