Woman’s Day Book Tag

Dianthaa over at Dianthaa Dabbles put together the Woman’s Day Book Tag in recognition of International Woman’s Day and tagged me in.

This year’s theme is “an equal world is an enabled world”.

A book with a (closer to) gender-equal society:

Wayfarers by Becky Chambers

I didn’t even notice how equal this society was until I went to do this post and was looking for books to fit. It doesn’t make a point about being equal, it just is. I don’t remember anything where girls (or boys) were unable to do one thing or another because of their gender – or were expected to do something either.

A book about writing your own story:

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

January Scaller finds a book about two people and mysterious doorways. When she stands up to her benefactor/guardian/the person her dad left her with before disappearing, January ends up in an asylum. When she breaks out, she makes her own story and looks into her past, her family, and the events (and doors) in the mysterious book she found.

A story with women working together:

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

In this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin retelling, two women from two different backgrounds, both in situations they prefer not to be in, work together to try and escape that situation.

A book with a twist on a traditional gender role:

Kushiel’s Legacy by Jacqueline Carey

In Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series, sex workers can be either male or female. And in the first trilogy, Phédre is much more than just a sex worker. She works politics with her occupation, and she is respected for it. She also really, really loves what she does.

A woman in a man’s world:

A Little Bit Psycho by J.L. Strange

A woman in a man’s world quite literally, A Little Bit Psycho is about a woman who undergoes a body transfer – and ends up in the body of a man instead of the woman she had picked out.

A book with a matriarchal society:

The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop

A deeply matriarchal society in a very dark world. The ruler of them all has been taken over by evil and it is up to a little girl to correct the balance and right the wrongs. And they all rally behind this young girl with too much power. Though I will stress that while it is matriarchal, it is also still deeply dark.

A book with a positive romantic relationship:

Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs

Copying from the Top Ten Tuesday post I did the other week: Adam is high handed and overprotective, and he knows it. Mercy doesn’t take any of that crap, but she’ll humor him when she needs to. She knows when to pick her battles. And when she in annoyed with it, well… she knows how to call him out on his behavior. Which isn’t often since Adam does try to temper those instincts of his and mostly does a great job. Together, these two just work. And I love them.

And to add on, it is positive because they both know their strengths and faults for both themselves and the one they love. They have learned to work with it. It is a really good relationship that shows while things aren’t perfect you can still try your best.

A book featuring a women’s issue:

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

The Winternight Trilogy takes place in 14th century Rus, and Vasya goes through a lot of struggles in regards to gender expectations in the times she lived in. Namely that she is expected to marry and have children, and cloister herself away with other women and act like a proper woman the entire time. It is a perfect choice.

Flowers and Chocolate:

The Dowser series by Meghan Ciana Doidge

This is surprisingly not the only series that I’ve read where the main character uses magic and creates cupcakes. But it’s pretty good, and it’s unfortunate I haven’t read it in a while so I haven’t reviewed them. But also I want these cupcakes.

Now for the tags: I tag Paul @Paul’s Picks, Caitlin @Realms of My Mind, and anyone else who wants to participate is also welcome.