November 1, 2009 – November 30, 2010
Eva from A Striped Armchair, Care from Care’s Online Book Club, and Aarti from Booklust are co-hosting this great new challenge that has many bloggers excited to join. The Women Unbound Challenge is about reading non-fiction and fiction books that focus on issues that affect women.
Readers can choose one of three levels to participate:
Philogynist: Read at least two books, including at least one non-fiction read
Bluestocking: Read at least five books, including at least two non-fiction reads
Suffragette: Read at least eight books, including at least three non-fiction reads
Of course I’m signing up for the suffragette level. Here’s my list of possible reads:
Non-fiction
- Twenty Years at Hull-House by Jane Addams
- The Water will Hold You: A Skeptic Learns to Pray by Lindsey Crittenden
- Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog
- High Tide in Tucson: essays by Barbara Kingsolver
- In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker
- Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman
- Changing my mind: essays by Zadie Smith
- Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
- The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedman
- Women Who Eat by Leslie Miller
- Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim
- Lit by Mary Karr
- So Long a Letter by Mariama Be
- Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula Giddings
- I Don’t: A Contrarian History of Marriage by Susan Squire
- This Common Secret by Susan Wicklund
- Easter Everywhere by Darcey Steinke
- The Secret of God by Beryl Singleton Bissell
- Because I said so by Camille Peri
- Choice by Karen E. Bender
- Claiming Breath by Diane Glancy
- Silences by Tillie Olsen
- A Voice of her Own by Marlene Schiwy
Fiction
- The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
- Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
- A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
- Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Middlemarch by George Eliot
- The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange
- The Ultravioley Sky by Alma Luz Villanueva
- Passing by Nella Larsen
- Flygirl by Sherri L.Smith
- Bone by Fae Myenne Ng
So that’s my list of possibilities. How about you? Are you joining the challenge? Are there are books you recommend?
1330v: Thoughts of an eclectic reader 
Love your list Vasilly! I’m posting mine today. 😀 (And we share some in common) Twenty Years at Hull-House rocks! As does The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, Tender Morsels, Middlemarch, and a different book by Sherri Smith that I read (so I’m sure Flygirls is awesome too).
That’s a great list! I think this challenge is going to do terrible things for my wish list! I haven’t made my list yet, but that is on the schedule for today.
I’m not doing so hot on the challenges I’m already in, so I think I’ll skip this one. Good luck with it!
Definitely thinking about this challenge! I’m going to figure out all my 2010 challenges after NaNoWriMo – and I’m excited you’re going to read Beekeeper’s Apprentice – I love that book!
Fantastic list of books! I am definitely excited to read your thoughts on the ones you read 🙂
It is such a joy to find these challenges and reading lists. May you have a blast reading. One small suggestion: the title of Beryl Singleton Bissell’s book is The Scent of God (not the Secret of God)
Hmmmmm Tender Morsels will work for this challenge? goodie! and by titles alone, I’m curious about I Don’t: A Contrarian History of Marriage. I’m trying to find sugs for nf about the choice to have kids or not if you see any…
Would definitely go for Changing My Mind as well as Housekeeping. Both perfect for this challenge. Happy reading!
Haven’t decided if I’ll join this one yet, though I really want to. I’ve always been a huge fan of reading women’s studies non-fiction titles, but I need to get back into it. Am notoriously bad at challenges, which is why I hesitate.
Great list, Vasilly. I’m looking forward to this challenge as well.
Oh, meant to add that So Long a Letter is fantastic — it’s fiction, though.
I want to join- I have to get it together to find a list of books! 🙂
Those all sound really great to me! I am excited to see what you decide to read. Also, I love the kung fu woman button. She’s awesome.
I’m in! I’ll have my reading list up after NaNoWriMo … not sure I’ll be able to think about it over the next 30 days.
Some great fiction choices there (I’m struggling to find a third ono-fic among my current books so I might have to buy one!)
For Color Girls is a seminal work that affected me deeply. I saw this the first time as a girl and I never forgot it.
Eva: I’m glad I’ve included so many of your favorites. Can’t wait to read them.
Kailana: Thanks, K. Love your list.
Bermudaonion: I’m not doing all that great on challenge myself but couldn’t resist this one. I may not sign up for any more though.
Carrie K: Good luck with NaNoWriMo! I’ve been dipping in and out of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. Love it so far.
Wendy: Thanks!
Beryl: Thanks for letting me know. I’m so excited about this challenge.
Care: If I find any, I’ll let you know. Good luck on the challenge.
Frances: Thanks!
Andi: Hope you join. I’m bad at challenges too but I’m not going to let it stop me! =)
3m.Michelle: Thanks and thanks for letting me know about the book.
Marie: I love this button. Hope you join.
Aarti. Yay! Glad to see you’re in.
Dawn: Isn’t it a cute button?Good luck on NaNo.
Jodie: Glad you’re in. Hope you find a 3rd pick.
Susan: I’ve heard nothing but great things about this play. Can’t wait to read it.
Looks great! i loved Olive Kitteridge but haven’t read the rest. hopefully I’ll get around to this challenge. It’s such a fantastic idea!
That’s such a great challenge! I’m thinking of maybe joining it too, probably on the smallest level though. I’ll have to make a short list of possible reads first, though. I think yours is very inspiring, especially on the non-fiction.