The Vanishing Act Of Esme Lennox / novel recommendations

I recently read 'The Female Man' by Joanna Russ and couldn't decide whether it was drivel or utterly brilliant. There were a lot of horribly accurate snippets that captured female rage perfectly. It was written in the 1970s so the fact that it's still on point is slightly sad.....

Another Kate Atkinson fan here

And speaking of family soap operas I really enjoyed Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet novels.

It thrills me that someone else likes this series as much as I do! It's such a wonderful period family saga, with terrific characters all round.

This might be too niche but Catriona MacPherson's Dandy Gilver series are great fun with some interesting social history.

catrionamcpherson.com/dandygilver

It's ancient but if you haven't read Carrie It’s extremely well written (both King and J K Rowling could do with reining in the verbiage)

My favourite Angela Carter's are The Bloody Chamber and Heroes and Villains

I'm almost at the end of The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. It's a sort of a family soap opera about 4 daughters.

And speaking of family soap operas I really enjoyed Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet novels.

I second Margaret Forster. I've just re-read Diary of an Ordinary Woman. A strong female central character and her perspective as she lives through the twentieth century. Lots of feminist stuff woven in. It made me want to read more. Off to look up Have The Men Had Enough?
I also love Kate Atkinson. Life after Life, again very female centred, would be one of my desert island books.

The Bass Rock - Evie Wyld is an intense howl of rage against male violence and misogyny through the centuries, through 3 women's stories intercut with anonymous victims of male violence. Gothic, visceral and memorable.

For a less literary read, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia is a kind of feminist hammer house of horror.

I nearly put the Wimsey books in - even when Wimsey is the focus, the female characters are always well written and not predictable, but those with Harriet in are the obvious starters (although Murder must Advertise is my personal favourite)

Have we added Angela Carter to the list yet? Nights at the Circus is fab - Feavers is an awesome character: it's magic realist/bit crackers but fun.

Great idea for a thread, OP: I'm making notes...

This is a great thread, thanks op.

Can I add Alice Thomas Ellis - especially the summerhouse trilogy, which is the same story told by three very different female characters.

Also love the bone people, terrible and gripping.

Beloved and paradise (and the rest) by Toni Morrison, and their eyes were watching god by zora Neale hurston. Everything by Alice Walker especially the colour purple.

Marilyn french eg the women's room or bleeding heart if you feel like some second wave us feminism - ballsy stuff

Margaret Atwood obviously

I also really like Dorothy sayers on women, especially strong poison, have his carcass, murder must advertise and gaudy night. Easy reading too.

Fay Weldon? Weird and funny books. She had one out recently about the Uk being taken over by sociologists and made to eat mass produced tank-grown meat. V funny

I'll keep thinking...

I love Kate Atkinson. My favourite is Emotionally Weird which is painfully funny for anyone who was at a Scottish University in the 70s.

The dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin is a firm favourite of mine. The main character is a man but its really good.

@StillStriving

I hated Normal People. I was so angry when I finished it, I sent various people that I knew had read it enraged texts. Then someone texted back that I was just being typical Marianne and I was apoplectic

This popped into my head A Certain Age by Tama Janowitz. It's an update on Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth

Also: if you can stand short stories, Alice Munro writes women's experiences, and family life, beautifully.

Any Barbara Kingsolver is certainly a good bet: Poisonwood is great but I loved Prodigal Summer possibly even more, and Flight Behaviour is great too.

Have you read Kate Atkinson? Behind the Scene at the Museum/Human Croquet etc rather than the Jackson Brodie's (although I like them too)

Geraldine Brooks Year of Wonders is a great one at the moment: about the experience of a village during the plague, and with a particular focus on the women's experiences. It was written before the pandemic but is interesting reading at the mo.

I've also enjoyed the recent of classical rewrites - Silence of the Girls and Circe are excellent and female centred (Song of Achilles is also stupendous, and good on masculinity!)

I rarely read 'good' novels anymore, just find them a bit tiring.

I read crime fiction for the most part. Ann Cleeves is great, and I love the Vera books.

Couldn’t be bothered with Normal People or Hot Milk. Bored by both.

Love everything I’ve ever read by Barbara Kingsolver. And Have the Men Had Enough is quite radicalising in a controlled Margaret Forster way.

I hated Normal People. I was so angry when I finished it, I sent various people that I knew had read it enraged texts. Then someone texted back that I was just being typical Marianne and I was apoplectic

I loved Crawdads. Favourite book of the year.

Educated by Tara Westover reminded me a bit of it (eh, well it's about a girl growing up somewhat neglected in America. It's close enough ) it's drags a little in places but is a decent read. Insight into abuse and cover up, perseverance and resilience.

I'm reading The Foundling just now, there's lots of complex female characters interacting. I feel like I'm actually in 18th century London until I'm distracted by my phone getting a text or something.

My mum has given me Diary of an Ordinary Woman to read but I haven't started it yet. Looks interesting though.

I second the recommendation for Burial Rites and third the recommendation for The Poisonwood Bible^!

Another excellent female-centred novel is Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore.

Anything by Barbara Kingsolver. I loved her early books but expected to hate The Poisonwood Bible (yes I am shallow but novels about African politics are as unappealing as misery novels about the Scottish working class) but I loved it and learnt a lot (most of which I've now forgotten)

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is beautifully written.

I think it was her thesis but I could be wrong.

Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Stroutt.