Hey beautiful soul, Let’s get one thing straight before we dive in: Wanting more from life isn’t greedy. It’s not selfish. It doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It just means there’s a fire inside you that refuses to be quieted.

And if you’re here reading this, I already know this about you: You are a seeker. You crave growth. You want depth, alignment, fulfillment. You want to feel alive in your own skin. You want more than just checking boxes — you want meaning, clarity, connection, and yes, your own damn permission slip to go after the life that’s tugging at you from the inside.

Books, for me, have always been the beginning of everything. They’ve cracked open new dimensions of thought, healed invisible wounds, lit sparks of courage in dark seasons, and reminded me, time and again, that I’m not alone.

So I’ve curated a list of 7 under-the-radar books that I wish more women talked about. These are not the usual hyped-up titles that pop up in every generic “self-help for women” roundup. These are deep, soul-anchoring, shake-you-awake reads that every woman who wants more out of life should get her hands on. Let’s begin, shall we? Find more books to read on these posts.

The Ultimate Reading List for Women Who Want More

1. “Playing Big” by Tara Mohr

For the woman who’s tired of holding back.

Tara Mohr’s Playing Big is the antidote to shrinking, especially for brilliant, capable women who second-guess themselves.

She unpacks things like:

• The difference between real fear and inner critic noise
• Why women hesitate to “go big” even when they’re ready
• How to stop waiting for external validation

But what makes this book different? It’s not about hustle or leaning in harder. It’s about reclaiming your voice, tapping into inner wisdom, and redefining what “big” means on your own terms.

Best for: Women who feel like they’re on the brink of something bold, but keep hesitating.

2. “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

For the woman who wants to reconnect with her wild, intuitive nature.

This isn’t a light beach read. It’s sacred, primal, poetic, and it will challenge everything you think you know about being a woman.

Dr. Estés is a Jungian psychoanalyst and storyteller who draws on myths, fairy tales, and folk stories from around the world. Through these tales, she explores:

• The power of intuition
• The beauty of cycles and transformation
• The importance of nurturing your inner wild woman

You don’t read this book cover to cover. You sit with it. You let it simmer in your bones.

Best for: Women who feel disconnected from themselves and want to reignite their creative, instinctual fire.

3. “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski

For the woman who’s doing all the right things and still feels exhausted.

This book is a lifesaver—especially if you’re a high-functioning woman who can’t seem to shake the burnout, even when you sleep, journal, or meditate.

Here’s the revolutionary idea at its core: Stress and stressors are not the same thing.
You may remove the stressor (quit the job, finish the project), but unless you complete the stress cycle in your body, you’ll stay stuck in survival mode.

The book gives you actual tools, real ones for healing, moving through emotions, and supporting your nervous system.

Best for: Women juggling careers, caregiving, ambition, and invisible emotional labor and wondering why rest still doesn’t feel like enough.

4. “The Way of Integrity” by Martha Beck

For the woman who wants to live in full alignment with her truth.

Martha Beck, a Harvard-trained sociologist turned life coach, offers something rare in the personal development world: spiritual clarity paired with grounded tools.

In this book, she guides you on a journey to radical honesty with yourself, even if that means walking away from relationships, jobs, or identities that no longer fit.

If you’ve ever thought, “I should be happy, but something feels off…” this book is for you.

Best for: Women who feel like they’re living a “should” life instead of a soul-led one and are ready to find their way back to integrity.

5. “Quit Like a Woman” by Holly Whitaker

For the woman questioning her relationship with numbing, coping, and addiction (even the socially acceptable kind).

This book isn’t just about alcohol (though that’s the focus). It’s about the ways women are taught to soothe their pain in silence. Whitaker blends personal story, research, and cultural criticism to examine how modern women are handed wine, diets, and consumerism as solutions for deeper wounds.

This book is part memoir, part rebellion, and part wake-up call to live more consciously.

Best for: Women who are tired of numbing their pain (with wine, work, perfectionism, etc.) and want to explore true, lasting healing.

6. “Tiny Beautiful Things” by Cheryl Strayed

For the woman craving comfort, clarity, and a dose of fierce love.

This book is a collection of letters from Strayed’s time as anonymous advice columnist Dear Sugar and let me tell you, it is soul therapy in paperback form.

Strayed doesn’t sugarcoat. She tells the truth with radical empathy, raw honesty, and poetic grace. Whether you’re facing heartbreak, career confusion, grief, or self-doubt, there’s a letter in here that will feel like it was written just for you.

Best for: Women in transition, grief, or emotional upheaval who want to feel seen—and gently guided back to themselves.

7. “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May

For the woman going through a quiet season and wondering what it all means.

Not every chapter of life is about more. Sometimes, the most profound growth happens in seasons of stillness, loss, illness, or uncertainty.

In Wintering, Katherine May explores these cycles, the “winters” of our lives through nature, mythology, and personal story. Her writing is quiet, contemplative, and wise. This book doesn’t rush you toward solutions. It honors your pause. It teaches you that rest is not laziness.

Best for: Women who are navigating grief, burnout, depression, or major life shifts—and need permission to slow down and be.

Final Thoughts: You Are Allowed to Want More

More joy.
More peace.
More depth.
More truth.
More YOU.

These books won’t give you all the answers but they’ll ask the right questions. They’ll hold a mirror to your soul. They’ll challenge you, comfort you, and sometimes, utterly change you.

If you read even one of these books this year with an open heart, you’ll walk away more connected, more grounded, and more alive.

And that’s the kind of “more” that changes everything.