Books for International Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day!
This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge.
We have created a list of books, by women and for women, inspired by the theme.
Rising Heart by Aminata Conteh-Biger follows one woman’s astonishing journey from unimaginable trauma to becoming a power for good.
Aminata was brutally kidnapped from her father’s house by rebel soldiers and held captive for months. She resettled in Australia as a refugee. Now she is helping mothers and babies in her home country of Sierra Leone. This is her story.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a deeply moving, powerful story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million copy number one bestselling author Kristin Hannah.
‘Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind.’
Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates is a moving and compelling New York Times bestseller, Melinda Gates. In this book she shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world.
‘When you lift up women, you lift up everybody-families, communities, entire countries… In her book, Melinda tells the stories of the inspiring people she’s met through her work all over the world, digs into the data, and powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention… I’ve called Melinda an impatient optimist and that’s what she delivers here – the urgency to tackle these problems and the unwavering belief that solving them is indeed possible.’
Barack Obama
CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan, and she doesn’t have a list of five-year goals. She doesn’t believe in work/life balance – after all she has six children and heads up Business Chicks, Australia’s largest community for women. Emma shows us that often the only thing holding us back is ourselves; that you can follow your dreams; and that there’s no reason not to start doing so right now.
‘Winging It will show you how to map out what’s important to you, stay focussed on achieving your goals and thrive’
Arianna Huffington
#MeToo: Stories from the Australian Movement is a collection from thirty-five contributors who share their own #MeToo stories, analysis and commentary to survey the movement in an Australian context.
This collection resists victimhood. It resists silence. It insists on change.
‘For the Australian #MeToo movement, this book feels like both war-cry and manifesto – a comfort, a realisation and a reckoning.’
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Jess Eva wants you to change your life.
She can’t promise to make you rich, quick-fix your relationships or help you lose weight. But she is going to show how to relax, get out of your own head (and other people’s) and start to see life as one big adventure. Jess will help you start to do all those things you really want to – because why wouldn’t ya? She will show you, through her humour, mad stories and down-to-earth wisdom, the worst that could happen is you’ll end up with a bloody good story to tell.
In Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life, Kate James introduces us to a range of techniques, based on her knowledge of mindfulness, positive psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), creativity and neuropsychology, that will help us clarify our goals, realise our purpose and connect more fully with the wonder of life.
‘Kate James is such an honest, warm and generous teacher. Read this book and you’ll be learning from one of the very best.’
Clare Bowditch
Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann is a hilarious, life-affirming novel about all the big stuff: love, sex, death, family, heartbreak, kittens . . . and kisses that turn the whole world upside down.
This is a laugh out loud look at first love, loss and trying to avoid the girl of your dreams.