If you are already vegan/vegetarian or simply interested in a plant-based diet, the following reading list is your fireside of truth. Together, these foundational books bolster your arguments for going veg and further your knowledge about why a plant-based diet is so important and effective, not only for your body but also for the world. Cozy up and get reading!

Reading List Fit for Vegans and Vegetarians

Some of these books on the following reading list are strictly diet and recipe based while others are more in tune with the environmental, political and social effects of a plant-based lifestyle. They are all page turners!

1. “The Raw Food Detox Diet”

Natalia Rose’s debut diet book, “The Raw Food Detox Diet“ is a 5-step plan for vibrant health and maximum weight loss and a must on your bookshelf. Rose focuses on cellular cleansing through efficient digestion, which is ultimately attained through proper food combining, the consumption of fruit and vegetable juices and the elimination of mucous-forming foods. Her protocol complements all lifestyles and does not adhere to any strict dietary “ism”. It is thus a great read for raw foodists, vegan, vegetarians and omnivores alike. The diet is particularly helpful to women, as it is catered to combat candida and bloating. The best part about the book is that it gives you a holistic, functional perspective of your body and does not base its approach in numbers and isolated vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Because of this, it encourages an intuitive relationship with the body. Also check out Rose’s “Raw Food Life Force Energy” and “Detox for Women” books for updated information.

2. “The China Study”

A bible for vegans everywhere, “The China Study” is the result of 20 years worth of research conducted by a partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. Extensive research shows that a high consumption of animal-based foods is linked to more chronic disease and that a plant-based diet makes for the healthiest people. “The China Study” gives you fodder to your often scientifically scant argument about why eating vegan or vegetarian is the way to go.

3. “Oh She Glows Cookbook”

One of the most popular vegan food blogs, Oh She Glows now has a complementary cookbook. The “Oh She Glow Cookbook” is a culmination of more than 5 years of food blogging by Angela Liddon, who hails from Ontario, Canada. She turned to a vegan diet to overcome an eating disorder and has since been posting the most mouthwatering recipes that even a carnivore couldn’t resist. Her cookbook is full of vegan recipes, both simple and more complex, that are also for the most part gluten, processed and soy free. If you need any excuse to go vegan, Liddon makes it incredibly tempting.

4. “Eat More, Weigh Less”

Cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish makes a very convincing health argument for vegetarianism. His book “Eat More, Weigh Less” espouses a low-fat diet in order to achieve long-term weight loss, increased energy, better sex and decreased risk of heart attack. Ornish concludes that eating a vegetarian diet with only 10 percent of the total daily calories from fat is the first step to healthier, happier living. He also outlines the benefits of exercise, social support and self-reflection. The book also includes 250 vegetarian recipes to help you along the way.

5. “The Food Revolution”

Dense with facts and irrefutable cases concerning the environment, “The Food Revolution“ approaches diet from a more rounded perspective – one that concerns more than just weight loss and beauty, but the environment, health, the global food crisis and animals too. It is for the body, mind and heart. Robbins is son of the co-founder of Baskin-Robbins. Instead of succeeding his father, Robbins set off to put health and environment before corporate profit margins. “The Food Revolution” delves into a diverse set of topics, including agricultural chemical pollution, diet/disease connection, genetic engineering and inhuman corporate farming practices. His tone is conversational and nonjudgmental, allowing readers to think for themselves and take in the research findings and statics with an open mind. However, by the end of the book, you’ll likely become a new-found vegetarian.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Fun and Easy Ways to Eat Less Meat

5 Best Spiritual Books to Read in 2015

Read More: 5 Fashion Books to Help Navigate the Endless Sea of Clothing

Photo Credit: spykster

The post 5 Books Making the Case for a Plant-Based Diet: The Essential Reading List for Vegans and Vegetarians appeared first on EcoSalon.

Getting your reading list ready for 2015? May as well start now with these five picks for best spiritual books.

Holiday break is the perfect time to settle in with a good book or several. If your book shelves are bare it’s time to get shopping. And what better than a few reads that have the potential to transform your life?

Most of us spend at least some of our reading hours on fiction. Still, spiritual material is an ever growing market. Which means many of us are reading the stuff.

Positive thinking and manifesting desire are hot topics. And why not? Who doesn’t want to create their best life? It seems the idea of taking happiness into our own hands is more solid than ever. The belief is that we are in control of our thoughts, and that those thoughts influence how we feel and live our lives.

No matter your religion or spiritual view, the following books hold information and concepts everyone can use. While each approaches the subject with different voices, styles, and tools, they have one current in common: uncovering what we all want in life and ways to make it happen.

Sure, material stuff is fun and we all want some of it to varying degrees. But, whether we realize it or not, what we all really yearn for is a feeling. Feeling happy or secure or loved. The feeling we think we will have if we reach a certain level of success or riches. These books can help to guide you down a path of doing just that–unearthing what you truly crave from life and the valuable instruction on getting there. All of these books are capable of becoming time-worn, dog-eared companions that you come back to time and again.

5 Best Spiritual Books to Read in 2015

1. “The Desire Map” by Danielle LaPorte // Possibly the bible for meeting your life’s dreams. LaPorte has managed to pour what seems like a lifetime of thoughts into one big envelope. If you have yet to get your hands on it, treat yourself right now. “The Desire Map” comes with two parts plus many exercises, worksheets, and thought pieces. This one may take a year to work through or a weekend. Up to you. Favorite from the is book: You can feel the heat of this powerful message getting ready to change your life.

2. “The Book of Secrets” by Deepak Chopra // Taking things a step deeper than he did in “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”, Chopra lays out a plan for guiding us toward our desired life. The fifteen secrets he outlines in this book persuade us to notice signals in our lives that help us to open up to our possibilities. At the end of each chapter (step) Chopra offers ways to change your life to allow that particular secret in. Favorite quote from this book: “Ultimately, all roads are connected to all other roads. So break out of the mindset that your life consists of good and bad choices that set your destiny on an unswerving course.”

3. “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay // This sweet, quick read is so full of heart. Louise shares lessons from her life that are raw and honest. She has a deep compassion for the human soul and it shines through strongly in this book. In it she shares links of physical ailments to their emotional counterparts, complete with reference list. Favorite from this book: Hands down, the physical to emotional reference list. You will truly flip to it over and over. It’s so interesting to see why you are feeling the way you feel and amazing how truly it lines up. Almost addictive.

4. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho // If you have yet to read this book, go out and buy it today. This simple yet oh-so-powerful story is chock full of subtle life lessons. I pretty much forced my high schooler to read this book. He may not have gotten out of it what I have, but I wanted this information in his head. It is that good. Loved it the first, second, and third times I read it. Favorite quote from this book: “…when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”

5. “E Squared” by Pam Grout // If you like your spirituality with a side of snarky wit this is the one for you. Grout shares her views on manifesting what you want in such super real terms it is almost like chatting with a friend. She even addresses in some detail why it seems our manifesting efforts and prayers often go unanswered. This is the book that cuts through the mind bending philosophical sludge and puts some straight-shooting positive thinking ideas in your noggin. Favorites from this book: Grout’s spot on analogies that make manifestation seem like a trip to the grocery store.

Related on EcoSalon

How I Kicked My Time Management Habit and Became Exceedingly More Productive, Profitable and Thrilled by Danielle LaPorte

What Do You Suck At? by Danielle LaPorte

What is Your Relationship to Life?

Image by Alejandro Escamilla at Unsplash

The post 5 Best Spiritual Books to Read in 2015 appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Too busy for chores? Don’t worry, there’s Rent-a-Wife for that. [Via: Ethical Ocean]

How much water do we really use? You might be surprised. And not in a good way. [Via: TakePart]

If you’re into enjoying the sun, you might want to consider making one of these DIY summer hammocks. [Via: Gardenista]

Get hip and throw a Scandinavian sandwich party, your friends will thank you. [Via: Bon Appetit]

Inspire your own creativity; take time to be bored. [Via: The 99 Percent]

A simple video guide to what Rio+20 is all about. [Via: The Nation]

Celebrate in the fact that the younger generation knows a thing or too about being good people. At least some of them. [Via: The Frisky]

The beginning of summer means the beginning of travel season. Make sure you’re a good traveler. No wait, a really good one. [Via: National Geographic]

Image: x-ray delta one

The post Link Love: Rent-a-Wife, A Real Look at Water Use and The Importance of Being Bored appeared first on EcoSalon.

Need some new ideas for what to read this summer? Here are some top picks from our EcoSalon editors.

Summer is a time to get outdoors, spend time with friends, take vacations and catch up on your reading. Here at EcoSalon we all have stacks of books on our bedside tables (or downloaded on our Kindle apps), waiting to be read on the beach or just on the back deck. We thought it would be fun to share our choices and give you a glimpse of our interests and what we read in our spare time.

Did you know that Amy DuFault reads Dorothy Parker to help fine tune her wit or that Vanessa Barrington even reads about food for fun? Scott Adelson and Katherine Butler can’t say enough good things about the same book, so be sure to put it on your must-read list. Although many tackle weighty issues – strong reviews, glowing recommendations or exceptional writing land them on our list. Here are the titles we can’t wait to start, and some favorites we think you’ll enjoy.

Happy summer!

Designers, Visionaries and Other Stories by Jonathan Chapman and Nik Gant
Ever since I wrote Top 15 Eco-Fashion Books We Love a while back I’ve been trying to chip away at reading all of them. As a sustainable fashion writer, as much as I say first-hand knowledge and experience with the industry is important, it’s just as important to take the time to read thoughtful insights from different members of the fashion industry. [Amy DuFault]

The Portable Dorothy Parker
I LOVE Dorothy Parker and whatever I haven’t read of hers I am sure I will find in this tome and I am hoping she helps me sharpen my wit. [Amy Dufault]

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Before she killed herself, Hannah Baker made seven audio tapes with thirteen reasons why she took her own life. The tapes are making the rounds to each of the thirteen people who played a part (knowingly or unknowingly) in her decision. I’m interested to see how Asher treats this issue, especially since reviewers, teens and parents alike rave about the story.  [Andrea Newell]

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce
The summary had me at “hypnotically dark story.” A couple is caught by an avalanche skiing, and after they dig themselves out, they find that the world is empty. But is it? A friend couldn’t put it down, and I love page turners while I am at the beach listening to the waves.   [Andrea Newell]

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Janie Crawford is a black woman in the early twentieth century South who marries three men, but only one for love. She lives her life unapologetically, even when she is judged for daring to pursue passion and happiness, and accused of murdering one of her husbands. “The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see.” [Andrea Newell]

Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook
Few people know or would believe that the ubiquitous tomatoes we find on our fast food and deli sandwiches could possibly have been produced by enslaved workers in this country. Even worse, the tomatoes are so tasteless and mealy; they are not even worth eating. A waste of labor and resources, even if slavery is not part of the equation. Someone has finally written a book about what modern agriculture has done to an iconic fruit that should be delicious, juicy, and full of flavor and the workers who harvest it. It’s about time. [Vanessa Barrington]

Day of Honey by Annia Ciezadlo
A food memoir of an American woman who marries a Lebanese man, spends her honeymoon in Baghdad and, through her marriage learns to navigate the world of Middle Eastern food and culture. I’m dying to read it because I’ve heard that it’s exquisitely written, but more so because it shows us different aspects of a part of the world that we rarely see other than through wartime images on the news. [Vanessa Barrington]

A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
Why? Because it’s a classic about one of England’s favorite topics, class distinctions. Though this one has the distinction of taking place over an extended holiday. Plus, it’s funny (in that subtle Forster way) and biting, cutting to the frivolities of what it is to have and have not. Or perhaps better put, to want and want not. I picked this book up again last summer after Diane Rehm featured it in her NPR book club. [K. Emily Bond]

Another Country by James Baldwin
This is a story about the downfall and subsequent suicide of a black jazz musician named Rufus Scott, his relationship with Leona, a white woman from the South, his mentor Richard’s relationship with his wife Cass, his best friend Vivaldo’s relationship with his sister Ida, and his first gay lover’s relationship with Cass. Who, again, is Rufus’ mentor’s wife. Lots of sex – of the straight and gay kind – characterizes Another Country, but it’s very much a book about racial tension, denial, ambition and jealousy. It is an insanely absorbing portrait of bohemian 1960s New York vs. the rest of the world, just as relevant today as it was then. Truly, this and Giovanni’s Room are my two favorite Baldwin works. [K. Emily Bond]

I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere and Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda
These might seem a bit obscure, but this contemporary French writer is one of my favorites, and the two books are always good summer reads, because they’re smart, witty and very French. I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere is a collection of short stories, which is ideal for when you’re on the road or simply in need of some brain candy. [Anna Brones]

Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson
A heavy but beautiful book that takes a new friendship from the harsh winter months and into the Swedish summer. Olsson is a Swede living in New Zealand, and although she writes in English, her Swedish roots are clear in her writing, which is probably why I am a sucker for her books. [Anna Brones]

Just Kids by Patti Smith
Art, music, love and romance, all as acute and true as can be in an irrepressible late-60s and 70s New York City backdrop. Rock Shaman Goddess Patti Smith takes us with her on an escape from New Jersey to an anything-can-happen art and rock (and art rock) world as is taken form in the desperate nooks and crannies of The City where pure invention was being begged at every turn. Most of all, perhaps, Just Kids is the story of her deep personal connection with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe, who passed away from AIDs in 1989. Together they negotiate an extreme transition from poverty and youth to success and fame, while never surrounding their hard-driven addiction to creative authenticity. A super read that bears the texture of Smith’s magical and poetic voice. How many people do you think went to see Jim Morrison perform and walked away thinking “I can do that.” Of those, how many could? [Scott Adelson]

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This Side of Paradise’s exploration of hard-to-like Amory Blaine’s evolution in the face of The Man is as powerful and poignant today as it must have been when it was a sensation at the birth of the Jazz Age. How relevant is it today? Check out this riff: “We want to believe. Young students try to believe in older authors, constituents try to believe in their congressmen, countries try to believe in their statesmen, but they can’t. Too many voices, too much scattered, illogical, ill-considered criticism… Any rich, unprogressive old party with that particularly grasping, acquisitive form of mentality known as financial genius can own a paper that is the intellectual meat and drink of thousands of tired, hurried men, men too involved in the business of modern living to swallow anything but predigested food.” Fitzgerald’s masterpiece changes its tone and structure along with the experiences of Blaine, giving the book a modern feel a nearly a century after it was first published. [Scott Adelson]

The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Chopin was exploring women’s “problem with no name” almost a century prior to the 1970s American feminist revival. Gorgeously describing the hot sultry climate of New Orleans and Grande Isle, it’s a great read for summer. [Katherine Butler]

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
What an outstanding read — Egan compiles a group of amazing characters past, present and future. And she gives us a slightly-chilling view of ourselves ten years down the line. [Katherine Butler]

Having won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, many believe Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad is a true modern masterpiece. Magnificent craftsmanship and a unique use of postmodern technique give this novel a cross-time, cross-genre sensibility, and a certain humanity that you might find lacking in the cooler works of Don DeLillo, Paul Auster and other well-known, male Postmodern masters. Egan’s book opens with a story of a kleptomaniac woman and jumps from chapter to chapter, each one bringing new characters into the spotlight without regard to chronology or consistency of style. What emerges is a sense of time, realism and emotional breadth that could not come from your usual “once-upon-a-time” experience. [Scott Adelson]

Enjoy!

image: Michela Castiglione

The post Editor’s Picks: EcoSalon’s 2011 Summer Reading List appeared first on EcoSalon.

What we read, and what you should read, too.

As purveyors of conscious culture and fashion, our reading list is long (and our reading is never done). But these are the websites we find ourselves drawn to again and again. They’re bookmarked in our daily reads, noted on EcoSalon’s Reading List, and are worth getting to know. From some of the most-beloved print publications online to rambunctious upstarts and indie standouts, you won’t find a more dynamic reading feast anywhere online.

BEST ONLINE READING IN: FASHION

WWD – Women’s Wear Daily

Tagline: “The Fashion Bible” (and it is).

Publishing since 1910 (print).

Refinery29

Fashion news from everywhere.

Ecco Eco

News on eco textiles and art farming projects from fiber artist and writer Abigail Doan.

Publishing since 2006.

Social Alterations

A platform for design educators to benchmark themselves against other educators not only within their own field, but across various design disciplines.

Ethical Fashion Forum

The EFF delivers support and ethical news for fashion businesses and conscious readers alike and serves as a resource for connecting to sustainable sources.

Publishing since 2004.

Coco Eco Magazine

Coco EcoMagazine is a digital multi-media lifestyle brand celebrating sustainable fashion, beauty, celebrity, and culture.

Publishing since 2008.

Ecouterre

Tagline: “Green Fashion Is More Than A Passing Trend.”

Publishing since 2009.

Vogue.com’s Green Style Blog

It’s Vogue, what more is there to say?

Publishing since 1892.

EcoTextile News

News, comment and analysis on sustainable textiles and clothing.

Style.com

Vogue’s original venture into the land of HTML.

Publishing since 2000.

Josh Spear

The four corners of the world of design, and everything in between.

Publishing since 2004.

Organic Exchange

“Creating Material Change”: a non-profit committed to promoting sustainable textiles.

Publishing since 2003.

The Square Project

The blog of Tara St James, owner and designer for the clothing label Study.

Publishing since 2009.

Goodlifer

Inspiring news and articles on sustainable fashion, travel and food trends, shopping and living the good life.

BEST ONLINE READING IN: FOOD

Chow

News, articles, recipe-hacking and the ChowHound online community.

Publishing since 2006.

Chez Pim

Professional cook, professional eater and internet cult figure Pim Techamuanvivit’s food site.

Publishing since 2001.

Foodzie
“Taste Something Different” – an online marketplace connecting small-scale food producers & growers.

Publishing since 2008.

Delicious Days

“I Eat Merely To Put Food Out Of My Mind” – home of a food-lover based in Europe (and one of TIME’s “50 Coolest Websites”).

Publishing since 2005.

Foodspotting

“A visual guide to good food and where you find it” via user-recommended dishes.

Publishing since 2009.

Tastespotting

A user-built grab-bag of gorgeous images leading to recipes, articles, tips…anything goes. The ultimate in food porn.

Publishing since 2007.

Summer Tomato

Scientist and foodie Darya Pino shares nutrition tips, healthy recipes and farmers’ market finds.

Publishing since 2009.

Serious Eats

Sharing and celebrating food enthusiasm! (With some serious chef talent on the roster.)

Publishing since 2006.

Food News Journal

Articles, essays, blog posts – the best in food current events.

Publishing since 2009.

Civil Eats

Driven by the politics of food – and the need for a serious dialogue about the American food system.

Publishing since 2008.

Organic Authority

Everything organic! (It’s right there in the name).

Publishing since 2004.

BEST ONLINE READING IN: SEX

Jezebel

Tagline: “Celebrity, sex, fashion for women.”

Publishing since 2007.

Bitch Magazine

Providing and encouraging an engaged, throughful response to mainstream media and popular culture.

Publishing since 1996.

Ms. Magazine

The legendary feminist magazine in its online form.

Publishing since 1971.

Ad Age

Advertising agency and marketing industry news.

Publishing since 1992.

Feministe

“One of the oldest feminist blogs online designed by and run by women from the ground up.”

Publishing since 2003.

Feministing

Tagline: “Bringing you brainy, bad-ass feminist news.”

Publishing since 2004.

The Hairpin

Founded by Edith Zimmerman and Cassie Murdoch, Hairpin features writing by women for women.

Publishing since 2010.

Girl With Pen

Tagline: “Bridging feminist research and popualr reality.”

BEST ONLINE READING IN: SHELTER

Apartment Therapy

Aiming to make homes more beautiful, organised and healthy.

Publishing since 2007.

Dwell

“At home in the modern world” – promoting pragmatic, beautiful modern design.

Publishing since 2000.

Desire to Inspire

A showcase for the beautiful side of interior design.

Publishing since 2006.

Remodelista

Tagline: “Sourcebook for the considered home.”

Publishing since 2007.

Wallpaper

Tagline: “Designinteriorsfashionartlifestyle.” (Which rather says it all).

Publishing since 1996.

Not Cot

A growing network of design sites including the famous NotCot.com.

Publishing since 2006.

Better Living Through Design

Tagline: “Your guide to home, style, travel.”

Publishing since 2005.

Design Milk

A web magazine dedicated to design (and a favorite of Google’s engineers).

Publishing since 2006.

Rum Magazine (in Danish)

Interior design with a Scandinavian twist.

Publishing since 2006.

BEST ONLINE READING IN: NEWS & CULTURE

The New York Times

Still the best.

Publishing since 1851 (print).

The New Yorker

Commentary, reportage, criticism, essays, and fiction with a twist of wry.

Publishing since 1925 (print).

The Atlantic

The literary and culture commentary magazine.

Publishing since 1857 (print).

The Daily Beast

Tina Brown’s Beast recently merged with Newsweek. “A fresh take on the news from around the world with sharp opinion.”

Publishing since 2008.

The Economist

The week in international politics, business, science and culture.

Publishing since 1843 (print).

Treehugger

The most well-known green website.

Publishing since 2003.

Wired

Covering the impact of new and speculative technology on world culture.

Publishing since 1993 (print).

TechCrunch

Technology news and analysis, and everything regarding online startups.

Publishing since 2005.

Hacker News

From Ycombinator, aggregating the best news.

Publishing since 2005.

Ecorazzi

Tagline: “The latest in green gossip.”

Publishing since 2006.

Vanity Fair

Pop culture, fashion and politics.

Publishing since 1913 (print).

More Intelligent Life

The must-read quarterly lifestyle and culture magazine from The Economist.

Publishing since 2007.

GOOD

A magazine reporting on the people who are “moving the world forward.”

Publishing since 2006.

PSFK

Providing inspiration for creative professionals.

Publishing since 2004.

Laughing Squid

Featuring the best in unique art, culture and technology.

Publishing since 1995.

Gawker

Daily gossip/news on celebrities and the media industry.

Publishing since 2003.

Fast Company

Progressive business media, ethical economics, leadership and design.

Publishing since 1995.

TED

Tagline: “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

Publishing since 2006 (online).

Mother Jones

The nonprofit magazine specializing in liberal and progressive values.

Publishing since 1976 (print).

The Awl

Tagline: “Be Less Stupid.” Culture commentary and humor.

Publishing since 2008.

Recommend your own required reading in the comments.

Image: liquene

The post Our Big Fat Conscious Reading List: The Best Websites of 2011 appeared first on EcoSalon.

For some people, a good book makes life better. It’s that excited feeling of discovery that usually hits somewhere around the first chapter – you’ve found a page turner, and you’re not going to stop until you’re finished. A good book means you get to step away from the computer, hang your feet over the edge of a chair, and lose yourself completely for as long as you can spare.

The only problem? Sometimes, it is finding the next book. We’ve already rounded up 28 books that will forever change how you see the world, eco fashion books we love and the best books for your home.

This list of our favorite tomes is compiled for the modern woman and those who admire her. Inspired by our friends at The Art of Manliness, check out the texts that helped to shape our lives and easy chairs.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin Kate Chopin’s 1899 masterpiece tells the tale of Edna Pontellier, a wealthy Creole woman lost in her own search for meaning. Chopin’s heroine who eschewed convention so disturbed critics that the novel was banished for decades, only to be revived during the modern feminist movement. Simply, it is exquisite.

Beloved by Toni Morrison Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for literature, Morrison’s classic looks at antebellum slavery, motherhood, and racism through a dense and complex web of subtle revelation. We follow the tale of Sethe, a former slave, who slowly gives up her horrifying past in a way that will stay with you for a long time.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood In the Republic of Gilead, once the United States, the extreme right has massacred Congress and is in control. Women are unable to read, hold jobs, or even have their own name. You are a chaste Wife, a domestic Martha, or a Handmaid – and your sole purpose in life is to bear children you will hand over immediately after birth. Feminist nightmare? Definitely. A must-read? Absolutely.

Ines of My Soul by Isabele Allende As Bookmarks Magazine writes of this novel, “If Inés of My Soul isn’t among Isabel Allende’s best novels, it still tells a remarkable, ambitious, and heretofore untold story about one of the first female conquistadors of the New World. Allende finds so many surreal subplots in Inés’s own story that the author’s imagination, rather than magical realism, prevails in her attempt to recreate the 16th-century Americas.”

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi Faludi argues that women in the 1980s were the victim of a powerful backlash against the 1970s feminist movement. Publisher’s Weekly says “this eloquent, brilliantly argued book should be read by everyone concerned about gender equality.”

Slut! Growing Up Female with a Bad Reputation by Leora Tanenbaum Tanenbaum compiles a revealing look at slut-shaming through several first-person narratives, all detailing how 50 different women survived shaming in a world ripe with double standards. As one reviewer put it, “Her social critique is solid, but it’s the personal accounts of emotional abuse – and, thankfully, perseverance – that will thoroughly convince you that the current tolerance of slut bashing is simply unacceptable.”

Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert Love her or hate her, Elizabeth Gilbert knows how to pull you in. At the age of 31, Gilbert swaps a husband and life in the suburbs for adventure and east in Italy and beyond. It’s a funny, relatable tale of a woman’s search for self-discovery. And the best part? No one has to die for it in the end.

Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin Germaine Greer called this “The most shocking book any feminist has yet written.” Dworkin looks at sexual intercourse as a tool of societal oppression and declares women are less able to “assert their humanity” because of the breaching of boundaries during the act of sex. It is alternately extremely controversial and absorbing.

Living My Life by Emma Goldman This one review says it all: “Forget all those New Left memoirs: for readers who want to know what it is to be a revolutionary in America, this is the book to read. At the turn of the 20th century, Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was probably the most hated woman in her adopted country. (She emigrated from Russia at age 17.) It was bad enough that she was an anarchist, accused of complicity in the 1901 assassination of President McKinley. But her vehement espousal of women’s rights, including birth control, really enraged upright citizens.” And then there’s more…

“The Laugh of the Medusa” by Hélène Cixous Cixous is considered a mother of post-structural feminist theory. In her essay “The Laugh of Medusa,” she writes: “Woman must write herself: must write about women and bring women to writing, from which they have been driven away as violently as from their bodies. Écriture féminine places experience before language, and privileges the anti-linear, cyclical writing so often frowned upon by patriarchal society.”

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Anne Frank’s intensely moving account of her rise into womanhood while hiding with her family from Nazi Germany is not only a memorial to the Holocaust, but a testament to the strength and grace of the human spirit.

Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by Bell Hooks Hooks looks at the history of black women from the seventeenth century onwards and how they have been oppressed by men and white women alike. As one critic writes, “Illustrating her analysis with moving personal accounts, Ain’t I a Woman is deeply critical of the racism inherent in the thought of many middle-class white feminists who have failed to address issues of race and class.”

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Wharton’s Lily Bart lives in New York City during the Gilded Age, but she finds life amongst convention and appearances to be her greatest struggle. As Wharton writes, Bart lives “as though she were a captured dryad subdued to the conventions of the drawing room.” Her fall from grace from a world built on superficial conformity and double standard reflects the narrow confines of womanhood of the time.

Crescent: A Novel by Diane Abu-Jaber As one reviewer writes, “Abu-Jaber (Arabian Jazz) weaves the story of a love affair between a comely chef and a handsome, haunted Near Eastern Studies professor together with a fanciful tale of a mother’s quest to find her wayward son in this beautifully imagined and timely novel, which explores private emotions and global politics with both grace and conviction.” Others call it “a positive relief to read a novel that treats Iraqis as real people.”

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 1811. Two sisters, two ways of looking at the world. There’s dashing men, English countryside, and expensive pianofortes. Need we say more?

Heartbreak: The Political Memoir of a Feminist Militant by Andrea Dworkin Legendary feminist Andrew Dworkin shares the account of her “political formation.” If you want to see what makes a modern-day feminist and anti-pornographer, then pick up her tome.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See Set in 19th-century China, See’s graceful novel tells the story of Snow Flower and Lily, lifelong friends bound together by the strict conventions places on women of this time. It reveals nu shu, which is a secret written phonetic code among women. And it leads the reader most vividly through the excruciating process of foot binding, where the idea of “you must suffer for beauty” takes on a whole new meaning.

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher As Publisher’s Weekly writes, “From her work as a psychotherapist for adolescent females, Pipher here posits and persuasively argues her thesis that today’s teenage girls are coming of age in a girl-poisoning culture. Backed by anecdotal evidence and research findings, she suggests that, despite the advances of feminism, young women continue to be victims of abuse, self-mutilation, and consumerism and media pressure to conform to others’ ideals.” A must-read for anyone who knows a young girl.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez As one review wrote, “Reading this book was like talking to the friend that went on the same trip as you, only the week before.” Alvarez’s tale tells the story of four Dominican daughters in exile in New York City and how they rebel against the older generation.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Alcott’s classic tells the tale of four other American daughters, but these live in mid 19th-century New England. Epitomizing the four tropes of womanhood, timely yet still applicable today, are Domestic Meg, Independent Jo, Angel Beth, and Artistic Amy. Alcott fashioned a classic for women of all time.

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