8 Down-to-Earth Non Fiction Feminist Books

Many people like to laugh at and accuse feminism and feminist in general of being deluded and striving towards a dream-like utopia that could never, ever be achieved in our reality. To those people, I would like to remind them that that was the exact same accusation that was being thrown around during the very beginning of the first wave of feminism. Who’s laughing now?

Feminism does good in fiction, as many female writers and feminist themes-laden fiction books out there can attest. But feminism does equally well in the non-fiction arena, and within it, there are many themes that aren’t remotely a laughing matter. Next time you hear something about feminist fantasies, remind yourself that we have had, and continue to have, a real impact and importance in the modern world, as these non-fiction feminist books can attest.

#1 Like She Owns The Place by Cara Alwill Leyba

Cara tells it like it is in this elevate-your-self-confidence-every-day tale geared towards women that are ready to hang societal expectations and chose to be happy with themselves once and for all. it’s an incredible read for any woman, of any age, specially if you tend to people please as a sport.

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#2 Joy from Fear by Carla Marie Manly PhD

If you find yourself running away from fear, you’re running in the wrong direction. Fear demands that we move toward it, face it, and hear its messages. When we fail to do this, the price is high-chronic anxiety, sleeplessness, damaged relationships, skyrocketing pharmaceutical use, and more. In her enlightening book Joy from Fear, clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly explains that fear is not the enemy we thought it was; fear, when faced with awareness, is the powerful ally and best friend we all need.

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#3 What Would Virginia Woolf Do? by Nina Lorez Collins

Nina Lorez Collins is a modern high-powered feminist writer invoking feminist icon Virginia Woolf as she encourages women to be empowered through a time in life that can have us all feel far less than our most powerful selves. The book was born out of a private Facebook community that Collins created for women to support, inspire and empower each other through the confronting process of aging. The group and the book empower women to kick ass even more in the world with their ever-changing but powerful sexuality, bodies, and passions and encourages them to own their ever-increasing wisdom.

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#4 Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

The media often pays undue attention to what a female politician is wearing or how her hair is styled for an event–facts deemed irrelevant or outright ignored when it comes to male politicians.

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#5 Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

In America, over a thousand women are murdered every year by their ex-spouses. That’s roughly three women per day. In fact, it’s the main cause of death for pregnant women in the country. A woman is beaten every nine seconds, too.

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#6 Asking for it by Kate Harding

There’s a simple reason: prosecutors don’t want to pursue cases because they rarely feel confident their evidence will convince the jury, as rape victims are often scapegoated for the crime. They generally choose not to go to trial unless there’s rock solid evidence of rape, such as video footage or serious injuries sustained by the victim. That kind of evidence is rare.

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#7 A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft

Friendship between men and women will only be possible when the sexes can interact as intellectual equals.

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#8 The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

No one is born a woman–it’s something you become. Rather than a biological category, it’s a creation of history, religion, and myths, which are constantly reproduced by male-dominated social forces. For the female to become free, we all need to understand that woman is nothing more than a social construct.

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