The Readings Teen Advisory Board for 2025-2026 share stories they've loved that centre women’s experiences and voices, making them perfect reading for International Women’s Day!
Annalisa recommends
Circe
Madeline Miller
This is a lyrical retelling of the life of Circe, a minor goddess in Homer's Odyssey. Circe centres female isolation, power and self-determination, tracing Circe’s growth from a disregarded daughter to a woman who claims hard-won independence over her own life.
Through Circe's relationships and choices, Miller foregrounds a woman’s voice in a mythological world traditionally dominated by male heroes.
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah
Set in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War, this novel follows two sisters whose very different paths reveal the many forms courage can take in wartime. The characters are works of fiction, but in them live the real people who risked their lives to carry out brave and important acts.
While traditional war narratives centre on soldiers and battlefields, Kristin Hannah focuses on the often-overlooked experiences of women in war, and as part of the Allied resistance, in an all-encompassing story that's both stunning and heartbreaking.
Emotionally intense and beautifully written, The Nightingale serves as a reminder that history is full of extraordinary women whose stories have been rarely told.
Tina recommends
Girl on Girl
Sophie Gilbert
Sophie Gilbert retraces the last decades of pop culture media – featuring both sensations and unsung heroes – painting a riveting tale of women’s connectivity and liberalism in the late 1980s. From there, the book traces pivotal moments in pop culture from the following decades (namely Spice Girls and Britney Spears!) where the ideas of third-wave feminism were commodified into a disfigured, individualistic version of itself – utilising sentiments that still echo in feminist spaces to this day.
Gilbert does an amazing job of inspecting the humongous load of media force-fed to teenage girls and inviting readers to reflect on the people they idolise. This book is a must-read that celebrates the wonderful trailblazers of feminism whilst reiterating the importance of intersectionality.
Camryn recommends
The Dictionary of Lost Words
Pip Williams
Have you ever wondered how the dictionary came to be? Why certain words are included whilst others are simply left behind?
Set during the compilation of the first Oxford English Dictionary, Esme, an intelligent and curious young girl finds herself developing her own collection of terms. Being the daughter of a lexicographer, Esme’s childhood is spent under the sorting table of the Scriptorium where men sort, write, and analyze words. From her space under the desk, Esme compiles a collection of words that have fallen short of the final publication; words that are affiliated with women’s experiences and emotions, often deemed 'unworthy'. It is here that Esme starts her own journey.
She begins gathering words that help her to understand the world through many perspectives, particularly those of women. Through this journey, Esme meets others whose stories have been marginalised and overlooked throughout history, giving them the opportunity to share their voices and contribute to her dictionary.
A collection of beautifully curated words and stories in itself, The Dictionary of Lost Words is a book that redefines history and language.
Annalisa, Tina and Camryn are members of the 2025-2026 Readings Teen Advisory Board.
Are you a teen who loves books, or know one who does?
We’re currently looking for a new intake of teenagers to join our Teen Advisory Board! The board will meet once a month starting in April 2026 and running until early 2027. Find more information on what's involved and how to apply here.
