Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the headlines celebrating the record number of women are running for office this year. Female candidates and voters are flooding ballots and polls across the country ahead of the November midterms. At stake? History-making candidacies and the country’s future (NBD).
Are you looking to better understand what led us to this “pink wave”? Get psyched to celebrate the many women who will be sworn in next year? Prepare to run for office yourself? Scouted has you covered. With just a few weeks to go, until the November 6 election, we’ve rounded up a list of books that will educate and inspire you ahead of this historic vote.
One reason women are flocking to politics this year? They’re pissed. Get schooled on the past (and power) of female anger courtesy of New York columnist Rebecca Traister’s latest tome. And ICYMI, Traister’s books on the single women’s serious impact on society and the women of the barrier-busting 2008 election are must-reads, too.
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Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister, $12.99 Kindle edition on Amazon.
So, why do we need more women in Washington? And how exactly do things change when women have a seat at the lawmaking table? Researchers at the Center for American Women & Politics at Rutgers University talked to dozens of current and former female members of Congress to find out and published their answers in this just-released book.
A Seat at the Table: Congresswoman's Perspective on Why Their Presence Matters by Kelly Dittmar, Kira Sanbonmatsu, and Susan J. Carroll, $18.99 Kindle edition on Amazon.
Looking for guidance on how to inject intersectionality into the organizing space? Add activist Charlene Carruthers’ groundbreaking manifesto, praised as a “handbook for the revolution,” to your to-do list, just ahead of “create a more woke world.”
Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene Carruthers, $20.66 hardcover on Amazon.
It’s never a surprise to see politicians with (rumored) presidential ambitions pen a book pre-run (See: Hillary Clinton, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren). But U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s 2015 contribution to the genre also serves as a call to action to get involved yourself.
Off The Sidelines: Speak Up, Be Fearless & Change Your World, by Kirsten Gillibrand, $12.43 on Amazon
This year’s surge in women running is concentrated on the left. But GOP women break barriers, too. This book from a trio of reporters with the The Salt Lake Tribune charts the career of Utah’s own Rep. Mia Love — the nation’s first black Republican congresswoman.
Mia Love: The Rise, Stumble & Resurgence of the Next GOP Star, by Matt Canham, Robert Gehrke and Thomas Burr, $3.99 Kindle edition on Amazon.
#TreatYoSelf to this treatise on local government pride from the (fictional) poster woman for civic engagement before bingeing a season (or six) of “Parks and Recreation” to get in the mood for some change-making.
Pawnee: The Greatest Town and America, by Leslie Knope, $15.49 on Amazon.
Want to run for office but have no idea where to start? Have no fear. This handy guide draws from the experiences of real life female candidates to break down the basics of what it takes in practical and motivational terms.
Every Day Is Election Day: A Woman's Guide to Winning Any Office, from the PTA to the White House by Rebecca Sive, $13.83 on Amazon.
It’s never too early to start preparing the next generation of female leaders. Share this tale of a young girl’s quest to become the first woman in the White House with the wee ones in your life.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, $14.35 on Amazon.
Yes, increasing the number of women in elected office is essential. But politics isn’t the only sector where gender parity is seriously lagging. That’s not to say there haven’t been major strides made. Get inspired with this collection of stories about women breaking barriers across industries.
Women Who Launch: The Women Who Shattered Glass Ceilings by Marlene Wagman-Gell, $11.52 on Amazon.
