Book about woman doing something interesting

[Anonymous]

In the historical fiction category:

The Maisie Dobbs series or anything by Jacqueline Winspear

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

Also, The Power and The Future, both by Naomi Alderman.

There are a ton of fantasy and sci fi series with women who are not wives and mothers. The Priory of the Orange Tree, These Burning Stars, the Green Bone Trilogy, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non-Fiction/Memoir: West with the Night by Beryl Markham.

Ohhh +1 I loved this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I spend way too much time recommending this but I loved it and most people haven’t heard of it so: Truth Be Told by Bev McLachlin — she was Chief Justice on the Canadian Supreme Court and this is her memoir. It’s fascinating and I found it very engaging. I bought the audio book; not sure if it’s on any of the usual listening services, sorry.

On a much lighter note, I’ve recently been rereading Elizabeth Peter’s Vicky Bliss mysteries which are about an art historian who occasionally solves crime.

Wow Truth Be Told is amazing. I'm almost halfway through it now. I'm a Canadian who lives in Alberta AND works in Family Law and had never heard of it! Lawyers I work with also didn't know about it. It's so good so far, thanks for the fabulous rec! 🥲

[Anonymous]

Haha I have been Audibling (for free), the Sister Jane mystery series, about Sister Jane, MFH, the 70-year old master of the Jefferson Hunt set in Albemarle County. The books are really about foxhunting in the Virginia countryside. The animals in the books talk to each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haha I have been Audibling (for free), the Sister Jane mystery series, about Sister Jane, MFH, the 70-year old master of the Jefferson Hunt set in Albemarle County. The books are really about foxhunting in the Virginia countryside. The animals in the books talk to each other.

I don’t get the joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spend way too much time recommending this but I loved it and most people haven’t heard of it so: Truth Be Told by Bev McLachlin — she was Chief Justice on the Canadian Supreme Court and this is her memoir. It’s fascinating and I found it very engaging. I bought the audio book; not sure if it’s on any of the usual listening services, sorry.

On a much lighter note, I’ve recently been rereading Elizabeth Peter’s Vicky Bliss mysteries which are about an art historian who occasionally solves crime.

Wow Truth Be Told is amazing. I'm almost halfway through it now. I'm a Canadian who lives in Alberta AND works in Family Law and had never heard of it! Lawyers I work with also didn't know about it. It's so good so far, thanks for the fabulous rec! 🥲

Omg I’m so glad someone has picked this up at my recommendation! I feel like a broken record saying people should read it but it’s so good! I’m Canadian but my parents moved to the US when I was young so most of my schooling was in the US and it was an absolutely fascinating read for me especially putting in context some of the politics my parents discussed growing up.

Another Canadian/Alberta rec I’ll put out there is Ducks by Kate Beaton which is an autobiography of her time working in the oil sands to pay off her student debt.

[Anonymous]

The Puttermesser Papers, by Cynthia Ozick. Both the protagonist and the author are brilliant and fascinating.

[Anonymous]

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is a great book about a middle-aged single mom who also is the captain of a pirate ship in the Middle East in maybe the 1200s? Maybe the 1400s? I forget exactly.

[Anonymous]

Tracks

[Anonymous]

I haven't read the responses so forgive me if this was mentioned but The Alice Network and The Rose Code are both historical fiction books based on real women working during WWII as spies and decoders. They were both really good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Finlay Donovan books are a blast. It's a single mom who accidentally becomes a hit person. I can't remember if there are 3 or 4 of them, but I adore them.

Also, read The Bee Sting. It has 4 main characters and is just so fantastic.

Interesting. I started the first one and got a little over halfway before I gave up because I really disliked her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We Carry Their Bones - nonfiction written by a forensic anthropologist who investigated the deaths of students at a juvenile reform school in Florida

The Invention of Wings - novel about an enslaved woman and a white woman who feels constrained by wealthy Charleston society

Manhattan Beach - novel about a woman in NY who becomes a diver during WWII

What You Have Heard is True - nonfiction by a woman who traveled to El Salvador to learn/write about the country's political situation

The Enchanted - novel about a woman who investigates the pasts of death row inmates

Just Kids - Patti Smith memoir

While Justice Sleeps - mystery/thriller written by Stacey Abrams. Honestly not very good, but the protagonist is a law clerk trying to unravel a mystery involving supreme court justices, wealthy corporate interests, etc.

Rough Magic - non-fiction by a young woman about her participation in a 1,000 kilometer horse race across Mongolia

I LOVED this book. And the characters are based on real people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just remembered one I read a few years back.
It is Called "Pieces of Her" by Karin slaughter.

It is about a young woman who learns that her mom was a terrorist before she was born.

Ha, I started reading that because I love Toni Collette and she plays Laura in the miniseries so I figured I'd read then watch. I didn't like the book so I started watching the show thinking maybe it would spur me into finishing the book but the timeline of the show was different and I learned things in the series I hadn't read yet so I gave up reading and just finished the series instead. I'd give it a generous C rating. I found myself doing other things while watching it and I found it overall so disappointing. I've read Karin Slaughter every couple of years and I think I never end up really liking the books so I should probably just give up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Finlay Donovan books are a blast. It's a single mom who accidentally becomes a hit person. I can't remember if there are 3 or 4 of them, but I adore them.

Also, read The Bee Sting. It has 4 main characters and is just so fantastic.

Interesting. I started the first one and got a little over halfway before I gave up because I really disliked her.

Same. Not my cup of tea.

[Anonymous]

Years ago I read Bold Spirit about a woman who walked solo across America. I remember thinking it was fine (not amazing not bad) but quite interesting.

In a similar vein, I really enjoyed Nothing Daunted many years back. A year or two ago I read and really liked Code Girls. Those are all nonfiction. The Rose Code (fiction) is in a similar vein.

I don’t know if you like YA fiction but I’ve recently read (reread for me) both The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle to my tween and both are so fun!