Over the past few decades, feminism and the women's rights movement have made tremendous strides, giving women greater opportunities in multiple areas and even confronting inclusivity issues within the movement itself. While there is still much work to be done, it is important for women to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of the brave, resilient activists who worked to make it happen.
The inspirational books for women featured on this list are a great place to start, as they highlight the more personal side of successful women and feminist pioneers alike. Their stories make for exceptional inspirational works, while also serving as motivational books for women, showing what can be achieved with perseverance and determination. In our collection, you’ll find biographies of famous women, essay collections about feminist topics, and self-help guides—a range of titles to lift your spirits, strengthen your ambitions, and point you in the direction of a happier, healthier way of life.
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No one exists in a vacuum: we are all influenced by the news stories we read and the media we consume. Roxane Gay, an astute and revered cultural critic who dealt with great personal trauma before finding her way, discusses the interplay between pop culture and life in her 2014 collection, Bad Feminist. It includes essays on just about everything, from Gay's thoughts on online dating to her un-feminist love of the color pink. For any woman who feels guilty for not leading what she believes to be the perfect feminist life, Gay emphasizes that nothing—including feminism itself—will ever be flawless.
All too often, women are dismissed or belittled for expressing their feelings. A psychiatrist, Dr. Julie Holland urges every woman to listen to her body as well as her brains. In Moody Bitches, she alerts women to the dangers of medicating away your emotions—whether with mood stabilizers, alcohol, food, or addictive behaviors—and shares simple, natural strategies for ending insomnia, boosting your sex drive, and dealing with overwhelming feelings. Cassandra Campbell's calm, straightforward narration of Holland's work will help you understand why being a moody bitch is not always a bad thing after all.
Cofounder of Ms. Magazine and trailblazer for women’s rights, Gloria Steinem is one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th-century feminist movement. In My Life on the Road, she shares personal stories about her literal and figurative journeys as a young writer and activist. Narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Debra Winger, and featuring an introduction read by Steinem herself, this acclaimed autobiography demonstrates that, even if you can't afford to travel as extensively as Steinem has, you can change your life by keeping an open mind and remaining eager to learn about others.
Many women grew up thinking of Julie Andrews as the practically-perfect Mary Poppins. But there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than fans may have suspected. Andrews narrates her own story, focusing on both her personal life and on the people, events, and hard work behind her most famous films. Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews’s signature charm and pluck, Home Work is a fond look back at the apex of an incredible Hollywood career, and an important reminder that even women who find success in one aspect of their lives can face (and overcome) difficulties in others.
Toni Morrison passed away in 2019, but her legacy lives on through her powerful, thought-provoking writing. One of the foremost American authors of the last century, Morrison is remembered for her provocative novels, as well as for her essays and other insightful written works. The Source of Self-Regard offers some of Morrison's greatest nonfiction pieces. Through them, listeners gain a better understanding of the world and of the extraordinary woman who left such a lasting mark on it. Hall of Fame narrator Bahni Turpin, an award-winning performer who has lent her voice to a multitude of important listens dealing with weighty, emotional subjects., narrates this powerful collection.
Grammy-winning musical icon Alanis Morissette has always been something of an enigma: a star who topped the charts but remained remarkably grounded and deeply in touch with her own spirit. Morissette is one of the most complex, thoughtful artists of her generation, and in her audio memoir Alanis Morissette: Words + Music, she allows listeners a glimpse into the uphill battle that was holding onto her own identity in a male-dominated industry. Emerging in the mid-1990s with a fierce, incisive wit and that signature powerhouse voice, Morissette was coming to fame at a time when it was preferable that pop stars stay, well, rather one note. In rejecting all expectations and tapping into each and every one of her emotions and her conflicting viewpoints, she became not only a legendary musician—but an icon for women everywhere to honor pain, desire, and introspection in equal measure. If you’re in need of motivation to do some long-postponed soul-searching, hearing Morissette’s reflections on her life, art, and identity will provide just that.
With Western culture's emphasis on the value of youth, women may feel like they have to hit their prime in their 20s, and that they are failures if they don't meet all of their goals by their 30th birthday. Janet Mock thinks differently. A magazine editor and award-winning transgender activist, Mock views her 20s as just the beginning. In Surpassing Certainty, she talks about the many invaluable life lessons she picked up throughout her first full decade of adulthood. In this listen and her previous book, Redefining Realness, both both of which she reads herself, Mock demonstrates that it's okay to take all the time you need to figure yourself out.
Chrissy Metz found fame as one of the stars of NBC's This is Us. Now, fans can learn about her rise to stardom and the challenges she faced along the way in her autobiography, This Is Me. In a series of personal essays, Metz describes her difficult childhood, her early struggles and eventual triumphs in Hollywood, and the self-help tips that get her through tough times and help her appreciate what she has. Metz reads the book herself, and her informal, friendly tone welcomes you to consider yourself a good friend who stopped by for a chat.
For Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life, author Jane Sherron de Hart devoted more than 15 years of research, including extensive interviews with Ginsburg and her closest relatives, friends, and associates, to get to the heart of the Justice’s abiding commitment to women’s rights, civil rights, and justice for all. The picture that emerges is of a strong and principled woman who repeatedly overcame tremendous obstacles for a chance at the life and legal career she wanted. Justice Ginsburg’s death in September 2020 left the nation deeply shaken. Narrated by Suzanne Toren, this revelatory biography honors the legacy of one of the most profound and transformative legal minds of our time.
At first glance, cleaning may not seem like a very empowering activity. But in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, internationally renowned decluttering guru, takes what many view as a dull chore and transforms it into a dynamic, personalized experience. Decluttering your house and surrounding yourself with objects that make you happy can go a long way to improving your mood, giving you a sense of accomplishment, and reducing your cleaning workload in the future. The sequel, Spark Joy, is also available from Audible.
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina and the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court. As a girl, she lost her father and was diagnosed with diabetes. As an adult, she graduated from an Ivy League university and, despite continuing personal struggles, became a respected judge. The Audie Award-nominated audiobook version of her autobiography, My Beloved World, traces Sotomayor's journey from an underprivileged childhood to the highest court in the land. The original English version of My Beloved World is read by revered actor Rita Moreno, while the Spanish translation, Mi Mundo Adorado, is read by Gabriela Ramirez. Both are available on Audible.
Samantha Irby is a New York Times best-selling essayist known for her brash honesty and laugh-out-loud observations. In Wow, No Thank You, her latest essay collection, Irby tackles subjects both savory (mason jar salads!) and not (bodily functions). Being a deeply imperfect yet unquestionably accomplished woman presents a surprising number of comedic opportunities, and Irby takes advantage of every single one.
Dr. Ayanna Howard is an innovator, entrepreneur, leader, and international expert in robotics and AI. In this powerful and thorough Audible Original Sex, Race, and Robots, Howard draws on her personal experience as one of the few Black women working in the field of robotics. She shares the bias she experienced, and the ways in which the field of AI and computer programming too often produce machines that mirror the largely white and male world around them. Voice recognition systems have been rolled out that cannot hear female voices. The danger of bias is great, and while Howard warns about the risks of AI, she also delivers an uplifting and empowering message about where our society should go next — a message worth listening to.
Eileen Gonzalez is a freelance writer from Connecticut. She has a Master's degree in communications and years of experience writing about pop culture. She contributes to Book Riot and Foreword Reviews.