I will be rating every book in this category three ways: 

✩: good

✩✩: great, made me emotional

✩✩✩: loved it so much I was in tears

Poetry:

It was extremely hard for me to pick only ten poetry books to highlight. Poetry is my favorite genre, and because they don’t take very long to read, it’s quite likely for me to read several books in a short period of time. I find that annotating the text helps me comprehend things in a way that relates to my life a little better. It means so much more to connect simple words on the paper into words that make you feel something. 

• Break your glass slippers by Amanda Lovelace  ✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: feminism, gender identity, mental health, love

• HER. by Pierre A. Jeanty ✩✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: love, lgbtq relationships, feminism, mental health

• She fits within these words by R.H. Sin✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: mental health, gender identity, love, women

• She’s strong, but she’s tried by R.H. Sin✩✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: mental health, gender identity, sexualitity,  women

• When the world didn’t end by Caroline Kaufman✩✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: universal trauma, relationships, eating disorder recovery

• Love by the night by S.K. Williams✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: relationships, love, queer

• Winter roses after fall by R.H. Sin and Robert M. Drake✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: mental health, gender identity, love, women

• Some things I still can’t tell you by Misha Collins✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: love, lgbtq relationships, feminism, mental health

• Pillow thoughts by Courtney Peppernell✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: love, feminism, mental health

• Home body by Rupi Kaur✩✩✩

Read if you’re looking for poetry about: universal trauma, relationships, eating disorder recovery

Fiction:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ✩✩✩

A former writer, Nicholas Dunne, marries a woman who is described as enthralling, intelligent and manipulative and eventually the two of them move from their risque New York life to take care of Nick’s mom in his countryside hometown. On their fifth marriage anniversary, Amy Dunne goes missing and Nick has to try to prove his innocence. 

Girl, interrupted by Susanna Kaysen✩✩✩

A girl who comes from a rich family, Susanna kaysen, has a breakdown following a breakup and tries to committ suicide. She is then institutionalized and throughout her time she began to develop relationships with other people within the hospital creating friendships and otherwise while also finding who she is, why she is there and what she can do to grow.

The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han ✩✩✩

A girl grew up near two brothers who she was partially in love with. Throughout the series she works through her relationship with them both while also working through her own issues with her self esteem and her parents. She is a typical southern girl and she was navigating through life with her best friend, Taylor as there is romance, heartbreak, loss, grief, dama, and more.

If I stay by Gayle Forman✩✩

A girl who grew up in the Northern U.S. lives the supposedly ideal life, but sees herself through an eagle-eyed view after a traumatic incident forces her to look back at her short life. This book will most likely have you in tears and laughing within minutes.

Call me by your name by André Aciman✩✩✩

A tragically beautiful story resulting in heartbreak deals with lgbtq+ relationships and identity. The book features an age difference that shows what is truly important to those who are in different times of life. 

Nonfiction:

As somebody who does not read much nonfiction, these recommendations are limited. All of these focus on the relationship between women and the world.

You don’t have to like me by Alida Nugent✩✩✩

You are the universe by Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos ✩✩✩