5 must-read novels featuring bold women | Mindful Puzzles

5 must-read novels featuring bold women

Looking for your next read? This book roundup brings together five captivating novels centred on unforgettable women – from a Melbourne writer’s warm-hearted tale of unexpected wonder in Las Vegas and a dual-timeline exploration of the price of fame, to a passionate reimagining of a 16th-century Irish pirate queen, a riveting Picoult meditation on inherited grief, and a psychological thriller about erased histories and unsettling parapsychology experiments. Whether you’re after page-turning suspense, big emotional stakes, or stories that spark conversation, these are books that will stay with you long past the final page.

I Love the Whole World!

Melbourne writer Victoria Hannan’s warm-hearted third novel follows an adrift Leslie McDonald from a marriage ending to the glittering wildness of Las Vegas – a joyous, beautifully observed celebration of beginning again.

Author : Victoria Hannan

Publisher : Penguin Random House

Everyone Knows Her Name

Elaine Hastings’ dual-timeline novel follows a 1960s supermodel who vanished from the spotlight and the modern-day documentary maker determined to uncover what happened – a compelling tale of fame, secrecy and hard choices.

Author : Elaine Hastings

Publisher : HarperCollins Australia

The Pirate Queen

Ariel Lawhon reimagines the life of legendary Irish pirate Grace O’Malley in a thrilling, action-packed historical adventure about a woman who refused to be contained – and the enemy of Queen Elizabeth I she became.

Author : Ariel Lawhon

Publisher : Simon & Schuster Australia

Hollow Bones

Jodi Picoult returns to the world of My Sister’s Keeper with a riveting novel about an emergency specialist whose meticulously prepared life is upended, exploring inherited grief, trust, and how far we go to protect those we love.

Author : Jodi Picoult

Publisher : Ballantine Books

The Women in White

Sarah Pekkanen’s latest psychological thriller weaves dual timelines between 1964 parapsychology experiments and a present-day caretaker discovering that the past is far from buried – a taut tale about power, control, and erased histories.

Author : Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher : St Martin’s Press