(Image credit: Various publishers)

The past year has been rough on the average American’s wallet. Despite experts claiming that the country’s actually doing just fine , reports of mass layoffs , sky-high consumer prices , and stagnant wages reflect the immense strain on the bottom of the K-shaped economy . It’s hard not to feel hopeless when money anxiety takes over, when you want to take control of your financial life but aren’t sure where to start.

Thankfully, many great personal finance books speak to the real-life money struggles women face. Instead of offering unreasonable maxims like cutting out lattes and living off rice and beans, these books help readers reexamine their relationship with money and form a financial practice that sustains their ideal life.…