WHA’s Book List for the 2025-2026 School Year

August 26th is Women’s Equality Day in the United States. Women’s Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote on the basis that the right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of sex. The 19th Amendment was a major step after years of suffrage efforts. Women’s Equality Day also serves as a reminder that American women still face inequality in various other areas. Below are some books recommended by the Women’s Health Education Committee as a way to celebrate Women’s Equality Day and to usher in the new school year!

Memoirs

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Girl, Interrupted is set in 1967 and examines the issues that permeate the United States’ mental health system. Kaysen was sent without warning to McLean Hospital. McLean is legendary for treating other authors like Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. Kaysen was privileged enough to be treated at McLean, highly regarded at the time for its progressive treatment plans. However, she was largely in the dark about why she had been sent there and when she would be able to leave. Girl, Interrupted is complete with excerpts from Kaysen’s medical files. The memoir has since been turned into a movie starring Winona Ryder.

I Didn’t Know I Needed This by Eli Rallo 

I Didn’t Know I Needed This is Rallo’s debut book. Rallo rose to popularity on social media for her dating, fashion, and lifestyle tips. She has now compiled them in a lighthearted book. Rallo’s book is designed to be relatable, and it most certainly is. In a world of online dating and social media, most college students can relate to Rallo’s dating woes. I Didn’t Know I Needed This is a survival guide not only for dating but also for gaining self-confidence in a world where women face ever-mounting beauty and social standards. Rallo’s second book, Does Anyone Else Feel This Way, is set to be released this fall. 

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski 

My Body delves into Ratjkowski’s personal experience with the politics and mistreatment of women in show business. Ratajkowski is largely recognized as only a sex symbol in the United States, but she is so much more than that. My Body is an in-depth recount of Ratajkowski’s personal experiences with sexual harassment, mistreatment, and finding herself. A great book for people who enjoyed Jennette McCurdy’s ‘I’m Glad My Mom is Dead’ but want a more universally applicable read.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Just Kids is the first novel by legendary artist and musician Patti Smith. Her memoir explores different types of love through her lifelong friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe and illustrates how deeply relationships can evolve, but love still remains. Just Kids is primarily set in 1960s and 70s New York City. Readers have the opportunity to explore fabled New York haunts like the Chelsea Hotel through Smith’s eyes.

Non-Fiction

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Friedan changed women’s literature with the publication of The Feminine Mystique in 1963. Friedan put a name to the issues that permeated American culture and plagued a generation of women. In 1963, the majority of women married as teenagers, and 60% of college women dropped out to get married. Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique to show women that they were not alone. Her book has instilled confidence and inspiration into generations of women. Thankfully, not all topics of the book are still relevant, but it is a great starting point for those looking to explore feminist books. The Feminine Mystique has remained a foundation of American feminist literature for the past 62 years because of Friedan’s witty style and keen insights.

Ain't I a Woman by bell hooks

hooks lays out the reality of American feminism in her no-frills, straight-to-the-point, 205-page book. Ain't I a Woman addresses the hierarchy of racism in America, racism within the feminist movement, and other factors that contribute to the oppression of black women. hook’s book gets its title from a speech by Sojourner Truth, ‘Ain't I a Woman?’ in which Truth described the double-edged sword of sexism and racism that oppresses black women. 

Feminism Is for Everybody by bell hooks

Feminism is for Everybody is a very different side of hooks than the one seen in Ain't I a Woman. This book is optimistic and hopeful but still chock full of hook’s famous blunt honesty. Feminism is for Everybody offers an inspiring and accessible take on current political and social issues for today's feminists. This book allows readers to explore hook’s solutions to reproductive rights conflicts, the patriarchy, and a whole host of other topics. 

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kandall

Has it ever occurred to you that feminists inadvertently oppress other women? The oppression of women through mainstream feminism was obvious to Kandall. In Hood Feminism, Kandall explains the socioeconomic factors often overlooked in the quest for American gender equality. The mainstream feminist movement has always prioritized the desires of privileged white women- but it doesn't have to be that way.  Kendall’s book calls attention to issues not deemed glamorous enough to be the poster child of gender equality, like food insecurity, housing insecurity, and the inaccessibility of quality education.

The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz

In The Daughters of Yalta, Katz tells the long-neglected story of the daughters of three of the most powerful men in the world. Kathleen Harriman, Sarah Churchill, and Anna Roosevelt, like many women during World War II, were able to push their boundaries and explore their talents. While not directly involved in the negotiations of the Yalta Conference, these three women bore witness to countless historical events. The Daughters of Yalta is complete with historical documents and plenty of historical context.  Katz weaves an enthralling yet factual book about geopolitics and father-daughter relationships.

Missoula by Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer is not expressly an author of feminist literature, but Missoula is a meticulous reporting of the sexual assault scandals that plagued Missoula between 2008 and 2014. Krakauer’s book is dedicated to shining a light on the issues codified in the American criminal justice system as well as the privileges often granted to male college students, regardless of their actions. Missoula primarily focuses on cases surrounding the Montana Grizzlies football team, but these cases are a snippet of a larger picture. Many people are already aware of the crisis in our country's legal system, but Krakauer’s detailed examination illustrates that the problem is even worse than one might think. Issues like those in Montana are prevalent all around the world. Missoula is not an easy read, but it is an eye-opening one.

However Long the Night by Aimee Molloy

However Long the Night is a must-read! Molloy tells the story of Molly Melching, Melching’s founding of her NGO Tostan, and her path to eradicating female genital cutting in Senegal. However Long the Night is a glimpse into a world that on the outside may seem a total juxtaposition from our own. In reality, women all over the world have so much in common. Molloy explains in depth the truth behind female genital cutting, the cultural importance of it, and the difficulties that Tostan has faced in eradicating the custom. However Long the Night illustrates a perfect example of how the world is not black and white.

Fiction/Novels

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is a fictionalized epic of an American family’s journey from Africa through slavery, colonialism, and 20th-century America. Jeffers has articulated an award-winning book on the experiences of black women in the South.  A heartbreaking yet awe-inspiring read, Jeffers takes readers on a cruel yet ultimately fulfilling expedition. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is a tale of self-exploration, navigating assimilation versus cultural preservation, and independence. 

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Blue Sisters is a contemporary fiction novel and Mellor’s second book.  Blue Sisters is the story of three estranged and reconnected sisters and their struggle with grief, new beginnings, and the complexity of family. Blue Sisters delves into the many complicated issues that can be present within one, such as family, addiction, loss, and ambition.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye was Morrison’s first novel. Morrison’s scene setting is remarkably detailed. The Bluest Eye is told through the perspective of several young black girls in 1940s Ohio. A painful story unfolds of one little girl's desire to be loved, valued, and above all, recognized as beautiful. The Bluest Eye is painful and without a happy ending, which is what makes it a landmark work of American fiction.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar follows Ester Greenwood, a talented student, with the accolades to prove it.  Ester earns a prestigious internship in New York, but the social pressure, family tensions, and desperate desire to succeed eventually overwhelm her. The Bell Jar closely follows Plath’s own young adulthood and her time at McLean Hospital. Plath’s novel is seen as an American classic because it is relatable for the majority of young women as they battle expectations placed upon them by romantic partners, school, and themselves.

A Leopard Skin Hat by Anne Serre

A Leopard Skin Hat is narrated by a friend of Franny, a girl suffering from serious psychological issues. Serre’s novel lays forth the two friends struggling with hope, despair, grief, and goodbyes. The book fleshes out the narrator's angst as the friendship evolves and ricochets between loving and bewildering. The plot is uniquely developed in a series of moving and emotional scenes.