Women’s History Book Tag (ORIGINAL)

Because March is Women’s History Month, and I’m in the midst of hosting the Women’s History Month Readathon, there seemed like no better time for a brand new tag…

The Women’s History Book Tag!

*muffled cheering in the background*

This was an unexpectedly difficult tag to create, simply because there were so many historical women that I wanted to include. I started out with a list of at least forty women and still was worried that I was leaving people out, especially since my knowledge of women’s history is so Western/US-centric. And then I worried about only including some of the most well-known names, since many women are forgotten or not credited for their contributions to history, and I didn’t want to add to that, and…you get the picture.

At any rate, keep in mind that this tag is woefully narrow and not meant to encompass all of women’s history…since that would be impossible. I basically ended up choosing women who are personally interesting to me and that I could create questions from. I wish I could include every single woman in history who’s made a difference to the world, but that would mean including every single woman in history. And that would be a long post.

Also, remember that these are real people, and none of them are perfect. I’m including them because of their contribution to history, not because they were 100% virtuous or good. Biographical information comes from biography.com.

Okay, enough talk. Let’s (finally) get into this tag!

Rules:

• Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post.
• Link to the creator’s blog in your post
• Answer the questions below using only books written by women
• Feel free to use the same graphics
• Tag 8 others to take part in the tag

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

It seems like almost a cliche to choose this book for Rosa Parks’ question, but I truly couldn’t think of a more perfect answer. Starr Carter, the protagonist of The Hate U Give, is put in an incredibly difficult and dangerous situation after seeing her friend killed by a police officer, but she refuses to stay silent and becomes an inspiring voice for change and activism.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Felicity Montague is just about as clever as you get. Despite living in 18th century England and being told no at every turn, she is determined to become a doctor and she’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that dream. She reads everything she can get her hands on and will never pass up the opportunity to show that she’s the smartest person in the room. I think she would like Ada Lovelace, even though they’re in different STEM fields.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

This book is full of powerful women, from sorceresses to dragonriders and more. One in particular, Sabran Berethnet, is the ruler of a nation, and one of the most fascinating things about the book for me is watching her struggle with the weight of her responsibility and the duty she has to uphold.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Anyone who knows me know that I’m obsessed with Maggie Stiefvater’s writing, and The Scorpio Races is one of the best examples of that. Every single word evokes the setting and the characters and the feeling of the book perfectly. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m so glad that she does.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

When I think of warriors in books, my mind automatically goes first to Katsa, who is one of my favorite characters of all time in addition to being a powerful warrior. However, Katsa is so much more than what she can do with her fists – or whatever weapon you put in her hands – even though she struggles to see that sometimes.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

I couldn’t possibly pick anything other than one of my very favorite space books! On a Sunbeam follows two different timelines, one set at a space boarding school and one following a crew traveling through space in a ship shaped like a koi fish. This graphic novel has the most beautiful art that makes me want to travel the stars as well!

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

Not enough people know about this fantasy retelling of Pride & Prejudice and that is a tragedy! Heartstone takes place in a fictional world and its Mr. Darcy character is a dragon rider. It’s just as amazing and romantic as its source material, plus it’s got dragons!

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

I had to pick this book, not only because it’s about LGBTQ characters, but because it’s also about resistance, which is something I think Marsha Johnson would be very much on board with. Girls of Paper and Fire follows a group of girls forced into being concubines for a demon king, even as two of them start to fall for each other.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season and its sequels have gotten a lot of hype over the years, including several Hugo Award wins, and in my opinion that is entirely earned. This post-apocalyptic fantasy follows a woman searching for her daughter in a world broken by earthquakes, and its just as amazing as everyone says.

Okay, I’m going to cheat on my own tag because I’m not choosing a historical woman at all – in fact, the person I’m choosing is even younger than me. And that person is of course…

Greta Thunberg (2003 – )

If you somehow don’t already know Greta Thunberg, she is one of the loudest voices in climate activism right now. She is a Swedish climate youth activist who sparked an international movement to fight climate change beginning in 2018. I’m pretty sure I have her “How Dare You” speech tattooed into the back of my brain as a constant response to the state of the world.

And so my book pick for this question is…

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo is easily one of the most inspiring characters I’ve ever read, even though almost none of her life experiences apply to my own. Still, her ambition, passion, and refusal to be anyone other than herself is inspiring. I might be found muttering her words “The world doesn’t give things, you take things” on days that I need the extra encouragement to go after what I want.

I tag…

Sophie @ Me & Ink 💕 Caro @ bookcheshirecat 💕 Abi @ Scribbles & Stories 💕 Alice @ Love For Words 💕 Mary and the Words 💕 Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical 💕 Lauren @ Twenty-Seven Letters 💕 Gerry @ TheBookNookUK 💕 Lauren @ Narrative Paradise 💕 Hissing Potatoes 💕 Mandy & Sha @ Book Princess Reviews 💕 Educative Bookworm

…and anyone else who wants to!

Please don’t feel obligated to do this tag if you don’t want to…though I’d love to see all of your answers! ☺️

QUESTIONS

Rosa Parks – a book about a female character who doesn’t do as she’s told

Ada Lovelace – a book with an intelligent female character

Queen Elizabeth I – a book about a woman in a position of power

Virginia Woolf – a book with beautiful writing

Joan of Arc – a book about a female warrior

Mae Jemison – a book set in space

Rosalind Franklin – an underappreciated book

Marsha P. Johnson – a book about LGBTQ+ characters

Amelia Earheart – an award-winning book that deserves the hype

Your choice – a book that inspires you

In other news, I’m holding a 24-hour readathon this Sunday, March 8th, aka International Women’s Day! I won’t be able to join in the whole day myself, since I’ll be working, but I’ll be cheering everyone on via Twitter and reading whenever I get the chance. I know it’s a bit last-minute, but if it sounds interesting to you, feel free to join in!

And it’s not too late to join the Women’s History Month Readathon 😉

What women from history do you admire? What are your favorite books written by women? 

x Margaret

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