When I turned thirteen years old I had some major life questions. I wanted to understand how to deal with big areas in my life like guys, purity, morals, the future, femininity, and my worth and value as a girl.

I had (still have) awesome parents who gave me great advice and provided me with incredible resources to learn from. One of the most challenging and helpful resources I had as a teen were books. The authors of these books were some of my best mentors and counselors.

I want to give you the inside scoop on my top ten favorites of all time.

These are the ten books (outside of the Bible) that have had the biggest impact on my life and have helped shaped me into the woman that I am today.

I guarantee that If you read these ten books with a willing heart to learn, you will not be the same girl by the time you finish. Through these books you will be equipped with the skills and understanding that can help you thrive as a young woman.

Here we go! The ten books that completely changed my life : 

1. When God Writes Your Love Story by: Eric and Leslie Ludy 

In a culture where purity and respect are a thing of the past, this book on relationships gave me a vision of something greater. I love the idea of trusting God with this intimate detail of my life. I love knowing that God truly cares about my future and will provide the very best for me in His timing. This book challenged me to leave the pen in God’s hands. It’s a must read!

2. When Dreams Come True by: Eric and Leslie Ludy

This book had the biggest influence on my thinking about guys, relationships and marriage. Reading through Eric and Leslie’s love story gave me a picture of something that I wanted in my own life. I didn’t want the broken, failing, miserable relationship lifestyle that so many of the young people my age were going through. I desired something different and this book showed me what that different was. It’s a book that will inspire and motivate you to strive for something greater.

3. Set Apart Femininity by: Leslie Ludy 

Understanding how to practically live life as a young woman is very difficult. This book taught me how to live out a God honoring lifestyle in an anti-God culture. If you desire a pure, holy and God glorifying lifestyle, this book will show you how to achieve that. It changed my thinking and changed the way that I lived. I am so grateful for its sound biblical advice and the many heartaches and headaches that I have been spared because of the wisdom it offers.

4. The Secret Keeper by: Dannah Gresh

“What’s the big deal about modesty?!?” As I entered my early teen years I had serious questions about modesty. Why did I need to cover certain parts of my body? Thanks to this easy little book, I was able to develop convictions of my own in this area. My eyes were opened to view modesty as a beautiful and powerful gift from God. I learned to love and treasure modesty in a personal way.

5. And The Bride Wore White by: Dannah Gresh

I have always been a fan of saving sex for marriage. Thanks to the wisdom inside this book I learned how to make that possible. I learned about God’s vision for creating the male and female and the value of saving myself for my future husband. This book also gave me a beautiful picture of the grace that God has on those who have already given themselves away sexually. The openness and honesty by the author was refreshing.

6. Sex Isn’t The Problem (Lust Is) by: Josh Harris 

This book opened my eyes to that fact that God is a lot more concerned about my heart than a simple statement to “save sex for marriage.” This book does not shy away from tough topics, but, tackles them (gracefully) head on. Josh Harris gets real about his own struggles and challenged me to do the same. If you want to get serious about tackling your secret lusts and sexual struggles, this is the best book. I can’t recommend it enough.

7. Worldliness by: CJ Mahaney 

I wanted to be set-apart from the culture as a young woman. I wanted to honor God with my life. I wanted to make decisions that pleased Him. I genuinely wanted to do the right thing. This book made all of that a reality. I am so grateful that this book exists. I have never seen another like it. It will take you through topics like: movies, music, TV, Books, fashion, materialism and will challenge you to a high biblical standard. It will show the cause and effect of your daily decisions and will teach you how to live a holy lifestyle in the 21st century.

8. Answering the Guy Questions by: Leslie Ludy

Guys! That was the number one thought on my mind throughout my teen years. My girlfriends and I talked about them, dreamt about them and tried to talk to them (we were a little scared/shy around them). I was SO excited to find a book that answered all of my questions about the big topic of guys. This book is must read for any young woman who has questions concerning guys. It helped me deal with my “boy craziness” and taught me how to treat guys with purity and respect.

9. Preparing to be a Helpmeet by: Debi Pearl

Growing up I dreamt of getting married and having a family. As I entered my teen years I realized that my dreams of a beautiful marriage would not be a reality unless I was prepared for it. I’m not going to instantly turn into “princess perfect” when I say I do. Preparing for marriage is a wise thing for us as young women to do. This book gives dozens of ideas on how to start that preparation now.

10. True Woman 101 by: Nancy Leigh Demoss & Mary Kassian

I wish this book would have existed when I was a teen. Sadly, it’s only been around for the past couple of years. I read it, loved it and can’t get enough of it. It’s changed my perspective on gender and femininity in ways I didn’t even know were possible. If I could only pick one book on this list for you to read, this is it. It is my highest and best recommendation. If I were in charge, I would require every girl to read it by the time she turns 18. It’s just that good.

That’s a wrap! 

There you go. The ten books that had the biggest impact on my teen years. I can’t encourage you enough to grab a solid Christian book and start reading. Your mind will be transformed and you will know what it takes to live life as a godly woman. For a complete list and clickable links to all of our recommended resources, click HERE 

What are you reading?

I would love to hear about the books you girls are currently reading. Leave your comments in the section below and let me know what books have had the biggest impact on your life.

Let’s talk about it…

• Have you read any of the books on my list?
• Which books have had the greatest impact on your own life?
• Will you pick a book from my top ten and start reading it? I would love to know your thoughts on my ten personal favorites.

 Photo credit: flickr.com | kokdemir