5 Books Every Female College Student Should Read
Whether you are in an intensive program at a liberal arts university, taking a few classes part-time at your local Bible college, or taking a gap year, the early 20’s are a pivotal time for young women. Worldviews will be solidified, created, or broken. Choices are made that affect a young woman for the rest of her life. In a time where an unbelievable amount of information is consumed online, it’s more important than ever to cultivate the art of reading—and not just reading, but reading good books.
But between academic reading and part-time jobs, it can be hard to find the time or energy to read. Even when you do, you might be disappointed to pick up a book and find it not worth your time. I’ve done most of the work for you here by narrowing down five books that I think would be helpful for any female college student or young adult. These books address problems that young women face, cultural issues, and help a woman develop her character.
If you are a female college student, young adult, or an upcoming high school graduate (or if you have one in your life!), here’s a great place to start.
(These are all books that I’ve enjoyed personally and recommend the content; however, just because I recommend the book does not mean that I necessarily endorse each author or ministry. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases made through these links.)
Depth is something that can be lacking in women’s ministries, books, and podcasts. Young women are tempted to to attain the perfect “instagram Christian” by copying online influencers’ lifestyles, while many in-person women’s ministries focus more on encouragement and affirmation instead of the hard work of holiness. Phylicia fights back against these weak ministry models and builds a case for why every woman should make her faith deep and personal. It covers topics such as anxiety, modesty, and friendship. Young women crave and need to hear what the Bible says about these things. This book is a great starting point to not only address these problems, but could also help young women transition from being a teen or student to a thriving adult member of her local church.
I have found myself recommending this book to many people over the past few years. Progressive Christianity appeals to many young adults, but seems to have a particular following with young women. It can be difficult to sort through it and discern the truth—especially if you are in a college or life transition yourself! This book is Alisa’s journey through progressive Christianity, and a basic apologetics manual to work through problematic messages that any young adult will face in today’s world. This book will help the reader develop a worldview that is Biblical, address common criticisms of the Bible, and learn to be discerning with the many conflicting messages that students will encounter about God, the Bible, and life.
Every young woman needs to build her life on the solid foundation of God’s Word, but if she doesn’t know how to study her Bible or interpret it correctly, she is set up for failure. This book is a manual to not only learn about the Bible’s importance, but full of practical tips to improve your own personal Bible study.
Whether you attend a Bible college or secular university, or are starting out in the workforce, you will probably meet many conflicting messages about Scripture and what it says. You might even be tempted to ignore the practice of reading and studying the Bible for yourself, replacing that with attending Church services, listening to Christian podcasts, or even conversation with Christian friends. This book will help you understand the basics of Bible study and the importance of living by the Word of God. There truly is no replacement for God’s Word!
When I was a RA in a Christian girl’s dorm, I saw firsthand that many of my peers dealt with struggles rooted in the lies addressed in this book. I wish I would have had a copy of this book to share with them. The 25 chapters cover cover various lies, such as, “God is just like my father”, “My youth pastor is my connection to God”, “beautiful girls are worth more”, “I need a boyfriend”, “I can’t control myself when I’m stressed or PMS-ing”, “The benefits of constant media use outweigh the harm,” and more.
The topics addressed in this book cover most of the lies and temptations that a young women faces today. Not only does Nancy and Dannah expose the lie, but they use Scripture as truth to encourage young women to follow God’s plan in these areas. This book would be applicable to a wide range of ages, from girls in high school to someone in their late 20’s.
There’s a reason that this classic has been purchased over 750,000 times! Elizabeth George is an excellent writer who can blend storytelling and Biblical truth with boldness and love. This book challenges women to pursue and love God with all their hearts. While Elizabeth writes towards women of all life stages, including wives and mothers, this book is still applicable to younger women as it will help develop a strong and Biblical foundation of Godly womanhood. Most importantly, it will help women learn why they must pursue God and how to pursue Him in every aspect of their lives.
Have you read any of these books? What would you add to this list?
