5 Books Every Young Woman Should Read

Reading is fundamental! As an English Minor, there were a lot of books I didn’t want to read BUT, now that I’m free, I spend my time reading one’s I love. Here are a few of my picks for young women. 

When I was growing up, twice a week, my family, particularly my Dad, would run these family meetings. He would corral myself, my Mom and my little brother down in the dining room and talk about a plethora of things. When I heard the “FAMILY MEETING” call, I would instantly roll my eyes, like what’s expected of a teenager, and then head downstairs.

Now, during these meetings, he would talk about a lot of stuff. Everything from who has what practice and who needs to clean their room or else they can’t go to the movies (aka Me). Another bit he always had us do was read. When my brother was younger, my Dad would have him read a few pages out of a book and then we would discuss it. Most of the books were finance based and about how you shouldn’t drink Starbucks everyday. ($5/Day = $25 Week, $100 a month, etc. it’ adds up) Others though, were about people who exhibited strength and perseverance from Lakota Native American Tribes or the guy who ran a marathon barefoot. Whatever it was, as much as I thought I wasn’t listening, apparently I was because I am a avid reader of self help books.

Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite self-help/self-improvement books I think every young woman should read. Whether you’re in college, just starting out, or well into the game, these are some of my favorite reads for young professional women.

1. Strengthfinders 2.0, Tom Rath – After taking the evaluation and reading the different kinds of “strengths” out there, it really helped me identify qualities that I need to value more. Often times, we’re always concerned with our weaknesses that we never focus on what we’re actually good at. This is also a really simple way to answer that dreaded “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” question from interviewers.
2. You Are A Badass, Jen Sincero – A new favorite of mine (and about 40 pages from complete!) this book is really helping me get some motivation and make some changes in my life. Everynow and then, we all might get a little discouraged or insecure and sometimes you need a little push to get you through. This book was alllll over my Instagram so I figured I’d pick it up and get to it. Glad I did!
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey – CLEARLY This book has been around for a while, I’m pretty sure my parents read it especially since it’s a throwback copy (says it’s from 1989!) I love this book because it shares a lot of the fantastic foundation my Dad created for our family and specifically where he got them from. A major learning is to take care of the things you CAN control and ignore the one’s you can’t.
4. How Remarkable Women Lead, Joanna Barsh & Susie Cranston – When I was younger, I watched my Mom dominate her career in Corporate America. She’s probably the first glimpse of what my career would probably end up being. This book was a no-brainer for me since I knew I would become a leader in some way shape or form. It’s a must read for anyone with leader qualities (we all have them you just have to hone in on them) and particularly how to do so as a woman. Because you and I both know, it’s different.
5. Investing in your 20s and 30s for Dummies, Eric Tyson – This is the only financial book I’ll put here because those deserve a completely other post. These were all around my house growing up and if you snoop around your parents place, I’m sure they’ll have one too. This was one of my first purchases when I moved out because I knew I had to get way way serious about my cash if I was going to meet the goals I wanted to in my lifetime. It teaches you all the basics from 401ks to investing options properly and wisely.
6. BONUS Lean In, Sheryl Sandburg – This one isn’t pictured (because I can’t find my copy) but it’s absolutely one of my FAVORITE books. I read it in about 3 days and it had so many important pieces of information. It really helped me find my voice as an individual in the workplace. It also tackled the entire “Can she have it all” concept and hit the nail on the head.

What are some of your favorite books that helped you grow? I’m always looking for something new to pick up so would love to hear what our readers are reading!