Books to Read in Your 20s: Female Edition

eading in your 20s is hard. Choosing what to read is even harder. You’re busy—you don’t have time to stay up to date with the latest trends. And besides, Book-Tok has become a bit unreliable and one note. But fear not, ladies, I’m here to help! As an avid reader and 20-year-old girly, I’ve got a list of great books for you! And the best part? We’ve got an all female author list! 

Today, we’re going to be looking at female-written books spanning a few different genres, including:

• Literary Fiction
• Romance
• Historical Fiction
• Contemporary Fiction
• And Memoirs

Plus, we’ll be looking into some classics you may have missed out on in high school that are worth giving a shot. Without further ado, let’s get reading ladies!

The Best Books to Read in Your 20s

The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath

🖋 Sylvia Plath | 📚Literary Fiction | 📖 288 pages

Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood, a college student with the dream of becoming a poet. The novel details Esther’s experience as a struggling writer after being selected for a month-long summer internship as an editor for a magazine. As she dives further into her internship, struggles with identity, and following the societal status quo begin to catch up with her. She feels discouraged as she attempts to write a novel and must rediscover her self-worth and femininity. 

‍The Bell Jar deals with depictions of depressions and suicide, self-worth and what it means to be a woman, and the pressure of fitting in with societal norms. Though it takes place in the 50s, its message rings true today, cementing it as a timeless classic. A courageous story about self-love and womanhood, The Bell Jar is a great read—especially for us ladies.

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.” ― The Bell Jar

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

🖋 Maya Angelou | 📚Memoir | 📖 304 pages

Maya Angelou was an activist, poet, and scholar. She worked among the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, opening doors for Black men and women all over the U.S. She is widely regarded as some of the most renowned and influential voices of her time. 

A powerful memoir on Angelou’s childhood in Arkansas, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings details her feelings of being silenced in the era of segregation. The memoir deals with themes of racism and overcoming adversity through finding your voice and is a truly uplifting and empowering piece to add to your book list.

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.” ― I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I'm Glad My Mom Died

🖋 Jennette McCurdy | 📚Memoir | 📖 304 pages

If you’re like me, you probably know Jennette McCurdy from her role as Sam Puckett in iCarly or some of the other various roles she played on Nickelodeon. But her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died isn’t that bubbly, green-slime-spewing fun of Nickelodeon. Her memoir deals with her upbringing in show business and how her mom impacted her life—for better and for worse. She discusses grief, jealousy, mental-health, and breaking the cycle of abuse through finding her own self-worth. A great conversation piece and amazing read for any girl in their 20s.

“Mom didn’t get better. But I will.” ― I'm Glad My Mom Died

Little Women

🖋 Louisa May Alcott | 📚Historical Fiction | 📖 449 pages

Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women took the world by storm with amazing performances from actors like Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, and Emma Watson. If you’re thinking about giving the movie a watch, I’d recommend giving this brilliant book a read first. 

Heartbreaking and powerful, Little Women follows four sisters as they navigate womanhood and the societal expectations thrust upon them. For the female poets and the artists out there, this novel hits close to home. Louisa May Alcott empowers women and their desires, crying out that women are more than just wives. A timeless classic and the perfect read for your 20s.

“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” ― Little Women

Housekeeping

🖋 Marilynne Robinson | 📚Contemporary Fiction | 📖 219 pages

Marilynne Robinson’s first novel is unlike any of her other works. After their mother’s suicide, Ruth and Lucille live with their Aunt Sylvie and navigate their feelings of abandonment and loneliness. They throw themselves into the upkeep of their old home and dedicate their time to exploring their womanhood and sisterhood. 

Housekeeping focuses on the bond between female family members and the importance of maintaining those relationships. As a girl with a sister, this story became an instant must-read and is a truly touching display of sisterhood and the way grief brings people together. 

“Memory is the sense of loss, and loss pulls us after it.” ― Housekeeping

The Handmaid's Tale

🖋 Margaret Atwood | 📚Literary Fiction | 📖 320 pages

In 2017, Hulu released the show adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. While the show is still going strong after five seasons, the book is truly an impactful read, and a great addition to your bookshelf. It details a dystopian, totalitarian reality in which women must reproduce for the wealthy, ruling class. The novel preaches resistance, individualism, feminism, and reproductive rights, empowering women to stand up for themselves and their bodily autonomy in a world trying to suppress them. 

With the current state of the world, this is a timely and important read to add to your library. An amazing talking piece and a creator of community amongst women, The Handmaid’s Tale is a perfect book to read in your 20s and add to your repertoire. 

“A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.” ― The Handmaid’s Tale

Persuasion

🖋 Jane Austen | 📚Historical Romance| 📖 249 pages

Last but certainly not least, you know we had to add the brilliant Jane Austen to this list. While Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility get a lot of the hype, Persuasion is a personal favorite of mine. The novel follows Anne Elliot, who is 27-years-old and unmarried, as she reconnects with her old love Captain Wentworth eight years after breaking off their engagement. Talk about drama!

When it comes to old romance, no one does it better than Austen. Persuasion is filled to the brim with family troubles, will-they-won’t-they romance, and one of the best love confessions I’ve ever read. This Austen romance is a perfect book for your 20s, so make sure to add it to your list!

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” ― Persuasion

And If You Need a Little Throwback… 

Whether you’ve never read some of these classics, or could use a good rereading, these literary staples are the perfect way to expand your repertoire and seem more well read. If you’ve ever felt out of the loop on literary references in other books, movies, TV shows, or even just your average conversation, give a few of these classics a read and you’ll feel a lot more in tune with those references you never quite got. 

Here are a few classic pieces of literature and a brief (and rather vague—no spoilers!) synopsis of their plots: 

• 1984 by George Orwell: A riveting commentary on government surveillance and censorship.
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: This novel poses the question: Can happiness truly be bought?
• Catch 22 by Joseph Heller: A paradoxical tale of a WWII bombardier looking to escape the confines of war. 
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: A firefighter is tasked with burning books in a society that values entertainment and conformity over knowledge and critical thinking. 
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: Charlie undergoes an experimental procedure to significantly increase his below-average intelligence, but was it worth it? Ignorance is bliss, after all.
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Gatsby chases after his long lost love and the American Dream, but can you really have your cake and eat it too?
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: A gorgeous and heartbreaking portrayal of racial injustice and the loss of innocence. 

Those were some of the best books to read in your 20s!

These female-written books are a great addition to your bookshelf and will definitely give you some great insights into your womanhood and are generally just great books. Whether you’re into non-fiction, romance, or lean toward the contemporary section of book stores, something on our list is bound to do the trick!