Great Women Writers

Canada's most decorated female writer tackles the topic of debt with the same style and grace used in her fiction.

Is woman doomed by natural law to be the mental inferior of man? That's what Kate Austin asks in her seminal work. This is by no means an easy read, but it's a classic that will introduce you to the second wave of feminism, where we question our place with relation to men.

Bad Feminist is a 2014 collection of essays by cultural critic, novelist and professor Roxane Gay. And really, like what the title suggests, it's an insight on what it means to be a feminist, and how badly we are at it sometimes. Let's face it - women are multi-faceted, with different struggles and liberation needs. So even the right thing done, might be wrong. Roxane Gay talks about the real issues and struggles of the 21st century, and packages them in a relatable, lighthearted manner that will have you wanting more.

Activist, feminist, writer bell hooks was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, hooks drew her unique pseudonym from the name of her grandmother, an intelligent and strong-willed African American woman who inspired her to stand up against a dominating and repressive society.

Appalachian Elegy is bell hooks's portrayal of harsh realities of life in and around the Appalachian mountains. hooks's poetry quietly elegizes the slow loss of an identity while also celebrating that which is constant, firmly rooted in a place that is no longer whole.

Rising voices It’s time to revisit what’s at stake, what could still be lost, and why we must continually fight for equality and freedom for all. Get Out of my Crotch! is a collection of 21 different feminist voices (like Roxanne Gay, Betty MacDonald, Mira Ptacin) that study, examine and honestly confess the struggles that women continue to face.

To say that the The Female Eunuch was an important piece for feminist writing is really an understatement. The book was really a landmark, and a turning point to how contemporary society viewed the female body. It may be nearly 50 years that the book has been published, but its key message still resonates till today.

Rocker and lover. You'd think Patti Smith would be loud, voracious and all out, but Just Kids, her 2010 memoir shows a softer side of her. Smith documents her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe, and how she really transitioned to a musician, how her poems turned into songs and how she put together a band.

From bass guitarist, to wife, and to mother, Kim Gordon was always the front, center and solo of her own life. "Girl in a Band' is her heartfelt, honest memoir, on what it means to be in a scene full of boys, and what life after Sonic Youth is like.

Female crime authors are few and far between and Karin Slaughter is one of the best. A tense standoff between gunmen and police officers is happening in Georgia, and officer Lena Adams might just be the only one who knows what the gunmen wants. But she can't be sure. Karin Slaughter's "Indelible" is riveting, shocking and tense all at the same time. And when Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl says that she's one of the best thriller writers today, you best believe it and pick this one up.

Elena Ferrante is one of Italy's best writers to date and her portrayal of women and their friendships is second to none. My Brilliant Friend is all about two women and how their friendship withstands the passing of time and change. Ferrante masterfully spells it all out on the pages, and its terribly refreshing to have two women who manage to be solid friends, instead of the usual catty tropes.