Okay *rolls up sleeves*

Before I start listing stuff I would like to say that if you're going to pay attention to anything I suggest here, please let it be this: The Odd Women by George Gissing. I was recommending it to one of my friends the other evening and it's just reminded me of how tragically underrated and under-read it is.

Why should you read The Odd Women?

• It was written in 1893. Relevant? check.
  
• The main characters are women and it's incredibly ahead of its time as far as feminism is concerned. Somehow it was written by a Victorian man. Go figure.
  
• The female who conforms to societal expectation is the cautionary tale, not the female who chooses unfeminine independence.
  
• It does right what most TV and film do wrong with independent female characters and romance.
  
• The social insights are fascinating.
  
• One character is the infamous Nice Guy type but unlike the present era he's got a thriving patriarchal society to validate him. Who doesn't validate him? The author.
  
• Spinsters.
  
• Most of the characters are middling to working class.
  
• You might find it a little bit of a slow start but once it starts rolling it won't let you put it back down.
  
• If you don't read this book I will find you and I will murder you look at you and you will know in that instant how disappointed I am in you and how shamefully you've deprived yourself the enjoyment of an amazing book.
  
• You know in Victorian classics in particular where there's a character who goes against society's rules and she has to learn the error of her ways and be made an example of except the punishment is typically overkill because it's really a moral lesson for the readers? Not here, my friends. Not here.
  

Other books:
The Rapture by Claire McGlasson — based on a real life religious cult that was run by women. Historical thriller with a dash of romance.
The Binding by Bridget Collins — historical fantasy. I'm only one chapter in but it seems good so far!
The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili — historical fiction. Big chunky book. I haven't read it yet but it sounds really good. It's set at least partially in the early 1900's in Georgia (the country).
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins — historical. really good. Do it.

I hit 'other' on the poll and meant to also hit reinvented classics but it's too late now. My 'other' is historical crime/thriller.

TLDR; Read The Odd Women or you'll never know true satisfaction in life.

P.S. I feel like I'm really ramming this book down everyone's throats but literally no one else will because it's that obscure. My new mission in life is to bring this book into the mainstream so a publisher will pick it up and release a sexy edition for me to buy.