If you ever find yourself longing to spend the afternoon at your local bookstore—but you’re chained to your desk, occupied with travel, or whatever—check out Shepherd.com. According to the creators, “Shepherd is like wandering the aisles of your favorite bookstore. A healthy amount of serendipity as you bump into books you didn’t know you needed.”
There are lots of bookseller and other websites that allow you to search by genre, or to look for “best books of the year” recommendations. You can do that on Shepherd as well. But Shepherd digs deeper, allowing you to browse for themes or topics that interest you, and also allowing you to see what books authors themselves read and recommend.
This is a very cool concept. When I realized that I could add my voice to the those of the 11,000 or so participating authors on Shepherd, I figured—why not? Coming up with my subject wasn’t difficult. I thought of the authors and characters who have most influenced my own fiction writing, and the topic almost wrote itself: The best novels on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles.
To quote from my statement that now appears on the Shepherd website: “From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once.
“Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list.”
As a footnote, my second novel, My Year of Casual Acquaintances, and its narrator Mar, were inspired by works like these.
But enough about all that! Without further ado, go to Shepherd.com and browse the virtual aisles to your heart’s content… but please start with my personal book list:
The best novels on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles
