New books alert! It’s World Book Day – otherwise known as every parent’s worst nightmare. While the days of dressing up as our favourite fictional characters are (mostly) behind us, there are still so many new books to discover, pre-order, and make our new personality. And the best part of this plan is… It just so happens to be Women’s History Month, which means publishers are basically releasing new feminist tomes every other day.
Even Dua Lipa is in on the act, the pop star-turned-literary critic has selected Roxane Gay’s iconic essay collection, Bad Feminist, for her monthly book club, noting that it feels like “a conversation with your smartest, funniest, wisest friend who’s always prepared to work things out alongside you.”
If that sounds up your street, there are plenty of new releases that tick all those boxes. Take Ashley James’ first book, Bimbo, which weaves memoir and self-help to create the ultimate feminist toolbox – a neat addition to your library and an even better gift for your sister or girlfriends. Shahed Ezaydi’s highly-anticipated The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women is a fierce reclamation of Muslim women’s right to exist beyond the suffocating boundaries set by Western feminism. Or, my personal favourite, Flick: The Story of Female Pleasure by the inimitable Kate Lister, it’s a riotous dance through the history of women’s sexual pleasure – Rampant Rabbits and all.