7 books by female authors I’ll be reading this lockdown

Real pageturners. 

As the days get colder, there’s no better way to spend your Sunday morning than cocooned in bed with an excellent book. And if you’re in Melbourne, you’re bound to have some extra reading time on your hands thanks to the seven-day lockdown which kicks in tonight.

To help you out, I’ve rounded up the best cover-to-cover reads by female authors from around the world. Whether you’re a romance diehard, a history buff, or a non-fiction fan, there is something here for everyone. 

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This heartwarming, heartbreaking and addictive selection of books will keep you entertained well into the cooler months. Now’s the time to break out of your reading rut and accidentally make an overly ambitious online book order. 

A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu

Jena Lin is a former child prodigy, who spends her days trying to fill the void that was sparked by her ‘failure’ as a classical musician at the young age of fifteen. After choking during the biggest performance of her career, Jena traded her world fame for the simple life – high school, followed by university in the big city. This novel follows the life of a twenty-something, who is just trying her best to navigate adult life in Sydney’s Inner West. It’s the story of an unfulfilled young woman who is constantly searching for meaning. Whether that be found in someone or something – a shiny new friend, sex with a stranger or the praise and respect of her teachers and parents. If you are a fan of Greta Gerwig’s Frances Ha, Jessie Tu’s debut novel is the one for you. 

Get it here. 

Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota 

In her debut book, Yumiko Katdota reveals a personal recount of what it’s really like to train as a doctor in the Australian public hospital system, and why she walked away from her ‘dream job’. Kadota explores the toxic workplace culture of bullying, overwork and misogyny that she faced in the male-dominated industry. This non-fiction book is topping charts across the country, and shines a light on the emotional, physical and mental pressure that is placed upon junior doctors, especially female ones. Expository and confounding, Kadota has become the defining voice of a generation of young Australians in her first book, which highlights the sexism that is still present in many workplaces and industries.

Get it here. 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert 

This is the rom-com we’ve been waiting for in 2021. If you’re after a light, feel-good read, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is the book for you. The third book in Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters series is where we meet Eve, a certified hot mess that just can’t seem to get it quite right. When Eve’s chaotic personal life implodes and ruins a wedding, her loved ones call it – she needs to get it together. But when she meets Jacob Wayne, her new boss, who she ‘accidentally’ hits with her car, everything changes. This one is for all of the hot messes and not so hot messes out there.  It’s got everything you want out of a romance novel, so if Netflix isn’t taking your fancy, give the analogue version of things a go. 

Get it here. 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 

A story that spans generations, Pachinko is a tale of love, betrayal, family, religion and race. When Sunja falls pregnant out of wedlock in Korea during the early 1900s, Isak, a Christian minister, arrives to save her from a life of ruin when he asks for her hand in marriage. The unlikely pair move to Japan n search of a better life. However, their dreams are shattered on arrival, when they discover the hardship faced by Koreans in their new land. This is just the beginning of Sunja’s family and their complex, heartbreaking story. It took Lee over thirty years to write this novel, as she explored the troubled history of social and legal discrimination that people identifying as Korean Japanese faced in the 20th century.

Get it here. 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 

A modern exploration of racial identity in America, Bennett’s novel uncovers the many complexities of race, in particular how skin colour, sadly, continues to play a major role in society’s perception and treatment of people. After running away from home together at the age of sixteen, identical twins, the Vignes sisters, are eventually separated. Ten years on, the twins live polar opposite lives, with one moving back to their small, southern Black community, and the other, secretly passing as White. The story tracks the lives of the twins from the 1950s well into the 1990s when they have daughters of their own. How can one half of you simply disappear without a trace? And will they ever meet again? This novel will have you on the edge of your seat, as Bennett magically weaves the lives of these characters together to create a thought-provoking and memorable reading experience. 

Get it here.

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary 

If Flatshare and The Switch are anything to go by, The Road Trip, O’Leary’s newest heartwarming novel, is at the top of my ‘to be read’ list. On a road trip to a friend’s wedding in Scotland with her sister, Addie couldn’t be more excited. But her excitement is short-lived when her car is hit from behind, by none other than her ex, who she hasn’t seen in two years. Also en-route to the wedding is Dylan, the ex. With his car totalled, he has no choice but to grab a ride with Addie. With a long trip ahead of them, what could possibly go wrong? O’Leary is known for producing romantic comedy gold, and this novel is no exception. 

Get it here. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Reid’s writing is as fast-paced and addictive as it gets. If you loved Daisy Jones and the Six, then The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo should be the next book on your list. This novel is framed as a tell-all of the glamourous life of fictitious Hollywood film star, Evelyn Hugo. Similarly to Daisy Jones, Hugo’s life resembles a mixture of the real-life scandals experienced by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren. Gossip, romance, affairs, career troubles – Reid piles so much razzle-dazzle into this one that you simply cannot put it down.

Get it here. 

To discover some more amazing female authors, head here.