On My Bookshelf: Feminist Non-Fiction and Fiction to Read in 2021

I may have a bit of a problem. My husband has noticed.

The books are piling up on my nightstand, and I don’t know where to start! I want to read all of them at once.

If you’re looking for the best feminist non-fiction AND fiction books for 2021, I have you covered.

Check out my feminist book list so far this year – and by the way, while we have lots of collections for kids, this one is for adults. (Disclaimer: I haven’t finished every single one yet – we’re going on this journey together!)

I also shared these in the Feminist Parents Unite group if you prefer to watch them on video.

FEMINIST NON-FICTION TO READ IN 2021

I love the library for fiction I’ll probably only read once, but for feminist non-fiction that I know I’ll come back to again and again to consult, I like to purchase when possible. Plus, I’m old school and like to actually hold my book in hand. Still not a audio or e-reader convert!

(I have included affiliate links, which means if you purchase, Think or Blue may earn a commission, but it will not change the price up or down for you. Thanks for your support of this site! See more here.)

All the Rage by Darcy Lockman

In feminist parenting, our adult role modeling is key to set an example for children. We want our boys to witness that cleaning and cooking is for men, too, and show our girls that caregiving and household work are not just “female jobs.” In reality, though, equal partnership is difficult to create and maintain, especially when one parent works longer hours or outside the home more.

With many adults grounded at home during 2020, attempting to work, and raise and educate children, men’s increasing involvement in home duties gave us hope. However, we now see that increase in household labor among men in the initial months of the pandemic may have dwindled.

Lockman’s book calls equal partnership a myth, and I’m excited to dig in more – how do our implicit biases shape this problem? How do gender stereotypes in childhood perpetuate unequal division of labor?

Related: what happens when the mental load is equal

Buy here.

Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield

At Think or Blue, we are passionate about all things anti-diet culture and raising children to cultivate self-compassion and body intuition. Of course, to raise kids this way, we must start with ourselves. Because, after all, diet culture has flooded our brains with screwed-up messages whispering that only idealized bodies are deserving of love and joy.

I’ve followed Scritchfield’s work for several years, both through her podcast (which she often co-hosts with Bernie Salazar, former winner on The Biggest Loser) and on social media. Her approach is fueled by kindness and self-trust.

As the jacket says, Body Kindness “shows you how to create a healthier and happier life by treating yourself with compassion rather than shame.” Scritchfield lives by these principles, having destroyed her scale with an axe. I like that it’s actionable, too.

Buy it here.

Do Better by Rachel Ricketts

“Do Better addresses anti-racism form a comprehensive, intersectional, and spiritually aligned perspective, illustrating how to engage in the heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices that Rachel has developed to fight white supremacy from the inside out, in our individual lives and communities alike.” (Book jacket)

I’ve been following Ricketts’ work on Instagram for a few years, where she says we can’t just “read our way out of oppression” and therefore we need soul work to fuel it. This is a true opportunity for us to lean in, be uncomfortable and vulnerable, and prioritize racial justice and liberation. (If you choose to follow her on social media, do so with respect and care: no DMs; do not ask for labor in the comments, and remind yourself why you’re there.)

Ricketts encourages people to purchase the book here, with options to Buy Black in the U.S. and Canada.

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

What are the glaring holes of feminism, and how can it evolve? According to Kendall, and I’d agree – the movement has focused too strongly on increasingly privilege for a few “at the top,” rather than on basic survival for the vast majority of women. Issues like housing, education, child care, food insecurity, and gun violence are too often neglected, Kendall notes.

Hood Feminism, required reading for any feminist, underscores why the feminism movement needs to ground itself more deeply in racial justice to achieve its purported goals. “Conflicts are how feminism grows and becomes more effective,” Kendall says. I hope she is right, and, in fact, I’m counting on it!

Buy from The Feminist Shop.

Man Enough by Justin Baldoni

Man Enough just arrived in my mailbox only two days ago, but I’m confident about recommending this book knowing Justin Baldoni’s work over the last few years.

While I loved his portrayal of Rafael Solano in Jane the Virgin (remember 13 reasons it’s your favorite feminist TV show), his frankness and willingness to deconstruct masculinity is why he is a beloved staple in my Instagram feed. He sat down with other men in Hollywood in the Man Enough web series (see more here) and asked questions that often stay buried, like “why can’t men talk to each other about real stuff?”

And he understands the undeniable effect of gender stereotypes and socialization: “Schoolyards can be like little factories, taking the raw materials of children whose personalities and traits range all over the place, and molding them and shaping them to represent whatever today’s current definitions of gender norms and expectations are.”

We need more men questioning masculinity and the harmful ways that boys are taught to become men. Can’t wait to read the rest!

Buy here.

FEMINIST FICTION READING LIST

We need to have some fun, too! Even though I may have 4-5 nonfiction feminist books on my night table at a time, I keep at least one fiction book around, too, for entertainment and relaxing.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Truly one of the most unique novels I’ve ever read. Partly because Evaristo uses sparse capitalization and punctuation; partly because the story tracing twelve women’s interconnected lives – mostly Black and British – was compelling. Evaristo’s characters are complex and dynamic, with hurdles ranging from domestic violence in queer relationships to navigating gender identity.

Thanks, Mom, for gifting me my copy from The Feminist Shop. If you don’t know The Feminist Shop, I’ve profiled them before – consider supporting a small shop with your purchase! (And use code THINKORBLUE to get 10% off.)

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

Barack Obama has just been elected as President of the United States. Ruth, a successful Ivy-League educated Black engineer and her husband celebrate in Chicago, hopeful for the future. A secret from her past gnaws at her – a baby she gave up as a teenager.

To grapple with her past, Ruth returns to her hometown, a working-class town in Indiana that suffers economic devastation from the 2008 financial crisis. As she uncovers family secrets, Ruth wonders whether she can truly be a mother.

Johnson’s novel feels relatable and familiar, while offering a sharp look at economic and racial equalities that persist today. The Kindest Lie illustrates, heartbreakingly, why respectability politics fails everyone.

Buy it here.

The Wedding by Dorothy West

Okay, yes, Harlem Renaissance writer Dorothy West penned The Wedding in 1995, but it is a work of art, and should remain on every book list today.

While West’s novel, the first she had written in 47 years, is anchored in a well-to-do, tight-knit Black neighborhood on Martha’s Vineyard (an island off the coast of Massachusetts), this sweeping story spans generations and locations.

It deeply explores issues of colorism in the U.S., which West reportedly faced herself. According to this article, West didn’t think there was a market for this story and set it aside for several decades.

Every sentence deserves full attention, sometimes twice or more to soak in the literary delight. “His tryst with the island, in the summer he came into puberty, was one of the few romantic adventures of which he would have total and tender recall in the winter of old age when forgetfulness torments the day and only the unforgettable orients the mind.”

True literature, people. I picked this up at the Book Barn several years ago for a dollar or two, and I’m so glad I plucked it off my bookshelf this year.

Buy here.

Hope you enjoyed these feminist nonfiction and fiction books to read in 2021! What else would you add to the list? Be sure to pin this to consult when you’re shopping later:

And sign up for access to the Feminist Parenting Resource Library here: