IFIO Girl’s Literary Lounge

At IFIO Girl – I’ll Figure It Out, we celebrate the power of storytelling. Here, pages turn into portals where determined heroines solve impossible mysteries and brave women make history.

Our Literary Lounge embraces all paths to literacy and all voices in literature. Whether you’re a page-turner, screen-scroller, or audio enthusiast, you’ll find your perfect story format here. We believe in the power of every story which is why no book is ever banned in our space. Challenging narratives, diverse perspectives, and uncomfortable truths all have their place because powerful words deserve to be accessible to everyone, without exception.

So settle in – with your book, device, or headphones – and immerse yourself in narratives that echo our IFIO philosophy.

What we are reading today – December 2025

Bury Our Bones in thanks Midnight Soil (Released June 10, 2025) This December, we’re diving into V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil because it’s a story about women who refuse to be defined by the limitations placed upon them. Across three timelines spanning centuries, we meet women who refuse to be bound by convention and instead take what they want. These are characters who embody the IFIO Girl spirit: when faced with impossible circumstances, they figure it out on their own terms, even when the cost is high and the path is dark. We provide no spoilers here. Just read or better LISTEN to the audiobook.

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One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford (Released July 15, 2025)

In Leigh Radford’s One Yellow Eye we meet Dr. Kesta Shelley a microbiologist who embodies the IFIO spirit in the most extraordinary circumstances. When a zombie apocalypse devastates London and claims her husband Tim. Instead of following protocol, Kesta channels her scientific expertise and unwavering determination into an impossible mission: keeping Tim hidden while desperately searching for a cure. This isn’t just about zombies it’s about a woman who looks at a problem and says “I’ll figure it out”. Kesta’s dedication to solving the unsolvable, her willingness to break rules and push boundaries, and her refusal to give up when everyone else has moved on perfectly captures what it means to be an IFIO Girl. Sometimes figuring it out means making choices that others can’t understand, and Radford’s haunting tale explores just how far one brilliant woman will go when love and science collide in the most devastating way possible

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Published in 2024 this gripping novel follows the journey of courageous female nurses serving in the Vietnam War, who faced unimaginable challenges with determination and strength. Through their dedication to saving lives amid chaos, these women exemplify the IFIO spirit – stepping up, adapting, and figuring it out in the most demanding circumstances

Published in 2022 this witty and inspiring story about Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who refuses to let 1960s gender barriers define her path. Elizabeth perfectly embodies the IFIO mindset – she figures it out her own way, on her own terms.

Published in 1990, Mine  stands as a gripping psychological thriller that perfectly embodies the IFIO Girl mindset. In this departure from McCammon’s supernatural horror roots, we follow Laura Clayborne, a woman whose life is suddenly upended when she faces an unimaginable personal crisis. When confronted with extraordinary circumstances and a crumbling marriage, Laura refuses to be a passive victim. Instead of waiting for systems or others to solve her problems, she channels raw determination and takes matters into her own hands.  This thriller resonates with the IFIO Girl philosophy because Laura exemplifies the “I’ll Figure It Out” mentality at its core. When conventional paths fail, she creates her own. The novel explores how ordinary people can discover extraordinary strength when pushed beyond their limits, demonstrating that the power to overcome life’s most devastating challenges often comes from within.

Published in 1908 a timeless treasure for readers of all ages, “Anne of Green Gables” introduces us to Anne Shirley, a fiercely imaginative orphan who transforms her world through creativity, determination, and unshakeable optimism. From ages 8 to 108, readers will fall in love with Anne’s spirit as she figures out life’s challenges with imagination and heart.

Margaret Atwood’s haunting dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” follows Offred, a woman whose fierce inner resilience persists despite Gilead’s oppressive regime. Stripped of her identity and forced into reproductive servitude, Offred navigates a society where women’s bodies are controlled and their potential diminished.  Offred embodies the IFIO spirit—finding ways to preserve her humanity and seek freedom even in the most dehumanizing circumstances. Atwood’s powerful narrative serves as both a warning and an inspiration, reminding us that even in the darkest environments, the capacity to think independently and fight for one’s autonomy cannot be completely extinguished.

In Kristin Hannah’s powerful novel The Nightingale, two French sisters navigate the brutal landscape of Nazi-occupied France with unflinching determination and courage. Vianne, a practical mother forced to house a German officer, makes impossible choices to protect her daughter while quietly resisting in ways that save countless lives. Meanwhile, her younger sister Isabelle transforms from impulsive rebel to fearless resistance fighter. Through their distinct journeys, Hannah masterfully illustrates how women’s strength manifests in different but equally powerful forms—Vianne’s quiet resilience and Isabelle’s bold defiance both embodying the “I’ll Figure It Out” spirit when faced with unimaginable circumstances. This heartbreaking yet ultimately triumphant story reminds us that in the darkest times, ordinary women can discover extraordinary courage within themselves. Soon to be a Motion Picture

The Briar Club weaves a captivating tale of unlikely female friendship in McCarthy-era Washington, DC. When mysterious widow Grace March moves into Briarwood House, she transforms a group of isolated women into a powerful support network. Quinn masterfully portrays how these diverse characters—from a former baseball star to a police officer’s daughter entangled with gangsters—navigate the paranoia and shifting gender expectations of 1950s America. As these women bond over attic dinners and sun tea, they must ultimately confront a shocking betrayal that tests their newfound solidarity. This historical thriller brilliantly captures how women with an “I’ll figure it out” mindset can overcome personal trauma and societal constraints through collective strength and resilience.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” perfectly embodies the spirit of our IFIO (“I’ll Figure It Out”) Girl Literary Lounge. Set in 1970, this powerful story follows fifteen-year-old Fern and other young women at Wellwood House, where they’re sent to hide their pregnancies and give up their babies. What makes this novel essential IFIO reading is how these young women, despite being controlled and silenced by authority figures who claim to know what’s best, find ways to reclaim their power. These “wayward girls” refuse to remain passive in their circumstances.