24 books to read in 2024: On women, by women

At the start of 2024, most readers I know (including me, of course) had set a goal of reading 52 books this year. Two months have flown by and we are all starting to realize that might have again been a little too ambitious, given we have a home to run, deadlines to meet, children and parents to take care of, and a dozen other things to attend to that siphon time away from us. I believe it’s still not impossible to get quite a bit of reading done. But at two books a month, 24 might just be a more realistic number.

 On Women’s Day, I’ve curated a list of special books that I think are spectacular. These are stories on women, written by women. However, they aren’t books for just women. Men, I believe, would gain a world of insight by reading these fascinating tales about how the minds of women work and the driving forces behind their actions and emotions. These books are inspiring, joyous, sometimes a bit melancholy, and a whole lot of fun—as all good books should be. There are both fiction and non-fiction in this list, which is by no means exhaustive.

 Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

This was the first ‘adult’ book my parents allowed me to read (as I graduated from Enid Blyton) and I remember falling in love with the story. It’s a children’s book written for all ages. It’s the adventures of an 11-year-old orphan girl Anne Shirley who is sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had originally intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm.

 Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

I have to admit I never understood Mrs Dalloway despite so many avid readers raving about it. The writing style didn’t appeal to me. When I finally did, it blew my mind. It’s such a fascinating take on a woman’s mind. It details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman in post-First World War England. It’s one of Woolf’s best-known novels.

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I read this book in school and it’s been one of my favorites ever since then. It’s a lovely coming-of-age story about four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and how their lives change when their father goes off to war.

 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I have given Lessons in Chemistry to most of my friends. Set in the early 1960s when women scientists were unheard of, the story is about an exceptional woman struggling to make her place in a man’s world. It’s an exploration of gender discrimination and how passion—towards work and life—can save you from the depths of despair.

 City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is such a breezy, entertaining read where an 89-year-old woman recounts her life story. The descriptions are so vividly described that it feels like you are waltzing down the streets of New York even though you have never been there. The story is a glorious celebration of womanhood.

 Circe by Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller has a way with words. Her retelling of stories will hook you even if their original versions never did. Circe has all the gravitas of Greek mythology yet none of the jargon. About a woman who never fit in, Circe is a story of hope and finding your way when everything around you is falling apart.

 Girl, Women, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Bernardine Evaristo’s eighth novel follows the lives of 12 women, from different backgrounds. Each character gets a chapter but the characters overlap in many of the stories. These interconnected stories of British Black women raise important questions on feminism and race.

 Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

In an interview, Priyanka Chopra said Homegoing was one of her favorite books. As shallow as that sounds, I read it because of that reason. I hadn’t heard about the book before that. I soon realized Yaa Gyasi was a phenomenal storyteller. Homegoing tells the story of two sisters and how the social and political landscape of the places where they grew up shaped their experiences.

 The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

A male friend recommended this book to me and I couldn’t have been more surprised. The Giver of Stars is a stunning book about women driven by a shared purpose despite the circumstances not being in their favor. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And it will leave you with a warm, tingling feeling.

 Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This beautiful book is about a girl named Kya, locally known as the marsh girl. It’s a contemplation of despair, poverty, loneliness, and kindness. It’s also about the wonders of nature. There’s an element of mystery running through the plot which will keep you hooked.

 Roar by Cecelia Ahern

Most readers I know are quick to disqualify Ahern as frivolous. I have to confess I was skeptical about Roar in the beginning when my husband gifted the book to me on my birthday. But Roar, a collection of 30 stories about women, is heartwarming, empowering, and packs a punch.

 Educated by Tara Westover

Educated tells the story of Tara Westover, her religious, radical, and isolated family, and how she went on to get a PhD from Cambridge University. It explores the complex dynamics within a family and celebrates the strength of the human spirit.

 The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Why are women, especially mothers, expected to be at the top of their game all the time? The School for Good Mothers makes you ponder over this. The plot has a chilling dystopian feel to it but it makes you question the unnecessary societal burden of expectations that’s primarily put on mothers.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O’Farrell writes historical fiction about women whose stories have been overshadowed by men. The Marriage Portrait is about Lucrezia, the third daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence. She was married off at the age of 13 to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara, as a substitute for her older sister, Maria, who died just before the wedding. Then Lucrezia died of tuberculosis, though it was believed she could have been poisoned by Alfonso.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

About a woman who sleeps a year away, My Year of Rest and Relaxation is dark and comic. The protagonist believes she can heal herself and be recharged if she sleeps enough. It’s a slim volume but you can’t breeze through it as it’s mostly about grief and mental health. Nothing much happens but there’s a lot of food for thought here. 

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors. She could write a brochure (not that she would) and make it interesting. This is a collection of essays, recounting her life from early childhood. Every essay is such an eye-opener and packed with wisdom that comes with experience.

Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors

Sonja is over 40 and she wants to get a grip on her life. She is trying to connect with her sister. She is learning to drive. She’s even taken up meditation. But life’s not agreeing with her plans. Mirror, Shoulder, Signal is a poignant tale of one woman’s journey to find herself when there is no one to help her.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States, and the first African American woman to serve in that role, is an icon. There’s a lot you can learn from her and in her memoir, she chronicles the values and experiences that have shaped her. It’s now available in paperback too.

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

“We are supposed to begin as the apple of our mother’s eye. But I was more the maggot in the apple.” So begins All My Mothers which is a delight and a revelation from beginning to end. It’s a big book but it’s worth it.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Read this book for the story and a rich portrayal of culture and tradition. Set in the early years of independence, it tells the story of Lakshmi Shastri, a smart, independent woman living in the clutches of the Indian caste system. The protagonist is bold and frequently goes against the system to change the trajectory of the lives of women around her.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

A retelling of Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective, The Palace of Illusions is about a woman’s strength and the ability to hold things together. Mahabharata is mostly narrated by men and we finally get to hear from the women in Divakaruni’s beautiful rendition of the epic.

 Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Balli Kaur Jaswal explores complex and often controversial topics in her novels. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows delves into the taboo around sexuality in South Asian Culture. The protagonist Nikki, a 22-year-old, is a headstrong, independent woman living in London caught between two distinct worlds.

 

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura

Translated from the Japanese by Polly Barton, the novel, originally published in 2016, captures the nature of our work during Covid-19, when we had jobs that could very well have been a job or not. The unnamed heroine embarks on a series of temporary jobs and how she fares is what the book is all about.

 

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Three women change one another’s lives in unexpected ways while battling a pandemic in this beautiful novel by Emma Donoghue, whose book ‘Room’ was a bestseller and made into a movie too. The Pull of the Stars is a moving story of love and loss.