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This reading list first appeared HER Stories - Fall 2024, a biannual special section that features Eastern Iowa women who have experienced powerful paths of achievement for themselves, their families and their communities

The Gazette asked Allison Zordell, librarian at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, to share her book suggestions with our HER readers. All of Zordell’s selections are available at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

The Husbands

by Holly Gramzio

When she discovers the attic in her London flat is creating an infinite supply of husbands, waking up to a slightly altered life each day, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you've taken the right path?

The Women

by Kristin Hannah

In 1965, nursing student Frankie McGrath, after hearing the words "Women can be heroes, too," impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam where she is overwhelmed by the destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

Funny Story

by Emily Henry

After being dumped for her boyfriend's lifelong best friend Petra, Daphne agrees to room with Petra's freshly heartbroken ex until she can figure things out, in the new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of "Happy Place."

Just for the Summer

by Abby Jimenez

A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of "Yours Truly.”

Come and Get It

by Kiley Reid

It's 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job and buy a house. So, when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the chance. But Millie's starry-eyed hustle becomes jeopardized by odd new friends, vengeful dorm pranks and illicit intrigue.

A Grandmother Begins the Story

by Michelle Porter

A young Métis woman seeks to learn about her heritage as her mother tries to reconcile their lost years while protecting her daughter from what she perceives as the sins of her own mother. Told from the point of view of five generations of women, this is a beautiful and affecting debut.