I have always been convinced that reading could solve all my problems; if I could stumble upon the right book at the right time, it could make the world make sense. My mom reinforced that idea in my head when she told me that the best books will always find you just when you need them. Here, in no particular order, are some of the books that found me just when I needed them, and maybe this is the nudge you needed to find them too.
- “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig
This book found me in London’s Heathrow Airport while I was traveling for spring break. It seemed short and like the perfect fit for a seven hour plane ride, however, I did not so much as open the book on the plane. The novel continued to sit on my bookshelf for the rest of the spring semester until I read it in under a week over the summer. It hit me right at the time I needed it when I felt so lost about the career choices I was making.
This novel is about a girl who feels hopeless, lost and depressed as she analyzes the way her life has turned out. She gets the opportunity to try out different lives she could have lived, which is my personal dream come true as someone who couldn’t choose a career, a college, or even an outfit if my life depended on it. She tries out being a student, a parent, an arctic researcher and many other lifestyles in pursuit of finding the one she is meant to have. This book opened my eyes to the potential of being in the moment and allowed me to explore the real meaning of the word “destiny.”
- “Everything I Know About Love” by Dolly Alderton
I had seen this book all over social media, so I decided to give it a read. I read the first chapter three times before I could get into it. On the fourth try, I made it to chapter two and there was no stopping me from there.
This memoir has a title similar to that of a Her Campus article, but it’s depth goes far beyond the online blog style I had expected. Dolly Alderton’s sentiments on female friendships, family relationships and career choices are both hilarious and undeniably important. The stories she tells and the personalities she describes made me feel like I was not alone in my experiences. Some of her writing felt like she was taking the thoughts directly out of my brain and putting them on a page. Her voice expresses all the hidden fears and inside thoughts of a woman trying to make her way through college and entering the adult world upon graduation.
- “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert
I know this one is cliche and outdated at this point, but nevertheless, it is worth the read. My mom suggested it to me, and I had only read it to humor her. But the book left me with an overwhelming sense of independence and freedom that I hadn’t expected to gain from it.
This memoir about author Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels touches overarching themes of friendship, healing and spirituality, but if you look a little closer, there are anecdotes and insights on eating disorders, toxic relationships, the exhilarating discomfort of learning something new and the experience of solo travel as a woman. She paints a picture of internal dialogues that can both destroy and empower us in a way that many authors struggle to depict. She explains how difficult it is to tell the difference between positive and negative self-talk when they both sound like the same voice. She dissects the ways that self-criticism can just as easily lead to guilt and shame as it can lead to growth. This book inspires exploration of independence and breaks down the barriers that many women face in terms of marriage, religion and expectations.
- “This Time Tomorrow” by Emma Straub
I found this novel by accident while casually wandering the bookstore. I picked it out simply because the cover was pretty, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the contents of this novel. “This Time Tomorrow” is the story of a woman who lives in New York City who discovers her tool shed is a time travel portal. She goes back and changes her childhood to see how it would impact her present life. Similarly to “The Midnight Library” that I mentioned previously, she tries on different versions of her life. The novel is yet another tribute to those who constantly change their minds about who they are and where they are going. With underlying themes about the importance of family and being grateful for the immense value of the people and places we already have in our lives, Struab conquers the tumultuous decade of being in your 20s. I know this sounds like a sci-fi story that might not be for everyone, but trust me, you won’t be sorry if you give it a try.
- “The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing” by Melissa Banks
This book was recommended to me by the mother of a child I babysat for over the summer. I may be partial to this one because the main character has the same name as me, so selfishly, I loved this novel. I went in expecting a lighthearted, “Sex and the City” type of story about dating as a 20-something woman, but what I got was a much more profound story about the life of a young woman and her relationships with the men in her life. This story covered boyfriends, brothers and fathers. It was intense and beautiful. After I finished the novel, I opened it up again and re-read passages that had stuck with me. Themes about struggling with her job and feeling lost about what type of career she would enjoy are prevalent. Dialogue about who a woman is expected to be in comparison to who a woman actually is or wants to be also made the book especially enjoyable to me. Reading this book gave me perspective on how personal development can be so incredibly intertwined with outside forces such as our relationships with others and the work we do in society.
If I could make a few honorable mentions, they would be “Normal People” and “Beautiful World, Where Are You?” Both are life-altering novels by Sally Rooney, who has some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. While these books may not hold all the answers to life’s mysteries, they demonstrate the complexity and fluidity of life as a woman in pursuit of professionalism, passion, meaningful relationships and self actualization. These books found me at the very moment I needed them, so now, I want to pass them on to you in hopes that one of them will find you when you need it most.