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The Bechdel test relates to the representation of women in (usually) films.

Here's some information on it for those unfamiliar:

Listopia link: /list/show/1...

I'm going to read The Casual Vacancy which was already on my 2020 TRB list.

There's some good options on here:

Acting Their Age (A Red Hat Society Romance) by Regina Hale Sutherland. Skimming through the book showed me that the women spend a lot of time discussing other women.

Grey Sister or if I read that this year then Holy Sister

The two main protagonists of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series are female and talk about the cases they are working on.

Lisa Scottoline’s “Rosato and Associates�� and “Rosato and DiNunzio�� series feature an all-female law firm which would work for this challenge, as they discuss their cases together.

The Power byNaomi Alderman

I think this is going to be a LOT easier for books than for movies (which is what the test was originally designed for).

The book I just finished, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek passes the test, and the one I'm reading now, One True Loves passes.

I feel most of the books I read would pass, since I do tend to like books with female characters that are not "romance" books.

The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books would definitely pass.

So many cozy mystery books would count for this. Miss Marple talks to female leads/suspects all the time about things other than men. Vivien Chien's series that starts with Death by Dumpling is another example.

Sara wrote: "The Bechdel test relates to the representation of women in (usually) films.

Here's some information on it for those unfamiliar: ..."

Wow, that's a very simple test, IMO. Since I almost never read romance novels, many of my books pass this test.

Yes, the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency books definitely pass.

I'm reading one right now, Green Mars; as I recall the first book in the trilogy was the same, but I'm thinking of some recent scenes with two women scientists in Green Mars.

Linda wrote: "I think this is going to be a LOT easier for books than for movies (which is what the test was originally designed for)."

For books, it mainly depends on the protagonist. If there's a boy protag, it probably won't meet the Bechdel test, just because he'll probably participate in every conversation he's involved in. (Unless there are interlude scenes between female characters, or he's spying on conversations.) If there's a girl protag, it probably will meet the Bechdel test, but probably won't meet the reverse Bechdel test (is there a conversation between two boys about something other than a girl?) for the same reasons.

Having said that, I sometimes do find a book with a girl protag that doesn't pass the Bechdel test - perhaps because she's the only girl of note in the book, or maybe there are a few girls but the boys are mostly driving the plot so they're the main subject of conversation. Conversely, I pretty much never find a book with a boy protag that doesn't meet the reverse Bechdel test.

Sorry for rambling, I just find the Bechdel test really interesting. If you want an extra challenge, you could try and find a book that meets both the Bechdel and reverse Bechdel tests! Probably a multi-POV book.

I feel like John Scalzi's Interdependency series would pass. It has quite a few women with power, doing the stuff any male characters would do. The last book comes out next year. I just might have to listen to them again in the run up to release and pay particular attention. You know, for science.
The Collapsing Empire
The Consuming Fire

/book/show/8...

I would think that most books with lesbian main characters would work for this:

Best Lesbian Fiction
Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian WLW
Lesbian MCs in Fantasy/Fiction
100 Best Lesbian Fiction & Memoir Books of All Time

Hello, can someone who has read it tell me if Daisy Jones & the Six would pass the test?

Linda wrote: "I think this is going to be a LOT easier for books than for movies (which is what the test was originally designed for)..."

Definitely. I haven't been analysing them, but I would guess only a handful of books I've read this year would fail.

Can anyone clarify. Is it that the conversation must not mention men or jsut thatbthey can't be the main focus e.g in Ballet Shoes two sisters discuss a plan to audition for a play but as a result have to mention the theatre manager who is a man. Does that count?

I hope this will fit The Priory of the Orange Tree

Jillian wrote: "Steph wrote: "Hello, can someone who has read it tell me if Daisy Jones & the Six would pass the test?"

Yes, it definitely does. There are several female characters and they have non-male centric ..."

Thanks Jillian!

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss would work for this prompt.

I recommend Cantoras for this one. So far it has been my favorite book of 2019! I'll probably read In the Time of the Butterflies for this prompt.

So is it okay if the book does have a scene with a conversation b/w 2 women about men, as long as it also has at least one scene where they have a conversation about something other than men?

Yes that’s true

The Farm by Joanne Ramos??

Lizzy wrote: "So is it okay if the book does have a scene with a conversation b/w 2 women about men, as long as it also has at least one scene where they have a conversation about something other than men?"

Thomas wrote: "Can anyone clarify. Is it that the conversation must not mention men or jsut thatbthey can't be the main focus e.g in Ballet Shoes two sisters discuss a plan to audition for a play but as a result ..."



There just has to be one conversation between two named female characters that is not about a male character. They could be talking about flying a plane, and perhaps the copilot is a man so he’s mentioned, but if they are not talking about him, and if they both have names, then it “passes.��

Yes this is a ludicrously low bar, and that’s the point. Most US movies today do not pass this simple test.

Just finished The Sandcastle Girls and it would absolutely pass. Lots of strong women in that one.

But take a warning about the content, it's not for the faint of heart.

My options for this:
The Power
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Soulless
A Quiet Life In The Country

Not sure if this counts since it is a graphic novel
The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel

Can anyone who has read The Gifted School tell me if this passes the Bechdel test? TIA

Rachel wrote: "My options for this:
The Power
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Soulless
A Quiet Life In The Country

Not sure if this counts since it i..."
Graphic novel has been a category in the past so they definitely count

I will readAnne of Green Gables fourth time ive read it so i can guarantee it passes (start of chapter 12)

Does anyone know if Olive Kitteridge would pass?

It seems like the Lunar Chronicles will work for this prompt, so I'm going to slot Cress in here.

Has anyone read The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, would it count. I am trying to pair it with a ATY prompt.

Karin wrote: "Sara wrote: "The Bechdel test relates to the representation of women in (usually) films.

Here's some information on it for those unfamiliar: ..."

A very simple test, but you would not believe the number of films that do not pass it, including the last two films I went to see at the cinema (Joker, and Gemini Man)

Does anyone know if Death Comes To Pemberley (PD James) passes?

Kelly wrote: "Does anyone know if Death Comes To Pemberley (PD James) passes?"

I feel like it should, there's enough female characters floating about, but I cannot say for certain

Does anyone know if The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society would pass?

Has anyone read Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer? Would that work for this prompt.

Annihilation would work.

Tanvi wrote: "Does anyone know if The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society would pass?"

It easily passes the test. The main character is a woman, and she talks to many residents of Guernsey about their experiences during WWII, and some of them are women.

Do all the Hunger Games books count, or just the first one? I read them so long ago that I cant remember

I’m currently reading “My Name is Lucy Barton�� by Elizabeth Strout. It’s a quick read and a examines the dynamics of an estranged mother/daughter relationship

Rachel wrote: "Do all the Hunger Games books count, or just the first one? I read them so long ago that I cant remember"

I would say just the first one because it changed her and set the stage for the next two books. I have read these a number of times--once with each of my three kids and then again when the movies came out--I think even more than that, which is crazy when I think about all the books I haven't yet read ;) !

I'm hoping, given that the synopsis only mentions female characters, that Her Fearful Symmetry is a good fit here.

Karin wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Do all the Hunger Games books count, or just the first one? I read them so long ago that I cant remember"

I would say just the first one because it changed her and set the stage for..."

I don't really remember Katniss speaking much to other female characters in that one, that's why I asked.

Rachel wrote: "Karin wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Do all the Hunger Games books count, or just the first one? I read them so long ago that I cant remember"

I would say just the first one because it changed her and set..."

She speaks to her mother and sister, about things not involving men, so yes. Also Rue and Effie, but not sure about the men. As for the second two, she does speak to other female characters, but I could not tell you if she manages to speak about something other than men

If you squint, The Da Vinci Code counts, as the main female character has another woman tell her how beautiful she is, and that is the Bechdel test passed (I have literally just finished this book, and genuinely think that may be the only female to female interaction when a man is not present. There is another female to female interaction, but the male lead is definitely there at that time)

You can pass the Bechdel test with a man present. You just need one exchange between two named women that is not about a man. A man could hop into the conversation and it still passes the test if the two women talked to each other about something other than a man.