These are books that I read to keep myself going while living in a patriarchy.
1. Against Our Will by Susan Brownmiller
This book is not a quick undertaking. It is brutal, honest, and extraordinarily painful. Do not read it all at once for it is a harrowing read. If you read the reviews for the book, though, you will see many examples of what was later labeled as #notallmen.
2. How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ
My first foray into inter-sectional feminism, the late Russ unearths all the fallacies that people drag out to minimize women's creations.
3. Every single book by Dr. Fatima Mernissi. The late Mernissi was a Moroccan sociologist, feminist, and brilliant writer. Her work explores many of the fallacies of Islamic history and women's rights.
4. The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. One of the finest examples of intersectional feminism, this book lays the groundwork for a more just society.
5. Afrofuturism: the world of Black sci-fi and fantasy by Ytasha L Womack. This book taught me so much the much under-represented Black experience in science fiction and fantasy. It is hopeful, exciting, and makes you want to write better books.
A few more excellent books and authors:
The Explorer's Guide to Planet Orgasm by Annie Sprinkle, PhD
Feminist Fight Club: An office survival manual for a sexist workplace by Jessica Bennet. I really like resources that give women "boots on the ground", real life suggestions on how to deal with our daily stressors.
Everything by Jean Shinoda Bolen
Everything by Dale Spender
The Survivor's Guide to Sex by Staci Haines
Everything by Susie Bright
