Modern Feminist Books to Read in 2021

Jessica Valenti, one of the most well-known modern feminists of our time, and other icons, including Salma Hayek, Chelsea Handler, and Mindy Kaling, bring their whip-smart perspectives to this new collection, The Future Is Feminist. The essays explore what it means to be a feminist yesterday, today, and tomorrow. One very important topic of discussion? Resting bitch face, or as some may know it, RBF.

Gerhard asks why issues of sex and female pleasure came to matter so much to these “second-wave feminists”. Gerhard begins by showing how the marriage experts of the first half of the twentieth century led people to believe that female sexuality was bound up in bearing children.

Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman delves deeply into why witches have intrigued us for centuries and why they’re more relevant now than ever. A comprehensive meditation on one of the most mysterious and captivating figures of all time, Waking the Witch celebrates the witch’s past, present, and future, and reveals the critical role they have played-and will continue to play-in shaping the world as we know it.

The Feminist War on Crime by Aya Gruber contends that we must abandon the conventional feminist wisdom, fight violence against women without reinforcing the American prison state, and use criminalization as a technique of last-not first-resort.

The Empathetic Workplace picks up where the #MeToo Movement left off. While #MeToo did a fantastic job telling survivors that it is okay to share their stories, it didn’t teach the rest of us how to listen. Listening to a story of trauma is not always easy, in part because of the way trauma affects the brain. The Empathetic Workplace, authored by the Justice Department’s former advisor on victim rights, provides practical advice on how to receive a story of trauma in the workplace with respect and support while protecting yourself from compassion fatigue and not running afoul of legal obligations.

Rachel Hollis is not an expert, she is just like you and me. She was able to figure things out in most areas of her life and she dedicated herself to empowering other women and sharing her truths with all of us. In her book, she talks about issues almost every woman can relate to and teaches us to change the way we see ourselves through changing the mindset and uncovering the common lies.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo by my favorite feminist book. Written in 2019, it presents very inspiring real-life stories of three young women – Maggie, Lina, and Sloane. As a self-proclaimed ignorant male reader, Three Women gave me great insight as to how women struggle in the modern world. As somebody who doesn’t often read non-fiction, let alone books on feminism, this book was a real page-turner and I’ve recommended it to many male friends who I think would get something out of it.

Body Positive is an easy to understand and refreshing take on understanding the male gaze and body image. This book educates readers on how to be a critical media consumer and navigate serious topics such as mental health and bullying.

This illustrated book is really comprehensive and easy to read whilst taking you through the past 100 years of the women’s movement, from suffrage, alleged bra-burning and the politics of hair to Beyoncé, body positivity and #MeToo. It examines flaws as well as the successes of the movement and discusses the future of feminism. I found the personal testimonies by Helen Pankhurst and Juno Dawson particularly interesting. An all-round good read.

I was absolutely enthralled with this book from the first page. I loved The Handmaid’s Tale and was thirsty for more. Atwood again delivers. I loved how she took three very different women; with different tones and writing styles and made the reader feel something for all of them. It was hard at first to feel anything for the main character, but through the pages of seeing into her mind, I began to become more understanding of why she is the way she is. This book is an absolute page-turner, a beautiful sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Give it a read to fuel up all your feminist energy.

Black activist, award-winning lobbyist, philanthropist and author, Terri Broussard Williams’ recently published book Find Your Fire is a timely, thoughtful piece that taps into readers’ hearts to inspire and ignite the changemaker inside them. Her book combines her no-nonsense approach and her 17+ years of experience in policy and non-profit work with the voices of elected leaders, activists, social leaders and extraordinarily influential women. Terri’s career focuses on helping leaders and organizations create systemic change to further their missions. Giving back is in the fabric of everything she sets out to do. She served in student government at her alma mater, Louisiana State University, lobbied with The American Heart Association, spearheaded the effort to pass smoke-free workplace laws in Louisiana and Texas and organized The Junior League of Austin’s Capital Campaign Ambassador program. You may think she is a natural born leader, but Terri knows it takes more than an individual to create a movement. Anyone who listens to her knowledge will have an understanding of the building blocks it takes to make a change.

Ubuntu is a Xhosa word originating from a South African philosophy that encapsulates all our aspirations about how to live life well, together. It is the belief in a universal human bond: I am only because you are. If you are able to see everyone as fully human, connected to you by their humanity, you will never be able to treat others as disposable or without worth. By embracing the philosophy of Ubuntu and living it out in daily life it’s possible to overcome division and be stronger together in a world where the wise build bridges, not walls. Mungi brings a modern perspective to this African philosophy which was utilized by her grandfather, Desmond Tutu, to encourage peace through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which he chaired in post-apartheid South Africa.

If you are a woman in the public eye, it’s pretty much guaranteed you will come under attack by the media at some point. You will be too successful, too mediocre, too fat, too skinny, or perhaps too outspoken. You will probably be accused of being ‘too something’ and not in a positive way. Anne Helen Peterson explores the ways in which female celebrities are attacked for refusing to conform to societal ideals of how women should look and behave. I enjoyed reading this more than I expected. Insightful and entertaining, Anne shines a spotlight on the challenges and criticisms celebrity women face for daring to break molds.

The book “Feminists Don’t Wear Pink: and other lies” is my favorite modern feminist book because it’s brilliantly written, and I believe that every girl must read it. It’s a collection of the most celebrated women in the world including Emma Watson and other known activists. I love how the author put it all together that artists, celebrities, and activists had the chance to discuss their views about feminism and their personal relationship with it. It has also successfully achieved its goal of helping readers have their understanding of the word. Nevertheless, this book has given women the opportunity to explain their thoughts about feminism.

Gerhard asks why issues of sex and female pleasure came to matter so much to these “second-wave feminists”. Gerhard begins by showing how the marriage experts of the first half of the twentieth century led people to believe that female sexuality was bound up in bearing children.

Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman delves deeply into why witches have intrigued us for centuries and why they’re more relevant now than ever. A comprehensive meditation on one of the most mysterious and captivating figures of all time, Waking the Witch celebrates the witch’s past, present, and future, and reveals the critical role they have played-and will continue to play-in shaping the world as we know it.

The Feminist War on Crime by Aya Gruber contends that we must abandon the conventional feminist wisdom, fight violence against women without reinforcing the American prison state, and use criminalization as a technique of last-not first-resort.

It gives a perspective of our modern feminist Jessica Valenti and other well-known figures like Salma Hayek. I suggest this book because it talks about how means to be feminist today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Also, it addresses the topic of workplace harassment and supports gender equality.

Some might find modern feminism a boring topic but this book tackles it in a way where people will enjoy and have fun at the same time learn more about it. It consists of a collection of essays where people can understand what feminism is all about. She shares stories of her evolution as a woman which makes readers empathize with her experiences.

This book-length essay is based on the author’s 2021 TED Talk of the same title. In this book, the author discusses the definition of feminism today and why everyone should support it.