Women’s and feminist library – Inspiring books for sportswomen

Why this women’s and feminist library?

In this selection, we’ve chosen to highlight books written – or co-written – by women. Firstly, because their voices are still too often less visible than those of their male counterparts.

But also because it’s essential to be able to draw inspiration from female role models, to discover the viewpoints of authors, adventurers, athletes and experts who share their experience with accuracy and passion.

Whether they’re about mountains, trekking, cycling or surpassing yourself, these books all have one thing in common: they inspire you to dare, to learn and to make your own way.

We’ve also chosen to include a selection of feminist books, more generalist and not focused on sport. Not because we’re overly militant, but because it’s important, for any sportswoman or citizen, to understand the mechanisms that have limited (and still limit) women’s place in society.

And let’s not forget: feminist is not a dirty word. It simply means wanting equality between women and men 😉

Hiking

Randonneuses, le guide – Freeing yourself on the trails, solo or in a group

By Camille Chrétien and Clémence Blot

This practical and inspiring guide is for all those who dream of going hiking, whether alone or accompanied. It covers everything from equipment preparation to safety, self-confidence and the pleasure of hiking for women.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it simply makes you want to dare to set off. Accessible, benevolent and concrete, it’s the ideal companion for those who want to take to the road without feeling alone. You can also listen to Clémence’s interview in our podcast.

Treks – The guide to daring adventure

By Enora Surel and Candie Trier

This guide is for all those who dream of trekking for several days, whether in France or abroad. It’s packed with practical advice, tips and feedback to help you prepare for a trek with peace of mind, including 15 itineraries ranging from 2 to 16 days.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it proves that adventure is within everyone’s reach, and gives great ideas for hiking in France. And check out Candie’s interview on bivouacking in our podcast.

Rando Bivouac in the Alps – Practical guide and 30 dream bivouacs for everyone

By Clara Ferrand

Halfway between a beautiful book and a practical work, this guide offers a complete introduction to bivouacking in the mountains. It covers the essentials: equipment preparation, hygiene, regulations, open-air cooking… followed by 30 bivouac trekking itineraries across the Alps, suitable for all levels.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it gives you the practical keys to turn your dream adventure into a real experience, while respecting the environment – and with inspiring itineraries that make you want to leave.

Beware of women who walk

By Annabel Abbs

This essay examines walking as an act of liberation for women artists, writers and philosophers, often forgotten in history. It combines life stories, research and reflection, reminding us that walking was also a path to emancipation.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it restores a place for women’s voices in the history of travel, and offers a fine invitation to consider walking not just as a physical effort, but as an act of thought and rebellion.

With three yaks to the sea

By Rosula Blanc

This book retraces an unprecedented crossing of the Alps: 600 km, 36 passes, and a caravan of three yaks from Switzerland to the sea. We follow the adventure, the efforts, the links with the animals and the encounters, on a level of pilgrimage and emancipation.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it tells the story of a timeless adventure, conducted with quiet strength and profound humility. A story that celebrates nature, patience and the beauty of the human-animal bond. Devour it!

Trail / running

Trail, the keys to injury-free performance

By Chloë Lanthier

This practical guide decodes the mechanisms of common trail injuries and proposes concrete strategies to prevent them, with illustrated exercises, a healthy training routine and an approach focused on listening to the body.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it allows you to reconcile performance and sustainability: not only do you learn how to push your limits, you also learn how to do it without sacrificing your health. Check out Chloë’s interview on the subject in our podcast.

Naturally comfortable in my sneakers

By Anne-Lise Collet

This guide offers 40 practical tips on nutrition, sleep, stress management and lifestyle to help sportswomen practice holistically. It also looks at how to prevent and support frequent injuries using natural approaches such as micronutrition, plants and essential oils.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it makes the link between performance and well-being: it offers a gentle, pragmatic vision of how to keep practicing, without sacrificing your health.

All I wanted to do was run.

By Anaïs Quemener

At just 24, Anaïs was diagnosed with breast cancer but refused to give up her passion: running. She recounts her battle, her doubts, and how running became her therapy and engine of resilience.

➡️ Why read it?
Because this powerful testimony shows that running can become an act of resistance and even a source of strength in the face of adversity.

Mountaineering

Breaking through the ice ceiling

By Marion Poitevin

This autobiographical account reveals the journey of a woman who made her mark in the world of mountaineering, mountain rescue and the elite corps, by dint of determination and resilience. It sheds light on the invisible obstacles – prejudice, social barriers, gendered expectations – that the author had to overcome to carve out her own path.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it represents a strong voice that challenges codes, inspires us to go beyond invisible ceilings and shows that the mountain, with its constraints and risks, can become a vehicle for emancipation. Check out Marion’s interview in our podcast.

A history of women’s mountaineering

By Stéphanie and Blaise Agresti

This book traces the winding path of women in the world of high mountains, from little-known pioneers to more contemporary figures. It questions the very criteria of “women’s” mountaineering and highlights the historical, social and cultural obstacles they have had to face.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it re-establishes the visibility of women often overshadowed in mountaineering stories, while inviting reflection on gender representations in sporting practices. You can also listen to Stéphanie’s interview in our podcast.

Première de cordée

By Martine Rolland

This story recounts the extraordinary journey of the woman who became Europe’s first female mountain guide, breaking the barriers of a very male-dominated environment. We learn about her childhood, her life choices, her climbs and the prejudices she had to face.

➡️ Why read it?
It’s an inspiring read that powerfully documents the conquest of freedom and the opening of a path for all women in the mountain professions.

The Nepalese women of Everest – When ascent rhymes with emancipation

By Anne Benoit-Janin

This book traces the journey of nine Nepalese women who defied social and cultural norms to climb the Himalayan peaks. Through intimate and engaging interviews, it reveals their struggle for recognition, gender issues and the resistance they faced.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it sheds light on little-heard voices, offers a powerful source of inspiration and reminds us that the mountains can also be a ground for emancipation.

Ascents

By Catherine Destivelle

This book retraces the great expeditions and reflections of an emblematic figure in women’s mountaineering. Between adventure stories and confidences, it reveals a vision of the mountains that is committed, free and profoundly human.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it plunges you into the world of a pioneer who paved the way for a whole generation of women mountaineers, showing that daring and passion can move summits.

Le Carnet vert

By Henriette d’Angeville

This account is the precise logbook kept by Henriette d’Angeville during her historic ascent of Mont Blanc in 1838, at a time when mountaineering was reserved for men. She meticulously records her preparations, the technical details of the expedition and her emotions in the face of the majesty of the summits.

➡️ Why read it?
This is a pioneering and daring account of the birth of women’s mountaineering, through the portrait of an exceptional woman. A real nugget!

Wild!

By Monica Dalmasso (Photographs) and Cédric Sapin-Defour (Author),

This magnificent book is first and foremost a visual celebration of the high mountains, in which photographer Monica Dalmasso brilliantly captures the raw, untamed splendor of the Alpine massifs. While the spectacular images take center stage, the texts delicately accompany this immersion in the heart of untamed nature.

➡️ Why read it?
It’s a magnificent object that instantly takes you to the top!

The fourteen 8000 by Sophie Lavaud

By Sophie Lavaud and François Damilano

In this book, Sophie Lavaud recounts her incredible challenge to climb the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks on the planet. She shares with great sincerity the efforts, doubts and perseverance it took her over ten years to accomplish this feat.

➡️ Why read it?
It’s a truly impressive read that shows you that with method and an iron will, you can make the wildest dreams come true!

Adventure

Women of adventure

By Aurore Asso, Daphné Buiron, Katell Faria, Mélusine Mallender, Catherine Maunoury, Justine Piquemal Muzik and Priscilla Telmon.

This collection brings together the journeys of seven contemporary female explorers who push the limits of endurance through a variety of disciplines, including freediving, aviation and polar expeditions. Through their personal accounts, the book explores the profound motivations and personal challenges of these women who have made the unknown their terrain of choice.

➡️ Why read it?
This is the ideal book if you’re looking for inspiration or a breath of fresh air through portraits of truly impressive women, with a wide range of stories to tell.

Biking

On your cycles! A woman’s guide to cycling

By Louise Roussel

This book combines portraits of committed cyclists, inspiring personal accounts and practical information sheets on how to become more independent – with ideas for bikepacking routes and technical tips. It’s as much a feminist manifesto as a field guide for those who want to ride with freedom.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it makes you want to pedal while becoming emancipated, by connecting the practice of sport with the social dimension – a wonderful invitation to redesign the world by bike.

Nutrition

Your diet with Aliss

By Alice Leveque

This little guide offers practical, accessible advice on structuring your diet around your sporting activity: golden rules, shopping lists and simple recipes to incorporate into your daily routine. It combines athlete testimonials and tips for adapting nutrition to your lifestyle.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it helps you make the leap from good intentions to concrete action – it gives you clear guidelines on how to eat better without complicating your life. And to complete the picture, check out Alice’s advice on La Sportive Outdoor.

Women’s sports

Sporty! Adapt your nutrition and sports activities to your physiology

By Stacy Sims

This guide offers a tailor-made approach to sports nutrition, adapted to women’s physiological needs. It covers training phases, recovery, hydration and also accompanies pregnancy and menopause.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it fills a gap: few books consider that women can’t train “like men”. This book provides guidelines on how to eat intelligently and progress without putting yourself at risk.

Feminist culture

Les grandes oubliées – Why history has erased women

By Titiou Lecoq

From prehistory to the present day, this essay traces the mechanisms by which women have become invisible in official historical accounts. It combines anecdotes, research and analysis to question what history retains (or forgets) about women.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it challenges our reference points, gives a voice to figures who have been erased, and provides the general knowledge we need to better understand today’s equality issues. What’s more, the author has a great sense of humor and the book is a pleasure to read!

Witches: The unconquerable power of women

By Mona Chollet

This book explores the image of the “witch” throughout history – a marginalized, rebellious, feared figure – and shows how she has become a modern symbol of feminine resistance. It combines historical analysis, contemporary reflections and powerful examples of “out of the ordinary” women.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it restores dignity and power to a long-stigmatized figure: a stimulating read for understanding how certain stereotypes persist – and how to combat them.

So be it

By Benoîte Groult

This feminist essay, written in the 1970s, explores the condition of women: image, sexuality, relationship to the body, role in society. It takes stock of a system in which women are often judged, limited or invisible.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it remains astonishingly topical: it questions patriarchal structures and invites reflection on women’s freedoms – an essential classic for nurturing a critical conscience.

The independent woman

By Simone de Beauvoir

This book brings together excerpts from The Second Sex dedicated to women’s freedom and autonomy. It highlights the social, cultural and economic obstacles that still stand in the way of women’s independence.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it allows you to discover the essential passages of The Second Sex in a more accessible version, while reminding you that women’s emancipation is still a topical issue.

Women also travel – Emancipation through departure

By Lucie Azema

This book explores how travel can become a genuine tool of emancipation for women, deconstructing the idea that adventure is reserved for men and giving a voice back to women’s travel.

➡️ Why read it?
Because it invites us to rethink travel as an act of freedom and not just as an escapade – and inspires sports enthusiasts and curious women alike to take to the road on their own terms.