Try this
\documentstyle{a4paper}[book]
\usepackage{colortbl}
% Color a column via colortbl
\begin{document}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\columncolor{red!30!yellow}}c} % define a column style C
\begin{tabular}{|c|C|c} \hline
1 & colored & 2\\ \hline
3 & colored & 4\\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{document}