In a time where women are increasingly breaking into STEM fields and being celebrated, it is important to read literature about female characters doing the same. From research laboratories to video game designers, these novels celebrate the brilliance and dedication of women in scientific fields while also bringing a critical eye and often unheard voice to how much more progress is needed. Diving into things like toxic hustle culture, male-dominated meeting rooms and undervalued–if not exploited and harassed–female employees, these stories explore the triumphs and the tragedies lurking in these spaces.
ADULT SELECTION
Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Schnall
Anna Bright, the billionaire founder of her own company, is committing fraud and no one knows. But when BusinessBerry journalist, Jamie Roman, discovers this fraud she will do anything to expose Anna and further her own journalism career. Anna Bright, however, is not a woman to mess with. This thrilling novel by Susie Schnall is the perfect read about smart, powerful women doing bad things.
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Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao
Zoe Zang has got her life together. After landing multiple internships, she has been hired as Chic’s newest fashion columnist. But when she finds her opinions being silenced by corporations and her salary to be meager at best, Zoe doesn’t know what to do. That is until she receives a job offer from FitPick in Silicon Valley. This offer is too good to refuse, with a tech salary and the opportunity to start in the STEM field, Zoe accepts. But not all is as it seems, and not everyone’s intentions are good. Can Zoe help the company get on track to truly help the world, or will it and her future in tech crash and burn?
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In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati
Video game designer Sloane Cooper is in the middle of landing a job at her dream video game company when she tells the all-male interviewers that she will not date to focus on her work. Sloane is fine with that though, after her last cheating boyfriend she would rather focus on her career. But when Charlie, her smoking hot neighbor, invites her on an all-inclusive trip to a tropical resort to make his ex jealous, Sloane has a hard time holding her promise to the gaming company. She plans to use the time to focus on her game design development, but will the romantic setting end up distracting both of them from their goals?
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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Being the only female chemist in the lab isn’t easy, especially in the 1960s, but Elizabeth Zott makes it look easy. All the men of Hastings Research Institute have a less than scientific view of equality, all except Calvin Evans. When Calvin and Elizabeth fall in love, the chemistry seems perfect. But both science and life are volatile, and now, years later, Elizabeth is a single mother and a cooking show host. Combining chemistry and cooking, this novel by Bonnie Garmus calls on women to change the status quo.
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The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
What is the chemistry behind two people falling in love? Jess Davis, a data and statistics expert, is about to find out. After her parents both abandoned her as a child and her daughter’s father decided to leave, Jess has sworn off dating. But when Jess learns about GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking company, she is interested. Her knowledge of numbers should help her in this field, or so she thought. But when her DNA matches at 98% with the company’s founder, Dr. River Peña she will have to learn that sometimes there’s more than just science behind a soulmate.
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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood has solidified herself as a favorite in the STEM romance field, but this New York Times bestselling novel was what started it all. Third-year Ph.D. student, Olive Smith has no time for romance and does not believe in it anyways. When her best friend tries to convince her that love will make her happier than ever, Olive sets out to test the theory by kissing someone. That someone is Adam Carlsen, the young and very hot professor, who is known for his snobbiness. To Olive’s surprise, he agrees to fake date her, but can the real chemistry between them be ignored?
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The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
Based upon the true story of Hedy Lamarr, this novel explores what it is like to be brilliant but only remembered for your beauty. Hedy, a strikingly gorgeous scientist, flees with her Austrian husband during WWII, becoming both a film star and a scientist. But will the world remember her for her looks or for her contributions to modern communication?
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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
In a family filled with grief and suffering, Gifty is struggling to get through her sixth year of Ph.D. studying mice behavior and the neural activities of depression and addiction. Reeling after the overdose of her brother and with her mother bedridden and suicidal, Gifty dives into her research to understand the suffering in her life. But amidst her discoveries, her childhood ethnic Church is calling. Yaa Gyasi weaves a beautiful tale of immigration, science, religion, and what it means to be human.
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This story about childhood best friends who go from wistful college-aged dreamers to video game design super stardom was one of the most talked about books of 2022. In vivid detail we see Sam and Sadie go from late nights and collaborating to growing apart as they run a legendary gaming company. Incorporating Shakespearean themes, major social issues and the battle for women to be seen in a male-dominated world, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow perfectly catches a moment in time in the STEM community.
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YOUNG ADULT SELECTION
Walk the Web Lightly by Mary Pascual
Naya’s family has a secret, the ability to see time. For generations, her family has been hiding their powers by remaining artists and staying out of the spotlight. But Naya wants to be a doctor, a very public profession. When the chance of a lifetime appears for Naya to go to a medical science camp she jumps at the opportunity and her grandmother agrees to let her go on one condition, that she masters weaving her soul wrap before the camp. Thinking that easy, Naya takes the deal but soon learns that it is a lot harder than she first thought. With her science dreams on the line and someone rigging events to try and find her family, Naya must learn all she can before she loses everyone she loves.
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True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li
Grace Tang is a college freshman just trying to get through each day and avoid any anomalies after her grief-stricken senior year. When Grace’s statistics class assigns her to make an algorithm, she decides to make one for finding the perfect partner. Though many are skeptical of her algorithm, including her coworker Julia, Grace is determined to prove it by dating her algorithm-assigned match. But as the school year goes on and Grace gets closer to Julia, she begins to wonder who she is really attracted to and whether to take a risk or hide behind her algorithm safety.
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Kristin Rockaway
Ashley, a high school coding expert, is completely focused on getting into college. But when her plans get messed up, she realizes that she might be missing out on her high school experience. With spring break right around the corner Ashely makes a plan to have fun, and hopefully a little romance too. A walk on the beach with her handsome crush could lead to more, but not with her childhood best friend, Jason Eisler, there. Get ready for some spring break heartache as Ashley finds her first love and is about to lose it.
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Slay by Brittney Morris
In this debut novel, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson leads a double life as an honors student and math tutor by day and the secret developer of the Black Panther-inspired video game SLAY by night. But when a Kansas City teen is murdered over a fight in SLAY, both her anonymity and the Black community she has founded are put at risk. SLAY is labeled as a place for murderers and thugs by the mainstream media. As an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, Kiera must fight to protect SLAY and her identity while learning what it means to be unapologetically Black in the real world.
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