female authors

one-angry-dwarf

hi
just posted up my reading log, and realised that all the recent books I've read have been my male authors. Anyone recommend any decent books by female authors?

Talliesin

Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry
Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace
Scarlett Thomas, The End of Mr Y
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

Acacia

''Jane Eyre''- Charlotte Bronte- a classic !
''Fingersmith''- Sarah Waters. Actually anything by her, most of the books are quite similar, all seem to involve Victorian lesbian relationships . But ''Fingersmith'' is the best, imo.
''Girl With a Pearl Earring''- Tracy Chevalier. Again, all of her books are good, but this is her best work.
''How I Live Now''- Meg Rosoff.
''To Kill A Mockingbird''. - Harper Lee- another classic.
" The Romance of the Forest"- Anne Radcliffe. Radcliffe pioneered the 'gothic romance' genre.
"Cane River'' - Lalita Tademy. The author explores the lives of three generations of women in her family, all of whom were slaves on the cotton plantations in the American Deep South.

That's all I can think of for now, hope that helps.

Hermy

Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead
and as already mentioned
Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar

Tree

It's tough as there aren't as many female writers as male.

my favourite book by a female author is mary shelley's frankenstein.

eVeNtInE

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one-angry-dwarf

thanks for the replies. I always liked Plath's poetry so might give the bell jar a go first.

Delirium

Talliesin wrote: »

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Really enjoyed this book. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

Mr Crystal wrote: »

Robin Hobb is my favorite author and has written some brilliant books.

Like all of her books I've read so far. Am currently reading book 3 of the Soldiers son trilogy.

eVeNtInE

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Delirium

Mr Crystal wrote: »

The Soldiers Son trilogy is the weakest of all her works imo. She also writes under the name Megan Lindholm but I don't know if those books are any good or not as I haven't read them.

Would agree with that. Enjoyed the farseer trilogy the most.
Just trying to figure where the story is heading at this stage.

mct1

No one yet has mentioned the wonderful Annie Proulx. She wrote "Shipping News" "Brokeback Mountain" and my favourite, "Postcards". Brilliant writer.

boobookitty

Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged.

Supposed to be a very good read but can't find it anywhere.

pwd

I agree wth all comments about Robin Hobb

Heard Atlas Shrugged is a big pile of wenk.

brianthebard

No one likes Anne Enright??I've only read 'what are you like?' but thought it was very good.

Hermy

Just thought of another one.
Alice Sebold - Lovely Bones

claire h

Donna Tartt - The Secret History
Audrey Niffenegger - The Time Traveller's Wife
Emma Donoghue - Slammerkin

Lemon

Patricia Highsmith - The Ripley series

Sarah Waters 'The Night Watch'

'Wuthering Heights' Emily Bronte

Joyce Carol Oates 'Foxfire'

'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver (actually a woman!)

'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath is an excellent book...

gogo

claire h wrote: »

Audrey Niffenegger - The Time Traveller's Wife

+1 Loved this book, by reviews from other people though, I believe its "you'll either love it or hate it" type.

AJG

Keri Hulme - 'The Bone People'

Anais Nin - 'A Spy In The House Of Love'

Jane Bowles - 'Two Serious Ladies'

Good writing and good stories.

Honey-ec

Janet Fitch - "White Oleander"
Shirley Jackson - "The Haunting of Hill House"
Joyce Carol Oates - "The Female of the Species" (short stories)
Joanne Harris - "Chocolat"

BenjAii

I'd mention again Patricia Highsmith as someone else mentioned, The Ripley books are fantastic. She's very underrated IMHO. Tom Ripley is a unique proposition in literature. She lulls and charms you right into his viewpoint and onto his side and then yet again he reveals what an utter murderous sociopath he is. But she makes him so sympathetic that you can't help but be on his side. If you want literature as a head****, go for Patricia Highsmith, and join Tom as he frets over bloodstains on antique furniture and the inconvenience of having to dispose of the corpse of someone who's head he's just battered in with a hammer and host a dinner party later that evening.

I can't believe no one has mentioned possibly the greatest female writer of them all (OK, matter of opinion), Jane Austen.

While its true her observations on upper middle class early 19th century life may not be earth shattering, where she utterly excels is as a prose stylist. Her books are an exquisite pleasure to read, and I would have serious doubts about anyone's true love of literature that cannot fall, at least a little, under Jane Austen's spell.

studiorat

+Sylvia Plath definite must read...

Not mad about Anais Nin though.
I really like Jenny Diski's book called"Don't" selection of essays, very good toilet read!!!

I also Like Annie Prouix particularly Wyoming Dirt and Harper Lee to Kill a Mocking Bird. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Toms Cabin's another must!

Also worth checking is Alice Walker ( the color purple)

randomguy

AS Byatt ( Possession is a great read)
The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing - great book, haven't read the rest of her stuff though.
Barbara Kingsolver.
Margaret Atwood.

pookie82

If you're into the history of the Tudors I've been devouring Phillipa Gregory novels of late. She's written The Other Boyelyn Girl (awful film but great book) and a whole range of others about the Tudors, Henry's wives and his children. They're brilliant.

Lands Leaving

Play it as it lays by Joan Didion is brilliant if you can get your hands on it, as far as I know its only available in America but you can easily get a copy on amazon. Its kind of like Less than Zero but the main character is female and older. Really really great book.

Joyce Carol Oates is great as others have mentioned, Blonde is a long one but worth the effort

Doris Lessing - The Fifth Child

Red Hand

Anything by Margaret Atwood. You cannot go wrong witth such a great author. Try Oryx and Crake.

LolaLuv

Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. She writes beautifully. One of my favorite quotations comes from her:

Nothing is mine, I have only nothing but it is enough, it is beautiful and it is all mine. Do I even walk about in my own skin or is it something I have borrowed to spare my modesty?

Kaizer Sosa

Toni Morrisson and Marilynne Robinson. I loved The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I was pleasantly surprised by The Time Travellers Wife. Quite well written and original.

EamonnKeane

Mary Midgley - Science and Poetry

davyjose

Nobody's mentioned Anne Tyler - just a wonderful writer.

OldBloke

Maeve Brennan or Claire Keegan if you like short stories.

madziuda

Jeanette Winteron's novels, especially The Passion - a postmodern romance (between, among others, Napoleon and chicken ) set during Napoleonic Wars. Lyrical, witty, original. Beautiful

Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber - a postmodern, feminist (the good kind!) rewriting of popular fairy-tales. Not for people under 18, though!

Anything by Dorothy Allison - a representative of the lesbian white trash 'school' of writing. Her collection of short stories, Trash, is perhaps one of the best books that have come out from the southern states in the last couple of decades. Then again, it's only my opinion

Oh, and for some good, light reading you can't go wrong with Jennifer Weiner. I'd especially recommend her Good in Bed - a good, uplifting, chick-novel, and a must-read for all women who have ever worried about their weight and its impact on their relationships (esp with thinner men )

Roisin89

I really love Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
I know it's been said but The Bell Jar, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

I read a lot of books by guys too...

otnomart

Lemon wrote: »

Sarah Waters 'The Night Watch'


'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath is an excellent book...

I would add from my favourites:
The Age of Innocence by Edith Warthon
Emma Brown by Clare Boylan
The house in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen
A guest of honor by Nadine Gordimer
The prime of Miss Brodie by Muriel Spark
The mandarins by Simone De Beauvoir

Orla_inka

Surprised not to see Mary Stanley here. I love her books.

She touches on delicate (taboo?) subjects, but they never get you down. I find her books uplifting and always full of hope.

The first book I read was Retreat. It took me back to my schooldays. I remember one passage, not realising that it was funny, I found myself laughing out loud!!!

I think this quote:
"'Warm, and even at its darkest, never entirely black. An engrossing read.'
Irish Sunday Independent"
says what I want to say, in a nutshell.

:)rla