📚 Her Voice, Our Shelf 📖

lady_wyrm's profile picture lady_wyrm Host

15 participants (254 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
Wolkenschloss by Kerstin Gier

Wolkenschloss

Kerstin Gier

459 pages • hardcover • 2017

fiction contemporary young adult adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
UnmĂśglicher Abschied by Han Kang

UnmĂśglicher Abschied

Han Kang

315 pages • hardcover • 2021

fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

The Annual Migration of Clouds

The Annual Migration of Clouds #1

Premee Mohamed

158 pages • paperback • 2021

fiction dystopian literary dark emotional reflective medium-paced
The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf

The Girl and the Ghost

Hanna Alkaf

277 pages • hardcover • 2020

fiction fantasy middle grade emotional fast-paced
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground

Alicia Elliott

7 hours, 16 minutes • audio • 2019

nonfiction essays memoir emotional informative reflective medium-paced
Gilgi - eine von uns by Irmgard Keun

Gilgi - eine von uns

Irmgard Keun

230 pages • paperback • 1931

fiction classics challenging reflective slow-paced
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages by Janina RamĂ­rez

Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages

Janina RamĂ­rez

447 pages • hardcover • 2022

nonfiction feminism history challenging informative medium-paced
Love and Friendship and Other Early Works by Sarah S.G. Frantz, Jane Austen

Love and Friendship and Other Early Works

Sarah S.G. Frantz, Jane Austen

4 hours, 30 minutes • audio • 1790 user-added

fiction classics romance short stories lighthearted medium-paced
Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

Wild and Wicked Things

Francesca May

432 pages • hardcover • 2022

fiction fantasy historical lgbtqia+ emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Hinter der TĂźr by Magda SzabĂł

Hinter der TĂźr

Magda SzabĂł

311 pages • paperback • 1987

fiction classics literary emotional reflective sad slow-paced