A quick post for International Women’s Day. Since March 8 last year I’ve read, oh, I dunno, about 100 books. Lots (most even) of those were by women. But these are my most favourite, most feminist reads of the last year. Links are to essays or interviews or other stories that focus on the feminist aspects of these books (except for the link to the review of Rebecca Lim’s book, because as far as I can see no one has yet done a feminist analysis of her writing: get on to it, YA bloggers).
- How to be both, Ali Smith
- The Neapolitan Quartet, by Elena Ferrante (I’ve only read three…)
- The Unspeakable, Meaghan Daum
- Deeper Water, Jessie Cole (a lovely review, but it misses an important part of the book: what a superb experience it can be to move around the world in a young woman’s body with all its feelings and sensations and strength and power).
- The Astrologer’s Daughter, Rebecca Lim
- The Blazing World, Siri Hustevedt
- The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson
- The Scent of Eucalyptus, Barbara Hanrahan
I hope you’re reading something that’s both feminist and exciting, enlightening, intriguing or eye-opening today – I’ve just started on Stella longlisted Panthers and the Museum of Fire, which may very well make this list next year.
Happy International Women’s Day!
mjlivi
March 8, 2016 at 3:07 pmBeautiful list – I’m still looking out for the Hanrahan book. I’d add Charlotte Wood’s new book and Kate Grenville’s stunning biography of her mother (which was my pick to win this year’s Stella – didn’t even make the longlist!). Heidi Julavits’ Folded Clock fits the bill perfectly too.
Jane Bryony Rawson
March 8, 2016 at 3:12 pmGlad you liked it! Yeah, the Hanrahan is hard to find…
whisperinggums
March 8, 2016 at 4:41 pmThanks for the link, Jane. I feel quite chuffed to be in such company. I did love that book.
I’m intrigued to see that you’re reading Jen Craig’s book. I’m just drafting tomorrow’s literary and classics post for the AWW Challenge and that’s one of the books I’m featuring. I hadn’t heard of it but it sounds like one of those really exciting, challenging reads.
Jane Bryony Rawson
March 8, 2016 at 4:47 pmI loved that you loved that book! I thought I’d better read something off the Stella list and that was the one that really grabbed me – I’m not generally a huge fan of quiet, realist fiction, which many of the other books were.
whisperinggums
March 8, 2016 at 5:30 pmHaha Jane … I guess I could tell you’re not a fan of quiet realist fiction! (Though, isn’t that what you’d call Scent of eucalyptus? Maybe not quiet, I suppose?)