Femme Magnifique

A Kickstarter funded graphic anathology of women, living and dead from all walks of life including Kate Bush, Octavia Butler, Rumiko Takahashi and more. I love the unique art of each and every one of them, and it is made more personal in that each author writes why they chose them and how they inspired them.

Renegade Women in Film and TV by Elizabeth Weitzman

Just as the title suggests, this book gives a nice chronological look of women in film since its inception, beginning with Alice Guy-Blanche who arguably created the first narrative film and thus sparked the idea that movies could be used to tell stories. While going over some well-known actresses like Selma Hayek and Mary Tyler Moore, it also delves into lesser known people in the industry like film critic, Pauline Kael and editor, Thelma Schoonmaker among others. It also includes interviews with stars from Rita Moreno to Barbara Streisand with a backlist of movies/tv shows to watch.

League of Extraordinarily Funny Women by Sheila Moeschen

Just as the title says, this book is all about disproving the myth that women aren’t funny. Though any episode of I Love Lucy should dispel that idea completely. But it’s nice to see the proof in writing featuring Saturday Night Live favorites as well as classic slapstick vaudvillians like Mabel Normand. I just wish the final chapter of upcoming comedians had bigger bios because the one with Rachel Bloom hardly included her amazing tv show. I just felt even though they are newer, there could have been a little more description into their style of comedy.

Noisemakers: 25 women who raised their voices and changed the world

Another graphic anathology (for middle and lower schoolers) created by Kazoo magazine, brings together gorgeous art from various female artists to highlight bold, creative women who seized life and didnt let go until they reached their dreams. Short but lovely.

The Girl Who Rode a Shark: And Other Stories of Daring Women by Aisla Ross

This lovely middle grade book managed to cover some new women previously unmentioned in other books I have read from adenturer and photographer, Isabella Bird to Manon Ossevoot who travelled from Europe to the South Pole in a tractor to gun activist Naomi Wadler. It is fun, boldy colored and informative that will sure to inspire some girls to see the unleashed potential of women who go for it.

Forgotten Women by Zing Tsjeng

This series of four covers the wide fields of Scientists, Writers, Artists and Leaders around the globe with meticulous research, aided by the New School’s academic initative to highlight forgotten women, New Historia and illustrated by various artists from womenwhodraw.com. With 100 women per book, Tsjeng covers many unknowns from around the world in an objective fashion showcasing their triumphs and their struggles without glorifying them.