18 Books For Single Women To Read This Summer

Or whenever, really.

Welcome to Cheaper Than Therapy, a newsletter by Shani Silver.

As much as I want to be one of those people who finishes a book a week, I’m proud of myself for finishing one book per month. Okay one book every two months. I’m sorry! At the same time, there are some really good books out there for single women, with more arriving every day, and my failed attempts at the bookworm life shouldn’t stop other people from turning good pages. Therefore, here’s a list of books for single women to read this summer.

This list is not just self-help, I want to make that clear. While I love (and write) these books, they are not the only ones single women are interested in when they want books written for single women. We like to simply enjoy a good book, too.

Please enjoy the list below, and leave any additions you’d like to add in the comments, I’ll check ‘em out. This list is free for anyone to read, so feel free to send to friends who might enjoy it. xo

Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms, by Nicola Slawson. Nicola is a writer, all around great person, and former 2x podcast guest of mine. Her story is such a cool one and I’m thrilled she wrote this book.

Thrive Solo: Embracing the Freedom, Joy, and Opportunity of a Single, Childfree Life, by Lucy Meggeson. Also an A Single Serving Podcast alum, Lucy is doing spectacular work for the single community, make sure you’re following along.

Girl Walks Into A Bar, by Rachel Dratch. Yes the Rachel Dratch. This book is so honest, relatable, and funny–it’s one of those celebrity memoirs you can tell was actually written by the celebrity.

Better Than Sane: Tales from a Dangling Girl, by Alison C. Rose. This is one of two books that launched my career in singlehood. The other is Pain, Parties, Work. They both inspired me to become who I was meant to be.

It’s Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You’re Single, by Sara Eckel. This is probably the first time I read something that saw me as a whole single woman instead of just someone with a singlehood problem who needed to find a man.

I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, by Glynnis MacNicol. I also strongly recommend No One Tells You This, too. If everyone wrote like Glynnis I’d be completely content.

Older, But Better, But Older, by Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas. Holy shit I love this book. I read it in one sitting. Huge for me.

Party of One: Be Your Own Best Life Partner, by Meghan Keane. If the creator of NPR’s Life Kit writes a book, I’m probably pretty interested in what she has to say.

Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno, by Nancy Jo Sales. Nancy Jo is an absolute pioneer and icon in the singlehood space. Whatever she writes, you read.

Unattached: Empowering Essays on Singlehood, various writers, I’m one of them. This 30-essay collection is a really cool cross-section of voices in our space. I don’t know why the hardcover is so expensive, it might be out of print, so here I’d recommend the Kindle version. If you’re a paid subscriber to Cheaper Than Therapy and you want to read the essay I contributed to this book, email me and I’ll send it to you for free.

Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own, by Kate Bolick. Someday we’ll see this on our bookshelves and understand it as a classic.

The Spinster Diaries, by Gina Fattore. Gina was a writer on Dawson’s Creek. I feel like that’s all the information we need here.

All The Single Ladies, by Rebecca Traister. Kind of a dietary staple at this point.

Single At Heart, by Dr. Bella DePaulo. Anything Dr. DePaulo writes should be issued to all singles like a social security card, honestly. She’s written many books but I believe this one is the most recent.

How To Live Alone And Like It, by Marjorie Hills. This book was written in 1936, and I think all single women should own a copy at this point for preservation of history. Get a used copy if you can, I like the sense that Marjorie’s words are passed down directly among us that way.

How To Date Men When You Hate Men, by Blythe Roberson. Confession: I have not read this book, but the writer writes for the Onion so it’s been on my list for years. Maybe this is the summer I actually do something about it.

What If We Never Get Married? A Happily Ever Answer, by Shani Silver. I mean…obviously.

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I feel too old to know about this. I’m sorry, I have to say it. Listening to this song felt like walking past a dorm room. The band looks young enough to call me Aunty and I’m trying to come to terms with that. As far as the actual song, it’s easily one of the most lovable tunes I’ve heard all year and it’s inspired me to go looking for more like it. What else can we ask of music, you know?

xo

Shani

My new book, What If We Never Get Married? A Happily Ever Answer, is available now.