Non-Fiction

The Heroine’s Journey: Women’s Quest for Wholeness by, Maureen Murdock. “The Heroine's Journey describes contemporary woman's search for wholeness in a society where she has been defined according to masculine values. Drawing on cultural myths and fairy tales, ancient symbols and goddesses, and the dreams of contemporary women, Murdock illustrates the need for--and the reality of--feminine values in Western culture. This special anniversary edition, with a new foreword by Christine Downing and preface by the author, illuminates that this need is just as relevant today as it was when the book was originally published thirty years ago.”

The Gifts of Imperfection by, Brené Brown. For over a decade, Brené Brown has found a special place in our hearts as a gifted mapmaker and a fellow traveller. She is both a social scientist and a kitchen-table friend whom you can always count on to tell the truth, make you laugh and, on occasion, cry with you. And what's now become a movement all started with The Gifts of Imperfection, selling more than two million copies in thirty-five different languages across the globe. What transforms this book from words on a page to effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living, including: Authenticity, Resilience, Creativity, Letting go of comparison and Meaningful rest. These guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives and families, but also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way.

Period Power by, Maisie Hill. “The hormones of the menstrual cycle profoundly influence our energy, mood and behaviour, but all too often we’re taught that our hormones make us unreliable, moody bitches, or that it’s our lot in life to put up with ‘women’s problems’. Maisie Hill, a women’s health practitioner, knows the power of working with the menstrual cycle and refuses to accept this theory. Instead, Maisie believes that our hormones are there to serve us and, if utilized correctly, can be used to help you get what you want out of life. Yes, we are hormonal, and that’s a very good thing.“

Happy Fat by, Sofie Hagen. “In Happy Fat, comedian Sofie Hagen shares how she removed fatphobic influences from her daily life and found self-acceptance in a world where judgement and discrimination are rife. From shame and sex to airplane seats, love and getting stuck in public toilets, Sofie provides practical tips for readers. Part memoir, part social commentary, Happy Fat is a funny, angry and impassioned look at how taking up space can be radical, emboldening and life-changing.“

The Guilty Feminist, by Deborah Frances-White. A funny, joyful, frank and inspiring book about embracing both feminism and our imperfections, from the creator of the hit comedy podcast, Deborah Frances-White. From inclusion to the secret power of rom coms, from effective activism to what poker can tell us about gender, Deborah Frances-White explores what it means to be a 21st-century feminist, and encourages us to make the world better for all women. The book also includes exclusive interviews with performers, activists and thinkers - Jessamyn Stanley, Zoe Coombs Marr, Susan Wokoma, Bisha K. Ali, Reubs Walsh, Becca Bunce, Amika George, Mo Mansfied and Leyla Hussein - plus a piece from Hannah Gadsby and Pheobe Waller-Bridge.

We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “What does "feminism" mean today? In this personal, eloquently argued essay - adapted from her much-admired TEDx talk of the same name - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness.
Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author's exploration of what it means to be a woman now - an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.”

Warriors and Witches and Damn Rebel Bitches: Scottish Women to Live Your Life By, by Mairi Kidd. “Throughout history, Scottish women have broken the rules with attitude. WILLIAMINA FLEMING reached for the stars and took Harvard by storm. MARY SOMERVILLE challenged prejudice to claim the title 'scientist' for women. EFFIE GRAY knew the power of language to name and shame bullies and belittlers. AGNES RANDOLPH stood up to a siege and owned every minute of it like a boss. Inspirational and fierce in every sense, these sisters will fire you up to face your own modern-day dilemmas with serious style.“

Goblin Mode, by McKayla Coyle. Embrace your inner goblin! Learn to decorate, dress, craft, forage, and live according to the goblin principles of community, diversity, and joyful mess. Do you ever feel strange, gross, chaotic, underappreciated, or like you don’t quite fit in? Great news: you might be a goblin! That means your imperfections and idiosyncrasies are the most awesome things about you, and you can build a more harmonious life by accepting and honoring them—taking inspiration from the frogs, fungi, moss, rocks, and dirt that goblins love. Goblin Mode includes life advice for celebrating physical and mental diversity, rejecting prejudice, and generally hanging on to a little joy. Can a mushroom give you fashion tips? Can a snail teach you to be a happier person?

Untamed, by Glennon Doyle. Part inspiration, part memoir, Untamed explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and instead dare to listen to and trust in the voice deep inside us. For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her discontent. Glennon decided to let go of the world's expectations of her and reclaim her true untamed self. Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanising wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is also the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honour our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts. Untamed shows us how to be brave. And, as Glennon insists, 'The braver we are, the luckier we get’.

Ice Cream for Breakfast, by Laura Jane Williams. Discover the surprising art of reconnecting with your inner child in order to make your adult life that little bit simpler. You can own your own home and want to build a blanket fort on a bad day. Hell! On a good day, too. Give yourself permission to seek praise, ask for help, and have something soft snuggled against your face because you're sad. You can pay your bills on time and still exclaim out loud when something is really f*cking cool, run a business and wear cat-covered thermals under your suit. You can take time to play, just because.

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (and other lies), by Scarlett Curtis. Every woman has a different story to tell. Reading them all in one book might just change your life. New pink feminists are being announced every week - follow @feminists on Instagram to find out more! Keira Knightley - Gemma Arterton - Bridget Jones (by Helen Fielding) - Saoirse Ronan - Dolly Alderton - Karen Gillan - Alicia Garza - Jameela Jamil - Kat Dennings - Nimco Ali - Beanie Feldstein - Olivia Perez - Amika George - Evanna Lynch - Akilah Hughes - Tanya Burr - Grace Campbell - Alison Sudol - Elyse Fox - Charlie Craggs - Rhyannon Styles - Skai Jackson - Tasha Bishop - Lolly Adefope - Bronwen Brenner - Dr Alaa Murabit - Trisha Shetty - Jordan Hewson - Amy Trigg - Em Odesser - Emi Mahmoud - Lydia Wilson - Swati Sharma

Pandora’s Jar, by Natalie Hayes. The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories. And still, today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women's stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora - the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world - was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, Natalie puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk. After millennia of stories, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.

The Body is not an Apology, by Sonya Renee Taylor. Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all.

Slug, Hollie McNish. The new collection of poetry and prose from the Ted Hughes Award-winning author of Nobody Told Me. From Finnish saunas and soppy otters to grief, grandparents and Kellogg's anti-masturbation pants, Slug is a book which holds a mirror lovingly up to the world, past and present, through Hollie's driving, funny, hopeful poetry and prose. Slug is about the human condition: of birth and death and how we manage the possibilities in-between.

Your Silence Will No Protect You, by Audre Lorde. Audre Lorde (1934-92) described herself as ‘Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet’. Born in New York, she had her first poem published while still at school and her last the year she died of cancer. Her extraordinary belief in the power of language – of speaking – to articulate selfhood, confront injustice and bring about change in the world remains as transformative today as it was then, and no less urgent. This edition brings Lorde’s essential poetry, speeches and essays, including ‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’.

Unbroken, by Madeleine Black - SAY Women Patron. For many years after that night, my memories of what happened after he held the blade to my throat and threatened my life were fragmented...difficult to piece together. It was too extreme, too violent for me to understand. Living in a state of shock and self-loathing, it took her years of struggle to confront the buried memories of that first attack and begin to undo the damage it wrought, as men continued to take advantage of her fragility in the worst possible way. Yet, after growing up with a burden no teenager should ever have to shoulder, she found the heart to carry out the best revenge plan of all: leading a fulfilling and happy life. But the road to piecing her life back together was long and painful. For Madeleine, forgiveness was the key. True forgiveness takes genuine effort. It takes a real desire to understand those who have done us so much harm. It is the ultimate act of courage. In Unbroken, Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity. We are not defined by what knocks us down - we are defined by how we get back up.

Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women White Feminists Forgot, by Mikki Kendall. All too often the focus of mainstream feminism is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. Meeting basic needs is a feminist issue. Food insecurity, the living wage and access to education are feminist issues. The fight against racism, ableism and transmisogyny are all feminist issues. White feminists often fail to see how race, class, sexual orientation and disability intersect with gender. How can feminists stand in solidarity as a movement when there is a distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others? Insightful, incendiary and ultimately hopeful, Hood Feminism is both an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux and also clear-eyed assessment of how to save it.