lou's library

Women are great. Let’s just put that out there. And there are a lot of female authors I have read in the past that I am desperate to read more of. But in the ever-so-dynamic online reading community, it’s easy to get swept up in the thrill of discovering new authors, instead of taking the time to dive deeper into a writer’s back catalogue and to truly familiarise yourself with their work. So, in an attempt to hold myself accountable, here are some of the female writers I hope to read more of in 2026!

Caroline O’Donoghue

I read The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue a couple of years ago, after it had become all the rage online. And while it had a lot of the ingredients needed to make me like a story (complicated friendship, university students trying to make sense of their lives, beautiful writing), it did fall slightly short of my admittedly very high expectations, although I’ve been struggling to say why exactly I didn’t love The Rachel Incident. That being said, I did enjoy it enough to want to give Caroline O’Donoghue another chance, so when she released a middle grade fantasy novel called Skipshock, I was weirdly hyped about it. I haven’t read it yet, but I definitely want to, as it sounds fun and whimsical and also just very different from The Rachel Incident. Plus, I adore Caroline O’Donoghue’s Sentimental Garbage podcast, so just really want to give her writing another shot!

Claire Keegan

Another Irishwoman, because why the hell not? Claire Keegan is Queen of writing short, punchy stories that will leave you heartbroken, and if that hasn’t gotten my name written all over it then I don’t know. I have read three of her novellas so far, but at this point I feel like I simply want to read everything she has ever written. At the same time, as much as I really enjoy her short novels, I do hope that one day she will publish a longer novel, where she allows us readers to get to know her characters over several hundred pages. For example, when reading Foster by her, I was left wanting to know more about our young protagonist and the relationships in her life. But yes, my God, give me everything Claire Keegan has ever written, please and thank you.

R. F. Kuang

Babel by R. F. Kuang blew my mind a few months ago and ever since then, Katabasis has been throwing side eyes at me whenever I have entered a book store (which happens more often than it should). I am slightly hesitant to read another book by R. F. Kuang though. I simply struggle to believe that she has managed to write something equally as unique as Babel, and I really don’t want to feel disappointed. That being said, I have heard great things about Katabasis, and maybe I am doing the author a great injustice by profoundly underestimating her. At any rate, I will wait until the book is out in paperback so that it matches my edition of Babel, and because I don’t want to rush it, but take my time with this very special author. Once I’ll get to Katabasis, I’m sure the wait will have been worth it.

Natasha Solomons

I stumbled upon Fair Rosaline on my birthday in Edinburgh in 2023. It was a perfect day, made even more special by this gorgeous book reimagining my favourite Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The writing is imaginative and exquisite and ever since then, I have been meaning to pick up another book by Natasha Solomons. But I really don’t see a lot of people online talking about her or her work, so as so often is the case, other books are constantly more prominently on my mind. But I vow to make 2026 the year I read another book by her. Maybe I will start with I, Mona Lisa, which tells the story of the famous painting from the perspective of the woman in it. Sounds pretty damn good to me and so I should just get on with it, really. If this is as good as Fair Rosaline, then Natasha Solomons has new favourite author potential for me.

Susan Sontag

You know those authors you’re constantly aware of and keep putting on your list of authors you really wanna read? Susan Sontag is that for me. I have only ever read her short story collection, which I did enjoy. But I do feel like most people are drawn to her because of her essays, so that’s what I would like to read next. I want to take my time with them, annotate the hell out of them and slowly but surely make my way through them. I’m definitely guilty of sometimes rushing through books that benefit from being read at a leisurely pace, so I wanna make sure not to make that mistake with Susan Sontag.

There you have them, some female writers I want to read more of and that have been on my TBR for a good while. If you would like more recommendations, I have a blog post about books featuring Shakespeare, or perhaps you’re more into book club books? Happy reading!