Reading List for the Angry Woman

Whew. How are we doing? If you are like me, probably not so great. I feel like I’ve cycled through every negative emotion in the book this week. There have been a lot of tears the last few days, but what’s emerging from it is pure, seething rage. I’m so angry. At friends, at family, at the world, and, holy shit, I am so angry at these young men terrorizing women online and in-person with the chant, “Your body, my choice.”

So, here we are. It’s the end of the week and I’m focusing my efforts on community action in my area. I encourage you to do the same. I also want to remind you to take care of yourself during stressful times like this. Engage in play or self care to bring something happy to your life. One of my fave acts of self care is reading (see how I segued so nicely?), and my favorite theme in my reading as of late has been feminine rage. So let’s get into some of my favorite books (and a few TBR picks!) that embody this feeling. Please note that many of these works include scenes or mentions of r*pe or sexual trauma so check the trigger warnings before reading.

Fiction

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
What I rated it: 4.5 stars
Tags (I’m making this like Ao3, shut up): Magical Realism, queer characters, light fantasy, told through various perspectives and formats

Carrie by Stephen King
What I rated it: 4 stars
Tags: Horror, religious trauma, murderous revenge, supernatural elements, okay guys this one’s written by a man so just know the descriptions of women’s bodies/menstruation is going to be so weird/inaccurate, made into many movies

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
What I rated it: on my TBR!
Tags: Hindu Epic retelling, gods & magic & monsters, heavy on the misogyny & warfare, queer characters

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
What I rated it: 5 stars
Tags: Dystopian, Handmaid’s Tale meets Hunger Games meets Lord of the Flies, communication through the Victorian language of flowers (I love this element, sorry)

Weyward by Emilia Hart
What I rated it: 4.5 stars
Tags: Magical realism, witch lineage/ancestry, time jumps/multiple POVs, “Good for her” energy, queerness in the 1600s!!!

Circe by Madeline Miller
What I rated it: 4 stars
Tags: Greek mythological retelling, leaves you feeling proud to be a woman, epic storytelling

Women Talking by Miriam Toews
What I rated it: 4 stars
Tags: Based on a true story so that sucks, very heavy material, bodily autonomy, made into a movie

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
What I rated it: on my TBR!
Tags: Horror, fuck the patriarchy, metamorphosing into man’s nightmare, reclaiming her power, made into a movie

Lilith by Nikki Marmery
What I rated it: on my TBR!
Tags: Biblical retelling, defiant woman, religious trauma

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
What I rated it: 4.5 stars
Tags: Suspense/thriller, witchy shit, queer characters, found family, murderous revenge

Medusa by Jessie Burton
What I rated it: 5 stars (and I reread it twice this year!)
Tags: Greek mythological retelling, just a girl and her sisters and the men that are trying to ruin her life, powerful narrative, very quotable

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
What I rated it: 5 stars
Tags: Fantasy, just a girl and her sisters and the man that is trying to ruin their lives, magical elements, murderous revenge

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
What I rated it: on my TBR!
Tags: Thriller, dark comedy, murder (obviously), just a girl and her sister and the serial killer urge that’s ruining their lives

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
What I rated it: 5 stars
Tags: Gothic novel, very short & easy read, isolation and madness, pop off Merricat, incredible audiobook performance

Galatea by Madeline Miller
What I rated it: 5 stars
Tags: Greek mythological retelling, men treating women as property never ends well <3, body autonomy

Non-fiction & Poetry

The Witches are Coming by Lindy West
What I rated it: 4 stars
Tags: Political essays, incredibly funny and spot on, you have to laugh or else you’ll cry, hates Tr*mp big time <3

Persephone Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer
What I rated it: 5 stars
Tags: Poetry, inspired by Persephone, tarot card tie-ins, artwork/collages

Heal the Witch Wound by Celeste Larsen
What I rated it: on my TBR!
Tags: Spiritual development, claiming your power and honoring your ancestors, Pagan witchcraft

Is there a book I’m missing? Let me know!! I’m always looking for new reads in this genre.

Stay safe and take care of yourself,
Dede