You know who’s most qualified to write a post on books about female empowerment? Not THIS guy! But here we are. I’m a husband to a strong woman and a Dad to two young adult daughters. It’s probably time I learn something about women, right? These books were enlightening, entertaining reads that made me think a bit deeper than I planned to. Each features the unique voice of a strong woman, taking on a system that wasn’t exactly built for her.
If my daughters ever show half the strength, courage and leadership of these women authors… I’ll go ahead and take credit for it. I mean, I read these books. That has to count for something, right?
My favorite books about Female Empowerment – a Dad’s perspective.
Table of Contents
The Best Books on Inspiring Women
Here’s the list, you guys! Are you excited?
| Title | Author | Year Published | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| If You Can’t Take the Heat | Geraldine DeRuiter | 2022 | A fearless look at perfectionism, power, and pasta. DeRuiter takes on sexism in the culinary world and proves you don’t need a Michelin star to have guts (or taste). |
| Adulting | Kelly Williams Brown | 2013 | Brown empowers a generation of lost twenty-somethings with humor, honesty, and actual advice. She makes responsibility look… almost doable. |
| Rage Against the Minivan | Kristen Howerton | 2020 | Howerton tackles motherhood, identity, and faith with brutal honesty and compassion. She shows that real strength comes from vulnerability, not control. |
| A Frog in the Fjord | Lorelou Desjardins | 2017 | Desjardins dives into a new culture headfirst. She proves that courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway (and maybe learning to ski). |
| Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? | Mindy Kaling | 2011 | Kaling’s voice is sharp, confident, and unapologetically herself. A reminder that ambition and humor aren’t mutually exclusive – especially for women who lead. |
| Wordslut | Amanda Montell | 2019 | Montell arms readers with the power of words (literally.) She exposes how language shapes gender and gives women the tools to reclaim it. |
| OK Fine Whatever | Courtenay Hameister | 2018 | Hameister’s courage isn’t loud. It’s quiet and brave. She faces anxiety and discomfort head-on, proving growth often starts with saying “why not?” |
| Good for a Girl | Lauren Fleshman | 2023 | Fleshman redefines strength and leadership in women’s athletics. She uses her story to demand better systems for the next generation of girls. |
| The Longest Race: | Kara Goucher | 2023 | Goucher’s bravery is in her honesty. She risks her career to expose abuse and advocate for women’s safety and fairness in elite sports. |
Books About Strong Women Summaries
If You Can’t Take the Heat by Geraldine DeRuiter (2022)
- Author Background: Food and travel blogger behind “The Everywhereist.” Known for snark and sharp cultural observations.
- Type of Book: Memoir + feminist critique of gender bias in the food industry.
- Summary: DeRuiter blows the whistle on toxic behavior in high-end restaurant culture — especially around how women are treated.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Turns out, women aren’t just “allowed” in the kitchen. Who knew? (Just kidding, I knew that already.) They’re often way better at it and still get half the credit. DeRuiter stood up to sexism in fine dining.
Want some more funny reads? Check out these collections of hilarious essays!
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown (2013)
- Author Background: Journalist and bestselling author who accidentally sparked the word “adulting” into the pop culture lexicon.
- Type of Book: Life-skills humor guide for young women (but honestly for anyone who can’t fold a fitted sheet).
- Summary: A manual for becoming a functioning adult. Laundry, careers, relationships… all covered with actual useful information and humor.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Adulting isn’t just a struggle for 20-something women. It’s a universal pain and a hilarious stage of life. I guess I was there too, if I can remember back that far…
Rage Against the Minivan: Learning to Parent Without Perfection by Kristen Howerton (2020)
- Author Background: Licensed marriage and family therapist, adoptive mom, and writer who juggles both therapy and minivan chaos.
- Type of Book: Parenting memoir that blends faith, feminism, race, and humor.
- Summary: A refreshing, real talk blend of parenting fails and identity crisis moments.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Moms carry an invisible emotional and mental load shaped by culture. So I should probably stop pretending dishwasher loading is equal labor. Howerton ditched the Pinterest-perfect mom act and showed authenticity and compassion.
Want more funny books for Moms? Check these out!
A Frog in the Fjord: One Year in Norway by Lorelou Desjardins (2017)
- Author Background: French expat who moves to Norway and decides to blog hilariously about it.
- Type of Book: Expat memoir + cultural humor.
- Summary: A fish-out-of-water story that reveals how feminism plays out in one of the world’s most gender-equal societies.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: My daughters probably don’t need me as much as I’d like to believe they do. Desjardins left everything familiar behind to chase curiosity and independence. Then she laughed her way through culture shock and self-discovery. Women can figure it out.
Want some more funny books about travel? Check out this list!
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (2011)
- Author Background: Actor, writer, comedian, producer.
- Type of Book: Comedic essay collection + showbiz origin story.
- Summary: A charming, breezy collection of essays about growing up, breaking into comedy, and navigating identity.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Real confidence isn’t loud. It’s doing the work, taking up space, and making people laugh while you do it. Mindy Kaling didn’t wait for a seat at the table; she built her own.
Check out more funny books from cast members of The Office!
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell (2019)
- Author Background: Linguist with a wicked sense of humor and the world’s most entertaining take on words.
- Type of Book: Language + feminism + pop culture deep dive.
- Summary: Explores how gender biases hide in the language we use every day, and how to flip the script.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Words matter. Complimenting your daughter’s “assertiveness” instead of calling her “bossy” matters too. I hope my daughters don’t develop Montell’s…uh…creative vocabulary.
OK Fine Whatever: The Year I Went from Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things by Courtenay Hameister (2018)
- Author Background: Former host of NPR’s Live Wire radio show. Lifelong anxious human.
- Type of Book: Memoir + self-help comedy on facing fears.
- Summary: A neurotic woman spends a whole year doing things that terrify her: bikini waxes, flotation tanks, dating apps.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Bravery doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it’s just showing up and not running away from the thing that scares you. Note – I don’t necessarily want my daughters to emulate Hameister’s promiscuous year of self-discover. Just…maybe the part about stepping out of their comfort zones.
Check out more funny books about mental health!
Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman (2023)
- Author Background: Champion runner, coach, sports activist. Co-founder of Picky Bars.
- Type of Book: Memoir + critique of the sports world’s treatment of female athletes.
- Summary: Fleshman pulls back the curtain on the pressures, politics, and patriarchy in the track world.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: The sports world still treats women’s bodies like inconvenient puzzles. Support your daughter’s athlete dreams. And don’t let her coach tell her to “just lose weight.” This one hit home for my wife – we listened to the audiobook. Twice.
The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher (2023)
- Author Background: Olympic runner, sports commentator, former Nike athlete turned whistleblower.
- Type of Book: Memoir + investigative exposé.
- Summary: Goucher’s bold account of uncovering abuse and corruption within one of the most powerful sports institutions.
- What This Dad Learned About Women: Goucher risked everything to expose abuse and protect future athletes, showing that courage sometimes looks like speaking up when no one else will.
Conclusion: The Best Books About Female Empowerment
After reading these books, I’m starting to get it. The women in these pages aren’t superheroes. But they are brave enough to call out nonsense, speak up when it’s uncomfortable, and keep pushing when the system (men, like me, I suppose) try to keep them down.
As a husband and dad, I can’t pretend to fully “get it.” But I can listen, learn, and cheer loudly from the sidelines. If my daughters grow up with even half the fire, humor, and resilience of these authors, I’ll consider my job mostly done.
And if they ever write their own books about female empowerment someday, I’ll proudly claim credit. Obviously.
This Dad has a lot to learn. Go ahead and tell me what books about inspiring women I should read next. Comment below.
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