The Best Books by Female Authors

(according to 400+ really successful people)

These are the best books by Female Authors.

Sources include interviews, biographies, podcast transcripts, public online lists, and more.

Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
12 recommenders
"When I read [this book] in my teens, Dagny Taggart’s character spoke to me on a level I’d never experienced with any other novel." - Amelia Boone
View 11 More
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
10 recommenders
"I know, it's a cult. I'm not going to take it too far, but I did enjoy it." - Emma Watson
View 9 More
Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott
8 recommenders
"Great." - Brian Koppelman
View 7 More
Mindset
Carol S. Dweck
8 recommenders
"Dweck and her research have helped my foundation colleagues and me understand more about the attitudes and habits that allow some students to persevere in school despite big challenges." - Bill Gates
View 7 More
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
7 recommenders
"Never a bad time to start them all over...... again." - Ariana Grande
View 6 More
Song of Solomon
Toni Morrison
6 recommenders
Adam Sessler recommended this book on Twitter.
View 5 More
The Making of a Manager
Julie Zhuo
5 recommenders
"Are you a new manager? Are you a little scared? Fear not. [This author] is here to help." - Daniel Pink
View 4 More
Educated
Tara Westover
5 recommenders
"A remarkable memoir of a young woman raised in a survivalist family in Idaho." - Barack Obama
View 4 More
Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin
5 recommenders
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recommended this book on Twitter.
View 4 More
The Moment of Lift
Melinda Gates
4 recommenders
"Melinda tells the stories of the inspiring people she’s met through her work all over the world, digs into the data, and powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention." - Barack Obama
View 3 More
Becoming
Michelle Obama
4 recommenders
"Obviously my favorite [book of 2018]!" - Barack Obama
View 3 More
Wild
Cheryl Strayed
4 recommenders
"I have devoured [this book]." - Emma Watson
View 3 More
An American Marriage
Tayari Jones
4 recommenders
"A moving portrayal of the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple." - Barack Obama
View 3 More
Quiet
Susan Cain
3 recommenders
"Discusses how extroverts in our society are bigged up so much, and if you’re anything other than an extrovert you’re made to think there’s something wrong with you. That’s like the story of my life." - Emma Watson
View 2 More
Tiny Beautiful Things
Cheryl Strayed
3 recommenders
"I have devoured [this book]." - Emma Watson
View 2 More
Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown
3 recommenders
"We need an adult version of [this book]!" - Arianna Huffington
View 2 More
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
3 recommenders
List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.
View 2 More
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
3 recommenders
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
View 2 More
My Life on the Road
Gloria Steinem
2 recommenders
Emma Watson recommended this book on Instagram.
View 1 More
How to Be a Woman
Caitlin Moran
2 recommenders
"The new feminist manifesto." - Amanda Palmer
View 1 More
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
2 recommenders
"I loved [this book]." - Daniel Pink
View 1 More
Brave Enough
Cheryl Strayed
2 recommenders
"I picked this up during a tough period in my life, and many of the quotes are still pinned to my bathroom mirror." - Amelia Boone
View 1 More
Just Kids
Patti Smith
2 recommenders
"I have had [this book] on my bedside forever." - Emma Watson
View 1 More
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
2 recommenders
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2019 list.
View 1 More
Americanah
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
2 recommenders
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2018 list.
View 1 More
The Power
Naomi Alderman
2 recommenders
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2017 list.
View 1 More
Brotopia
Emily Chang
2 recommenders
"A must must must read!!" - Arianna Huffington
View 1 More
Hons and Rebels
Jessica Mitford
2 recommenders
"My most influential writer, without a doubt, is [this author]." - J.K. Rowling
View 1 More
I Capture the Castle
Dodie Smith
2 recommenders
"This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met." - J.K. Rowling
View 1 More
The Warmth of Other Suns
Isabel Wilkerson
2 recommenders
Alicia Keys recommended this book on Twitter.
View 1 More
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
2 recommenders
"Was written more than a century ago, but its message resonates today." - Hillary Clinton
View 1 More
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
2 recommenders
One of Hillary Clinton's 3 answers to "Is there one book you wish all students would read?"
View 1 More
The Color Purple
Alice Walker
2 recommenders
"I've heard amazing things about this book from a person that I trust." - Emma Watson
View 1 More
Mom & Me & Mom
Maya Angelou
2 recommenders
"About the special connection between mother and child." - Emma Watson
View 1 More
The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan
2 recommenders
"This novel opened my eyes." - Hillary Clinton
View 1 More
The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver
2 recommenders
"One of the most powerful books I've read about the evil consequences of patriarchal oppression, be it personal, cultural or political." - Hillary Clinton
View 1 More
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
2 recommenders
Adam Sessler recommended this book on Twitter.
View 1 More
Paradise
Toni Morrison
2 recommenders
Adam Sessler recommended this book on Twitter.
View 1 More
Sula
Toni Morrison
2 recommenders
Adam Sessler recommended this book on Twitter.
View 1 More
Normal People
Sally Rooney
2 recommenders
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2019 list.
View 1 More
The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde
1 recommender
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recommended this book on Twitter.
Hope in the Dark
Rebecca Solnit
1 recommender
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recommended this book on Twitter.
Lessons
Gisele Bündchen
1 recommender
"Authentic and inspiring just like [the author]!" - Arianna Huffington
Savage News
Jessica Yellin
1 recommender
"It's an amazing — and smart and funny — book." - Arianna Huffington
What to Do When I'm Gone
Suzy Hopkins
1 recommender
"Moving and beautifully written." - Arianna Huffington
Wake Up to the Joy of You
Agapi Stassinopoulos
1 recommender
"It's a great book! (And who can't use a little joy right now?)" - Arianna Huffington
24/6
Tiffany Shlain
1 recommender
"Love [this book]." - Arianna Huffington
The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren
1 recommender
"What I loved most [about the main character] was that she was a girl, and she was a little different, and she was still the most powerful character." - Michelle Obama
Commonwealth
Ann Patchett
1 recommender
Michelle Obama said this is one of the books on her nightstand in a "New York Times" interview.
White Teeth
Zadie Smith
1 recommender
"I love the way the story weaves together so many complex and powerful forces that affect our lives and our relationships." - Michelle Obama
Black Beauty
Anna Sewell
1 recommender
One of J.K. Rowling's favorite books as a child.
Ballet Shoes
Noel Streatfeild
1 recommender
"I still reread [this book]." - J.K. Rowling
The Origins of Totalitarianism
Hannah Arendt
1 recommender
"I literally just finished reading it!" - J.K. Rowling
Emma
Jane Austen
1 recommender
"Jane Austen is J.K. Rowling's favorite author of all time, and 'Emma' is her favorite of her books." - Business Insider
Chéri
Colette
1 recommender
"The final scene is incredibly moving; it makes me cry." - J.K. Rowling
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
E. Nesbit
1 recommender
"[J.K. Rowling] ranks [this book] as her favorite of Nesbit's books." - Business Insider
The Little White Horse
Elizabeth Goudge
1 recommender
"Perhaps more than any other book, it has a direct influence on the Harry Potter books." - J.K. Rowling
Secrets of the Flesh
Judith Thurman
1 recommender
"One of my all-time favorites." - J.K. Rowling
The Collected Stories of Colette
Colette
1 recommender
One of J.K. Rowling's answers to "If you could bring only three books to a desert island, which would you pack?"
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
1 recommender
“I loved it.” - J.K. Rowling
Good Talk
Mira Jacob
1 recommender
Alicia Keys recommended this book on Twitter.
Purple Hibiscus
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
1 recommender
Alicia Keys recommended this book on Twitter.
The Runaway Bunny
Margaret Wise Brown
1 recommender
"I started reading to Chelsea with [this book] and all the favorites which led her to make her own reading choices." - Hillary Clinton
The Clan of the Cave Bear
Jean M. Auel
1 recommender
"A rich blend of imagination and information about everything from plants that were used for medicine to the rituals and taboos of Neanderthal man." - Hillary Clinton
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt
1 recommender
Hillary Clinton mentioned reading this book in a NY Times interview.
The House at Sugar Beach
Helene Cooper
1 recommender
"About [the author's] childhood in Liberia." - Hillary Clinton
Finding George Orwell in Burma
Emma Larkin
1 recommender
Hillary Clinton mentioned reading this book in a NY Times interview.
The Signature of All Things
Elizabeth Gilbert
1 recommender
"I can’t stop thinking about [this book]." - Hillary Clinton
West with the Night
Beryl Markham
1 recommender
"A beautifully written life story of one of the greatest woman adventurers of all time." - Hillary Clinton
Stephanie Plum Series
Janet Evanovich
1 recommender
"[This series] always makes me laugh." - Hillary Clinton
Runaway
Alice Munro
1 recommender
"[One of] my favorite short stories [collections]." - Hillary Clinton
Carried Away
Alice Munro
1 recommender
"[One of] my favorite short stories [collections]." - Hillary Clinton
Out of Africa
Isak Dinesen
1 recommender
One of Hillary Clinton's 3 answers to "Is there one book you wish all students would read?"
Protocol
Capricia Penavic Marshall
1 recommender
"In life and in diplomacy, empathy and soft power matter. [This book] is an indispensable guide to both." - Hillary Clinton
Citizens of London
Lynne Olson
1 recommender
"I can’t stop thinking about [this book]." - Hillary Clinton
The Undocumented Americans
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
1 recommender
Selena Gomez recommended this book on Instagram.
Signs
Laura Lynne Jackson
1 recommender
Selena Gomez recommended this book on Instagram.
Fall On Your Knees
Ann-Marie MacDonald
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Ellen Foster
Kaye Gibbons
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Deep End of the Ocean
Jacquelyn Mitchard
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
River, Cross My Heart
Breena Clarke
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Back Roads
Tawni O'Dell
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Black and Blue
Anna Quindlen
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Here on Earth
Alice Hoffman
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
A Virtuous Woman
Kaye Gibbons
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Daughter of Fortune
Isabel Allende
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Mother of Pearl
Melinda Haynes
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Rapture of Canaan
Sheri Reynolds
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Songs in Ordinary Time
Mary McGarry Morris
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Stones from the River
Ursula Hegi
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Book of Ruth
Jane Hamilton
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Pilot's Wife
Anita Shreve
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Open House
Elizabeth Berg
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Good Earth
Pearl S. Buck
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Vinegar Hill
A. Manette Ansay
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Ruby
Cynthia Bond
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
White Oleander
Janet Fitch
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Drowning Ruth
Christina Schwarz
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Tara Road
Maeve Binchy
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
Ayana Mathis
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Icy Sparks
Gwyn Hyman Rubio
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Olive, Again
Elizabeth Strout
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Love Warrior
Glennon Doyle
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Cane River
Lalita Tademy
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Behold the Dreamers
Imbolo Mbue
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Stolen Lives
Malika Oufkir
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Breath, Eyes, Memory
Edwidge Danticat
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
What Looks Like Crazy On an Ordinary Day
Pearl Cleage
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
American Dirt
Jeanine Cummins
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
While I Was Gone
Sue Miller
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Invention of Wings
Sue Monk Kidd
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
We Were the Mulvaneys
Joyce Carol Oates
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
A Map of the World
Jane Hamilton
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
The Heart of a Woman
Maya Angelou
1 recommender
Oprah Winfrey recommended this book in "Oprah's Book Club."
Eat Pray Love
Elizabeth Gilbert
1 recommender
One of Taylor Swift's favorite books picks for "You are What You Read."
Committed
Elizabeth Gilbert
1 recommender
[Taylor Swift] said during the reception that she was enjoying [this book].
Wonderful Tonight
Pattie Boyd
1 recommender
"I devoured this intriguing woman’s memoir." - Taylor Swift
Conversations with Friends
Sally Rooney
1 recommender
"I really like her book. [...] I like the tone she takes when she's writing. I think it's like being inside somebody's mind." - Taylor Swift

See which books made our other lists