March 8th is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of women’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements. It’s a day to reflect on the women who inspire you every day, but also to think about the many challenges that women face across the world.
If the bland corporate platitudes and IWD morning teas don’t really do it for you, why not settle down with one of these books to recognise the day instead? The incredible books listed below from our International Women’s Day collection are inspiring and challenging, but always worthwhile. Read on …
On Reckoning
by Amy Remeikis
The Guardian’s political reporter Amy Remeikis has spoken before about being a survivor of sexual assault, but Brittany Higgins going public with her story ripped the curtain back not just on political attempts to deal with real-world issues, but also how unsafe women can be, even inside the most protected building in the country. On Reckoning is a searing account of Amy’s personal and professional rage, taking you inside the parliament – and out – during one of the most confronting and uncomfortable conversations in recent memory.
Buy it here
POWER: A woman’s guide to living and leading without apology
by Kemi Nekvapil
Kemi Nekvapil knows the feelings of fear, vulnerability and powerlessness. Growing up in foster care, many times she had the doors to validation and opportunity closed to her because of her race and gender. Learning to make her own choices and use her voice without apology were her first steps towards a bold, purpose-filled life. Now a highly respected executive and personal coach, Kemi has created a five-step process to guide other women to build their power.
Buy it here
Asian Girls are Going Places
by Michelle Law
The second in the Girls Guide to the World series, Asian Girls are Going Places is a gift book with a difference: it features practical advice (and more) from author Michelle Law and her interviewees that specifically targets the joys, fears and obligations unique to Asian women travelling the world.
Buy it here
Love & Virtue
by Diana Reid
Michaela and Eve are two bright, bold women who befriend each other their first year at a residential college at university, where they live in adjacent rooms. They could not be more different; one assured and popular – the other uncertain and eager-to-please. But something happens one night in O-week – a drunken encounter, a foggy memory that will force them to confront the realities of consent and wrestle with the dynamics of power.
Buy it here
The Furies
by Mandy Beaumont
Cynthia was just about to turn sixteen when the unthinkable happened. Her mother was taken away by the police, and her father left without a word three months later. Cynthia knows that she doesn’t belong here. Her mother never belonged here either. This is the place of violence. Despair. The long dry. Blood caked under the nails. Desperate men. Long silences. The place where mothers go mad in locked bedrooms, where women like Cynthia imagine better futures. In the harsh drought-stricken landscape of outback Queensland a woman can be lost in so many ways. The question is, will Cynthia be one of them?
Buy it here
Love Marriage
by Monica Ali
Yasmin Ghorami has a lot to be grateful for: a loving family, a fledgling career in medicine, and a charming, handsome fiancee, fellow doctor Joe Sangster. But as the wedding day draws closer and Yasmin’s parents get to know Joe’s firebrand feminist mother, both families must confront the unravelling of long-held secrets, lies and betrayals. As Yasmin dismantles her own assumptions about the people she holds most dear, she’s also forced to ask herself what she really wants in a relationship and what a ‘love marriage’ actually means.
Buy it here
Welcome to Your Boobs
by Yumi Stynes & Dr Melissa Kang
Adolescent health experts Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes have written the only guide to breasts you’ll need. This little book is packed with honest advice on all the things you need to know: from the easiest way to put on a bra, to the nitty gritty of the titty, to why boobs get so much attention. Welcome To Your Boobs includes case studies, first-person accounts, and questions from real teens, answered by real experts – us! Don’t worry – you’ve got this!
Buy it here
Gloria Steinem (Little People, Big Dreams)
by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Lucila Perini (Illustrator)
Discover the incredible life of Gloria Steinem, the trailblazing feminist, activist and leader, in this book from the bestselling Little People, Big Dreams series. Gloria realised from a young age that the women were treated differently than men, and that wasn’t fair. Following in the footsteps of her suffragist grandmother, she became passionate about feminism and grassroots activism. There was so much work to be done, and Gloria kept working – she became a passionate leader in the women’s liberation movement and dedicated her life to bringing about change.
Buy it here
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
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