My Favorite Women Authors

I’m surprised I haven’t covered this already but I looked through my old blog posts to confirm it.

So I’m rectifying this now.

It’s Women’s History Month and I want to highlight some of my favorite women authors. Now, of course, I do love Jane Austen but I think I want to focus on more modern authors. So Jane is on my list, just not for this blog.

Here we go!

Ann Rinaldi

When I outgrew books like the American Girl and Dear America series, my aunt gave me a book by Ann Rinaldi (The Fifth of March, about the Boston Massacre). Rinaldi was the one who introduced me to historical fiction as a genre and who helped me bridge from children’s books to adult books. I would go to the bookstore or to the library and look to see if there was a book of hers I hadn’t read yet. She was honestly my first favorite author. Her characters drew me and her words transported me back to whatever time period she wrote about.

(I have not yet reviewed anything by Rinaldi. Maybe I’ll need to rectify that soon).

Sara Donati

I found Donati before I read Outlander and I think I prefer her Into the Wilderness series to Outlander. Her books aren’t as long and she doesn’t hide that she’s a romance writer. While she did eventually put some of her characters through what I dubbed the “Jamie Fraser wringer,” she still wasn’t as bad as Gabaldon. I have a few more books to read but I look forward to them, knowing Donati’s writing will keep me hooked.

Example: You can read my review of Into the Wilderness here.

Amy Harmon

One of many authors I was introduced to through Once Upon a Book Club. Like Donati and Rinaldi, she also writes historical fiction. I’ve enjoyed her writing and how she explores difficult and complex situations.

Example: You can read my review of Harmon’s What the Wind Knows here.

Sarah Penner

Another author I found through Once Upon a Book Club. I’ve only read one book from her so far but I hope to read more in the future. I enjoyed the one I read, which also had a historical bent. So I guess there is definitely a pattern right now.

Example: You can read my review of Penner’s The Lost Apothecary here.

Carmel Harrington

This one breaks the pattern. I’ve read two books by Harrington due to Once Upon a Book Club and I enjoyed both of them. They are contemporary and pull inspiration from her native Ireland. And they deal with some serious topics but still have a lightness about them that make them enjoyable. So I love reading her work and hope another one of her books comes my way soon.

Example: You can read my review of Harrington’s Every Time a Bell Rings here.

So those are some of my favorite authors who are women. How about you? Let me know in the comments!