5 Of The Best Books By Women From The 1970s That Hold Up To This Day

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With so many new bestsellers coming out each year, it's easy to forget the books that made a cultural mark decades ago. The 1970s, in particular, were a time of revolution, with many demanding greater rights for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and Black communities. During this era, female authors lit up bookshelves with their timeless tales, which remain pertinent today and provide a wealth of classic novels to choose from for your next book club read.

You probably have already heard of women writers like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, who both wrote books that are now considered classics. What you may not have known, however, is that they were part of a network of Black authors who banded together in the '70s to help each other share their voices. "The Sisterhood were part of an organized, active, collaborative effort to create what we now talk about as a Black women writers' renaissance. That didn't happen by accident," author Courtney Thorsson told All Arts. We love girl-power lore, and we're lucky enough to still have their literature that stands the test of time. Here are five books from the '70s that need to be on your TBR list, if you haven't read them already.

Alongside Bram Stoker's "Dracula," the 1976 novel "Interview with the Vampire" is one of the most influential books of the bloodsucking genre. Written by Anne Rice, the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac and how he became a vampire seduced by Lestat de Lioncourt was ahead of its time. The LGBTQ+ storyline in the book hinted at Louis and Lestat's attraction to each other, which Rice later confirmed to Gizmodo. When asked if the two main characters were a couple, she replied, "Absolutely! Claudia! She's their daughter." Later in the book, Louis meets another vampire named Armand, with whom he goes on to have a relationship for around 100 years.

"Interview with the Vampire" was just the first of Rice's 13-part Vampire Chronicles series, with the original book being made into a film in 1994 starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Over 40 years after its publication, the gothic novel still draws inspiration, and in 2022, AMC came out with its own small-screen version, with two seasons available to stream on Netflix as of this date. "We tried to stay as true to the spirit of the book as possible, but it's very much a modern interpretation. In many ways, our show is truer to the book than the movie was, which is ironic because Anne Rice herself wrote the screenplay to the movie," executive producer Mark Johnson told Entertainment Weekly. Sadly, Rice died in 2021, but her legacy lives on forever through the Vampire Chronicles.

Many readers are familiar with Alice Walker's famous book, "The Color Purple," but her second novel, "Meridian," is lesser known. Published in 1976, the themes of political activism, interracial relationships, and racism were as relevant then as they are to this day. The novel follows the titular character, Meridian, who is a Black activist in the South during the '60s and '70s. As she fights for human rights, the movement becomes increasingly violent, but Meridian refuses to impose harm on anyone. Throughout her adult life, the young woman struggles with a failed marriage, motherhood, and a mysterious illness, but her resolve for justice never wavers.

Decades after being published, "Meridian" continues to move and inspire readers. One reviewer shared on Goodreads, "This book makes you think a lot. It was a complete learning experience for me ... It prompted a lot of discussion for me. My best friend said of Alice that she writes the uncomfortable to make you think. I say maybe she writes to make you think and doesn't care that it may make you feel uncomfortable, because she wants you to hear and feel it." If you need a thought-provoking book club pick for Black History Month, or any other month, "Meridian" will definitely inspire conversation.

"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison is not for the faint of heart, but it remains one of the most controversial books that is worth your time. Set at the tail end of the Great Depression, Morrison weaves a heartbreaking tale of a young Black girl named Pecola Breedlove who fervently wishes for blue eyes to feel beautiful. The odds aren't just stacked against her because of her skin color, but she's also being raised in poverty by abusive parents who have demons of their own. After she becomes impregnated by her father, Breedlove believes her prayers for blue eyes have been answered, only to descend into madness.

Morrison's debut novel, published in 1970, remains one of the most banned books in libraries and schoolrooms, particularly for its explicit scenes. However, educator Shekema Silveri shared with PBS just why "The Bluest Eye" is an important learning experience. "For me, as an African American teacher, and having taught 'The Bluest Eye' in predominantly black schools, the discussions about race are discussions about why Shirley Temple was an icon for the children in the book," she stated. Silveri continued, "After reading the book, I had a student who said that she is the product of incest. And I've had a student who said that she was molested by her uncle. Books allow us to help them heal in ways that we as educators couldn't help them heal on our own."

Judy Blume books are what got many of us through our childhood and teenage years, and they continue to be a source of comfort even to adults. The pioneering author was not afraid to write about things girls went through, such as getting their periods for the first time and sexual exploration. In her 1975 book "Forever," Katherine falls in love for the first time with Michael and loses her virginity to him, and they go through normal teen relationship ups and downs, which many can still relate to now, even though the book was written half a century ago.

"Forever" is a sweet story of a first love, and in fact, Blume's daughter asked her to write it because other books that featured a sexually active couple were always so dramatic. "She had read several novels about teenagers in love. If they had sex, the girl was always punished — an unplanned pregnancy, a hasty trip to a relative in another state, a grisly abortion (illegal in the U.S. until the 1970s), sometimes even death," the author wrote on her website. She added, "I wanted to present another kind of story — one in which two seniors in high school fall in love, decide together to have sex, and act responsibly." Blume's book remains one of the best coming-of-age tales to this day, and fans can watch the Netflix adaptation of it with a modern-day twist. "It is gratifying to know that, 50 years after its release, the love story at the core of 'Forever' is still resonating with audiences," Blume told Netflix.

If you want a glimpse into the mind of the late Joan Didion, "The White Album" will take you down a road of her musings on the upheaval of the '60s, thoughts on Charles Manson, and life in California, among many other topics. Didion's book of personal essays was published in 1979, and readers were immediately met with her lyrical prose that inspires imagery and makes you uncover the meaning of her words at the same time. "I have a theatrical temperament. I'm not interested in the middle road — maybe because everyone's on it. Rationality, reasonableness bewilder me," Didion told The New York Times prior to the release of "The White Album."

History buffs will love "The White Album," as it's told through the lens of somebody living through the John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson era. "Vietnam, Kent State, Black Panthers, Jim Morrison, Charlie Manson murders at Spahn Ranch, a sequence of events that shaped the mood of a generation. Didion's collection is a trek through the tumultuous era, spattered with iconic figures, writers, actors, producers, and luminaries from the women's movement, the brilliance of Doris Lessing, and Georgia O'Keeffe," a reader shared on Amazon. Another wrote, "The '60s have come and gone, leaving behind peculiar feelings lingering stagnant in the air surrounding the city as time passes on. She's a fly on the wall, and readers are there with her." Didion's work isn't a light read, so make yourself a cup of tea, clear your mind, and prepare to be transported.

The 1970s had an influx of many great, genre-spanning reads, so we wanted to narrow our list down and focus on five books that are still relatable today. Although they're more than 30 years old, the ones we chose continue to move people with stories centered around racism, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, abortion, and social issues. We also added fan-favorites, such as "Interview with the Vampire" and "Forever," with the two continuing to make splashes with their on-screen reboots. Online reviews were also taken into consideration, and our five picks are gaining new readers to this day, proving the books' timelessness. Whether you want to revisit an old classic or discover a new favorite author, we're sure that at least one of our selections will captivate you.