My favorite books and the awesome women who wrote them!

It’s Blog Sunday! Guys, I’m so excited (and honored really) to share a birthday week with International Women’s Day, which is this Friday, March 8th. In honor of all the badass girls out there kicking butt and taking names, I wanted to do a fun little post about the awesome female writers behind some of my favorite books, focusing less on the books and more on the girl bosses who wrote them. 

I’ve got a little bit of fiction and non-fiction and a bunch of incredibly inspiring women. Let me just disclaim that this list is, of course, not all inclusive of all my favorite female writers/comediennes/actresses/Youtubers/momsdaughterssistersbestfriends/you name it, but instead features a bunch of ladies who’ve written books that I’ve read recently and love or have read over and over and over again. (Not featured on this list but beyond awesome? J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer who have literally created book and movie empires with their imaginations. You ladies are guiding lights!)

In no particular order, let’s go! 

1. Tina Fey, author of Bossypants, which is my absolute favorite book, and I literally read it once a year. What’s not to love about Tina Fey? Go ahead and think, I’ll wait. In my opinion, she is a comedic powerhouse capable of turning the most dismal of situations into something to laugh about. She is hyper intelligent, real, and speaks super candidly (and hilariously) about her life in Bossypants. This book found me at a particularly difficult time and really turned my frown upside down. Tina is a total boss. Is it too late for me to say I want to be Tina Fey when I grow up? 
2. Andi Dorfman, author of It’s Not Okay and Single State of Mind. I doubt that it’s an unpopular opinion that Andi is up there with JoJo Fletcher and Kaitlyn Bristowe as one of my favorite bachelorettes of all time. Sure, it’s an odd (and often frowned upon) claim to fame, but Andi has taken her reality notoriety and done something with it that no one else in her The Bachelorette shoes has: landed on The New York Times Best Sellers List for both of her books. Damn! I love Andi because she’s smart, assertive, and shares with us even her least glamorous moments in both of her books. Andi is super authentic and relatable and, for those reasons and many more, holds a special place in my heart as a kickass girl boss. 
3. Zoe Sugg, author of the Girl Online trilogy. Where to even begin with Zoe? I truly believe she is my soul sister 3,872ish miles away (I googled it) and she has built a personal and internet empire for just being herself. She’s got an uber successful Youtube career, a beauty line, and three beyond adorable books about what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. I can get behind pretty much everything that Zoe does, and she was a huge inspiration behind kicking myself into gear and actually starting this blog.
4. Katie Heaney, author of Never Have I Ever and co-author of Public Relations. When I think about which female writers really inspire me, Katie is always at the top of the list. Katie is witty, blunt, and her internet presence is poignant and hilarious. After reading Never Have I Ever, I honestly feel like I know Katie, like maybe she was a roommate in college or a high school friend that I really kept up with. I love her lust for writing and it’s been beautiful to see her find love over the years through pictures and tweets. Here is my public (relations) congratulations on Katie’s recent engagement! You are a true badass!
5. Mindy Kaling, author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me? Here’s the deal: I hate to play favorites, but if I did divulge, it would be safe to say that Mindy is my favorite. The Mindy Project actually kind of changed my life. It taught me that it is more than okay and totally possible to be a wreck, funny both purposefully and unintentionally, and the smartest person in the room (all while wearing an expertly tailored, boldly printed peacoat). And while Dr. Mindy Lahiri is a fictional character on a television show, so much of her bleeds onto the pages of both of Mindy’s hilarious books. Mindy, if you’re somehow reading this (like the time you favorited my tweet and I promptly peed myself), you are, hands down, the most inspirational woman in the world to me. Oh, and thank you for burning this relentlessly into my brain: “Ladies leave yo man at home. The club is full of ballas and they pockets full grown.” (Destiny’s Child) lol. 
6. Anna Kendrick, author of Scrappy Little Nobody. Anna Kendrick is kind of like the girl next door, like, if the girl next door was next level intelligent, incredibly funny, and had the voice of an angel. She is somehow Hollywood’s ‘It’ girl and totally relatable simultaneously. I basically love every role she’s ever played, every song I’ve heard her sing, and Scrappy Little Nobody, where she details her rise to fame including tiny dingy apartments, weird roommates, and a pre-awards show medical emergency. I’m essentially a walking Pitch Perfect quote machine, and I’m better for it. 
7. Anna Faris, author of Unqualified. The summer before my junior year of high school, I was admitted into a pretty prestigious (hey, no time like almost 30 to start patting yourself on the back for some of your accomplishments) summer arts program, and while there, my RA (who became a great friend of mine) said that I reminded him of Anna Faris so much, and to this day, I take it way too far and am incredibly flattered. I think Anna is such a dynamic comedic genius, but I discovered her podcast (also called Unqualified) last year, and now that I know a little more about real life Anna, I love her even more. In addition to being one of the funniest people ever, she’s also incredibly thoughtful and empathetic. Long story short, being likened to Anna by one person, almost fifteen years ago, is one of the best compliments I’ve ever had, haha. 

So yeah, I’m going to stop there because seven is my favorite number and because I could literally write a novel about inspiring women who write novels. Do you love any books written by awesome girl bosses? I’ve got a growing list of books to read in 2019, but I would definitely prioritize those! 

xoxo girl power

P.S. I got this super cute Girl Power tee from @feministmade’s etsy shop!