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7 Feminist Books Emma Watson has been Reading

For the Global Bookclub, Our Shared Shelf

It’s a few months now since we brought you the news that Emma Watson was launching a feminist bookclub. The club is hosted on Goodreads and features books, recommended by Emma that show strong female characters, or have a feminist theme.

Our Shared Shelf got off to a really positive start, and now seven months in, we went to see how it was going!

Well to date Our Shared Shelf has more than 140,000 members, and the seven books that have featured so far are all excellent recommendations! You can take the recommendations whether you’re part of the book club or not, and so here are the 7 feminist books Emma has recommended to date.

My Life on the Road – Gloria Steinem

My Life on the Road kicked the book club off earlier this year and it’s a candid account of Steinem’s life as a traveller, a listener and a catalyst for change.

My Life on the Road US
My Life on the Road UK

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The Color Purple – Alice Walker

Emma said this was recommended to her by someone she trusts, and this one comes highly recommended in literary circles too! The Color Purple is an epistolary novel that focuses on the lives of African-American women in the southern US states, and was Pulitzer Prize winner in 1983.

The Color Purple US
The Color Purple UK

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All About Love: New Visions – Bell Hooks

This is the first one on the list that I haven’t heard of, but it comes highly recommended having been personally recommended by Maya Angelou!

All About Love US
All About Love UK

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How to Be a Woman – Caitlin Moran

How to Build a Girl has been one of my favourite reads this year, and How to be a Woman is on my own TBR. Caitlin is an English hero, rewriting the feminist agenda.

How to Be a Woman US
How to Be a Woman UK

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The Argonauts – Maggie Nelson

Following the fantastic recommendations, Our Shared Shelf moved onto The Argonauts. It’s not an easy read but it’s well worth it, and takes an interest look at inclusion and the powers and shortfalls of language.

The Argonauts US
The Argonauts UK

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Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi is an Iranian hero, and that’s no understatement, growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution this is her memoir. It’s graphic fiction, a lot of fun, but serious and complex too.

Persepolis US
Persepolis UK

Persepolis Review

Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl – Carrie Brownstein

And as we head into August we’re right up to date with the current book, Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl. This is Carrie Brownstein’s personal memoir and it’s candid and deeply personal.

Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl US
Hunger Makes me a Modern Girl UK

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So that’s it, the seven books covered by Emma Watson’s book club to date. Even if you don’t want to join in the discussions, it still makes a great reading list for any modern woman, or man!

Feminism isn’t just for girls, you know, that’s kind of the point!



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