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Feminist classics everyone should know
16 items
By
Katrina Vivianne
Timeless reads that shaped feminism, opened doors for women, and still carry their power today.
1
A heavy but life-changing book that questions everything we assume about womanhood.
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
The book that gave voice to the frustrations of suburban women in the 1960s.
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
A lyrical essay that says women need money and space to write and create.
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
Bold, poetic essays from a Black queer feminist voice ahead of her time.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
Connects the dots between feminism, racism, and class struggles.
Women, Race, & Class by Angela Davis
A short, haunting story about a woman trapped in her room until she unravels.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A clear, welcoming guide to what feminism really means.
Feminism Is for Everybody by bell hooks
Radical, futuristic, and not afraid to reimagine society itself.
The Dialectic of Sex by Shulamith Firestone
Explores how “beauty standards” are used to keep women in line.
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
A groundbreaking health book created by women, for women.
Our Bodies, Ourselves by The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective
It’s raw and haunting, but also strangely comforting to know others have felt the same.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A chilling dystopia about women’s rights and autonomy. It’s terrifying, but it reminds me why fighting for rights matters.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
It’s heartbreaking and healing at the same time, definitely a story that sticks.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Jo March is still my favorite role model for chasing your dreams.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
It’s a classic story of a young woman’s moral and emotional growth, with love and independence at its core.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
It’s about a story of second chances, love, and self-respect in a world that often underestimates women.
Persuasion by Jane Austen
