(stolen from the feminism thread on SA)
If you are new to feminism, approaching it from a position of privilege, or haven't read any of these books for any reason, I strongly recommend them.
Feminism is For Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks. Coming from the perspective of a woman of color, bell hooks calls for feminism free of divisive policies and rich with discussion. She critically analyzes the problems facing feminists today, and proposes a vision of a beloved community that appeals to all those committed to equality in just 125 pages and using simple, accessible language.
No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle Freedman. The author, a Stanford professor, examines 200 years of feminism and describes the critical momentum which the movement has gained. She explores the new approaches women are taking to traditional feminist concerns, and insightfully debunks the claim the feminism is dead.
Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner. This book looks at women's issues through the perspective of Third Wave feminist theory. It is an easy read and introduces a different perspective on more modern iterations of femininity. The author focuses on topics such as reclaiming girlhood, rejecting masculine standards and celebrating playful self expression.
Just Add Hormones by Matt Kailey. While this book is not necessarily written from a feminist perspective, it contains extremely valuable information for trans and trans-friendly people who want to learn about the transition process from a personal perspective and also how gender roles and expectations change as you go from being perceived as one gender to the other.
Whipping Girl by Julia Serano. Serano focuses on problems that face transsexual individuals, feminism and her own experiences with both. Her work covers gender identity and trans issues and makes points about intersectionality and activism. Although controversial, she is highly recommended by several of our thread posters.
Conquest: Sexual Violence And American Indian Genocide, which covers imperialism, sexual violence and its role in the oppression of Native Peoples in Northern America.
The Color of Violence: The Incite! Anthology addresses race and violence through the lens of feminism.
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex deals with the problem of modern day protest and activism relying upon the participation and support of organizations which fundamentally oppose them
These works are all highly recommended as well, although due to various reasons I recommend that they be tackled after you have a good grasp of the basic tenets of feminism. If you are already familiar with feminism on a basic level and want a more challenging set of works to ponder, these are for you.
The Second Sex (ou Le Deuxième Sexe) by Simone de Beauvoir. Written in 1949, this book was translated from French and is the product of intersecting feminist and existentialist theories of the time. It examines the science, culture and myths associated with women as they were understood at the beginning of the Second Wave. (Note: It is difficult to translate directly between French and English, but some editions do better than others. Avoid the translated edition by H. M. Parshley, as it is very poorly done.)
You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture edited by Lily J. Goren. This is a collection of feminist essays that come from very different authors and perspectives. Some of these essays directly contradict each other and more common feminist theory on certain subjects, but are well-constructed and thought provoking.
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf. This book presents the author's take on the socially constructed concept of beauty and how it can be utilized as a tool of extreme violence against women. It also presents the concept of The Iron Maiden, the author's term for restrictive standards of physical acceptability aimed at women. (Note: Be aware that Naomi Wolf used some statistics in her book which are not accurate. Be sure to double-check specific numbers that she cites if you want to use them in any of your arguments.)
The Pink Glass Swan: Selected Essays on Feminist Art by Lucy R. Lippard. The author of this book is an art critic who examines the development of women's artwork before and after the beginning of the feminist movement. She makes a solid argument for the elimination of sexist, racist, and ethnocentric biases within the art community while acknowledging a plethora of skilled female artists.
Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin. Infamous for the incorrect oversimplification of the book's premise as "all sex is rape" in the public arena, this book examines the inherent inequalities between men and women in a sexist society and how this translates into sexual dynamics in heterosexual relationships. The author examines the problem of men's sexual domination and the erosion of women's personal boundaries and questions whether true consent can be established under these circumstances.
Note: I personally don't recommend Dworkin, but it can be interesting from a purely academic standpoint
Katie's Canon: Womanism and the Soul of the Black Community by Katie Cannon. Coming from the womanist school of thought, which differentiates itself from feminism on the basis of race, this book emphasizes the vital contributions of African-American women to society and women's rights as a whole. This work is academic and more difficult to parse than some, but it is also invaluable in its perspectives.