Books women should read

I did it again. I saw an awesome idea for a book list on someone else's blog and decided to add my own opinions. Here's the original blog: 10 Books Every Woman Should Read.

I agreed with some on her list and will be reading some of the others that I haven't yet. But I also thought she limited herself with 10, and want to add some more.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - OMG this book. If you want all the butterflies of a perfect love, read this. Plus, awesome and strong heroine. 
2. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - Again, OMG. Brilliantly written, brilliant protagonists. Not to mention, I feel like what the characters go through is something lots of women can relate to.
3. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - There are very few characters as endearing as Anne Shirley. Like the first two, the time period might throw you off, but her trials are still ones that you can very easily relate to.
4. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - Beautifully written. This book made me think a lot about life and death and the relationships I have with the women around me.
5. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - Princess Mia is absolutely one of my most favorite characters ever. She is HILARIOUS, and, again, very easy to relate to. (Check out other series by Meg Cabot. She very entertaining!)
6. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - This is a book about mother-daughter relationships and all of the ups and downs that they endure while growing older. Another one that makes you reflect, and maybe also appreciate and understand your mother better. Plus, an awesome insight into Chinese culture, something I don't get exposed to a lot.
7. A Little Princess by Frances Hodges Burnett - Although this book is about a very young, romantic girl in a very innocent time of life, it's a great lesson on self-esteem and knowing your worth no matter how bad life is.
8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - When Louisa was a young, ambitious writer, she started out trying to write daring, exotic, creative, and romantic adventures about places in Europe she had never been to. After a while, she became convinced that the real story was in her own home, and she should instead write about what she knows. What followed is an incredible story of familial relationships, and the challenges that come when you and your sisters grow up. I feel like in this stage of life with my three sisters now making their big life decisions, it is incredibly relevant despite having been written in the 19th century.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I've never really been a fan of this book. Mr. Rochester throwing himself on the couch in protest of his love is really just too much for me. But I was recently forced to reread this book in an English class and realized just how feminist Jane is. The main plot of the book may be about a romance, but some of her thoughts reveals just how much she yearns as a woman for the same adventures and control over her life that men have. She was very ahead of her time.
10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares - This wonderful series follows the friendships of four young girls, as well as touching on the relationships they have with sisters, mothers, step-family, boyfriends, etc. The girls learn how to remain friends despite physical distance, different experiences, and growing older. 

Other writers that deserve honorable mention: Emily Bronte, Sylvia Plath, Sophie Kinsella, Kathryn Stockett, Sarah Dessen, and Laurie Halse Anderson.