--- description: Here are 21 other women writers you should add to your reading list. title: These Are the 21 Female Authors You Should Be Reading image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04999509f5023ce5/69868acb13c79f63f61919e5/1815981061.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Are the 21 Female Authors You Should Be Reading by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2014 12:00 PM CUT  Donna Tartt Donna TarttBas Czerwinski—AFP/Getty Images by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2014 12:00 PM CUT On Monday, Donna Tartt [won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction](http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Fiction "undefined") for _The Goldfinch_. It was no surprise, really, since the much-anticipated novel made the New York _Times_ best-seller list during its first week on the shelves. The book was so popular that people [flocked to the Frick Collection in record numbers](http://nypost.com/2014/01/17/suffering-for-their-art/ "undefined") to see the titular painting that features heavily in the Dickensian plot. Tartt takes a notoriously long time to write her novels: _The Goldfinch_ took 11 years, and she says that [we may have to wait just as long](http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/04/14/the-goldfinch-by-donna-tartt/7715651/ "undefined") for her next book. So now that you’ve finished _The Goldfinch_ — and her other two books, _The Secret History_ and _The Little Friend —_ what to read next to tide you over? At the beginning of 2014, writer and illustrator Joanna Walsh [began the Twitter hashtag #readwomen2014](http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2014/jan/20/read-women-2014-change-sexist-reading-habits "undefined") in an effort to encourage readers to pick up more books by women this year. That task is only getting easier: [2014 will feature dozens of terrific books by women](http://entertainment.time.com/2014/01/21/reading-only-books-by-women-this-year-its-easy/ "undefined"). But here are some current female authors who you may have missed and want to add to your reading list.  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Eamonn McCormack—WireImage/Getty Images **Chimamanda Adichie** [Beyoncé loves her](http://time.com/32473/even-macarthur-geniuses-love-beyonce/ "undefined") and so should you. Adichie, who is from Nigeria, is credited with heralding a new generation of African authors with her bestselling _Half of a Yellow Sun_. Her latest novel, _Americanah_, was named one of the 10 best books of 2013 by the New York _Times_. Oh, and she’s also a MacArthur ‘genius’ grant recipient. **Eleanor Catton** Catton was only 22 years old when she wrote her first novel, _The Rehearsal_ (what have you done today?). And her second and most recent novel, _The Luminaries_, was the winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize — making her the youngest ever recipient. The adventure-mystery novel is set in New Zealand, where the author currently resides. **Edwidge Danticat** Danticat published her debut novel, _Breath, Eyes, Memory_, when she was only 25 and was heralded as a young author to watch. She did not disappoint. _Breath, Eyes, Memory_ became an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 1998\. The Haitian-born novelist continues to tell stories of her home country’s history through documentary film, fiction and nonfiction, including her 2004 novel, _The Dew Breaker_, which was well received by critics. **Emma Donoghue** Though Irish-born Donoghue has written many novels (and plays and literary histories), none have had quite the impact as her international bestseller _Room_, a story narrated by a five-year-old who has been imprisoned in a single room with his mother for his entire life. Donoghue’s newest novel, a murder mystery called _Frog Music_ that’s set in San Francisco in 1876, hit shelves on April 1. **MORE:** [**Should Donna Tartt be on the 2014 Time 100? Vote now.**](http://time.com/pollculture "undefined") **Louise Erdrich** Erdrich, who has written 13 novels, taps into her Native-American heritage to dig deep into questions about identity and race in her stories. An unsolved, race-fueled murder is at the center of her most recent work, _The Plague of Doves_, a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. **Elizabeth Gilbert** Gilbert has a reputation as the patron saint of any woman undergoing a well-funded mid-life crisis thanks to her bestselling memoir, _Eat, Pray, Love_. But she’s also an accomplished novelist who published 2013’s well-reviewed _The Signature of All Things_, a charming bildungsroman about a spirited botanist who uses science to organize her heart and world. Gilbert will also appear on Oprah’s upcoming The Life You Want Weekend tour. **Sheila Heti** If you haven’t read Heti’s 2010 novel-from-life _How Should a Person Be_, you’re missing out on something important. The Canadian writer is also a performance artist, a philosopher, a playwright and the interviews editor of _The Believer_ magazine. She tends to write about her brilliant and eccentric friends, who are never boring. **A.M. Homes** Homes is known for having a taste for controversial topics in her writing, and her satirical novel _May We Be Forgiven_ won her the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction. When asked about her writing, she once said she is “saying the things we don’t want to say out loud.”  Gillian Flynn Lloyd Bishop—NBC/Getty Images **Gillian Flynn** Flynn began as an _Entertainment Weekly_ reporter and TV critic before making the foray into mystery novels that continue to be page-turners after her signature big twist. Read herNew York _Times_ best-selling mystery about a missing wife, _Gone Girl_, before the David Fincher-directed movie adaptation hits the big screen in October starring Ben Affleck. **Elliott Holt** Holt’s debut novel, _You Are One of Them_, is about two Cold War-era American schoolgirls who write to the premier of the Soviet Union, but only one of them gets a response and an invitation to visit Moscow. Critics raved about her first effort. Keep an eye on her. **Rachel Kushner** If you’re looking for girls who kick ass, you’ve come to the right place. Kushner’s second novel, _The Flamethrowers_, focuses on a woman who arrives in New York from Reno in 1975 determined to turn her obsession with motorcycles and speed into art. The 2013 book was a New York _Times_ bestseller, a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award and a critical darling. **Claire Messud** In _The Woman Upstairs_, Messud flips the archetype of the friendly, unassuming spinster on its head, creating an angry woman who’s simply tired of being ignored. The author previously won accolades for _The Emperor’s Children_, her best-selling novel about three college friends in pre-9/11 Manhattan. **Lorrie Moore** Lorrie Moore won _Seventeen_ magazine’s fiction contest at the age of 19 and has been a wordsmith since. Though her most recent collection of short stories — _Bark_, published on Feb. 25, 2014 — received mixed reviews, herNew York _Times_ bestseller _Birds of America_ (1998) was received with resounding praise. Her stories have appeared in _The Best American Short Stories of the Century_ edited by John Updike and the 1998 edition of _The Best American Short Stories._ **Alice Munro** When Munro was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, it was considered a win for the short story. The Canadian writer’s stories tend to focus on women — often in small town settings — and their ordinary lives, relationships and moral dilemmas. One of Munro’s stories in her collection, _Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage_, was made into a 2013 film, _Hateship Loveship_ starring Kristen Wiig. **Karen Russell** At 32, Russell has already been shortlisted for the [Pulitzer Prize for Fiction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%5FPulitzer%5FPrize "undefined") (for her debut novel, _Swamplandia!_ in 2012) and been anointed an official “genius” by the MacArthur Foundation. Read her collection of stories _Vampires in the Lemon Grove_ and you’ll see why. Her newest novella, _Sleep Donation_, is now available as an e-book. **Taiye Selasi** This up-and-coming writer of Ghanian and Nigerian origin has been mentored by greats like Toni Morrison and Salman Rushdie. Her short story “The Sex Lives of African Girls” appeared in _The Best American Short Stories of 2012_ and her first novel, _Ghana Must Go_, was selected as one of the 10 best books of 2013 by the Wall Street _Journal_.  Zadie Smith at Times Center on November 13, 2013 in New York City. Robin Marchan—Getty Images **Zadie Smith** Smith was lauded as the next big thing when her first book, _White Teeth_, debuted in 2000\. She was only 22 years old. The best-selling novel made TIME’s 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005 list and had critics comparing her to Charles Dickens, John Irving and Salman Rushdie. Smith’s gone on to publish three more novels, all of which have received critical praise. **Cheryl Strayed** Though Strayed initially became popular through her anonymous “Dear Sugar” advice column for The Rumpus (she unmasked herself in 2012), it was her memoir that earned her renown as a writer. After Strayed’s mother died of cancer in 1991, she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. The resulting memoir, _Wild_, became a New York Times best seller. And if that’s not enough for you to pick up a copy, Oprah Winfrey chose _Wild_ in 2012 as the first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0\. An adaptation of the book starring Reese Witherspoon will premiere this fall. **J. Courtney Sullivan** Her sweeping novels, including _Commencement and Maine_ — which was [named one of TIME’s top novels of 2011](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344%5F2101086%5F2101114,00.html "undefined") — often weave together first-person narratives from multiple generations of family members and friends. Her most recent novel, _The Engagements_, marries the story behind the famous “a diamond is forever” slogan with the history of a very special ring. **Amy Tan** This author often draws on her own life experiences as the daughter of Chinese immigrants to write best-selling books like _The Joy Luck Club_, which was turned into a successful film. More recently, she touched on familiar themes, such as mother-daughter relationships, in her 2013 novel _The Valley of Amazement_. **Margaret Wrinkle** Wrinkle’s debut novel, _Wash_, re-examines American slavery and spans decades and continents. The book was met with high praise when it was published last year and was named one of the top ten novels of the year by the _Wall Street Journal_. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/63548/goldfinch-female-authors-reading/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/63548/goldfinch-female-authors-reading/"},"headline":"These Are the 21 Female Authors You Should Be Reading","datePublished":"2014-04-16T12:00:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-21T07:14:58.275Z","description":"Donna Tartt just won a Pulitzer. Here are 21 other women writers you should add to your reading list.","url":"https://time.com/63548/goldfinch-female-authors-reading/","keywords":["Living","feminism","Books","TIME 100","Culture","gone girl","Pulitzer Prize"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04999509f5023ce5/69868acb13c79f63f61919e5/1815981061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04999509f5023ce5/69868acb13c79f63f61919e5/1815981061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Donna Tartt","caption":"Donna Tartt","creditText":"Bas Czerwinski—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/63548/goldfinch-female-authors-reading/","name":"These Are the 21 Female Authors You Should Be Reading"}}]}] ```