Today is Women’s Equality Day, and we’re celebrating with some amazing reads written by amazing women!

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera 

This book radiates feminism. When Juliet’s hero fails her, she grapples with crucial, timely questions of what feminism means if it excludes queer and trans women of color, giving language to hard discussions and self-examinations. This groundbreaking debut is the perfect read for celebrating Women’s Equality Day.

SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson 

This is an incredible, strong book by an equally incredible, strong woman. Laurie Halse Anderson is well-known for using her talents to speak out about the need for diversity in publishing, combatting censorship, and her refusal to be silenced by the world on anything (in case you couldn’t tell by the title), and SHOUT is no exception. SHOUT is a timely and significant read and a fierce call to action that will leave you empowered and recommending it to everyone you know.

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough 

This book is equal parts heartbreaking, inspiring, and empowering, based on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi. After her mother died when she was twelve, Artemisia had a stark choice: a life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father’s paint. She chose paint. Joy McCullough’s bold novel in verse is a portrait of an artist as a young woman, filled with the soaring highs of creative inspiration and the devastating setbacks of a system built to break her.

The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren

This book is first and foremost a story of female empowerment, and about women speaking up and using their own voices and strengths to take control of their own lives, and we absolutely adore every page of it. This powerful debut from Shannon Schuren positively radiates themes of standing up and breaking free in an environment where women are seen as less than.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Throughout the Ember in the Ashes series, women are at the forefront of the story. On opposite sides of the war-torn Martial Empire, Laia of Serra and Helene Aquilla both fight (in their own ways) to stay one step ahead of the Commandant, Keris Veturia—and we’re quite sure she’s one of the most ruthless villains in all of fiction (*shudder*). The female characters of the series are survivors of pain, of trauma, and yet they endure. As Helene so poignantly says: “Curse this world for what it does to the mothers, for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for forcing us to endure.”

Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein 

This one is an epic shoutout to all the girl coders out there. After entering a highly competitive internship program, Lucy, Maddie, and Delia must use their unique talents and smarts to succeed, but soon find they’ll be facing some small and not-so-small slights from the boys and men in the program on the way. It isn’t long before the girls realize that someone they viewed as mentor has his own interests in mind. Together, they support each other and shed light on their discovery in order to pave the way towards change.

Looking for more amazing reads? Prepare your eyeballs, because we’ve rounded up 13 of the most gorgeous covers you’ll see this year!