11 Young Female Authors You Should Read This Summer
Does your summer reading list need a breath of fresh air? After all, this is the best time of the year for fun reading — you know, reading books that weren't assigned to you by a teacher! There's nothing like sitting outside, laying on the beach, or swinging in a hammock with a book you just can't put down. Even better when the writing is so good it keeps your attention for hours!
Why not discover some young female authors in your search for your next favorite book? We did the heavy lifting and scoured the shelves for you. Take a look at our 11 picks, ahead.
1/12Warsan Shire
Did you love the spoken word segments of Beyoncé’s *Lemonade? * They were snippets from poet Warsan Shire, a young Somali woman who lives in London. Her poem “For Women Who are ‘Difficult’ to Love” went viral on Tumblr, and her poetry book *Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth * sold out on Amazon immediately after *Lemonade * debuted. We’re anxiously awaiting her next book.
2/12Esmé Weijun Wang
Esmé’s first book, The Border of Paradise, was just released this spring, though she’s written for countless publications including Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter. One of the things we love about Esmé is her “Encouragement Notes” emails, which were inspired by her struggle with schizoaffective disorder and Lyme disease. Instead of letting these things hold her back, she’s created a supportive community to uplift and empower others.
3/12Tahereh Mafi
Tahereh Mafi is a seriously prolific writer; she’s written seven YA books in just five years, and the movie rights to her debut *Shatter Me * were snapped up by 20th Century Fox.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@nikita_gill4/12Nikita Gill
Nikita Gill is another young poet who found success on Tumblr. Nikita also uses Instagram to spread her poetry via social media; you’ve probably seen her work reposted on your feed. Her poems are short and to the point, dealing with loss, love and heartbreak. Her first book, Your Soul is a River, was just released.
5/12Emma Cline
Emma Cline’s debut novel, *The Girls, * was basically the most highly anticipated book of 2016. It’s based on the infamous Manson girls, but its heroine, Evie, isn’t exactly in the center of the California cult. She’s an outsider, and what she sees and learns during that summer stays with her all her life. Emma’s just 27, so we’re pumped to see what’s next for her.
6/12Helen Oyeyemi
Helen Oyeyemi’s work is full of magic, but you don’t have to take our word for it. She’s been a finalist for all sorts of awards, including the Shirley Jackson Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Pick up her book of short stories *What Is Not Yours is Not Yours * for the perfect introduction to her voice and talent.
7/12Eleanor Catton
Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Prize when she was just 28, making her the youngest recipient of that esteemed award ever. Oh, and her book that won was a whopping 832 pages. Yeah, no big deal. Take it along on your cabin vacation and dive in.
8/12Mallory Ortberg
You probably know Mallory Ortberg’s name from her website, The Toast. You’ve cracked up at her “Women in Art History” series and her “Texts from” series, which became a book in 2014. We were devastated by the news that The Toast is closing, but we’ll still get to read Mallory’s words as Dear Prudence over at Slate, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we get another Mallory book soon. (Please, Mallory?!?)
9/12Stephanie Danler
Did you spend your summers working in a restaurant? If so, you’ll love Stephanie Danler’s debut novel Sweetbitter. She actually pitched it to an editor when she was working as a server in a famous New York restaurant, and the rest is history. *Sweetbitter * is lushly written, a sensual experience about food, finding yourself, the disappointments of adulthood and, of course, love.
10/12Yelena Akhtiorskaya
Her debut novel, Panic in a Suitcase, was released before she turned 30 and tells the story of an immigrant family who moved to Brooklyn from the Ukraine, much like Yelena’s own. Her book strikes a chord with readers whose own families had to acclimate to America while still keeping the traditions of their country alive.
11/12J. Courtney Sullivan
J. Courtney Sullivan writes the kind of epic, generation-spanning novels that you’ll devour on the beach and then pass on to your best friend *and * your mom — they’re that universal. You should definitely pick up *Commencement * if you’re about to start college, or have just said goodbye to your undergrad years.
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