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📚 Her Voice, Our Shelf 📖

lady_wyrm's profile picture lady_wyrm Host

11 participants (157 books)

01 Aug 2025—31 Jul 2026

Overview

Building a bookshelf full of women’s perspectives.

When you look at your shelves (or scroll through your e-reader library), how many of those books are authored by men? I you took them away, how many would be left?

Many readers are surprised when they examined their shelves and realize that the majority of the books they own (and have read…) are written by men. I certainly was a couple of years ago. Once I noticed the imbalance, I made a conscious choice to seek out books by women and set aside men’s voices - at least for now. 

This isn’t because books written by men are bad or unworthy, or because their voices lack variety, but because I wanted to intentionally honor and make space for women’s voices in my reading life.

This challenge is your invitation to do the same: rebalance your reading, add diversity to your shelves, and discover just how rich and varied women’s writing can be. Over the course of the challenge, you’ll explore books written (or translated by women) from around the globe, across genres, time periods and perspectives.

Whether it’s a classic penned a century ago, a contemporary bestseller, or a hidden gem in translation, every book you choose will spotlight the creativity, insight, and influence of women writers.

‼️ For this challenge, ‘women authors’ includes cis women, trans women (and non-binary authors who identify with women’s perspectives). The aim is to celebrate and amplify the wide spectrum of voices and experiences within women’s writing.


Goal:
The challenge is set at 100 books. It’s an ambitious number, yes, but think of it as an invitation rather than a demand. This isn’t about pressure or perfection, it’s about curiosity and exploration. You might reach the full 100 or you might discover that even a handful of books by women transforms your reading life. Every step toward balancing your shelf counts. 

Why Join?
Because every story told by a woman adds another thread to the rich tapestry of human experience. The more we read them, the stronger those threads become.

Challenge Books

All books added
She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

She Didn't See It Coming

Shari Lapena

9 hours, 49 minutes • audio • 2025

fiction mystery thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Hwang Bo-Reum

8 hours, 1 minutes • audio • 2022

fiction contemporary literary hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

The Amalfi Curse

Sarah Penner

10 hours, 1 minutes • audio • 2025

fiction historical magical realism mystery adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan

Ordinary Human Failings

Megan Nolan

5 hours, 41 minutes • audio • 2023 user-added

fiction crime literary dark emotional reflective medium-paced
The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances

The Girlfriend

Michelle Frances

384 pages • paperback • 2017

fiction mystery thriller dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson

197 pages • paperback • 1999

fiction contemporary young adult dark emotional sad medium-paced
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Alison Bechdel

240 pages • digital • 2006

nonfiction graphic novel lgbtqia+ memoir emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Symposium: Child Labor on the Stage by Jane Addams
Symposium: Child Labor on the Stage
—
Jane Addams

Symposium: Child Labor on the Stage

Jane Addams

17 pages • digital • 1911 user-added

nonfiction economics politics
In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers by Mother Teresa

In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers

Mother Teresa

144 pages • 1997

nonfiction religion informative inspiring reflective slow-paced
The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex by Melissa Febos

The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex

Melissa Febos

276 pages • hardcover • 2025

nonfiction memoir emotional reflective medium-paced