What to Read When the World Feels Upside Down
When the news cycle is nonstop chaos and the future feels foggy, sometimes the best escape is in between the pages of a good book. Whether you’re searching for deeper understanding, a sense of solidarity, or just something that speaks to the moment of the times we are living in, these powerful reads by brilliant authors don’t just reflect our times — some of the books have even predicted them (see Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler).
Here are a few essential books for women who want to read with purpose, clarity, and power:
📬 The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Known for Between the World and Me, Coates returns with this short but potent piece, The Message — a sobering reminder of the fight for truth in an age of political theater and misinformation. It’s both a critique and a call to action for those feeling disillusioned by the current state of democracy. Buy this book or the audio version of The Message now.
🧠 Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
This urgent collection of essays redefines what feminism looks like — and who it often leaves behind. In a time when reproductive rights, safety, and equity are under attack, Kendall’s work reminds us that real change starts by centering those most impacted. Buy this book now.
🔥 Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
This visionary sci-fi novel, written in 1993 but set in a crumbling America of 2024, feels eerily relevant today. Climate collapse, economic inequality, and social unrest fuel the journey of a young Black woman who creates a new belief system called Earthseed. If you’re looking for a story of resilience and radical hope, this is it. Buy this book or the graphic novel version of it now.
💔 Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
If your current mood is somewhere between burned out and brokenhearted, this tender and poetic meditation on loss and healing offers a space to feel all of it. It’s a soft place to land in a hard, harsh world. Buy this book now.
✊ We Do This ‘Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba
If you’re ready to move beyond fear and into action, this collection of writings by abolitionist organizer Mariame Kaba offers the tools and mindset for building a more just world — no matter how overwhelming change may feel. Buy this book now.
💪 Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
This book reminds us that survival is a collective act. Through essays and personal stories, it reimagines care not as charity, but as a revolutionary tool for communities surviving injustice and systemic neglect. Buy this book now.
✨ Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
A roadmap for keeping hope alive, even in the face of burnout. Perfect for women who are exhausted but not willing to give up the fight. Buy this book or the audio version now.
Whether you’re reading for survival, for clarity, or to ignite a fire within you — these books will meet you where you are. And maybe, just maybe, help you rise from it. Let’s read through the chaos — together.
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