Here are 100 books that Pain and Prejudice fans have personally recommended if you like Pain and Prejudice. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Author Of Between Our Legs

From my list on making you want to talk about women’s health.

Why are we passionate about this?

The idea for our book, Between Our Legs, was conceived over a sushi dinner during a girls’ night out, as we shared stories about the gynecological issues we had struggled with throughout our lives. We realized every woman had a story, but as a society we weren’t having those conversations, at least not publicly, not loudly. We wanted to confront that silence, because women’s health is more than just having babies and shouldn’t be shrouded in stigma and taboo. This silence can harm our health. It can even cost us our lives. Our hope is that Between Our Legs will become part of the canon of books that spark those necessary conversations around women’s health. 

Justine and Caroline's book list on making you want to talk about women’s health

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Why Justine and Caroline loves this book

Focusing on the often misunderstood and unknown aspects of the vagina, uterus, and ovaries, this book demystifies the female body through science, research, and individual stories, all while pointing out the inequities that exist when it comes to knowledge about women’s health relative to men’s.

This book serves as a rallying cry to people everywhere: Vaginas and their surrounding organs are under-researched and misunderstood—and that has major consequences for everyone. We both learned so much from reading this book! (For example: Did you know your eggs choose which sperm to let in?) 

By Rachel E. Gross ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Vagina Obscura as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Latin term for the female genitalia, pudendum, means "parts for which you should be ashamed". Until 1651, ovaries were called female testicles. The fallopian tubes are named for a man. Named, claimed, and shamed: Welcome to the story of the female body, as penned by men.

Today, a new generation of (mostly) women scientists is finally redrawing the map. With modern tools and fresh perspectives, they're looking at the organs traditionally bound up in reproduction-the uterus, ovaries, vagina-and seeing within them a new biology of change and resilience. Through their eyes, journalist Rachel E. Gross takes readers on…


If you love Pain and Prejudice...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Our Red Book

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Author Of Between Our Legs

From my list on making you want to talk about women’s health.

Why are we passionate about this?

The idea for our book, Between Our Legs, was conceived over a sushi dinner during a girls’ night out, as we shared stories about the gynecological issues we had struggled with throughout our lives. We realized every woman had a story, but as a society we weren’t having those conversations, at least not publicly, not loudly. We wanted to confront that silence, because women’s health is more than just having babies and shouldn’t be shrouded in stigma and taboo. This silence can harm our health. It can even cost us our lives. Our hope is that Between Our Legs will become part of the canon of books that spark those necessary conversations around women’s health. 

Justine and Caroline's book list on making you want to talk about women’s health

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Why Justine and Caroline loves this book

This book presents poems, interviews, essays, short stories, and more that show the way hundreds of different women experience and think about their periods.

We love this collection because it finds both beauty and pain in bleeding, shining a spotlight on this crucial (and often stigmatized) part of women’s health. 

By Rachel Kauder Nalebuff (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Our Red Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Scottish MP celebrates making period products freely available. A father admits embarrassment at buying pads for his daughter. A Jewish grandmother describes getting her first period in front of Nazi soldiers. A trans woman, a trans man and a non-binary person share their stories. And a marathon runner makes crimson waves.

From the first red flag to the last goodbye, from Indigenous rites to medical frontiers, from miscarriages to menopause, from pain to pride, from 'free bleeding' in public to bleeding behind bars - the underwear, the oversight, period poverty and protests - Our Red Book takes us to…


Book cover of The Pain Gap

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Author Of Between Our Legs

From my list on making you want to talk about women’s health.

Why are we passionate about this?

The idea for our book, Between Our Legs, was conceived over a sushi dinner during a girls’ night out, as we shared stories about the gynecological issues we had struggled with throughout our lives. We realized every woman had a story, but as a society we weren’t having those conversations, at least not publicly, not loudly. We wanted to confront that silence, because women’s health is more than just having babies and shouldn’t be shrouded in stigma and taboo. This silence can harm our health. It can even cost us our lives. Our hope is that Between Our Legs will become part of the canon of books that spark those necessary conversations around women’s health. 

Justine and Caroline's book list on making you want to talk about women’s health

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Why Justine and Caroline loves this book

This is an examination of the sexism women encounter when seeking medical care and the devastating—even deadly—consequences of that discrimination.

We love how Hossain emphasizes that because women have a sample size of one on which to evaluate their experiences, they often doubt whether they have truly faced discrimination; it is only through sharing and compilation that women can feel seen and gain a full understanding of the problem. 

By Anushay Hossain ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Pain Gap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Explore real women's tales of healthcare trauma and medical misogyny with this meticulously researched, in-depth examination of the women's health crisis in America-and what we can do about it.

When Anushay Hossain became pregnant in the US, she was so relieved. Growing up in Bangladesh in the 1980s, where the concept of women's healthcare hardly existed, she understood how lucky she was to access the best in the world. But she couldn't have been more wrong. Things started to go awry from the minute she stepped in the hospital, and after thirty hours of labor (two of which she spent…


If you love Gabrielle Jackson...

Book cover of Katie’s Gamble

Katie’s Gamble by Kara O'Neal,

Katie's Gamble is an unexpected, unique story about a young woman who's trying to support her younger siblings by keeping her family's confectionery shop open.

In order to do that, she has to take on her older brother, who's a notorious gambler in Louisiana. Additionally, she has to outsmart Rowdy…

Book cover of Notes to New Mothers

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Author Of Between Our Legs

From my list on making you want to talk about women’s health.

Why are we passionate about this?

The idea for our book, Between Our Legs, was conceived over a sushi dinner during a girls’ night out, as we shared stories about the gynecological issues we had struggled with throughout our lives. We realized every woman had a story, but as a society we weren’t having those conversations, at least not publicly, not loudly. We wanted to confront that silence, because women’s health is more than just having babies and shouldn’t be shrouded in stigma and taboo. This silence can harm our health. It can even cost us our lives. Our hope is that Between Our Legs will become part of the canon of books that spark those necessary conversations around women’s health. 

Justine and Caroline's book list on making you want to talk about women’s health

Justine Payton and Caroline Beuley Why Justine and Caroline loves this book

This book brings together sixty-five different writers to talk about motherhood—from various experiences of labor and birth, to breastfeeding, postpartum anxiety and depression, and all the other new, messy, beautiful things that are a part of bringing life into this world.

Whether someone is a new mom themselves, is considering it, has been a mom for a long time, or loves someone who is a mother, this book creates a way in for understanding and having conversations about what it’s really like to be a new mom.

And with one of us recently entering the role of a “new mom,” this book couldn’t have made us (and our bodies) feel more seen.

By Rebecca Knight (editor) , Julie Buntin (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Notes to New Mothers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the early days with their first babies, two friends began comparing notes on what, exactly, was going on in their postpartum bodies and minds. What was a wake window? How could anyone function under the weight of so much love? All their new-mom friends were overwhelmed too. In search of the book they needed, editors Rebecca Knight and Julie Buntin invited sixty-five acclaimed writers and artists-Julia Phillips, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Liana Finck, Jenny Slate, Naima Coster, and more-to riff on shared concerns: burp volcanos, career shifts, breastfeeding logs, partnership dynamics, minor victories and major insecurities. Here is a bedside…


Book cover of Hormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body's Natural Blueprint for Well-Being

Jean Willoughby Author Of Nature's Remedies: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Herbs

From my list on to help you heal with herbs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an herbalist, writer, and founder of Botanical Culture, a new compendium of plants and the people who cultivate them. I love helping people find the best herbs to support their health and well-being, whether by consulting, research and writing, or teaching workshops. After training at an herbalism school and more than a decade of growing and foraging, I’m still wonderstruck every time I walk into a garden or browse an apothecary. Great books about herbs inspire the same feeling of reverence for our oldest healing traditions and put the power of nature within reach. 

Jean's book list on to help you heal with herbs

Jean Willoughby Why Jean loves this book

Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Dr. Romm has written an essential guide to female health and wellness. For Romm, herbs hold pride of place in the art and science of healing. As a midwife, herbalist, and board-certified family physician with a specialty in women’s health and obstetrics, her work combines a deep understanding and respect for both traditional herbal medicine and Western allopathic medicine. Anyone who wants to better understand or address specific female health issues will benefit from this revelatory book. Anyone who wants to integrate herbs into their lifestyle will enjoy the book’s abundant tips, meal plans, and 6-week action plan. Dr. Romm’s big-hearted and encouraging style will leave readers feeling committed to charting a course for better health at any age.

By Aviva Romm ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hormone Intelligence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * #1 GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER

You are not broken. Being a woman is not a diagnosis. Take your body back with the groundbreaking new science for women in Hormone Intelligence.

Hormonal. We all know what it means when we hear it - and feel it. While hormonal shifts are natural throughout women's lives, too many experience distressing period symptoms, struggle daily with PCOS, endometriosis, a fertility challenge, pain, low sex drive, sleep problems, acne, bloating, hot flashes, and more - all due to hormone-related problems.…


Book cover of I Knew a Woman: Four Women Patients and Their Female Caregiver

Cheryl Dellasega Author Of Toxic Nursing: Managing Bullying, Bad Attitudes, and Total Turmoil

From my list on wellbeing for nurses.

Why am I passionate about this?

Juggling roles as a professor, nurse practitioner, author, mother, and grandmother would seem to limit my reading time but instead, I always have a book in my car, on my phone, or in my hands. I read broadly and enjoy all genres, from fiction to nonfiction, poetry to medical comics, as well as the creative essay columns nursing journals are beginning to embrace. In particular, I gravitate toward resources that help nurses create a positive relational workplace where their best efforts can be even more effective. Whether it’s ending the RN-RA (relational aggression) Rut, using poetry to express feelings about caregiving, or writing creatively about the many aspects of nursing, I am ready to read! And of course, the best part of reading is having a discussion with colleagues or friends about what exactly that book was about…

Cheryl's book list on wellbeing for nurses

Cheryl Dellasega Why Cheryl loves this book

This story about four patients cared for by nurse practitioner and acclaimed poet Cortney Davis reminds me a bit of pandemic narratives in that she works in a public clinic with individuals whose financial, emotional, or social situation puts them at risk. Since her patients are all female, their needs are related to gynecology, but the bigger story is Cortney’s ability to connect with them on a humanistic level and share their hopes, concerns, and fears.

By Cortney Davis ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Knew a Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I cannot ignore the reality of the body, its glorious beginnings and its subtle endings," writes Cortney Davis in this intimate and startlingly original account of her work at a women's clinic. A poet and nurse-practitioner with twenty five years' experience, Davis reveals the beauty of the body's workings by unfolding the lives of four patients who struggle with its natural cycles and unexpected surprises: pregnancy and childbirth, illness and recovery, sexual dysfunction and sexual joy. An abundance of solid medical information imbues every graceful line.

Davis's eternal question to herself is: How do you help someone to not merely…


If you love Pain and Prejudice...

Book cover of The Delphi Agenda

The Delphi Agenda by Rob Swigart,

Papyrologist Lisa Emmer's world flips when the Sûreté detains her at her Metro station with news of the savage murder of the esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents.

Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her…

Book cover of Unwell Women

Dorothy Littell Greco Author Of For the Love of Women

From my list on identifying and confronting misogyny.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent my entire life facing and dealing with misogyny. Last year, I wrote a book on the topic which marries storytelling, research, and journalism. For the Love of Women is vulnerable, but not a memoir; well-researched but not academic; and though it’s confrontive, it ends on a hopeful note. If you have any doubts that misogyny is an issue in America, you need to read this book. 

Dorothy's book list on identifying and confronting misogyny

Dorothy Littell Greco Why Dorothy loves this book

As someone who has battled the broken healthcare system for 25 years now, I felt seen, understood, and vindicated by Cleghorn’s book.

Through research and story, she reveals how male bias and misogyny are stitched into the healthcare system. From a lack of funding for female health issues, excluding women from drug trials, and not trusting women’s voices, the author makes a compelling case for the many ways misogyny makes it difficult for women to get well in the US.

By Elinor Cleghorn ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unwell Women as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NEW BOOK FROM ELINOR CLEGHORN: A WOMAN'S WORK IS OUT NOW 'An essential history' - Leah Hazard

'Powerful' NEW YORK TIMES
'A passionate and indignant history' THE TIMES
'Unputdownable' TELEGRAPH

Medicine carries the burden of its own troubling history. Over centuries, women's bodies have been demonised and demeaned until we feared them, felt ashamed of them, were humiliated by them. But as doctors, researchers, campaigners and most of all as patients, women have continuously challenged medical orthodoxy. Medicine's history has always been, and is still being, rewritten by women's resistance, strength and incredible courage.

In this ground-breaking history Elinor…


Book cover of Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation

Shalene Gupta Author Of The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD

From my list on books for if your periods are a painful bloody hell.

Why am I passionate about this?

For years, I suffered from extremely painful periods and terrible mood swings before my period. I chalked this up to being a bad person. When I was in my thirties, I found out I had PMDD: premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Researchers have known about PMDD for years, yet it still takes over a decade to get a diagnosis. I got mad, and I got curious. What was going on? I went hunting for books to explain what we know about periods and why we don’t talk about them. The books on this list answered many of my questions—I hope they answer yours.

Shalene's book list on books for if your periods are a painful bloody hell

Shalene Gupta Why Shalene loves this book

If you have questions, Dr. Gunter has answers. Periods come and go, but we’re not actually taught that much about them in health class. Dr. Jen Gunter is here to fix that.

She’s informative, humorous, and personal, both expert and friend at the same time. I wish someone had handed this book to me in my early teens and asked me to reread it until all of it was burned into my memory.

By Jen Gunter ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Blood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestselling author, internationally known ob/gyn, and internet superstar who has become the go-to expert for women’s health issues now takes on a topic that affects more than 72 million Americans every month, bashing myths about menstruation and giving readers the knowledge they need to make the best decisions for their bodies.

Most women can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime. So why is real information so hard to find? Despite its significance, most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it. And while both are crucial, women…


Book cover of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Marcey Rader Author Of Reclaim Your Workday: Sustainable Productivity Strategies for the New World of Work

From my list on reclaiming your focus and working smarter without burnout.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who’s lived through burnout and now helps people prevent it, I know firsthand that productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters, when it matters, without sacrificing your sanity, health, or relationships. Reclaim Your Workday was born from years of coaching teams and leaders to focus deeply, communicate clearly, and work sustainably in our always-on world. These books challenge the myth of hustle culture and offer practical ways to reclaim your time, attention, and energy—so work supports your life, not the other way around.

Marcey's book list on reclaiming your focus and working smarter without burnout

Marcey Rader Why Marcey loves this book

My biggest takeaway from this book was completing the stress cycle.

I often have to practically beg clients—especially women—to take a break from their computers at lunch and go for a walk or at least eat screen-free. It was affirming to hear from the Nagoskis how beneficial this truly is for managing microstressors.

It’s the perfect blend of science, story, and humor that makes emotional health actionable and essential—not optional.

By Emily Nagoski , Amelia Nagoski ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Burnout as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This book is a gift! I’ve been practicing their strategies, and it’s a total game-changer.”—Brené Brown, PhD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead

This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men—and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life.

Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s world are two very different things—and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between…


If you love Gabrielle Jackson...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of Crystal Healing for Women: A Modern Guide to the Power of Crystals for Renewed Energy, Strength, and Wellness

Alyson Charles Author Of Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul

From my list on supporting your spiritual awakening.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a shaman, seer, and spiritual teacher who lives in Austin, Texas with my husband Luke Storey, black cat Jelly Bean and dog Cookie. I’m devoted to being of service by living by the calls of inner wisdom, mysticism, energy medicine, and shamanic practices I’ve mastered through studies with spiritual teachers, both of and beyond this world. I lead global courses, events, and talks to reconnect people to their fullest power and confidence through sacred practices. My book was named “a top meditation to try” by O, The Oprah Magazine, and I’ve been called "a leading shaman for expanding others into their full gifts and power" by Forbes.

Alyson's book list on supporting your spiritual awakening

Alyson Charles Why Alyson loves this book

If the healing power of crystals has ever drawn you in, I recommend having this book as a staple in your life. I personally know the author and she teaches from a truly pure, embodied, and reverent space. With this book you will learn everything from how to ethically source, care for and collect crystals, how to work with them for different purposes, the 10 crystals every woman needs, and specific crystal rituals for love, fertility, and more. Beautifully put together with breathtaking photos and integrity-filled practices, this book will elevate the power of nature in your life, health, and heart!

By Mariah K. Lyons ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crystal Healing for Women as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Crystal Healing for Women
A Modern Guide to the Power of Crystals for Renewed Energy, Strength, and Wellness

Discover the physical, mental, and spiritual healing power of crystals and awaken the healer within.

     Believed to hold restorative powers over our health, crystals have served humanity for millennia. With Crystal Healing for Women, you can unlock the ancient secrets of healing and wisdom held within these stones. Crystal healer and Reiki Master Mariah K. Lyons shares her knowledge in this beautifully-illustrated, practical guide that helps women awaken to their feminine divinity and healing powers, and rekindle their instinctual relationship with nature.…


Book cover of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage
Book cover of Our Red Book
Book cover of The Pain Gap

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