25 of My Favorite Women Writers
And where to start with each one
In honor of Women's History Month, I want to share some of my favorite women writers. There are so many I value and appreciate, but to make today's list, I had to have read at least two books from them. Many of these authors are names you'll recognize, but I hope you discover a new-to-you writer whose work you're excited to explore. I have 25 women to share with you, so let's get to it!
Megan Abbott: Abbott crafts expertly woven suspense novels with women at the center. She's written about cheerleaders, scientists, pregnant wives, and sisters. Abbott's books are consistently tense as she's skilled at creating a strong setting and sense of place. Sometimes, suspense novels can feel formulaic, but Abbott's never do. Start with You Will Know Me.
Jami Attenberg: Jami Attenberg has a knack for writing about messy people. Her stories are often about complicated families. What I love about her work is that she finds a way to make her messy protagonists not only entertaining but relatable. Her books are fun and well-crafted, making me feel like I know the people she's writing about. Start with All Grown Up.
Sarah Bessey: Out of everyone on this list, I might have been reading Sarah Bessey's work for the longest. I've followed her since the days she was a blogger. I remember my excitement when her first book, Jesus Feminist, was released. I loved that book so much, and I've continued to love Bessey's work, both in print and on Substack. No other writer I know writes about faith and God with such tenderness and thoughtfulness. Her work is precious to me. Start with Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God.
Sloane Crosley: My first exposure to Sloane Crosley was when I was working my first job at a public library. I'd be shelving nonfiction books and see Crosley's debut essay collection, I Was Told There'd Be Cake. The cover always caught my eye, so, one day, I checked it out. I've been a fan of her wit and humor ever since. Her latest release, a memoir called Grief Is for People, is a bit of a departure from her usual fare, but that book is also worth your time, especially if you can relate to Crosley's sense of loss. Start with I Was Told There'd Be Cake.
Katrine Engberg: In the Woods by Tana French is one of my favorite books of all time. It's unfair to other authors, but I always compare mystery books to that one, and few have lived up to my expectations. Then I read Katrine Engberg. She writes a fantastic series of detective novels set in Copenhagen. Like French, her books are full of suspense, well-crafted characters, mysteries with the perfect amount of creepiness, and an absorbing setting. I need more of her work ASAP. Start with The Tenant. (While it's not my favorite of her books, it is the start of the Kørner and Werner series I love so much.)
Louise Erdrich: I was first introduced to Louise Erdrich in college. I was taking a multicultural literature course and we were assigned Erdrich's famous novel, Love Medicine. I remember liking the book okay, but not being that impressed by it. I picked up my next Erdrich book in 2013 and ended up loving The Round House. The more Erdrich I read, the more besotted I became. Now I'm intrigued by everything she writes. (I'll have to revisit Love Medicine someday to see if I appreciate it now as a more mature reader.) Start with The Round House.
Gillian Flynn: For some people, pivotal moments in their lives include getting married, having a baby, or finally visiting that dream vacation spot. One of my pivotal moments was reading Gone Girl and getting to the big twist. I haven't been the same since. Gillan Flynn made me a mystery lover, and for that, I'm thankful. Her books explore some of the darkest impulses we humans can have using female characters who are multilayered and often ruthless, which I love and respect. Start with Gone Girl.
Tana French: You already know I love Tana French, but let me tell you more about why. When I read her work, I feel transported. French is a master at setting a scene, making me feel like I'm in Dublin, where her books are set. Mysteries are often plot-based books with character development taking a backseat, but French does plot and character work with impressive skill. Start with In the Woods.
Roxane Gay: Some writers are so good that they could write an essay about the color beige and I would be riveted. Roxane Gay is that kind of writer. She's a brilliant thinker and commentator, and her fiction abounds with just as much artistry and life as her nonfiction. Gay writes in many different formats, including novels, short stories, comics, essays, and op-eds. She excels at all of them. I'm grateful to be living in the same timeline as Roxane Gay. Start with Bad Feminist.
Yaa Gyasi: When I first read Yaa Gyasi's debut novel, Homegoing, I couldn't believe how good it was for a debut. Plus, Gyasi was only 26 years old when her book came out in 2016. I knew she had massive talent, and I was reminded of it when I read her second novel, Transcendent Kingdom. Gyasi's characters are intricately crafted and the stories she tells, though full of heartbreak and struggle, still somehow manage to give me hope that things can get better. Start with Homegoing.
Jane Harper: Each time I read a Jane Harper book, I feel as if I've snapped my fingers and ended up in Australia. Few writers manage to set a scene the way Harper does. Like Tana French, Harper balances plot and character development like the pro she is. Her mysteries are complex, and her protagonists are substantial people who ultimately want to do the right thing. Her standalone books are good, but my favorites are the titles in her Aaron Falk series. Start with The Dry, the first book of that series.
Emily Henry: I read one or two romances a year, and one is always by Emily Henry. Her books are lighthearted and fun, but her characters are consistently fleshed out and believable. In her last book, Funny Story, the romance was sweet, but the secondary characters were who brought the story to life for me. Henry's love stories center on romance, of course, but they're also about friendship, family ties, and how we make a home in the community we're in. Start with Funny Story.
Leslie Jamison: Most of the time when I read nonfiction, I read it for the ideas, not for the prose. Leslie Jamison not only writes interesting and engaging books, but the way she writes them is beautiful. She's the best of both worlds as a nonfiction writer. I enjoyed her memoir, Splinters, and her essay collections such as The Empathy Exams, but my favorite of her books so far is The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath, a profound look at Jamison's struggle with alcoholism where she weaves together her story with famous writers who also battled addiction. Start with The Recovering.
Lisa Jewell: I like reading new authors and sometimes I'll even get wild and try a new genre. Reading widely is important to me, but sometimes, I want a book I know will deliver. When I'm in that kind of mood, Lisa Jewell is the perfect choice. Her suspense novels are pageturners full of fascinating characters. Like several other authors I've mentioned in this post, Jewell is so good at capturing a setting and a mood. I love atmospheric novels, and I know that's what I'll always get with one of her books. Start with None of This Is True.
Claire Keegan: Whenever I read a good short story or novella, I'm impressed by how well the author wielded their words. There's little room for error with short fiction. Since there's nowhere to hide as there might be with a longer book, your words can't be wasted. Each time I read Claire Keegan, I'm reminded of just how masterful she is with her words. I've read three of Keegan's books so far, and each remains so clear in my memory, something that (sadly) isn't always the case, even with books I love. The characters she gives life to come off the page and seem so very real. Start with Small Things Like These.
Rebecca Makkai: When I think about Rebecca Makkai's writing, the word "intricate" comes to mind. I think about the achievement that is The Great Believers, in which she tackles different time periods, types of relationships, and the AIDS epidemic. In I Have Some Questions for You, a mystery novel I adore, she once again plays with time and addresses things like the criminal justice system, race, memory, and sexual assault. Much is happening in Makkai's work, yet she weaves the threads together to make a beautiful tapestry. Start with The Great Believers.
Toni Morrison: No one else I've ever read writes like Toni Morrison. Her style and tone are so unique that I think I could pick out her sentences from every other writer on this list. Morrison's books aren't easy to read. She addresses racism, abuse, neglect, and violence. And by addressing topics like these, she brings them into the light, examines them, and shows how to live amid the brokenness of the world. Start with Sula.
Celeste Ng: I've been a fan of Celeste Ng since the opening of her debut novel, Everything I Never Told You: "Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. 1977, May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast." What a way to start a book! I wanted to keep reading just revisiting those lines, even though I know what happens. Ng's books expertly balance plot, characters, and tension. Start with Everything I Never Told You.
Flannery O’Connor: Before I was introduced to Louise Erdrich in college, I was introduced to Flannery O’Connor when I was assigned her most famous short story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” At 18 or 19, I didn’t grasp everything the story was trying to say, and I probably still can’t grasp everything O’Connor wanted to communicate. O’Connor’s mind was as complicated as her protagonists. As a Southern woman living in the mid-20th century, she reflected some of the racism around her, yet her work often wrestled with themes such as faith, doubt, and good vs. evil. The way O’Connor wrote about faith and sin intrigued me when I first read her work, and it intrigues me still, years and several books later. Her work pushes me to think deeply and I’m always rewarded when I spend time with her words. Start with The Complete Stories.
Ann Patchett: I feel like Ann Patchett and I are friends. Each week, she appears in a social media video at her bookstore Parnassus, and recommends a backlist book to her viewers. She can make any book sound amazing. Since I see Patchett on my screen every week, I feel like we know each other and that sometimes she's recommending a title just for me. (Please don't ruin this fantasy.) Patchett seems like a delightful person, and delight is what I feel when I read her books. I have a lot of backlist to work through, but I've loved some of Patchett's recent books, including her nonfiction. Start with Commonwealth.
Marisha Pessl: I love utterly absorbing reading experiences that make me feel like I'm in another world. That's the experience I had while reading Night Film, Marisha Pessl's brilliant mystery and horror-ish novel about a reclusive cult filmmaker and his dead daughter featuring media such as screenshots, articles, and photos that made the story feel eerily real. Even in Pessl's less eerie work, I find myself all in and wrapped up in her protagonists. She's such a unique and gifted storyteller. Start with Night Film.
Sally Rooney: Intermezzo, Rooney's latest novel, comes in at over 400 pages, yet I didn't want it to end. Her characters were each flawed in their own ways, but I liked spending time with them. I felt like I got to know them and their worlds because Rooney is an expert at writing dialogue. Her characters always seem to leap off the page and come to life. I feel like I'm eavesdropping on private conversations while reading certain Rooney scenes. Rooney gets a lot of acclaim these days, and I think it's warranted. Start with Normal People.
Zadie Smith: I have a more complicated relationship with Zadie Smith than I do with any other author on this list. Smith is a hit-and-miss writer for me, but when she hits, she really hits. I've enjoyed her books White Teeth, Grand Union, and Intimations, but NW and The Fraud didn't work for me. Despite not always loving Smith's work, I'm still intrigued by everything she publishes. Whenever I hear about a new Smith book, I'm excited about it. That's why she's on this list. I appreciate a writer whose work has made me a fan, even when I might not love everything they've written. Start with White Teeth.
Donna Tartt: Tartt's beloved novel The Secret History is one of my all-time favorites. I also love The Goldfinch, the 2013 release that won her the Pulitzer Prize. If she released a new book tomorrow, I'd be first in line. You'd think that because I love Tartt's work so much I would have read everything she's written, but no, I haven't. I haven't read 2002's The Little Friend. I want to read it, but I can't stand the idea of not having any more Donna Tartt to read. It's my safety book. It's like my comfort blankie of literature. I like knowing "new" Tartt is on my bookshelf, anytime I need it. Start with The Secret History.
Jesmyn Ward: In a couple of Jesmyn Ward's novels, she uses magical realism and has ghosts following her protagonists. After finishing one of Ward's books, I feel like the ghost is haunting me. Her stories have a way of building a home inside my head, causing me to think about them over and over again. I think about the family facing Hurricane Katrina in Salvage the Bones. I think about the family dealing with addiction and loss in Sing, Unburied, Sing. I think about the horrors of slavery explored in Let Us Descend. I dislike when fiction books are described as "untrue" or "made up" because great stories have true things to tell us. The truth hangs on and Ward tells the truth about the highs and lows of American life. Start with Sing, Unburied, Sing.
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If you made it through all 2500+ words of that post, I applaud you. Get yourself a treat because you’ve earned it. But first: I want to know what women writers you love. Who tops your list? Who should I add to mine? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Help more readers find my work by sharing this post. Thank you!
Try Edith Wharton.
I would add Anne Tyler, Barbara Kingsolver, but I didn't enjoy Copperhead, Elizabeth Gilbert, particularly The Signature of All Things, and from England, Kate Atkinson and Elly Griffiths