“I am always half in life, half in a fantastical version of it in my head.”
The 20s are some of the most confusing times of our lives – the ‘sort-of adult’ stage of the show. Some people are starting families, some are out raving every night, others are planning trips around the world, while some look anything but prepared for the world of adulthood. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of chaos, but your twenties are all about making mistakes, trying new experiences and forging your true self, regardless of the pressures you can sometimes feel under. To help make sense of things and reaffirm that you’re doing great, join us at What We Reading as we pull together the best books for women in their 20s!
Almost Adulting: All You Need To Know to Get It Together – Arden Rose
Lifestyle vlogger and social media influencer Arden Rose kicks off our list of the best books for women in their 20s with Almost Adulting, a fresh and fun guide to growing up. Perfect for both budding and struggling adults, Arden equips readers with all they need to know before venturing into the big wide world of being a grown-up.
Topics covered in the book include everything from how to communicate healthily in a relationship, understanding what sex should actually feel like, making internet friends who aren’t murderers, to building a respectable wardrobe with no money in your bank account. Through this mix of essays, artworks, and lists, readers will come away equipped with everything they need to navigate the challenges of being a healthy, functioning, and totally believable adult.
The Space Between – Michelle Andrews And Zara McDonald
The Space Between is a life-affirming self-help book for women in their 20s from Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, creators of the pop-culture Shameless podcast. In this book, the pair takes aim at the strange limbo in our lives that is our twenties, helping readers navigate all the confusing, embarrassing, lonely, and frequently daunting chaos that comes with this point in our lives.
Brimming with wit and daring honesty, these two don’t claim to have all the answers but explain how much of the magic that can come from our twenties emerges when we navigate things together. From heartbreaks and mental health challenges to career setbacks and the sheer existentialism that arises from this crossroad point in our lives, The Space Between is an empowering and inspiring journey into discovering your voice, fulfilling your ambitions, and becoming the woman you want to be.
How To Be A Woman – Caitlin Moran
Writer and comedian Caitlin Moran puts a fresh face on contemporary feminism in her memoir, How to Be a Woman. A worldwide bestseller, this part polemic, part memoir cuts straight to the heart of some of the most pressing issues facing women today.
Inspiring countless Gen Z and millennial women, Moran covers everything from why women ‘need’ to have Brazilians, whether you should ever get Botox, whether men secretly hate all females, why bras hurt so much, and why everyone feels the need to ask when a woman is going to have a baby. A searingly honest and relatable account of being a woman, it is the perfect companion for navigating your twenties.
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Everything I Know About Love – Dolly Alderton
Everything I Know About Love is the incredibly funny, occasionally heartbreaking, and entirely heartwarming recounting of growing up, getting older, and learning how to cope with everything from friendships, heartbreak, loss, jobs, and, of course, love.
Journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has experienced all the triumphs and tribulations that come with becoming an adult. Throughout her memoir, she takes readers through all the experiences that shaped her, imparting the wisdom she picked up along the way. Weaving recipes, lists, and sharp satirical insights alongside her personal anecdotes, it is one of the best books for women in their 20s, helping them relate and realize they are more than enough.
Year Of Yes – Shonda Rhimes
Shonda Rhimes is best known as the mastermind behind hit shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. In her memoir Year of Yes, she teaches readers how learning to say ‘yes’ to more things positively changed her life.
For some women in their 20s, it can be overwhelming to step out, try new things, and say yes to invitations. However, Rhimes showcases the power a change in mindset can have, even for ‘wall-hugging introverts’ like herself. A profound, hilarious, and impassioned call-to-arms, ‘Year of Yes’ follows Rhimes as she learns about the powerful opportunities that can arise when you say ‘yes’ when you really want to say ‘no’.
The Shift – Tinx
In The Shift, lifestyle creator, advice expert, and host of the It’s Me podcast, Tinx, curates all her groundbreaking theories and hilarious personal tales to present a self-help book that will completely change how readers approach relationships and decision-making, encouraging them to see themselves as the main character in their lives.
Tinx reflects on the lessons she has learned from her own life to showcase how it is possible to step into your power and completely own your self-worth. From changing a scarcity mindset to understanding how knowing your worth makes you a better person, The Shift is delivered with candor, wit, and is the perfect book for women in their 20s looking to love others and themselves at the same time.
Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women – Otegha Uwagba
Otegha Uwagba arms readers with a modern career guide every creative woman in her 20s can make use of with her Little Black Book. Whether you’re still testing the waters of your career or fully invested in where you want the world of work to take you, this resource is packed full of fresh ideas, practical advice, and no-nonsense strategies designed to help readers get the professional life they want.
Uwagba, one of Forbes European 30 Under 30, covers everything from creating a killer personal brand and negotiating a better pay rise to overcoming a creative block. She also invites other inspiring female trailblazers to share their insights, making for one of the most well-rounded feminist career handbooks available.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
