Ask yourself, how many really good books have you read in the last year? We don’t mean kinda-liked-it good, but brilliant-can’t-stop-thinking-about-it good. Exactly! And with so-called 'chick-lit' sales down 10% in the last year, it seems female authors are no longer being taken seriously.
We reckon that’s unfair – because so many brilliant novels are written by women. In our #readitandtweet campaign, we want you to seek a world outside books with pink covers...
So in our #readitandtweet guide to fab books written by women, Company staffers, and some other familiar faces, share the novels they've loved.
Even better, all of these books are available on the iBookstore too! Tweet @companymagazine your own recommendations using #readitandtweet and join our mission to let the world know about the amazing world of female fiction – it’s chick lit, but not as you know it!
Beloved by Toni Morrisson
Aluna Francis from AlunaGeorge: “This is a classic by a legendary author. Set in America after the Civil War, this beautifully written book follows the story of an African slave who escapes to a new life in Ohio. I’d heard a lot about it but didn't realise it would be such a page turner!”
Buy Beloved on Amazon
Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman.
Piper’s memoir, which has been turned into a new Netflix series starting this month, totally fascinated me. After going from smuggling drugs for her lesbian girlfriend at uni to a married middle-class life, her past antics catch up with her and she spends a year in the clink.
Buy Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison on Amazon
Acorn by Yoko Ono
Alexa’s not the only one with a book of doodles out this month. The 80-year-old avant-garde icon, Yoko Ono, has released a book filled with playful poetry on how to live a more thoughtful life. It’s all very abstract and frankly a bit bonkers but really made me smile. Lady Gaga calls Yoko her idol and after reading this, and so do I!
Buy Acorn on Amazon
Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider
High-school tennis captain Ezra Faulkner’s got it all – then he has an accident that changes everything. No longer Mr Popular, Ezra has to navigate his new life as a misfit – made easier by mysterious new girl (and fellow oddball), Cassidy. If you loved Perks Of Being A Wallflower, this sad-but-sweet story is for you.
Buy Severed Heads, Broken Hearts on Amazon
The Group by Mary McCarthy
Buy The Group on Amazon
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Buy The Selecton on Amazon
The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass
Buy The Year the Gypsies Came on Amazon
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Buy Purple Hibiscus on Amazon
Be Careful What You Wish For by Gemma Crisp
