The end-all age of 30. Sometimes it seems like life will come to a halt once we turn 30. No more adventure, no more exciting experiences, just living aimlessly without cause. Every 29-year-old clings onto their 20s for dear life, and tries to pretend that 30 is a mythical age that will never happen. However, we know for a fact that life definitely does not stop when we turn 30, and neither do adventures and opportunities. Being in your 30s and thriving is an exciting time. There is more maturity and knowledge of oneself adding to your confidence, but also a thirst for learning and life still going strong. Your 30s is a time for self-assuredness and embracing everything life throws at you. A time for advocating for yourself, and for pursuing new interests and ideas. A time for saying "yes", taking chances, and looking forward to the future.
This list of novels features must-reads when it comes to experiencing your 30s. Whether you need a little extra inspiration, or you simply want to connect with characters who are just as confused and excited about life as you are, these book picks will be there with you every step of the way. So make those mistakes, take those leaps, keep having those new experiences, and most of all, keep reading.
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Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
We've all felt the urge to just give everything up and join a circus, and this novel encapsulates that feeling entirely. This elegant but passionate pick is the perfect read for those craving excitement, and also passion. With Marlena being the female protagonist of this story, you can feel her dazzling but flawed energy through the pages. Her trials and tribulations, (although taking place in a 1930s circus world), are somehow relatable and tangible.
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
There is a certain kind of longing when you reach your 30s. A longing for the future, but also for the past. This state of mind is perfectly displayed in this classic romance novel that is both sci-fi filled, romantic, and riveting. The iconic, timeless character of Claire Randall, survives being a nurse in WW2 just to be ripped away from her husband and the life she knows by being thrust back in time to 1740s Scotland. Face to face with tough choices, Claire represents the familiar feeling of having an identity crisis that we all occasionally experience in our everyday lives. But, being the strong, stylish woman she is, she pushes through these challenges, and chooses what is best for her and her happiness.
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Yes, we know that fiction can be more appealing when it comes to amplifying your imagination, but Eat, Pray, Love puts those nonfiction stereotypes to shame. In a vivid, humorous, and enlightening way, Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her adventures that occurred when she turned 30 and has a slight, (massive), early midlife crisis. After going through a divorce, subsequently a tough love life, and finally clinical depression, Gilbert decided to not let her circumstances kick her down. Instead, she saw her troubles as an opportunity to start anew, and rejuvenate her love for life.
Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano
This novel is the ultimate pick to give you some fuzzy warmth to guide you through your 30s. After all, what is more comforting than a new spin on the most comforting novel ever written, Little Women? Spanning from the 1960s to the early 2000s, this masterpiece is all about growing older as a woman, and the way relationships with those you love ebb and flow into different shapes. Specifically, this book focuses on relationships between sisters and the trials of womanhood as a whole.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
If you are craving the community that you most likely had during your college years, this is the novel for you. This is a story about taking chances, but also about valuing the people that give you joy. The female protagonist, Juliet, is both unsure, curious, and most of all open-minded. After corresponding with a pen pal from Guernsey for a long time, Juliet feels compelled to move to the island, and decides to leave everything behind in pursuit of happiness and community. Having a multifaceted character like this at the center of such a wholesome story offers the reader a sense of solace, as well as the confirmation that such a community filled with like-minded people is truly attainable at any age.
Funny Story, by Emily Henry
Although "funny" is in the title, this book is anything but humorous fluff. Not to say that there isn't comedy in this pick, but it's also a deeply meaningful artistic expression of self-love, self-acceptance, and finding people who take you for who you are. The novel follows the life of its protagonist, Daphne, after her fiancé leaves her for his girl-best friend. Daphne bonds with the girl-best friend's ex-boyfriend and begins to realize what being truly comfortable with the people she surrounds herself with feels like. There's romance, there's relatability, and most of all, this book feels like a warm hug. Reading this will be like someone telling you that it is more than enough to be you, just the way you are.
Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
Speaking of warm hugs, what's better than a hug from a person? Maybe an octopus with eight arms instead of just two? Marcellus, an octopus with enough brains to outsmart the humans in his life, is the main event in this book — but it is also the struggles of the female protagonist, Tova, that pull the reader in. Tova's son died three decades ago in a horrible boat accident, and her husband recently passed on. Now, Tova is alone and struggles with that fact. When a man in his 30s named Cameron begins to help her with her custodial duties at the aquarium she works at, the octopus Marcellus puts the metaphorical pieces of a puzzle together. Then, he begins his attempt to help Tova find the comfort and community she's been craving. This novel will both break your heart and heal it at the same time, all while showing the power of family and love.
Educated, by Tara Westover
If you ever want to feel the thrill of fully embracing your potential, then this novel is a good place to start. Being a nonfiction pick, Tara Westover's recounting of her life being raised in isolation by her survivalist parents in Idaho and her slow rise up into society by education, is definitely the most inspiring book on this list. Westover's writing style is beautiful and tangible. It is eye-opening to realize just how many road-blocks she overcame to become the fully-actualized person that she is today. If there's one take away from this novel, it would be that women can overcome anything and anyone, if they are given a chance and set their mind to it.
Untamed, by Glennon Doyle
The name itself evokes visions of breaking free, and defying expectations. This nonfiction pick showcases many elements of navigating womanhood, but especially motherhood. The book also teaches its readers how to stay true to one's wild self while also giving time and energy to loved ones. This balance is one that is hard to keep, and often with motherhood comes a sacrifice of a woman's spark. Glennon Doyle gives a wonderful account of this exact struggle, and the journey of capturing that inner wildness, and keeping it forever.
One Day by David Nicholls
If you are aware of the outcome of the two main characters of this novel (no spoilers), you might be asking "why is this an inspirational book pick?". Yes, this is a book of romance, of growing together and growing apart, but it is also a novel of a young woman discovering herself. The female protagonist of this novel, Emma, starts off as an insecure, unsure college student who is completely unaware of her own worth. However, she stays true to herself even with her self-doubt. Emma never changes herself for anyone, including her soulmate. Although this is not always the easiest or quickest path to take, it is the most noble and inspirational. After all, even though it takes Emma until her 30s to truly appreciate her own individuality, by the time she does, she embraces it all the more.
