Top 5 Books Every Woman Should Read In Midlife
Losing myself in a good book is one of my favorite ways to relax, but sometimes I don’t want to escape into the fictitious landscape of a novel. I want to inspire myself, challenge myself, or find the spark that I’m missing at that point in time.
You’ll find many lists of fiction books you should read elsewhere on the web. So I thought it would be useful to compile a list of books every woman should read in her lifetime. Some are books that you’ll devour from cover to cover, others are books to dip into when you have a particular need for comfort, inspiration or a sense of being seen.
These books also make great gift ideas for your girlfriends and loved ones as well.
I’ve started my list off with five books every woman should read in her 30s and beyond. I’ll add more great books for middle-aged women to this list as time goes on.
This book is subtitled ‘Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are’. Over the 10 years since it was published, it has sold over 2 million copies so you can see just how popular it is.
‘The Gifts of Imperfection’ will help you to embrace the concept of living an authentic life. Brene Brown provides ten guideposts that help you to accept the imperfections of your life and your self, becoming more comfortable and confident with both.
From the blurb:
Now more than ever, we all need to cultivate feelings of self-worth, as well as acceptance and love for ourselves. In a world where insults, criticisms, and fears are spread too generously alongside messages of unrealistic beauty, attainment, and expectation, we look for ways to “dig deep” and find truth and gratitude in our lives. A new way forward means we can’t hold on too tightly to our own self-defeating thoughts or the displaced pain in our world. Instead, we can embrace the imperfection.
2.
This book has been like a Bible for me. It reminds us that despite the mask of modern day sophistication, ultimately we are all still wild. Embracing this will help us all to make the most of our precious lives.
Dr Estés explores the myths, legends and stories that help women to reconnect with the innate passion and instincts that we all possess. Reconnecting with our instinctive side is key to truly living our best lives, and reading ‘Women who run with the Wolves’ is a transformative experience. And while in size it can feel overwhelming, I recommend reading it in small chunks. Give yourself time to absorb the stories and information. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
From the blurb:
Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and life-giving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul.
3.
This is a book that you’ll pick up over and over again. The first time, you’ll read it cover to cover and marvel at the wisdom its pages contain. And then afterwards it’s a book that you’ll dip into whenever you’re in need of comfort or encouragement from your fellow women.
‘A Daily Dose of Women’s Wisdom’ is beautifully designed, with each page containing a thought-provoking quote. Quotes such as “When faced with a dilemma, take a moment to sit with the issue. Don’t rush to decide what to do” and “Ask your body what it needs. Listen deeply for the answer...”
From the blurb:
For decades, Christiane Northrup has been helping women navigate their lives with grace and joy. This elegant, compact volume offers her trademark wisdom in a fresh form, filled with pointed reminders “to help you develop a deeper respect for, and connection to, your own body and its exquisite guidance system [to] create a vibrantly healthy body, mind, and spirit.
4.
This book’s tongue-in-cheek title parodies the popular Marie Kondo house tidying phenomenon, but it carries the subtitle “How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like, Doing Things You Don't Want to Do.”
And let’s face it, many of us have spent far too long putting other people’s needs first!
So if you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed by a life that puts your needs at the bottom of the pile, Sarah Knight’s book is for you. It’ll show you how to say no to emotions like shame and guilt, and how to give your precious time and energy to the people and things that make you happy.
From the blurb:
Are you stressed out, overbooked, and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? It's time to stop giving a f*ck.
It will free you to spend your time, energy, and money on the things that really matter. So what are you waiting for? Stop giving a f*ck and start living your best life today!
5.
It would be lovely if we all bounced out of bed every morning, full of energy and empowerment. But that’s not what really happens is it? Even the most positive woman has those days when negativity creeps in.
So when you find yourself in need of a pick-me-up, this is the book to turn to. It is full of empowering quotes and powerful profiles of inspirational real life heroines.
‘Badass Affirmations’ will show you how to re-affirm yourself daily and boost your self-esteem.
From the blurb:
Discover strong women quotes and encouraging self-affirmations. In Badass Affirmations, positive living and affirmation queen Becca Anderson reminds you that you are pretty darn great. Inside this motivational quotes and affirmations book, you’ll be fired up by inspirational quotes for women, by women. Alongside these women empowerment quotes, you’ll gain new knowledge of the badass ladies who have left their mark on the world with a mix of short bios and longer profiles. And when you’re done learning from other fierce females, you can work on affirming yourself with uplifting journal prompts.
So over to you - what titles would appear on your list of books every woman should read?
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