Five Best Books for Empowering Women

Looking for some good reads that will help you move towards finding yourself and your voice? Check out my top five book choices written by strong female voices.

In a world where your light can often be dimmed by others around you, it may be difficult and intimidating to find your voice. It took me a while to allow myself the courage to understand that. I have now found my voice and am showing you the important steps I took, so that you can too.

“Let's invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It's not about being perfect. It's not about where you get yourself in the end. There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there's grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”

Michelle Obama, Becoming

We are all learners. Constantly trying to fill ourselves with as much knowledge as we possibly can. The knowledge that we decide to fill ourselves with, is completely up to us. I enjoy learning about how to embody a strong and empowering female presence, and these are a few books that helped me do just that.

Some of these books allowed me to view the world and myself in a different lens. They each individually contributed to the way I now carry myself as a proud feminist and are what encourage my willingness to share that passion with you. This is a list of the most empowering books I've read and why.

1. Girl, stop apologizing. Rachel Hollis

This is one of the most recent books I’ve read and I defiantly believe it is worth the hype. This book was a follow up to Rachel’s first book: Girl, wash your face. However, you did not have to read the first one to fully embrace this one. Rachel teaches you how to live to your full potential by erasing the defined label established by society and to live fourth your dreams rather than just fantasizing about them. This book challenges you to understand who you are, what you want and to truly own it as your path.

2. I am Woman. Lee Maracle

This book was one of the easiest and most enjoyable reads as it took not only the identity of being a woman but being a colonized woman. Lee’s work is articulated in an attempt to strip away the narratives of being Indigenous and focus on what it means to be a woman. She is taking away her socially constructed position and placing the perspective that we don’t need to identify as a specific kind of women, but just as a woman. Her work is constructed on multiple storylines that articulate not only her struggles but creating a space in which allows us to decolonize our thinking and just listen to her experiences. Lee provides a powerful message and embodies what it truly means to be a woman.

3. Woman talking. Miriam Toews

This is a novel following a rather dark yet scary reality of women speaking during the aftermath of sexual assaults. It is set in a fictional colony where practically every female, no matter the age, has been raped. It touches on the main questions asked and the effects it has on each individual experience. This novel carried a very powerful message and attaches a lot of emotion. It is the discussion of what a better future might look like in the presence of the “un-welcomed visitors”.

4. I am Malala. Malala Yousafzai

This is one of the first books I read that carried out the narrative of empowering female identities. Malala is one of the most inspirational and empowering females in the public eye, and this memoir of her life defiantly lives up to the expectations. We are given an inside perspective as to her struggles fighting against the Taliban and their unwillingness for female education. Malala’s courage and resilience are both inspiring and encouraging to make you want to be the best version of yourself you can be.

5. Becoming. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the definition of an empowering female. She has become a powerful advocate for girls and women around the world and continues to use this privilege in such a positive light. Michelle uses her voice to teach, encourage, and inspire all who chose to listen. Her memoir invites you to rediscover your story. She tells us her story and allows the reader to identify our expectations for ourselves. It carriers a truly beautiful message and promotes the reawakening of oneself.