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40 Essential Feminist Books to Read for Women's History Month

The perfect picks for this—and any—time of year

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Carmel Snow, the legendary fashion editor who helmed Harper’s Bazaar from 1934 to 1958, once famously remarked that this publication is a hub for “well-dressed women with well-dressed minds.” Her words ring even truer today as readers face a literary scene inundated with countless spectacular works of fiction, theory, and criticism all about feminism.

Here, we rounded up a list of thought-provoking books that cover everything from reproductive justice and economic equity to domestic labor and sex work. Whether you're looking to brush up on the early days of the movement, be inspired by modern-day feminist heroes, or witness how far we've come (and how far we still have to go), these are the perfect books to pick up for Women's History Month—and every other time of year.

1

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

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Today’s cadre of politically palatable feminists are coming up short on issues that should require their urgency, as Kendall so clear-sightedly points out in her bestselling book. Through a series of essays that touch on everything from reproductive rights to pop culture, the activist and thinker searingly critiques mainstream feminism’s tendency to cater to a specific type of privileged woman while also neglecting the material needs of others—especially as they pertain to income, housing, violence, education, and healthcare. In attempting to answer who, exactly, this movement serves, Kendall calls on readers to reconsider their priorities according to a genuinely inclusive and compassionate worldview.

2

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano

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Since its publication in 2007, Serano’s masterful Whipping Girl has laid the foundation for so many thinkers and scholars attempting to understand the disproportionate scale of violence waged against transgender women. In this manifesto, she connects the dots between the epidemic of misogyny and transphobia, as well as debunks prevailing mainstream myths about what it means to exist as a transgender person in Western society.

3

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis

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The famed political activist, thinker, and writer has long been known for her insights in regards to gender, race, and class. But, in this sweeping collection of essays, Davis builds a handbook for the modern intersectional feminist by drawing connections between Black feminism and liberation struggles of the past and present, unearthing lessons from the prison abolition and anti-apartheid movements across the globe. Through her writing, it’s clear that the only way to march forward is to truly understand, internalize, and build upon the work undertaken by those who came before us.

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4

Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change by Angela Garbes

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What does it take to raise a child? In Essential Labor, Garbes interrogates the expectations and assumptions that come with motherhood, revealing the ways in which American society depends on yet so often overlooks the integral contributions of mothers and domestic caretakers. Combining memoir with cultural analysis, the first-generation Filipino-American writer develops a new way of looking at domestic work in a hyper-capitalistic civilization.

5

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights by Molly Smith and Juno Mac

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Much has been said about the state of sex work and what to do about it, but the voices of actual sex workers often get lost in the shuffle. In Revolting Prostitutes, Molly Smith and Juno Mac—both sex workers themselves—are bringing their perspectives to the forefront of the conversation. By looking at different legal models and identifying the ways that migration, race, and feminism come into play with their industry, the duo make a compelling case for full decriminalization, arguing that prohibitive laws harm sex workers more than they empower them.

6

A Kick in the Belly: Women, Slavery and Resistance by Stella Dadzie

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In this enlightening work of nonfiction, British-Ghanaian activist and historian Dadzie unearths the forgotten histories of enslaved women who played a key role in resisting and fighting back against slavery in the West Indies. In addition to chronicling the devastating conditions of life on a plantation and the cruel conduct of slave captors, Dadzie also brings to light the small but critical gestures of defiance activated by enslaved women, re-centering them as agents of their own destiny in the historically white-washed movement for abolition.

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7

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

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In this collection of essays, Ratajkowski uses her career as one of the most sought-after models today as a framework to contend with the ways in which women’s bodies are commodified. Armed with a lifetime of exploitative experiences dealing with skeevy agents and abusive photographers, Ratajkowski taps into the emotional whiplash of being a woman—on the one hand, desired and lusted after and, on the other, viewed as a contemptuous inferior.

8

Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto by Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya and Nancy Fraser

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This trio of authors, who helped organize the International Women’s Strike in the U.S., attempt to reorient the priorities of mainstream liberal feminists in this powerful manifesto. By invoking different international movements focused on ending economic, environmental, and racial injustices, they call upon readers to image a more revolutionary version of feminism that serves more than the women who already sit at the top of the global world order.

9

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

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First published in 1792, proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft took inspiration from the revolutionaries of her time who demanded greater rights for mankind, to advocate for an even more socially maligned group: women. Independent, educated, and intellectually esteemed, Wollstonecraft has been called one of the mothers of feminist theory, posing the idea of women as the natural and intellectual equals of men, and deserving of equal treatment and opportunities nearly a hundred years before the term feminist even existed.

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10

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

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Published in 1929, Virginia Woolf’s essay took on the established literary criticism of the time, which claimed women were inherently lesser writers and creators by virtue of their gender. Instead, Woolf pointed to the vast, systemic education and economic failures that stifled women writers of the time. As one of the foundational pieces of feminist literary critique, you might expect that Woolf’s words lost their potency over the years, but her clever, incisive perspective remains just as inspiring today as it was when it was published.

11

Feminism Is for Everybody by bell hooks

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Suffice it to say that feminist theory can be a bit dense for some. That’s why beloved feminist author and cultural critic bell hooks set out in 2000 to create an educational text for those whose understanding of feminism comes from passing TV references and outdated ideas about “feminazis.” A passionate treatise for the lay-feminist, hooks’s read explains and examines inclusive feminism and the practical application of it in a way that is both entertaining and informative.

12

Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein

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Though nonbinary may be a relatively new term to mainstream readers, nonbinary people and writers have been discussing the complexities of gender fluidity for decades. Originally published in 1994 and recently revised and updated, self-described “nonbinary transfeminine diesel femme dyke” Kate Bornstein explores the layers of cultural, political, and social factors that inform and shape gender performance, calling out the rigid expectations of a gender binary as harmful to people of all presentations.

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13

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

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In the age of “problematic faves,” cultural critic Roxane Gay embraces and advocates for the idea of imperfect feminism in her collection of funny, honest essays. Pointing out the irony of holding our icons up to impossible-to-meet standards of thought and behavior, Gay takes on trigger warnings, the complications of loving catchy songs despite their degrading lyrics, and the ways in which tokenism in media negatively impacts women and people of color.

14

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

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Though feminism may not have been on her mind when she wrote the story of the intrepid March sisters in the 1860s, Louisa May Alcott has influenced numerous generations of bold, loving, and unconventional women. Following Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow, find love, pursue their art, and endure loss, Little Women shows the many ways to be a woman and has earned a place in the hearts of feminists of all stripes.

15

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

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Best known for popularizing the term mansplaining, Rebecca Solnit wrote a collection of personal yet decidedly un-saccharine essays that delve into big themes of the modern feminist experience with clarity and humor. From having your own interests explained to you to the #YesAllWomen movement to marriage equality, Solnit’s pieces are a relatable—often secondhand rage-inducing—look into gender in the 2010s.

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16

Redefining Realness by Janet Mock

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As one of America’s most recognizable trans activists, Janet Mock has made a name for herself by breaking ground for underrepresented women. Her autobiography, following her growth as a multiracial trans woman from a poor background to one of the country’s most respected advocates, offers a brave and moving look into the search for self and the manifold ways in which one experiences womanhood.

17

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

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Intersectional feminism has raised its profile in recent years, with a more diverse range of voices participating in the conversation than ever before. Much of that is owed to work by writers like famed poet and author Audre Lorde, who brought a Black, queer, feminist perspective to the forefront of the cultural discussion in this iconic collection of essays and speeches on racism, sexism, and homophobia.

18

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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The semi-autobiographical story of one woman’s descent into mental illness in the 1950s, The Bell Jar has become a quintessential coming-of-age story for young feminists. Moody and sometimes terse, the prose beautifully encapsulates a moment in the female experience—the desire, disillusionment, and fear of being young, confused, and stifled by the role that society has prescribed.

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19

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

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If you've ever enjoyed a feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale, you owe a debt to Angela Carter, whose 1979 collection of short stories birthed a subgenre all its own. The tales—which include murderous Little Red Riding Hoods, vampiric Sleeping Beauties, a Beauty who becomes the Beast and the wife of Bluebeard turning the tables—remain some of the rawest and most clever examples of the style, and everlasting proof of Carter’s talent.

20

This Bridge Called My Back by Multiple Writers

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This anthology series features personal essays, criticism, poetry, and even visual art made by more than a dozen feminist women of color. It explores the ways their intersecting identities—gender, race, sexuality, class—shape the ways in which they relate to the world and the way the world, in turn, relates to them. Though originally published in the ’80s, the issues they present, and the perspectives they stand for, remain as pertinent to today’s feminist landscape as they were more than 30 years ago.

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Lauren Hubbard
Writer

Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.

Headshot of Keely  Weiss

Keely Weiss is a writer and filmmaker. She has lived in Los Angeles, New York, and Virginia and has a cat named after Perry Mason.

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Chelsey Sanchez
Digital Associate Editor

As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset. 

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