Short bios of all women writers. List classics and must read books. Gives websites and references for authors.

I know I enjoyed this book but read it too long ago to rate.

I found this book interesting, but missing some key authors. I had never heard of 95% of these authors yet there are so many more that could have been written about. I would probably never want to read those writings either just due to the content of them. I try to read a lot of wholesome Christian books, so this by far was not that, but I knew that when I started it. It was interesting.

I thought it seemed a little dated, but I still enjoyed it.

This book contains a series of biographical profiles of women writers from ancient times to the late 20th-century. (The book was published in 2000 when J.K. Rowling had only published 3 Harry Potter books). The book is arranged by topic: First Ladies of Literature, about women who broke the mold and became the first of some type of literature; Ink in Their Veins, about women related to famous men; Mystics and Madwomen, my least favorite section, suggesting that women writers are all a little crazy; Banned, Blacklisted and Arrested, self-explanatory; Prolific Pens, writers who have published a multitude of books; Salonists and Culture Makers and finally Women Whose Books are Loved Too Much (adored authors).

The writing style is very casual. There are no footnotes or citations but a bibliography is included in the end. It's obvious the author was only somewhat familiar with certain authors given the simplicity and minor errors in the profiles. The profiles are more casual than a wikipedia entry but similar in length and information. What the editor does very well is include women writers who are more obscure because of time period or subject matter. There are a number of Queer women profiled here as well.

I would recommend this book to non-literature majors as a starting place to locate new potential favorite writers.

I didn't anticipate that this book would be a collection of biographical sketches. Nonetheless, I count it as joyous blessing. I learned more of women from antiquity and the recent centuries. I hadn't learned of Enheduanna, Aphra Behn, Kathleen Raine, Grazia Deledda, Lucy Terry Prince,Barbara Tuchman, Jane Welsh Carlyle, and Meret Oppenheim. I had seen the name Enheduanna in a textbook on Mesopotamia during a history course.

This book presents legendary women in an accessible fashion. Many times, legends have their humanity snatched from them on the printed page. A reader empathizes with these women.

I gave this book a five up until the last chapter when it kind of fell apart in my mind. Then, looking back, I realized that a four is more appropriate anyway which I'll explain below.

The name is misleading because it's really about female authors throughout history, although I probably wouldn't have picked it up with a more boring title. The book is impeccably researched containing information about female authors throughout history, most of whom I'd never even heard of. The bits about each other are just long enough and very interesting. I wish the excerpts were longer, though.

The main drawback is that it is enormously weighted in favor of Western/European/American English fiction and poetry writers. There are a few French authors but most wrote in English. Most are white, as well. There are a number of African Americans but not nearly enough and some major African American authors such as Audre Lorde and Soujourner Truth are conspicuously absent. I think there is only one Asian writer and I don't recall any of any other race. Many groundbreaking feminist writers like Ursula LeGuin and other SF writers are just mentioned in a list of "other beloved writers," not acknowledging the huge challenges such writers had breaking into a male-dominated field.

The worst part is the final section which is about authors who have legions of fans so most are modern day authors. But there is little to explain the choices. For example, Rebecca Wells, the author of the YaYa sisterhood books is included, I think solely so they could write on the cover "from the Algonquin Hotel to the Ya-Ya sisterhood."

But despite its shortcomings, the book is well written and interesting. Each author is described with respect and admiration, even when their views weren't particularly popular. I do believe the author respects people of color and discussed lesbian and bisexual authors as positively as any others. I think she was just limited by her own worldview and language.

. Delightful profiles of women writers through the ages grouped by categories. While one wishes that some who were merely noted were also profiled, such as Anais Nin, still this nearly illustrated volume is a fun and instructive read.

The best part was reading about women in the Dark and Middle ages who managed to read and write despite many obstacles in their way.

I won this at our Dec book club meeting. Really excited to read it!

A fun little book -- which I picked up on sale -- all about other women like me, women who love books too much. I have read snippets from it now and then and from what I can tell, I'm far from alone. And furthermore, this close-to-obsession I have with books is not just idle curiousity, nor greed, nor escapism, nor mere vanity, but springs from something deep inside me, a genuine desire to LEARN and to KNOW! Not everything about everything, but as much as I can about the things I am interested in, which -- sadly (in some ways) -- seems to be a LOT!

Not a great book perhaps, but definitely worth the small price I paid for it.

I have the hardback edition, but since the cover isn't featured here on Good Reads yet, and I prefer the pretty pictures, I'm going with the paperback edition.

I have been reading this for a bit now, in small increments. But I just ran across a quote that reminds me of bookcrossing, so...from page 69

"'I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sens of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages some one long gone has called my attention to.' - Bibliophile Helen Hanff, on the joys of second-hand books, from 84, Charing Cross Road"

anyway, isn't that sort of what bookcrossing is about, only instead of writing in the margins (though I occasionally find I do that too) we jot a journal entry or three, and pass the book on.

I finally finished this. I read it slowly, at intervals. It is a book about many women authors. Women who changed the world as they knew it. Rebels. Thinkers. I enjoyed many of the stories, but some of them were a little dull.