8 Books Every Woman Should Read on Her Journey to Financial Freedom

I am a huge believer that financial confidence doesn't come from one conversation, one course, or one workshop. It builds — slowly, over time, through every book you read, every conversation you have, and every small decision you make differently because of what you've learned.

Books were a big part of my own journey. Long before herFinancialFreedom existed, long before I was hosting sessions over champagne in my Hong Kong living room, I was reading. Learning. Unlearning. Questioning what I thought I knew.

I wanted to share something a little different: a reading list. Not a list of the most technical, intimidating finance books out there but the ones I genuinely believe will shift something for you. Some will change how you think about money. Some will change how you think about yourself. And one might just change how you raise your children.

Grab a coffee. Here are my picks.

For Your Mindset & Relationship with Money

1. It's Not About the Money by Catherine Morgan

If you have ever felt shame, fear, or anxiety around money, this book is for you.

Catherine Morgan is a financial dviser, Coach, and expert in several money-healing modalities who takes a deeply honest look at the emotional landscape of personal finance. She doesn't just tell you what to do with your money. She guides you through why you do what you do with it, the patterns, the fears, the inherited beliefs that quietly run your financial decisions without you realising it.

The book walks you through the journey from financial insecurity to financial freedom through the lens of financial trauma and the emotions of money. It is compassionate, practical, and if you are anything like me, it will make you feel deeply seen.

Who it's for: Any woman who has ever felt that her relationship with money is complicated. Spoiler: most of us have.

For Understanding How Wealth Actually Works

2. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This is the book that changed how an entire generation thinks about money and it is still one of the most important reads I can recommend, even decades after it was first published.

Kiyosaki grew up with two father figures: one highly educated but financially struggling (his "poor dad"), and one a self-made entrepreneur (his "rich dad"). The contrast between their mindsets is the heart of the book.

What makes it so powerful is its simplicity. Kiyosaki argues that the traditional path — study hard, get a job, save is not enough. Financial literacy, understanding assets versus liabilities, and building income streams that work for you are the foundations of real wealth.

It will challenge some assumptions you didn't even know you had.

Who it's for: Women who want to understand the mindset shift behind building lasting wealth, not just earning more.

3. Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki

Why do so many women still accept the idea that men are better at investing?

Kim Kiyosaki addresses this head-on and doesn't hold back. This book is a direct challenge to the financial myths that keep women dependent, under-invested, and financially vulnerable. She teaches the essentials of investing specifically for women: how to take charge of your money, take charge of your life, and stop waiting for someone else to handle it for you.

If Rich Dad Poor Dad made you think differently about wealth, Rich Woman will make you act.

Who it's for: Women ready to stop delegating their financial future to a partner, a bank, or someone else and start owning it themselves.

For Learning to Invest Clearly & Without Overwhelm

4. The Boglehead's Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore

If you have ever wanted a clear, no-nonsense guide to investing without the jargon, without the hype, without someone trying to sell you something, this is it.

The Bogleheads are a community of investors inspired by the late Vanguard founder John Bogle, who built his philosophy on one radical idea: keep it simple, keep costs low, and think long term.

This book delivers exactly that. It offers sound, practical advice that works regardless of your age, your income, or how much you currently know about investing. It will not make you feel stupid. It will not overwhelm you. It will simply help you understand how investing works and how to get started.

Who it's for: Women who want to learn the fundamentals of investing without a finance degree.

5. Friends That Invest by Simran Kaur

Have you ever wanted to ask a "basic" question about the stock market but felt too embarrassed to ask?

Simran Kaur gets it because she has been there. This book was written for women who want to understand how investing really works but have always felt like the world of stocks and shares wasn't made for them.

Kaur breaks down the essential principles in plain, engaging language, no condescension, no complicated jargon and teaches you what you actually need to know to start investing confidently. The principles she shares are universal, meaning they apply no matter where in the world you live or invest.

Who it's for: Women who are curious about the stock market but have never known where to start.

6. Girls Just Wanna Have Funds by Camilla Falkenberg, Emma Due Bitz & Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen

Three women. One mission: make investing accessible for every woman who has ever felt left out of the conversation.

This book is a feminist's guide to investing — warm, practical, and completely judgment-free. The authors equip you with the golden rules and tools you need to find your confidence with money, in a way that genuinely feels like it was written for you rather than at you.

What I love most about this one is its tone. It doesn't lecture. It doesn't make you feel behind. It meets you exactly where you are and walks with you from there.

Who it's for: Women who want to invest but have always felt like the finance world wasn't speaking their language.

For Parents: Financial Literacy Starts Early

7. Smart Way to Start by Dr. Mara Harvey

This one is a little different, and it might be the most important on the list if you have children.

We talk a lot about teaching women to invest. But what about teaching the next generation — our daughters, our sons to have a healthy relationship with money from the very beginning?

Dr. Mara Harvey's Smart Way to Start uses rhymed bedtime stories to introduce financial concepts to young children in a way that is joyful, natural, and completely pressure-free. The idea is simple: integrate financial literacy into your child's bedtime routine, with no additional effort on your part.

Because the earlier we start these conversations, the less catching up our daughters will have to do.

Who it's for: Parents who want to raise financially confident children — starting tonight.

🔗 smartwaytostart.com

Bonus: Beyond Finance

8. Atomic Habits by James Clear

I know, this is not a finance book. But I include it on every reading list I share, and here is why.

Building wealth is not really about knowledge. It is about behaviour. It is about the tiny, daily decisions that compound over months and years into something remarkable or something you deeply regret.

James Clear is one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, and in this book he reveals the practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to build the habits that move you forward, break the ones holding you back, and understand why so many of us know what to do but still don't do it.

Read this alongside any of the finance books above. It is the missing piece most people never address.

Who it's for: Anyone with a goal. Which is all of us.

I want to leave you with this: every book on this list was written because someone believed that women deserved better financial information, better financial confidence, and a better financial future.

You are already doing the work by being here, by reading, by asking questions.

The women I see make the biggest strides are not always the ones who knew the most when they started. They are the ones who stayed curious. Who kept learning. Who took one small action at a time.

A book is a small action. Start there.

And when you are ready to go further, to turn the knowledge into a personal strategy that actually fits your life, that is what we are here for.

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