Emily L: Notorious RGB: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Writte
n by: Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
Genre: Biography
Rating: 4 Gins-burns
Why we love this badass bish: I’ll be the first to admit, the only way I learned who RBG is was through Kate McKinnon’s glorious portrayal of her on Saturday Night Live. But after reading and enjoying What Happened, and aiming to be more knowledgeable about politics in general, I decided to buy this book when it popped up in my Goodreads Deal of the Day email. RBG is truly an inspiration. She’s leading the charge against Trump in the Supreme Court and she truly is not taking shit from anyone. Yeah, she fell asleep at the 2015 State of the Union address – and then she blamed it on too much wine. If that’s not a hero I don’t know what is. I have to be drunk to listen to politicians too. But I don’t have to be drunk to read about her incredible life. It’s a story well worth reading. Oh, and if you read it now, you’ll be ready for the biopic based on her life, On the Basis of Sex, coming out later this year starring Felicity Jones. I already can’t wait. Buy it!
Angela: My Life On The Road
Written by: Gloria Steinem
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4 Backpacks
Why we love this badass bish: Like Emily, I really didn’t know much more about Steinem than that she was a feminist, so when Emma Watson made it her Book Club pick, I jumped at the chance to read it. She is amazing. Even without all the talks given and articles written, she has this life traveling to every corner, talking to real people. The anthropologist in me thinks this was the most fascinating part. But then she takes this knowledge and uses it to wake people up. And it isn’t just women she wants to be treated equally, it is all people and all marginalized groups should band together to make the world better. Wouldn’t that be something? Buy it!
Janna: Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening
Written by: Manal Al-Sharif
Genre: Autobiography/Memoir
Rating: 4.5 taxis, according to Goodreads
Why we love this badass bish: Because this girl risked her life campaigning for Saudi women to have the insanely basic right of driving a car. A self-professed religious radical in her youth, she fully embraced fundamental Islam. Until…she encountered the profoundly reforming power of education. Stifled and disgusted by the strict Saudi code for women, she became one of the faces of the women’s rights movement when she boldly filmed herself driving through the streets. Thanks in part to her efforts, the Saudi government recently changed the law, allowing women the right to drive. Al-Sharif continues to be a powerful voice for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. Buy it!
Emily L: Yes Please
Written by: Amy Poehler
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: 5 out of 5 SNL stories
Why we love this badass bish: I’ve always been an Amy Poehler fan (how can you not love the woman behind Leslie Knope?!), but this book made me love her even more. She’s an advocate for women and she tells it to you straight.
This book is one of those perfect mixes of comedy and insight. This book is a collection of essays simply telling us how Amy likes to live to make life worthwhile. It’s almost a how-to guide on how to be Amy Poehler. It’s not a book on comedy, it’s not about one specific thing, rather snippets of a life well lived from a woman who has something to say. Although the genre of this book is comedy, I cried a few times, and there are plenty of moments that make you want to call your best friend and tell them how much you love them. So much of what Amy advocates for is women loving women and it definitely hit home. Oh, and we’d like to suggest the audiobook for an even Amy-er experience. Buy it!
Team Normal: What Happened
Written by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: 5 out of 5 Boozy Book Club Wine Bottles
Why we love this badass bish: Self-explanatory.
In case you couldn’t face this book last year, we wanted to remind you it exists in 2018 after you’ve had a little acceptance time. JK, there’s no such thing. We talked about our favorite parts of this book here. We won’t ever stop speaking our praises of the woman who gave us all the title of Nasty Woman. Buy it!
There you have it! We hope you can pick an inspiring lady from this list to read about. Or overachieve and read them all. Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments. We want to hear about every lady crush you have!
Have you joined the #TNReads Challenge 2018? Learn all about it here.
