As a freshman in college, there are countless lessons I have learned about relationships, my interests, and my resiliency. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of the relationships I have with my female friends. At the end of the day, they are the ones who will be there for me to celebrate my good days, and to wipe my tears after my bad ones. My friends and family are a big part of who I am, and I owe it all to them. Every day, I am incredibly grateful for them, and I wouldn’t have recognized the lessons I’ve learned without the help of these five books.
- everything i know about love by dolly alderton
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This powerful memoir by Dolly Alderton follows her adventures through her twenties as she navigates platonic and romantic relationships and conflict within. The way Alderton articulates her words will make you feel like you’ve known her for years. This memoir is humorous and has an incredibly important message for all girls: Learn to value, maintain, and cherish the relationships you have with your female friends.
- easy beauty: a memoir by Chloé Cooper Jones
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A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Memoir or Autobiography, Chloé Cooper Jones’s groundbreaking memoir discusses what it’s like to live with her rare congenital condition called Sacral Genesis. Not only does her condition cause her to feel physical pain, but she has also felt pain and judgment from others over her physical appearance. She shares the meaning of beauty that she has discovered throughout parenthood, traveling and her life.
- lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus
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Awarded “Best Debut Novel” by the GoodReads Choice Awards, Garmus’s hilarious and heart wrenching novel takes place in the 60’s in Southern California. It follows Elizabeth Zott, the star of a T.V. cooking show and former chemist who is not afraid to push the boundaries of gender norms. “She’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, but also how far we have to go” (Egan, NY Times). Zott’s resilience is inspiring to women all around who might be hesitant to take a stand, put their foot down, and have been sidelined or ignored in their careers.
- Ghosts by dolly alderton
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Another fantastic read by Dolly Alderton follows the main character Nina Dean, a successful food writer with a wonderful circle of friends and family. She then meets Max, a man who seems to be her soulmate but soon her strong circle of family and friends begins to crumble. Her father’s dementia becomes more apparent, her mom’s rebranding and her closest friends are settling down with their significant others. Alderton’s debut novel tackles the complexity of relationships, family, and change we encounter in our lives.
- The Sisterhood: Everything My Sisters Taught Me About Loving Women and Being One by daisy buchanan
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Daisy Buchanon’s memoir is like the modern sisterly dynamic of the March sisters from Little Women. Buchanon shares stories about what it’s like growing up with six sisters. She examines the relationship she has with each of her sisters and how her relationship with them has taught her countless lessons as she enters adulthood. Not only does this memoir talk about sisterhood whether blood-related or not, it also discusses the love we don’t let ourselves have.