Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie unpacks the dynamics of feminism and steers it clear from its misinterpreted and misandrist status. Based on her own experiences, Adichie narrates the struggles women face in both the public and private spheres. This digestible read is recommended to all who wish to find out more about the notion of feminism.

The American author’s third memoir on peace and inner strength compels readers to start looking into themselves and find individual purpose and belonging. Doyle’s voice of honesty showcases how easily women can be stripped from their autonomy and status in today’s society. Packed with emotion, the vulnerability and marginalisation of women are exposed and put into conversation.

Often read as a feminist text dealing with issues such as power and double standards, Sylvia Plath's only published novel critiques the domineering patriarchal structure faced by the book’s main character, Esther Greenwood. A college student aspiring to become a poet, she navigates through discovering her own self-identity while faced with crippling mental health struggles. A testament to the real struggles of women, The Bell Jar is a gripping tale of mental health.

If you’re a fan of autobiographies and old Chinese folktales, this book is a must. Chinese American author Maxine Hong Kingston masterfully blends the two and tells of her own journey of finding her identity in first-person narrative. Set against the height of the Chinese cultural revolution, the book touches on the experiences of immigrants, violence against women, and the power that women may hone from those events.

Touching the on the experiences of Asian femininity in western culture, Ornamentalism, as the title suggests, provides an insight and study of the term. The representation of “yellow femininity” is sieved into the novel and brings to light fetishisation and commodification in America. Cheng’s position as Professor of English and African American Literature at Princeton University sets the book up to be an intriguing, thought-provoking read.

British activist and illustrator Florence Given has made waves with this book. Radical and fierce, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty explores all corners of modern intersectional feminism whilst simultaneously proving a simple fact: women don’t owe men anything. An easy and accessible read for someone reading about feminism for the first time, the book certainly touches on a good amount of feminist thoughts and ideologies.

Following the lives of twelve women, mainly British and black, Girl, Woman, Other tells the stories of family, friends, and love. Anglo-Nigerian award-winning author Bernardine Evaristo cleverly pens thoughts and experiences on themes such as race and living in a white-dominated society. Delve into the lives of very different female characters ranging from social climbers, single mothers, survivors of abuse, and victims of sexism and racism with this book. 

Japanese author Mieko Kawakami wears many hats. As a musician, a poet and a popular blogger, she has plenty of experience to draw on for our her prose-style novel Breasts and Eggs. The book touches the journeys of three women in contemporary Japan. Readers can expect an analysis on reproductive laws, female beauty standards, and a critique against the expectations of the traditional Japanese woman. 

What does it mean to go from being an Asian to becoming an Asian American? Lim presents the switch in identity from spending her youth in Malaysia and thereafter moving to America. Her gripping memoir also touches on issues such as elitism in higher educational institutions and her struggles of loneliness and re-discovery in America. Follow an Asian academic in her quest from Malaysia to America with Among the White Moon Faces. 

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