Women’s Lit Books to Add to Your List
By: Hidden Gems on January 24, 2023
Did you resolve to read more books in 2023? According to Wikipedia, Women’s fiction is an umbrella term for women centered books that focus on women’s life experience that are typically marketed to female readers, and includes many mainstream novels. If you’re looking for books to add to your queue, take a peek at these titles our readers loved.
Intersections by Poornima Manco
With 20+ ratings and a 4.5 star average, Intersections follows four women from each individual perspective, exploring the depths and complexity of female friendships over time and through tragedy.
Hollene G. writes in her five star Amazon review, “ Intersections took me on a very emotional read, my heart breaking for these young women, so much completely out of their control as they try and navigate both their friendships and life in general. It’s a beautiful book, well written, full of emotional highs and lows…”
CheekyChiquita further explains in her five star Amazon review, “This was an epic, gripping women’s fiction that takes you through decades of friendship…The author aptly captures the nuances of the female psyche — the uncertainty of self, the jealousy of others, the fear of rejection, the glossy thrill of first love, the underlying hatred behind a youthful giggle. The prose is eloquent and visceral, and the intricacies of their intersections of friendships are a curious blend of happenstance and fate. The story unfolds with a deep, thought-provoking insight into the most overwhelming of emotions that we all someday face: loss, grief, forgiveness, and regret…Overall, this is a timeless tale that will resonate with readers — particularly, women readers — everywhere. We can all see a little of ourselves in each of these girls, and our own painful pasts in the tragedies they face…”
Life According to Jules by L.E. Young
With 30+ ratings and a 4.3 star average, Life According to Jules follows tomboy Asher, as she follows posthumous advice from her mother and struggles to find her own identity.
“Loved reading this book,” Srikar D. writes in their five star Amazon review. “It was such a beautiful and healing read…[the variety of ] emotions, actions and consequences were beautifully handled by the author. Even the technicalities of surfing were described in a very understandable way. The redemption and hope of ‘It’s never too late’ inspired and motivated me…”
Courtney S. adds in her five star Amazon review, “This author has a great way of bouncing between timelines, leaving gaps to make you curious, and developing characters through quick wit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Also the fun Australian lingo is a blast for this American.”
The Life We Dream Of by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano
With 40+ rating and a 4.6 star average, The Life We Dream Of follows Julia, as she contemplates mortality, second chances, and love after a terminal diagnosis.
“To read The Life We Dream Of by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano is to wrap an exquisite reverie around you like a shawl,” Caroline H. writes in her five star Amazon review. “Let the meditative, rhapsodic, and occasionally urgent prose warm you with its reflective musings. This delicately textured novel views grief, faith, and a ‘last-chance relationship’ through the prism of Julia Marino, a woman diagnosed with a form of incurable heart cancer and given months to live. Absorbing and deeply poignant thoughtful, it’s bittersweet and deeply satisfying as Ms. Pezzano’s writing is clear-eyed and sharp as a paring knife.”
Gwyneth F. concurs in her five star Amazon review, “…Rich with poetic language, moving scenes with the power of earthquakes, and profound examination of life and love, The Life We Dream Of is a soul-punch that will leave you clutching your own heart, reflecting on Julia’s breathtaking journey long after the book is over.”
The Completists: The New World by Sarah Wilde
With 17 ratings and a 4.6 star average, The Completists: The New World is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This is book one of a three part series, which chronicles a “dystopian” universe which challenges gender norms. Not a reader of dystopian literature? Reviewers say it won’t be a distraction for those who aren’t fans of the genre.
Polly writes in her five star Amazon review, “A compelling, well executed story with a bold, original premise. This norm challenging novel would engender lively debate in any book club.”
“I couldn’t put this book down,” Meggiepoo adds in her five star Amazon review. “I was hooked on the premise right from the beginning and it held me all the way through the final page…this book (and I assume the series) touch on very important, very relevant issues for today, mainly the question that every woman faces at some point in her life: ‘Can I really have it all, and what is it all anyways?’…”
Megan Gamble, Sing Out by Debbie Romani
With 10 ratings and a 4.9 star average, Megan Gamble, Sing Out is a final hidden gem to discover. Chronicling an interesting turn of events, Megan finds herself filling in as a last minute backup vocalist in her son’s band, in a last ditch effort to reconcile their relationship.
“Honestly one of the most engaging stories I’ve read in a while,” Kristen C. writes in her five star Amazon review. “I was sad to see it come to an end, which rarely happens to me! Such likable, relatable characters, especially Megan, who I cheered on from start to finish.”
Allison adds in her five star Amazon review, “…This novel drew me in from the first page and had me reading way too late into the night. In part it is a smart, fun, and saucy story about falling in love (and dealing with love’s indignities). In this respect the book would fit right in on the shelves of the Ripped Bodice – the romance bookstore favored by the story’s main character. But the novel offers much more than this as Romani, an accomplished singer and musician herself, seamlessly weaves a fascinating look at the art of music-making into an engaging narrative of a woman wrestling with her past in order to seek a brighter future. More than a satisfying story about finding the right kind of love in middle-age, the novel is an astute investigation of the emotional ups and downs involved in pursuing a passion, parenting a child, and piecing together a life that makes one proud.”
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