I swear it’s a me issue, but I didn’t click with today’s prompt. I’m not sure what it is. As I said, I read all the TBR I had outside of the list that I showed yesterday, that is. I found five novels about female freedom and empowerment. I won’t beat around the bush. I want to share them with you, so I’m doing so. Top Five Wednesday is currently being hosted by Stephanie at Books Less Travelled.
Goodreads Blurb:
Jodi Gray has lived through loss, love, and the long road of becoming herself. In this honest and deeply human story, she shares what it means to rebuild after pain, to find home again, not just in a place, but in one’s own skin.
From her experiences in the mental health system to creating safe housing for trans and gender-diverse people, Jodi’s journey is one of courage, compassion, and quiet strength. She writes not to be admired, but to be understood, to remind others that they are not alone.
Told with grace and truth, her story is about what it really means to heal, to belong, and to keep showing up for yourself and others, even when it’s hard.
Goodreads Blurb:
In the ancient, silent city of Kyoto, Sakura and Miyu’s friendship is a world unto itself, built from a lifetime of shared secrets, pressed flowers, and quiet moments in sun-dappled temple gardens. Their bond is a language of gestures and glances, so familiar it feels like breathing. But as college separates them for the first time, the comfortable silence between them becomes charged with unspoken questions and a profound, aching love that neither has dared to name.
Goodreads Blurb:
Ashes of Passion is a gripping true story of love, courage, and survival in the heart of Saudi Arabia. It follows Sarah, a U.S. military officer, and Amirah, a Saudi woman trapped by societal expectations, as their forbidden relationship blossoms amidst the strict confines of culture, duty, and danger.
From stolen glances and secret letters to life-threatening confrontations and daring escapes, their passion grows alongside escalating risks. When discovery puts them both in jeopardy, they are forced to flee Riyadh, navigating political scrutiny, cultural barriers, and personal trauma.
Separated by continents but bound by memory, the story explores the cost of love in extreme the courage it demands, the sacrifices it requires, and the enduring scars it leaves.
Goodreads Blurb:
This is a true story.
The mist curls through the coffee trees of Puncak like pale fingers of memory. Dewi walks barefoot through the damp soil, her village shadowed by grief after her husband’s death and the collapse of the family coffee harvest. Money is scarce, hope fragile, and the arrival of wealthy foreign visitors old men claiming holiness and charity brings both opportunity and quiet horror.
Promises of work abroad offer a lifeline, yet whispered stories of women trapped in servitude haunt the village. Dewi faces a accept the risk to survive or cling to safety and risk despair.
Set against the fog-drenched mountains of West Java and the harsh deserts beyond, The Desert Doesn’t Weep is a gripping story of courage, survival, and the fight to reclaim dignity in a world where faith and greed collide.
A tale inspired by real events, this story follows one woman’s unyielding will to survive against impossible odds.
Goodreads Blurb:
In the glittering heart of Manhattan, two women from different worlds find themselves drawn together by a love that defies tradition and risks everything.
Layla, a devoted young doctor from Jeddah, has always lived by her family’s rules. Her move to New York is meant to be the start of a respectable career, not a rebellion. But the city’s rhythm stirs something inside her—a longing she’s never allowed herself to feel.
Emily, her Australian roommate, is everything Layla is bold, outspoken, and unafraid to live freely. Their friendship begins with curiosity and laughter, but soon deepens into a connection neither woman can ignore.
As Layla’s family pressures her to return home and Emily’s love grows stronger, the two must navigate fear, desire, and the heavy shadow of cultural expectation. When the choice between duty and love becomes impossible, Layla learns that freedom comes with both beauty and cost.
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