FABClub (Female Authors Book Club) discussion

Feel free to list your selections below for 2014 :)

My liiiiiist

1. A work of fiction
The Casual Vacancy
The Visionist
Gone Girl
My Notorious Life
Tell the Wolves I'm Home

2. A work of non-fiction
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination
The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade

3. A collection of poetry
Plath: Poems

4. A collection of short stories or essays
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
The Birthday of the World and Other Stories
Bad Feminist: Essays

5. An anthology of all female contributors
Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century (All stories by female authors and 9 of 11 essays by women)

6. A biography/memoir
Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
A House in the Sky
Chanel Bonfire
The Glass Castle
Hard Choices
Bitter Fame: A Life of Sylvia Plath
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Yes Please

7. A work of science fiction
Picnic on Paradise
World's End
Sassinak
Women's Work
The Summer Queen
Still Forms on Foxfield
Ancillary Justice
Tangled Up In Blue
The Shore of Women
Rocannon's World
Planet of Exile
City of Illusions
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
I, Vampire
The Betrayal
The Rebirth
Vindication
Daughter of Elysium

8. A work of fantasy/supernatural
The Bone Season
The Ghost Bride
Her Fearful Symmetry

9. A book that discusses feminism
Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters
Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity
Fat is a Feminist Issue
Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women

10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
Delusions of Gender

11. A book by an openly trans woman author
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders

12. A book by an openly lesbian author
Hild
The Night Watch
Affinity
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book
Ms. Marvel, #1: Meta Morphosis
Ms. Marvel, #2: All Mankind
Ms. Marvel, #3: Side Entrance
Ms. Marvel, #4: Past Curfew
Ms. Marvel, #5: Urban Legend
Ms. Marvel, #6: Healing Factor
Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir
Ms. Marvel, #7: Healing Factor, Part II

14. A book published in 2014
Sleep Donation
The Paying Guests
The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan

15. A book written before 1960
Chocolates for Breakfast (1956)
Mansfield Park (1814)
Villette (1853)
The Professor's House (1925)
I Capture the Castle (1948)

16. 3 works by Women of Colour
Mr. Fox
The Autograph Man
Behind the Kitchen Door
The Lowland
Midnight Robber
My Year of Meats
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Tar Baby

17. 3 works by International Women
Burial Rites (Australia)
Americanah (Nigeria)
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (Pakistan)
Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir (Iran)
Reading Lolita in Tehran (Iran)

18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

19. A romance novel
He, She and It
An Unofficial Rose

20. A book written by a local (to you) author
How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler's Memoir (Vancouver)
They Called Me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School (British Columbia)

21. A book published by an independent press
Anatomy of a Girl Gang (Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver BC)
My Body Is a Book of Rules (Red Hen Press, Los Angeles CA)

22. An award winning book
Bloodchild and Other Stories (Nebula 1984, Hugo 1985, Locus 1985, Science Fiction Chronicle 1985)
The Luminaries (Man Booker Prize 2013)

23. A woman who wrote under a male pseudonym (not officially a part of the challenge, but a good one none the less!)
Up the Walls of the World (James Tiptree Jr. AKA Alice Sheldon)
Daniel Deronda (George Eliot AKA Mary Anne Evans)
The Cuckoo's Calling (Robert Galbraith AKA J. K. Rowling)

WOOHOO!

Thanks for joining in Sandy! Last year was fun, I hope more people will get into it this year :)

I'm in!
1. A work of fiction
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Gone Girl
Point of Honour
Petty Treason
2. A work of non-fiction
Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
3. A collection of poetry
How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler's Memoir
4. A collection of short stories or essays
Bloodchild and Other Stories
The Adventures of Alyx
5. An anthology of all female contributors
Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century (20 of 22)
6. A biography/memoir
A House in the Sky
Bossypants
7. A work of science fiction
The Summer Queen
Tangled Up In Blue
Beggars in Spain
Grass
Merchanter's Luck
Dawn
Adulthood Rites
8. A work of fantasy/supernatural
White Cat
Red Glove
Black Heart
Delicious
9. A book that discusses feminism
Bad Feminist: Essays
Daughter of Elysium
10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
Orange Is the New Black
Ancillary Justice
Tipping the Velvet
Forty Thousand in Gehenna
Imago
11. A book by an openly trans woman author
Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive
12. A book by an openly lesbian author
Picnic on Paradise
Bastard Out of Carolina
Serpent's Reach
13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book
The Night Bookmobile
Anya's Ghost
14. A book published in 2014
Time of the Locust
An Untamed State
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?
15. A book written before 1960
The Awakening
Chocolates for Breakfast
Mansfield Park
Villette
The Haunting of Hill House
I Capture the Castle
16. 3 works by Women of Color
Patternmaster
Mind of My Mind
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays
Survivor
Wild Seed
Clay's Ark
Mom & Me & Mom
All Over Creation
Who Fears Death
17. 3 works by International Women
Silver Screen - England
The Complete Persepolis - Iran
Mr. Fox - Nigeria/England
Americanah - Nigeria
Caleb's Crossing - Australia
The Luckiest Lady in London - China
Brown Girl in the Ring - Jamaica/Canada
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Iran
Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir - Iran/Canada
The Ghost Bride - Malasia
The Moor's Account - Morocco
18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
19. A romance novel
Fangirl
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
A Gentleman Never Tells
A Duke Never Yields
The Surgeon's Lady
20. A book written by a local (to me) author
The Peach Keeper - North Carolina
Guests on Earth - North Carolina
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - North Carolina
21. A book published by an independent press
Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape
22. An award winning book
Letter From Home - Agatha Award for Best Novel 2003
Eleanor & Park - Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 2013
The Glass Castle - ALA Alex Award 2006
A Lady Never Lies - RT Award for First Historical Romance 2012
Downbelow Station - Hugo Award for Best Novel 1982
Cyteen - Hugo Award for Best Novel 1989, Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel 1989
White Teeth - Guardian First Book Award 2000
The God of Small Things - Man Booker Prize 1997
Dreamsnake - Hugo Award for Best Novel 1979, Nebula Award for Best Novel 1978, Locus Award for Best Novel 1979
Alif the Unseen - World Fantasy Award for Best Novel 2013
Ammonite - James Tiptree Jr. Award 1993

A book by an independent press is a new one for me. Usually I don't pay any attention to the publisher - which probably means the vast majority of what I read probably is not independently published. I'll have to start paying attention now!

Oh, I think planning ahead would take all the fun out of it! (Maybe, come November, and if there are still some gaping holes though....)

I found last year that I filled all the categories pretty easily. Towards the end of December I had poetry and comic/graphic left to fill, but that was easy!
I think if you read along with the group all year we should cover most bases.

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People isn't exactly philosophy, but it definitely fits as "science or philosophy." I read it and enjoyed it.

The Second Sex made it as #54 on Goodreads "Best Philosophy Book" list. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is #94. #98 is The Music of Pythagoras: How an Ancient Brotherhood Cracked the Code of the Universe and Lit the Path From Antiquity to Outer Space. #128 Anarchism and Other Essays. And then there's #132 A Room of One's Own.

Another list "Best Books to Frame Thinking" has Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America as #3. It might be fun to browse some of the other lists that come up if you ask about philosophy.

Sure! If you go up to the top tool bar on Goodreads, one of the options is "explore." Click on the down arrow and one of the options that appears is "listopia." Click on this and it takes you to tons of lists created by Goodreads users. Under "Browse" you can enter the search term "philosophy." A bunch of different lists will come up that the search engine thinks are related to philosophy (some more so than others). Glancing through whichever lists strike your interest might be fun!

I am so happy I found you guys! What a great idea! Here is my list so far:
1. A work of fiction
Gone Girl*
Labor Day*
2. A work of non-fiction
Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living*
3. A collection of poetry
Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer*
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson*
4. A collection of short stories or essays
Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape*
5. An anthology of all female contributors
Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class*
6. A biography/memoir*
A House in the Sky*
Chanel Bonfire*
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage*
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail*
The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times*
7. A work of science fiction
Divergent*
8. A work of fantasy/supernatural
City of Bones*
9. A book that discusses feminism
Sex Exposed: Sexuality and the Pornography Debate*
The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women*
10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism*
11. A book by an openly trans woman author

12. A book by an openly lesbian author
Hild*
13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book
The Complete Persepolis*
14. A book published in 2014
Panic*
15. A book written before 1960
To the Lighthouse*
Rebecca*
16. 3 works by Women of Colour
Mr. Fox*
Beloved*
The Color Purple*
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness*
17. 3 works by International Women
The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine Cambodia*
Americanah Nigeria*
Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet China*
18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy
The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks*
19. A romance novel
Mansfield Park (reread)*
20. A book written by a local (to you) author

21. A book published by an independent press

22. An award winning book
Interpreter of Maladies Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2000)*
*finished

Wow, that's a great list! These are what you are planning on for the year? I'm impressed! Is the asterisk for the ones you've already finished?

Yea, this is the plan so far. The asterisks are ones I've finished. Too many books that I want to read, it's hard not to get ahead of myself :)

Well, I'm super impressed you can plan your year out in advance like that!

So many great books on your list Erin!!

Just finished Rebecca and Labor Day. I liked them both, though, I liked Labor Day more than I expected and Rebecca much less. I am still thinking on Rebecca and there are a few elements that bother me about the story. Not a story that contained a strong female lead. I just started This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, one of my favorite authors. I am excited to get into it!

I read Rebecca as a teenager and didn't think very deeply about it. I just gobbled it up for the plot and moved on. These days it seems to be provoking much more thought (or perhaps more thoughtful people are reading it!)

I decided I was allowed to count Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape, even though they allowed a few men to contribute!

Ha, I did not even think about that. I had it on my list. I didn't even realized that male authors were in the book until I read it, then quickly forgot. I agree though, based on the subject mater and that it was edited by women, it feels okay!

You're very welcome!

I love watching people's lists grow! We're at the half-way point!

Ahhhhh halfway already?!

I'm jumping in pretty much half way through the year, but I'm going to take, meet, exceed (LOL) the challenge anyway. I'm not going to use books I've read so far--except for titles in June and July that apply. :)


So fun!

1. A work of fiction
A Dangerous Fiction: A Mystery by Barbara Rogan

The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe

That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay

Fractured by Lambert Nagle (Pen name of Alison Ripley Cubitt.)

Stolen Spirits by Penny Ross

2. A work of non-fiction

3. A collection of poetry

4. A collection of short stories or essays

5. An anthology of all female contributors

6. A biography/memoir

Falling Backwards by Jann Arden

7. A work of science fiction

8. A work of fantasy/supernatural

9. A book that discusses feminism

10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality

11. A book by an openly trans woman author

12. A book by an openly lesbian author

13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book

14. A book published in 2014

15. A book written before 1960

16. 3 works by Women of Colour

17. 3 works by International Women

18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy

19. A romance novel
Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery

Upon finishing this one, I immediately purchased the next two in the series. An excellent sign, right? :)

Three Sisters Susan Mallery - Another great read!

20. A book written by a local (to you) author

The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride by Cora Seton

Okay, my guilty secret is revealed: the older I get the more I'm a sucker for genre romance, and Cora Seton's Cowboys of Chance Creek series is super fun: sexy but sweet too, with characters who usually make me laugh (because they're funny, not because they're laughable). ;D

21. A book published by an independent press
Bewildered by A.B. Harms

Loved it so much! Great fun and a zany adventure. Would be an excellent read aloud. Beautiful design work and illustrations, too.

22. An award winning book

Hey, is it super tacky to say that if you're looking for a book to meet 21's criteria ("A book published by an independent press"), I'd be pleased as punch to provide you with a free copy of my novel BIGGER THINGS, especially if you'd review it here and on Amazon. :)

1. A work of fiction
The Bridge of Beyond by Simone Schwarz-Bart
2. A work of non-fiction
Broken Republic: Three Essays by Arundhati Roy
3. A collection of poetry
The Complete Poems by Emily Dickinson
4. A collection of short stories or essays
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
5. An anthology of all female contributors
500 Great Books By Women by Erica Bauermeister
6. A biography/memoir
Alice James by Jean Strouse
7. A work of science fiction
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
8. A work of fantasy/supernatural
War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
9. A book that discusses feminism
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
11. A book by an openly trans woman author
12. A book by an openly lesbian author
On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose, 1966-1978 by Adrienne Rich
13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
14. A book published in 2014
15. A book written before 1960
Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
16. 3 works by Women of Colour
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
17. 3 works by International Women
Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang
18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
19. A romance novel
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
20. A book written by a local (to you) author
21. A book published by an independent press
The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector (New Directions)
22. An award winning book
The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir (Prix Goncourt)

A few more to go.

That's a great list Aubrey! So that's just what you happened to have already read this year? See, this clearly is the group for you!

Ev, that's an impressive goal, to do it in six months. Fantastic!

Sandy, I noticed you had made a note to yourself regarding the reading order of the Patternmaster series. I wanted to point out, in case you hadn't seen it, that we actually had a discussion on that exact question here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm actually really glad I read them in publication order!

Sandy wrote: "Ev wrote: "I'm jumping in pretty much half way through the year, but I'm going to take, meet, exceed (LOL) the challenge anyway. I'm not going to use books I've read so far--except for titles in Ju..."

Thanks! :)

LOOK AT ALL THE BOOKS WE ARE READING :)))

I know! It is seriously impressive when they are all added up!

Sandy wrote: "Thanks for this terrific challenge. The list looks very interesting. I'll fill in some blanks as time progresses. I should be able to choose some female authors for the other challenges that I am d..."

Thanks for the links Sandy, what a great idea! I want to read all the books on the top 50 influential books by women list... I've already covered 21/50 :)

From FAB (Female Authors Bookclub)

1. A work of fiction:
- Attachments by Rainbow Rowell**
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell**
- Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand**
- The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton**
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes**
- Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson**
- The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice**
- V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton**
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone**
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows**

2. A work of non-fiction
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks**

3. A collection of poetry

4. Short stories:
- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman**
- Xingu by Edith Wharton**
- The Lifted Veil by George Eliot**
- A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin**

5. An anthology of all female contributors
- Santa, Baby**
- Be Mine: Sizzle\Too Fast to Fall\Alone With You

6. A biography/memoir:
- My Life in France by Julia Child**
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed**
- I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron**
- An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny by Laura Schroff**

7. A work of science fiction:
- Divergent by Veronica Roth**
- Insurgent by Veronica Roth**

8. A work of fantasy/supernatural:
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer**
- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman**
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern**
- The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson**

9. A book that discusses feminism
- Moving the Mountain by Charlotte Perkins Gilman**
- Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman**

10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks byRebecca Skloot**

11. A book by an openly trans woman author:
The Scientific Method, The Complete Miniseries by Kris Ripper**

12. A book by an openly lesbian author

13. A graphic novel or manga:
Nana, Vol. 1 by Nana, Vol. 1**

14. A book published in 2014:

15. A book written before 1960:
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen**
- Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell**
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton**
- Middlemarch by George Eliot**
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin**
- Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers**
- Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers
- O Pioneers! by Willa Cather**
- The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather**
- My Ántonia by Willa Cather**
- Abbot's Ghost: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott**
- The Enchanted April**

16. 3 works by Women of Color:
- Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison**
- Girl in Translation byJean Kwok**
- Dragon Bones by Lisa See**

17. 3 works by International Women

18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain**

19. A romance novel:
- The Tantric Principle by Jennifer Probst**
- S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline**
- Stand-in Groom by Suzanne Brockmann**

20. A book written by a local (to you) author
- Bossypants by Tina Fey**

21. A book published by an independent press:
- Bitten: Dark Erotic Stories by Susie Bright (Chronicle Books)**

22. An award winning book:
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson**
- The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate**

** = finished

Actually it might be a challenge to get all the categories by Dec. 31. I've been looking over my year-to-date reading: 40% female authors, but mostly fiction. But, you know I like a challenge! :D

Hey everyone! I just joined the group and I love the idea of this challenge so I decided to give it a go, although it's quite late in the year.

So these are the books that I have read so far:
1. A work of fiction
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

2. A work of non-fiction

3. A collection of poetry
Дивата природа by Белослава Димитрова

4. A collection of short stories or essays
Art in Nature by Tove Jansson

5. An anthology of all female contributors

6. A biography/memoir
Bossypants by Tina Fey

7. A work of science fiction

8. A work of fantasy/supernatural

9. A book that discusses feminism
Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay

10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
Black Milk: On Writing, Motherhood, and the Harem Within by Elif Shafak

11. A book by an openly trans woman author
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock

12. A book by an openly lesbian author

13. A graphic novel, manga or comic book

14. A book published in 2014

15. A book written before 1960
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

16. 3 works by Women of Colour

17. 3 works by International Women - now I'm kinda confused by this one? What does 'international' mean? Not from my country? Or non-western?

18. A non-fiction work of science or philosophy

19. A romance novel
Les gens heureux lisent et boivent du café by Agnès Martin-Lugand

20. A book written by a local (to you) author
стихотворения by Albena Todorova

21. A book published by an independent press

22. An award winning book
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I think this was written from an American/Canadian point of view. As an American I have felt slightly guilty about counting a Canadian as "international." Since the purpose of this (as I personally see it) is to broaden our horizons, to stretch our reading boundaries, I would say each of us needs to answer this based on our own personal reading habits - and what we each personally want to strive towards more of in order to be more well-rounded in terms of our reading. (So I figure I'm sort of "cheating" if I count a Canadian, but I do it anyway.) It's YOUR challenge, what do you want it to mean to you? (And, it's also supposed to be fun!)

Personally I think it's fantastic that you're starting up with this in September! Bravo! And welcome!

Thanks, Alexa! I had kinda come up with a similar take. I'm an American who frequently reads British authors. So Americans and Brits are out for me as international. But I'll consider French, German, South American.., As well as Indian, Asian, Russian, etc As long as I feel I'm pushing out of my usual pattern a bit.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention - she looks quite interesting! (And I love your new profile picture - all my life I've dreamed of a book corner like that!)

So, we're approaching the three-quarters mark. How's everyone doing? Does anyone have any holes in their challenge that they need suggestions for? Are there any holes that lots of us have that we could maybe read some appropriate books for in the next three months?

I haven't yet covered a trans author, a science or philosophy book, a romance and an independent press... though I think I have books on deck for those four categories. Probably romance will be a struggle for me, so I welcome any suggestions!

Have you ever read any romances you liked?

And by the way, Mansfield Park, Villette, and Americanah all totally count as romances by any definition I've ever seen!

Maybe I'll shuffle one of those over and count the romance category as done haha. I don't read that many "romance" novels... maybe some that have a bit of a romantic element, but nothing that is too terribly dominant... I feel like that is why I don't have that much patience when it comes to books where the desired outcome is marriage and that's it. Maybe I need some romance in my life hahaha

But seriously (and I guess perhaps out of some deep-seated need in me to defend the romance genre) aren't those three romances? Not just slightly but completely? Romance novels are not about romance and nothing else, but they are about working out relationships, some are just more richly written than others. It could be said that science fiction is just about looking at possible applications of future technology, but that would be a fairly boring read!

So, are there any novels that did have that "bit of a romantic element" that you loved?

Some novels that I absolutely loved that are definitely romances and that you might enjoy taking a look at:
Jaran
Shards of Honour
The Time Traveler's Wife
Sunshine
Mystic and Rider
Fangirl

My holes and the books with which I may fill them...

2. A work of non-fiction
-Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
-Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

3. A collection of poetry
-Maybe Lucille Clifton

5. An anthology of all female contributors
-Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road

9. A book that discusses feminism
-Moving the Mountain
-Herland

10. A book that discusses race, gender and/or sexuality
-The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

12. A book by an openly lesbian author
-Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
-Fingersmith

14. A book published in 2014:
-The Invention of Wings
-The Truth About Alice
-Elizabeth Is Missing

17. 3 works by International Women
-The Namesake
-Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
- ???

20. A book written by a local (to you) author
New Jersey or Philadelphia. Suggestions welcomed!!

Really? I thought the trilogy was more utopian fiction. Thanks, Sandy! And, you're right. I have been trying to get to them for months. :p

Yes, but it's feminist utopian fiction! Totally counts!

Philadelphia? Lloyd Alexander?

Thanks, Ladies! Apparently, I'm really meant to read more Gilman. These books keep coming up for me.

Oh serious oops - he isn't a woman!!!