11 Amazing Books About Being a Woman in the Modern World

11 Amazing Books About Being a Woman in the Modern World

How Sexism Affects Everyone

In Depth

Women make up half the population, so it's not surprising that there are thousands of wonderful books that feature female protagonists. But not all writers are great at capturing the challenges, pleasures, and nuances of being a woman in the world today. The authors we discuss here have a stunning talent for bringing the feminine experience to life. In no particular order, here is our list of eleven novels.

#1. "The Animators" by Kayla Rae Whitaker. The friendship of Mel and Sharon goes way back to their college days. Their bond is strengthened by different activities they share together, especially their art. Mel draws to get away from her troubled past, while Sharon uses it for self-expression. Fast-forward ten years and both characters are now successful animators. Their works are laregely inspired by Mel's past. Problems begin to surface when Sharon realizes that her friend is a better artist than she is. Jealousy continues to threaten their partnership as Sharon's ex-lover shows up, wanting to rekindle their romance.

#2. "That Kind of Mother" by Rumaan Alam. Rebecca is a young mother to a beautiful baby boy. Despite the happiness that motherhood brings her, she struggles to balance the demands of being a mom with her other ambitions. She meets Priscilla, a woman who helps her take care of her son, and quickly becomes attached to her new friend. She hires Priscilla to become her son's nanny. Tragedy strikes when Priscilla dies while giving birth. Rebecca decides to adopt her friend's child. She begins a journey of becoming a white mother to a black son, a decision that changes her life forever.

Rebecca is a young mother to a beautiful baby boy.

#3. "The Girl Who Wrote in Silk" by Kelli Estes. Inara is the heir to an island estate previously owned by her deceased aunt. At first, she plans to transform the property into a hotel destination, but her vision takes a sudden turn when she discovers an embroidered silk sleeve while inspecting the area. The clothing contains intricate designs and pictures that connect the story of their house to Mei Lein, a young Chinese woman who lived in their estate a century ago. The lead character's investigation reveals how her life and Mei Lein's are connected.

#4. "Startup" by Doree Shafrir. This novel takes on the wild world of New York City's startup tech culture. Mack is all set to launch an updated version of his $600 million app called TakeOff. Katya is an ambitious journalist who will do whatever it takes to get the inside scoop. Through Katya's persistence to be ahead of other journalists, she discovers a scandal that involves Mack and a young executive in his company. Katya knows that the story can propel her career to the top. On the other hand, it would destroy Mack's reputation completely.

#5. "A Nantucket Wedding" by Nancy Thayer. Allison, a widowed mother of two, decides to marry a man named David. In the midst of the preparations, she is looking forward to introducing her fiance to her daughters, Jane and Felicity, who are not on good terms. Leading up to the big day, things start to get complicated. Jane becomes attracted to David's son, Ethan, while Felicity discovers a dark secret that will change everything for her and her family. As the wedding day draws closer, the events and revelations threaten to shatter Allison's dreams of being happy again.

In the midst of the preparations, she is looking forward to introducing her fiance to her daughters, Jane and Felicity, who are not on good terms.

#6. "Before and Again" by Barbara Delinsky. Mackenzie is a loving wife and has a five-year-old daughter named Lily. One day, while she drives Lily to her friend's house, she misses a stoplight resulting in a collision with a truck. The accident leaves Lily dead. Mackenzie's marriage falls apart and she loses the will to live. She moves to Vermont, taking on a career as a makeup artist under a new name. Just when she thinks she has completely turned away from her dark past, her husband comes to town.

#7. "The Moment of Everything" by Shelly King. Maggie initially wants to become a librarian, but fate has other plans for her. She decides to go to Silicon Valley and build a tech company called ArGoNet. When her business struggles, she finds herself booted out from her own company, leaving her shocked and penniless. Depressed and confused, she starts spending her days in a local bookstore. After joining a book club, she finds a novel titled "Lady Chatterley's Lover." The copy contains marginal notes scribbled by lovers from several years back. As she attempts to learn more about the two sweethearts, she rediscovers herself.

#8. "Always" by Sarah Jio. Kailey has everything going on for her: a great career as a journalist, and a supportive fiance, Ryan. One night, as she and Ryan head home, Kailey gives their take-out food to a homeless man. To her surprise, she recognizes the man as Cade, her ex-boyfriend from over a decade ago. The protagonist helps her former lover pick himself up, unbeknownst to Ryan. In doing so, she remembers their bittersweet past. This makes her fall in love with Cade once again. Now, she needs to decide what type of future she wants to have and who she wants to spend it with.

To her surprise, she recognizes the man as Cade, her ex-boyfriend from over a decade ago.

#9. "The Last Neanderthal" by Claire Cameron. The book follows the struggles of two women who live in different eras. Rosamund is a modern day archaeologist who wants to prove her controversial theories about Neanderthals. As she works on the biggest discovery of her career, she gets pregnant. Things become more complicated as she races against the clock to gather all the evidence she needs. Readers also get to experience the life of "Girl," a Neanderthal who lived 40,000 years ago. Putting these two story lines side-by-side, the author explores the ways in which women's lives have changed over time, and the ancient problems that still plague our society today.

#10. "Vintage" by Susan Gloss. Violet, the owner of Hourglass Vintage Clothing, is facing the possibility of losing her beloved store. Amithi is reeling from the betrayal of her husband. Looking forward to moving on with her life, she decides to sell her old clothes. Meanwhile, 18-year-old April is five months into an unplanned pregnancy, as her engagement to her boyfriend comes crashing down. When the paths of these three women cross at Hourglass Vintage, they will learn valuable lessons from each other.

#11. "Looking for Me" by Beth Hoffman. Teddi has loved restoring antique items since she was a young girl. Realizing that her mother will never understand her passion, she leaves Kentucky for Charleston, South Carolina. There, she works hard until she becomes the owner of an antique shop. One day, she hears a rumor that her brother Josh is still alive. She remembers the moment when Josh, only 18 at that time, ran away and never came back. Everyone has long assumed that her brother was dead. The news about Josh excites the main character, who travels to her home town to search for him. In the process, she rediscovers her inner strength and her love for her family.