During a time when adventure is limited, reading a good book can be just the thing to take your mind off the pandemic. But why not kill two birds with one stone? Due to the nationwide lockdown, various people are having a hard time financially. With your next read, you can support women who are still making progress in spite of COVID-19. Buying and reading some of these female-authored books can be a great way to support women in the workforce during the pandemic.
1. Hazel Hayes
Hazel Hayes is an Irish YouTuber who published her first novel titled “Out of Love” in 2020. The book has recently had its Canadian release and is now available for purchase!
The novel tells the tale of a young woman as she navigates her love story in reverse. The story opens with the protagonist dealing with the breakup of a 5-year relationship. Readers are then taken along for various flashbacks to see the relationship flourish and inevitably end.
Why support one female author when you can support two? Christina Lauren is a combined pen name of writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. These women write beautifully addictive romances that leave you with all the warm and fuzzy rom com feels. Their most recent release is “The Soulmate Equation” which follows Jess Davis as she navigates having to pretend to publicly date River Pena to promote his newly popular dating app.
Another favourite of mine is “The Unhoneymooners” which centres around rivals Olive and Ethan as they embark on a prepaid honeymoon to Hawaii after the bride and groom get food poisoning. Because what could go wrong when you have to pretend to be in love with your sworn enemy?
3. Sally Thorne
Sally Thorne is an Australian romance author who first became popular for her debut novel “The Hating Game”. Thorne’s first book follows Lucy and Joshua as they navigate their workplace rivalry while also attempting to fight their undeniable chemistry. This novel has just been made into a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell and is available on YouTube or Apple TV.
If you want more of Thorne’s cute rom coms after watching the movie, you can order her latest novel “Second First Impressions”. This story follows Ruthie, who has worked at the front desk of Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years and is fascinated by the new owner’s son, Teddy. However, after Teddy mistakes her for an old lady, Ruthie decides to offer him up as a personal assistant to one of the most menacing residents. But wait! How has he managed to charm the entire villa and maybe even Ruthie herself?
Christine Riccio is an American author who began her career by running her YouTube channel “polandbananasbooks”. She published her first novel “Again, but Better” in 2019. This coming-of-age story follows twenty-year-old protagonist Shane as she studies abroad in London to get the college experience she feels she’s missed out on.
Riccio also released her second novel “Better Together” last year which follows twins Jamie and Siri as they are unexpectedly reunited at a Re-Discover Yourself Retreat in Colorado. After finding out that their parents separated them following their divorce, the girls find themselves figuring out what happens when the Parent Trap meets Freaky Friday.
5. Nafiza Azad
Nafiza Azad is a Canadian fantasy author who released her debut novel “The Candle and the Flame” in 2019. This story follows Fatima, who is a messenger in a city along The Silk Road called Noor. After one of the city’s main protectors dies, Fatima undergoes a transformation and joins the fight to protect Noor from those who seek to destroy it and its inhabitants.
Azad also released a novel in August of 2021 called “The Wild Ones”. This story follows a girl named Paheli who was betrayed by her mother and was sold to a man in exchange for a favour. During her escape, Peheli meets a boy who gives her a box of stars which grant her access to a magical world called the Between. In this world, Paheli collects girls like herself who use their magic to save others from the fates they have suffered.
6. Emily Henry
Emily Henry is an American romance author who published her first novel in 2016. In recent years, two of Henry’s novels have become increasingly popular on BookTok. The first of these is “Beach Read” which follows writers January (romance writer) and Augustus (literary writer) as they embark on a summer long challenge to switch genres in an attempt to cure their mutual writer’s block.
Another novel of Henry’s that was popular on TikTok was “The People We Meet on Vacation”. This summer story centres around college best friends Alex and Poppy who embark on a summer vacation together each year for a decade. But, due to a falling out two years ago, this tradition was stopped. After reuniting for another summer trip, Poppy and Alex must air out their dirty laundry.
Although there’s no time like the present, these authors’ books can and should be enjoyed anytime of year! So, whether you’ve got the time to add these stories to your immediate TBR list or are saving them for a warm summer day, reading these authors can be a great way to support women who are making strides throughout yet another year of quarantine.