8 Books to Read in Celebration of Women’s History Month

“First Gen: A Memoir” by Alejandra Campoverdi

Recommended by Camille Cannon
Rady School MBA ’23 and Internal Communications Manager 

Campoverdi beautifully chronicles her Southern California upbringing as a first-generation college student and her career that made history in the White House. In telling her story, from undergraduate studies at USC to a graduate degree from Harvard, Campoverdi connects to the shared experiences and challenges of many first-gen graduates, myself included. The daughter of an immigrant single mother, Campoverdi captures the struggle of “surviving where you come from while acting like you belong where you're going.” An honest and inspiring read from an incredibly accomplished woman!

“Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes” by Christine Yu

Recommended by Dani Cook
Associate University Librarian, Learning and User Experience

Did you know that women weren't included in clinical trials until the 1990s?!? Yu's reporting is eye-opening about how much we know (and don't know) about how unique biological adaptations affect sports performance and the way women train. She interviews world-class athletes to highlight how misinformation affected them, and shares incredible stories about the heights of athletic performance that women can achieve.

“The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Recommended by Nikki Kolupailo
Director, Communications & Engagement

This is a fascinating historical fiction account of one of the most prominent librarians in American history—Belle da Costa Greene (1879-1950). As a Black American woman, Greene was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white for her entire professional career. She ran the Morgan Library for 43 years—initially as the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan and later as its inaugural director—and built one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the U.S. This book tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, expertise, impeccable taste, wit and shrewd negotiating skills who made it her mission to make rare books accessible to the public, rather than locked away in the vaults of private collectors.

"I Am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai 

Recommended by Mairam Sogoian
eBook Acquisitions Specialist

"I Am Malala" is a young woman's fascinating autobiographical story on how she refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education, when the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan.

“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler and “A Psalm for the Wild Built” by Becky Chambers 

Recommended by Natalie Tagge 
Assistant Program Director, Research Advisory Services 

For most of my life I have not been a fan of speculative fiction. I've become drawn to it, though, as I look for different authors' fictionalized answers to what the future holds. “Parable of the Sower” and “A Psalm for the Wild Built” are perfect to read together. One a gripping cautionary story of the future, the other a charming tale where society figures it out in time. Both share plucky main characters that you won't forget anytime soon.  

“Women in the History of Science: A Sourcebook” edited by Hannah Wills, Sadie Harrison, Erika Jones, Rebecca Martin and Farrah Lawrence-Mackey

Recommended by Jennifer Reiswig
Biology and Neuroscience Librarian

This open access eBook uses extracts from primary sources to help us listen to women in science (and related fields) tell us about their accomplishments and challenges. The book is arranged by time period, covering 1200 BCE to the 21st century. Each chapter also includes thought-provoking questions and further readings. 

“Locating Strongwoman” by Tolu Agbelusi

Recommended by Melanie Marquez-Adams
Spanish Language Metadata Specialist

Locating Strongwoman is a portrait of unperformed femininity. As I understand it, unperformed femininity refers to escaping/resisting stereotypes of femininity and transgressing gendered constructions of the female body. Eschewing the stereotypical portrayal of the “Strong Woman” and the even more loaded “Strong Black Woman,” these poems invite the reader to interrogate the protagonists and find in their stories a quiet strength. 

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