From 'Americanah' to 'I Love Dick', ELLE's Literary Editor picks your essential reading
By Sharmaine Lovegrove
From 'Americanah' to 'I Love Dick', ELLE's Literary Editor picks essential reading for smart women
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1
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
How history shapes the lives of others is important to us all. In this book, described as 'required reading' by Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates attempts to answer the question of race in America in the form of a letter to his son. In order to understand our place as women in the world, I believe we must also consider man's struggle and this is the book to do that.
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2
A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
Lucia Berlin has been writing for fifty years but with this collection she has made her name internationally. Her short stories with their humour and style are compared to Jean Rhys or Raymond Carver - the masters of the form. This collection pays homage to the incredible life she lead, the people she met and the experiences she had and will have you going back for more.
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3
On Revolution by Hannah Arendt
First published in 1963, Hannah Arendt's On Revolution quickly became a classic and her political insights are as relevant today as they were then. Examining the principles that lead to revolutions it will leave you wondering just when you'll get your call to arms or when you can start your own.
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4
I Love Dick by Chris Kraus
Reissued to critical acclaim, women have proclaimed that this book has changed their life and it's easy to see how. Fragments of memoir, essay, and fiction blended together to create this unique and illuminating feminist tome for the smartest of women.
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5
Citizen</> by Claudia Rankine
Raw, bold, timely, timeless and urgent, this award-winning poetry collection pushes the boundaries of the form as people have been pushed to the limits to fights for our identity and culture. A masterpiece of emotional verse that makes you reconsider what it is be alive.
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6
The Sex Lives of English Women by Wendy Jones
There are so many misgivings about sex and in this important book, bestselling writer Wendy James asks twenty-four very different women their thoughts on their bodies, relationships and sexual fantasies in order to break the taboo of female sexuality. Honest and inspirational this books is a powerful exploration of women.
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7
The Blind Side of the Heart by Julia Franck
Originally written in German and set during World War Two, this novel charts the life of one of my favourite women in fiction. Honest, heart-breaking and harrowing The Blind Side of the Heart tells the story of what it means to be a women during war and having to make impossible choices. Since finishing it, it's never far from my mind and I believe Helena's story will move many women today.
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8
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Fierce, brave and beautifully written, Oranges is one of the first books I read as a teenager when I realised I wanted to build a library. A passionate plea for all women to be themselves despite the hardships we may face. This book will be read by women for generations to come.
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9
Flâneause by Lauren Elkin
Feminist rights have come so far and I think it's important to remember the journey we have been on to get to where we are today. In Flaneuse, Lauren Elkin highlights the struggle for women to walk through the city unaided and celebrates the role of the female artist meandering in urban environments. Rich with insights, history and culture, this should have a place in the women's history section of your home library.
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10
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
This is a really powerful novel which invites us to ponder what happens when you move abroad and have to reconsider everything you know about yourself, including your race and identity. When I read this book, I immediately shaved my relaxed hair and started growing an afro such was its impact. I believe it is a powerful musing on what it means to find yourself either at home or away.