Essential Reading for Women's History Month

11 books that challenge, disrupt, and expand what we think we know about women’s lives, bodies, and history

Mar 22, 2026

While I don’t think we should just set aside one month to think, or talk, about women’s history and celebrate the accomplishments of women across generations, I will use any chance I get to celebrate the stories of women.

This list is a mix of books that challenge, disrupt, and expand what we think we know about women’s lives, bodies, and history. Some made me angry, some blew my mind, and some made me feel seen in a way I didn’t expect. All of them left a mark. If you’re looking for reads that question the status quo and remind you just how much there is to reclaim as a woman in today’s world, start here.

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

A fascinating read about the woman behind gene editing, the invention that answers questions about the origins of life but also forces us to wrestle with some of the most profound ethical issues of our time.

Eve by Cat Bohannon

Did you know that the female body drove 200 million years of human evolution? Neither did I. That’s because hiding the wonders of women is a feature of the patriarchal system we live under. Read this book for a revision of human history that’s urgent and eye-opening.

Vagina Obscura by Rachel E Gross

A book about vaginas? Yes, please. In a world that shies away from researching and writing about female bodies, this book is an invitation and an ode to one of the most misunderstood organs.

Belabored by Lyz Lenz

This book was one of my bibles when I was writing The Mother Code. It helped give me the confidence to turn my memoir into a manifesto of sorts and let my rage roar.

Whidbey by T Kira Madden

T Kira’s first novel brings together three women in the aftermath of a man’s murder. But not just any man. A man who sexually assaulted two of them. After reading Long Live The Tribe of Fatherless Girls I’d follow T Kira anywhere.

She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

From the reporters who uncovered the truth about Harvey Weinstein, this investigative thriller gives me hope for future generations.

The Dialectic of Sex by Shulamith Firestone

The subtitle “the case for feminist revolution” says it all.

The Way We Never Were by Stephanie Coontz

The 1950s Brady Bunch family is, and always has been, a myth. The traditional family model has never been the male breadwinner marriage. Reading this book changed everything I ever thought I knew about the modern family.

Down Girl by Kate Manne

That feeling that so many women have that if you don’t tow the line you’ll be punished? Not an accident. Kate Manne shows us why controlling and policing “bad” women is the engine that keeps society churning.

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

A novel about the twists and turns of whether the author Sheila Heti should have a child sounds grim, but someone she pulls it off--and offers a deeply felt view of womanhood along the way.