📚 Her Voice, Our Shelf 📖

lady_wyrm's profile picture lady_wyrm Host

14 participants (237 books)

01 Aug 2025—31 Jul 2026

Overview

Building a bookshelf full of women’s perspectives.

When you look at your shelves (or scroll through your e-reader library), how many of those books are authored by men? I you took them away, how many would be left?

Many readers are surprised when they examined their shelves and realize that the majority of the books they own (and have read…) are written by men. I certainly was a couple of years ago. Once I noticed the imbalance, I made a conscious choice to seek out books by women and set aside men’s voices - at least for now. 

This isn’t because books written by men are bad or unworthy, or because their voices lack variety, but because I wanted to intentionally honor and make space for women’s voices in my reading life.

This challenge is your invitation to do the same: rebalance your reading, add diversity to your shelves, and discover just how rich and varied women’s writing can be. Over the course of the challenge, you’ll explore books written (or translated by women) from around the globe, across genres, time periods and perspectives.

Whether it’s a classic penned a century ago, a contemporary bestseller, or a hidden gem in translation, every book you choose will spotlight the creativity, insight, and influence of women writers.

‼️ For this challenge, ‘women authors’ includes cis women, trans women (and non-binary authors who identify with women’s perspectives). The aim is to celebrate and amplify the wide spectrum of voices and experiences within women’s writing.


Goal:
The challenge is set at 100 books. It’s an ambitious number, yes, but think of it as an invitation rather than a demand. This isn’t about pressure or perfection, it’s about curiosity and exploration. You might reach the full 100 or you might discover that even a handful of books by women transforms your reading life. Every step toward balancing your shelf counts. 

Why Join?
Because every story told by a woman adds another thread to the rich tapestry of human experience. The more we read them, the stronger those threads become.

Challenge Books

All books added
Jubilee by Margaret Walker

Jubilee

Margaret Walker

516 pages • digital • 1966

fiction classics historical emotional slow-paced
Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

Tastes Like Shakkar

If Shakespeare was an Auntie #2

Nisha Sharma

10 hours, 13 minutes • audio • 2023

fiction contemporary romance emotional lighthearted medium-paced
Marriage and Masti by Nisha Sharma

Marriage and Masti

If Shakespeare was an Auntie #3

Nisha Sharma

10 hours, 24 minutes • audio • 2024

fiction romance emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers

The Book Swap

Tessa Bickers

321 pages • hardcover • 2024

fiction contemporary romance emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

After Hours on Milagro Street

Milagro Street #1

Angelina M. Lopez

387 pages • digital • 2022

fiction contemporary romance emotional reflective medium-paced
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad

The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

Nadia Murad

12 hours, 16 minutes • audio • 2017

nonfiction memoir politics emotional informative sad medium-paced
Salt on Your Tongue: Women and the Sea by Charlotte Runcie

Salt on Your Tongue: Women and the Sea

Charlotte Runcie

8 hours, 48 minutes • audio • 2019

nonfiction memoir nature emotional reflective slow-paced
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead

Emily Austin

7 hours, 46 minutes • audio • 2021

fiction contemporary lgbtqia+ literary dark emotional funny medium-paced
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

There Are Rivers in the Sky

Elif Shafak

470 pages • hardcover • 2024

fiction contemporary historical literary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien

The Country Girls

The Country Girls Trilogy #1

Edna O'Brien

175 pages • paperback • 1960

fiction classics emotional reflective sad medium-paced