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Incredible news: 7 of The New York Times' top 10 books of 2015 are by women.

The gender gap in literature is real.

Research has shown that women are less likely to have their books reviewed or to be contributors in many major literary publications.

Novelist Nicole Griffith found that in recent years, literary awards overwhelmingly go to men writing books about boys and men — and books by women about women and girls don’t receive near as many accolades.


That’s why fiction written by and about women is often relegated to the "women’s fiction" section, while fiction written by and about men … well, that’s just called "fiction."

GIF from "Lip Sync Battle."

It’s a huge problem.

And that’s why it’s such a big deal that The New York Times just named the 10 best books of 2015 — and seven of them were written by women.

GIF from "The Book Thief."

That’s right! Seven awesome women have been chosen as some of the best authors who published books this year.

Check them out below and add them to your reading list.

1. "The Story of the Lost Child" by Elena Ferrante

The Neapolitan series is a captivating series that tells the story of a friendship between two girls who become women over the course of four books, written by an author who calls herself Elena Ferrante. Almost as captivating for readers? Trying to figure out who the enigmatic Ferrante actually is.

Ask all of the readers in your life what their favorite book was this year, and at least one of them is bound to say that it was this one. Borrow it from them.


GIF from "Beetlejuice."

2. "Outline" by Rachel Cusk

If you love hearing other people’s stories, you’ll appreciate "Outline." In "Outline," the narrator says little herself, but the novel is filled with the stories and experiences of the people around her who feel compelled to share with her.

Although Cusk has published memoirs before, this novel is fiction — but there are obvious overlaps between the author and the narrator, who is recently divorced like Cusk.

3. "A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories" by Lucia Berlin

This Lucia Berlin collection contains 43 short stories, many of them about imperfect women in difficult situations. The stories focus on the trials of working-class women, and they’re gritty and sometimes humorous — just like Lucia Berlin was.

The author died in 2004. Talk about long overdue accolades!

4. "One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway" by Asne Seierstad

Stories about people who commit unspeakable acts are often difficult to read, and this book by Asne Seierstad about the 2011 Norway shootings and bombing is no different. But it’s an important perspective on what modern violence looks like and what precipitates it.

And Seierstad herself is close to the story: She’s a Norway native who lives in Oslo.

5. "The Door" by Magda Szabo

"The Door" was originally published in 1987 in Hungary, but it was translated and republished for an American audience this year, eight years after Magda Szabo’s death.

This is a novel about a writer and her housekeeper. And according to a New York Times book reviewer, "It has altered the way I understand my own life." Sold.

6. "H Is for Hawk" by Helen Macdonald

The death of a parent can be a traumatic, life-changing event, and it’s a topic that many memoirs explore well. The difference between "H Is for Hawk" and those books is that Helen Macdonald coped with her grief by raising a bird of prey named Mabel.

7. "The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World" by Andrea Wulf

Andrea Wulf, a design-historian-turned-author, wrote this biography of Alexander von Humboldt and it really brings the 18th century German genius, ecologist, and scientist to life.

Buy this book for nature lovers, science nerds, and biography lovers on your list.

And a few bonus reads:

Just because!

8. "Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book" by Johanna Basford

2015 was the year that coloring books by adults went mainstream — both as a way to create beautiful illustrations and to relax and de-stress. It’s hard to walk into a coffee shop these days without seeing at least one table covered in colored pencils and one of these books.

In part, we owe this trend to Johanna Basford. Basford was "discovered" several years ago when a publisher found her desktop wallpaper designs online.

9. "Drawing Blood" by Molly Crabapple

This memoir by Molly Crabapple just came out this December. It’s the story of an artist’s life, but it’s also the story of contemporary America and what it means to be a witness to 9/11, Guantanamo Bay, and the U.S. presence in the Middle East.

So there you have it — some of the best books of 2015, written by women. Go forth and read!

Sponsored

Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

True

It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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