Giving Compass' Take:

• Below is a book list that details the lives and experiences of powerful women in 2018, from Michelle Obama to Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab while competing. 

• Why is it important to promote female activism throughout all industries? How is philanthropy working to support and elevate women's voices? 

• Check out the Giving Compass recommended reading for International Women's Day, a book list highlighting female authors.

If you keep up with Oprah's Book Club — or at the very least, have been online recently — then you know Michelle Obama finally released her memoir, Becoming, on Nov. 13

She's not the only woman trailblazer to share her story. In 2018 alone, we've heard from the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Patrisse Cullors; journalist Asha Bandele; Sarah McBride, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign; and Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab while competing.

Whether you're looking for life lessons, life inspiration, or an inside look into the lives of your favorite icons, consider reading these books by and about badass women:

  • Becoming by Michelle Obama Former first Lady Michelle Obama has accomplished so much in the White House and beyond. Now she's giving readers a play-by-play on how she got it all done.
  • Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani (Foreword by Tegan and Sara)  The history books don't always get it right. In fact, they often skip, ignore, or suppress the accomplishments of women and nonbinary people.
  • Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream By Ibtihaj Muhammad, with Lori Tharps 
    In 2016, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made history when she became the first Muslim woman from the U.S. to compete in the Olympics in a hijab.
  • Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me By Janet Mock Janet Mock's twenties involved going to the University of Hawaii as a first-generation college student and learning how to navigate school, love, being away from home, and figuring out her next steps — just like so many of us. The trans rights activist talks about it all in her inspiring book.

Read the full book list about women who are changing the world by Victoria Rodriguez at Mashable