Riot Girl Reading List

One of the most iconic frontwomen has written the memoir we’ve all been waiting for. From being the face of the Riot Grrrl movement while fronting Bikini Kill to sharing anecdotes about other huge names in the business (does Nirvana ring a bell?) Hanna’s memoir deserves the highest spot on our bookshelves. 

Miranda July encapsulates everything the punk scene stands for: wild artistic expression and the glory of spontaneous creation. All Fours gripped us from the start, and we gladly sank into July’s clutches until the very end. Can’t get enough of Miranda? Check out her other titles, No One Belongs Here More Than You and The First Bad Man. 

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith is just as legendary on the page as she is on the stage. Reminiscing on her time living and working in New York City before her rise to fame and the love story that followed her through it all, see if you don’t come away inspired to create your own kind of art after this one.

From fronting an emo revival band to her own indie pop group, Michelle Zauner is a rocker to keep our eyes on — and her memoir on love, grief motherhood and music is one of our favorites.

As a founding member of Sonic Youth, Gordon was a pioneer for women in rock, and influenced countless musicians along the way. Writing of her famous friends, living life on a stage and the divorce that littered gossip headlines for months, Gordon dazzles readers with stories of her days in the spotlight. Any true riot girl knows our favorite artists today wouldn’t be here without the girl in the band.

An anthology of punk, from those who paved the way to the new voices on the horizon. Hear from some of the most influential musicians and writers — Hanif Abdurraqib for one — recognizing Black punk’s contribution to artistry today. 

Ask your local riot girl if she’s heard the name Carrie Brownstein and she’ll tell you all about the lore of Sleater-Kinney, the humor of Portlandia, and the influential mind behind it all. 

If you’re delving into riot girl culture, subversive fiction is a must. Rainbow Black is a story of identity and home with a dash of satanic panic (something anyone around during the Riot Grrrl era would know well). 

From leading her own punk band to writing and researching others from the same era, Sara Marcus is an expert on the Riot Grrrl movement. In this compendium, she explores the beginnings of the revolutionary movement and the ways it still sticks around in music and culture today.

A glimpse into the influence of the Riot Grrrl movement today, Moxie follows the daughter of a former punk rocker mom who starts her own revolution. Full of heart and edge, Mathieu’s novel will strike a match in the heart of all its readers.