From true-life accounts of strong women to fictional accounts featuring confident girls, these books will serve as an excellent starting point for building confidence, self-esteem, and empowerment.
Sisters of Mokama is the tale of women who discover strength through mutual support and kindness, while Regena Thomashauer’s Pussy: A Reclamation helps women rediscover their power and delight in female sexuality.
I Am Malala
Women’s empowerment has gained significant momentum over time. From Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women to Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala, there’s no lack of female literary inspiration out there.
This book chronicles an inspiring girl from Swat, Pakistan, who challenged the Taliban and stood up for her right to education despite immense difficulties. It is a tale about human perseverance despite life’s most trying circumstances; an inspiring and uplifted story.
Journalist Mariane Pearl travels over 100,000 miles to interview women making a difference in their communities around the globe, and her book offers insights into how we all can take steps toward positive change in our own lives.
Becoming
Women empowerment books motivate readers to overcome any perceived limitations in order to pursue their goals and realize their dreams. From autobiographies and novels, these powerful reads will empower and uphold women of all ages.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama takes readers on an inspiring journey with her critically-acclaimed memoir Becoming. In it, she chronicles her experience battling racism and sexism while detailing her accomplishments and passions – this powerful read should serve as an inspiration.
2. Lean In
Tech executive Sheryl Sandberg encourages women to be more ambitious and take risks in their careers in her empowering book Lean In. Her book emphasizes networking, building confidence, and taking advantage of mentorship opportunities without compromising one’s personal life.
Abby Wambach’s book Fierce, Free and Full of Fire
Renowned soccer player Abby Wambach provides readers with valuable lessons about building supportive communities by drawing upon her experiences as a soccer player to teach teamwork and perseverance as key components to overcoming challenges.
The Sun and Her Flowers
Women empowerment books aim to uphold and inspire women living in an often male-centric world. Women of all ages and backgrounds experience sexism, discrimination, lower pay, and even domestic violence in various forms; Mariane Pearl travels around the globe, meeting courageous women who have found strength despite challenging situations. In this book, she meets up with 12 brave women who have displayed great grit despite such challenges.
No matter your taste or mood, these books have something for everyone – from comical reads to severe historical narratives that inspire. Best of all, most are available in both print and audio formats, so you can select which design best meets your needs. Mindy Kaling fans should check out Act Like a Lady; its humorous look at female empowerment encourages readers to pave their paths, while I Am Malala provides a more serious yet powerful narrative about a girl fighting for education rights that provides true motivation.
A Year of Yes
Shonda Rhimes found herself at the pinnacle of her career with three hit television shows and an expanding portfolio. But something was still amiss – so, drawing inspiration from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, Rhimes resolved to spend one year saying yes to everything that scared her, documenting this experience here in book form.
Uninvited’s award-winning author explores our shared struggle for acceptance and love in an environment that often leaves us feeling less than we are. Readers are encouraged to embrace their worthiness and connect with God’s unconditional love, thus changing their lives and relationships for good.
This award-winning novel explores the life of a young woman struggling with mental health issues while she navigates love, friendship, and the challenges associated with growing up in our patriarchal society. This book should be read by any woman who feels marginalized by society.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me
Jen Hatmaker offers readers a powerful reminder of their worthiness with this inspirational book by way of relatable anecdotes and biblical teachings. Reading it may give hope and self-assurance when feeling inadequate – anyone needing a boost should read it now!
This memoir by the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner is an incredible story of one girl’s fight to protect her right to education. Told through first-person narrative, this book will leave you feeling empowered to voice your own beliefs.
Glory Edim, author and founder of the popular Well-Read Black Girl blog, brings together essays written by contemporary Black women in this inspiring compilation of feminist empowerment books. Contributors like Jesmyn Ward, N. K. Jemisin, Tayari Jones, and more will help you discover a piece of yourself within each empowering essay. Mindy Kaling fans will particularly love it as she offers lighthearted yet humorous reminders that every journey starts somewhere different!
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
Issa Rae’s Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl is a top-rated web series on YouTube that chronicles Issa Rae’s Misadventures as she navigates life from dating as an introvert to handling public displays of affection. Her book chronicles it all in a humorous, self-deprecating style sure to inspire women everywhere.
No list of books about empowered women would be complete without including Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Her book offers advice for achieving success while managing family, career, and personal lives at once.
Mariane Pearl travels the globe interviewing extraordinary women who defy social norms and break boundaries for good, offering this collection of interviews as a resource on topics like mental health, gender equality, and global activism.
Sophia Amoruso’s Girl Boss
Women still struggle to assert their power in an environment geared more toward men; women suffer from sexism, pay inequality, and even femicide at alarming rates. Luckily, there are numerous books about empowered women that provide insight and uphold.
These books about empowered women will make for inspiring reading that will leave you feeling ready to face any obstacle that comes your way.
Sophia Amoruso shares her journey of founding one of the fastest-growing retail companies ever seen in this New York Times bestseller. Amoruso’s memoir serves as an inspirational Lean-In guide for misfits who want to learn how to navigate business despite having different beliefs or backgrounds.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Creative Living
Women have made strides since being enslaved during the 15th century, yet more work needs to be done. The literary world is rich with powerful ideas about women’s empowerment that we’d recommend you read. Here are just a few that stand out!
Elizabeth Gilbert first garnered widespread acclaim with the publication of Eat Pray Love in 2006, an international bestseller about one woman’s recovery from divorce by traveling the globe and finding peace in Tuscany. Now, with Big Magic, Gilbert delves further into living a creative life through wisdom, magical thinking, and fantastical tales.
Journalist Mariane Pearl travels around the globe interviewing twelve courageous women of various cultures and backgrounds about their heroic life journeys in this eye-opening book. A must-read for any woman looking to live her own life on her terms!
