Feminist book suggestions

[yellowraincoat]

Continued from another thread.

Any suggestions for books that WON'T raise your feminist ire? I don't think we're looking for theory on this thread, more fiction, possibly even beach-reading?

Not that I'm going to the beach any time soon :(

I'll start by recommending The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. Well-rounded female characters (the main character is a little girl and we see things from her perspective, she is way smarter than her male friend. Also female members of her family and her housekeeper, the men barely get a look-in, except some bad guys) and the writing is really fantastic.

[blackcurrants]

Ooh, if we are looking for fantasy, the author Ursula Le Guin is well worth a look, she is not explicitly feminist all the time but has clearly thought a lot about feminism.

Also.for fab young adult.stuff, Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce write great heroine who Do Stuff and are complete people.

[itsthequietones]

Any Terry Pratchett books with the Witches in them - strong, feisty female characters and very funny.

[messyisthenewtidy]

Isthequietones, can you recommend which TP book to start with? Do you have to start at beginning or can you pick it up as you go along. Have always wanted to get them as heard they have good female characters but didn't know where to start.

Donna tartt one sounds good but it's about the death of a young boy which not sure could handle....

Thanks for recommendations

[yellowraincoat]

How about Notes On A Scandal by Zoe Heller?

OK - it features 2 tropes that might raise your ire. The Mrs Robinson and the Crazy Old Spinster.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it and the film, with Cait Blanchett and Judi Dench, is great.

[TheLightPassenger]

crime fiction can be good for strong female protagonists - the first few that spring to mind are:-

1. A Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid.
   
2. Any of the Asa Larsson/Rebecca Martinson series
   
3. The Stranger you Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams
   
4. Any of the Elly Griffiths/Ruth Galloway series
   
5. Any of the Ariana Franklin/Adelia series

[TheLightPassenger]

and yy to any of the Witches books by Terry Pratchett. Also the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett, although technically they are a bit of a young adult crossover they are also v good.

[itsthequietones]

Oh yes TLP, the Tiffany Aching books are great. I've just ordered the first one for dd1 to start reading - I loved them.

Messy - I didn't read them in any particular order. I started with Reaper Man and just read random ones from there. Although I believe there are loose storylines following the characters so maybe starting at the beginning would be a good idea.

Wickety's suggestion is good cos the witches are great. The full book list is here

[messyisthenewtidy]

Thanks all! I'm off to amazon then, there goes another hour!

[WilsonFrickett]

I actually found the Hunger Games trilogy a) a great read and b) feministy - the heroine is kick-ass but also the inequality applied equally, and there was no gender-bias on roles, so there were lots of female politicians and heads of government and soldiers etc. And while appearances and styling is an important element of the book, that was also equal - so the male protagonist had a styling team, as well as the female IYSWIM.

Definitely not heavy or I think intended to be feminist books but (I thought) a fantastic beach read and you can just gallop through them without tearing your hair out.

[yellowraincoat]

Wilson, you've sold me.

Going to download them later.

[WilsonFrickett]

I think a carefully edited YA reading list can be immensely cheering actually. There are of course hundreds of 'Teen in a High School can't get a boyfriend has a makeover oh my I'm popular' but there can be some real matter of fact equalism too. (have I just invented a new genre?)

(Oh and the second Hunger Games book isn't as good but stick with it cos the third is brill).

[Viviennemary]

I've never tried a Terry Pratchett book. But this thread has tempted me to. The Discworld books don't appeal to me. Assuming the witches ones are a different series.

[yellowraincoat]

Oooh oooh, how about Marian Keyes?

Yes, it looks like chicklit, it is mostly about love and friendship and so on, but it is well-written, funny and deals with dark topics like drug addiction and domestic violence.

Love Marian Keyes.

[WilsonFrickett]

Love Marian Keyes. Have you read any Jane Fallon?

[TeiTetua]

If you like a story set in a nice genteel environment, with some perceptive satirical touches, Barbara Pym is still worth a read.

I have a friend who's in the Barbara Pym Society, and she goes to the annual meetings. It must be fun going to a fan club like that, if you really like an author.

[yellowraincoat]

I haven't, Wilson.

Any good? Any particular recommendations?

[itsthequietones]

For YA (and 40 year olds ) there's also the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. It's a truly amazing story.

[itsthequietones]

Oh and it has a really strong female lead character.

[WilsonFrickett]

Foursome and Getting Rid of Matthew are both great, but now I come to think of it maybe not hugely feminist - I got a bit carried away when you said Marian Keyes. That said, strong female characters and a little bit darker than normal chick lit.

Also second His Dark Materials, brilliant books that I re-read every year.

[GoodButNotOutstanding]

Kelley Armstrong is good. The Darkest Powers series is a YA trilogy with a strong female lead. The women of the otherworld series is an adult book with some love and sex in most of the books but that's seen as a sideline to the main story. Strong female leads are plentiful and it's paranormal/fantasy.

[CardgamesFTW]

I recommend Robin Hobb's books. The Assassin trilogy has a male lead, but it's not sexist like many other fantasy books are.