by Debora Roles
A brand-new year is a perfect opportunity to take stock and start making positive changes in your life. It could be wanting to focus more on work, get rid of bad habits, learn to manage your finances, or even just need some motivation to start your year on the right foot.
It doesn’t matter if it is a memoir or women’s fiction – all types of stories can help us better ourselves. From biographies and short stories to poems and memoirs – I have gathered 10 of the best inspirational books for women. These motivational books can help you to create life-changing differences in your life.
Inspiration can be gathered from various areas in your life – such as a friend, family member, a colleague or even a teacher.
However, sometimes the most effective inspiration comes when you’re spending quality time with yourself, deep in your thoughts and indulging in a good book.
If you would like to pick the most inspiring book for yourself, you must start by asking: What motivates me the most?
Ask yourself, do you enjoy hearing about life from a celebrity’s perspective or does reading short bursts of exciting content help spark your imagination?
Once again, you will find out more about this in the list of 10 inspirational books women should read in their lifetime.
In her New York Times bestselling autobiography, the former first lady takes the readers through the challenges and successes in her life that have shaped her into the courageous and fierce female leader she is today. It makes you ask yourself if there is anything Michelle Obama can’t do?
Readers from across the world can take away meaningful messages from her story because it highlights inclusion and advocacy for women in light of obstacles.
‘The Confidence Code’ by Katty Kat and Claire Shipman
This New York Times bestseller book by journalists themselves, Katty Kat and Claire Shipman has two versions to it – a child-friendly and an adult version.
In this book, they mention that confidence is the reason men have more career success than women. It is a thought-provoking book that explores the many reasons behind women’s lack of confidence and offers strategies for boosting self-assurance to become a better version of yourself. The book shares the stories of women who have used confidence to succeed to illustrate exactly how it is done.
Katie Sturino is a content creator and entrepreneur who wrote body talk to help females embrace their natural bodies. In the book she is here to help you stop obsessing with your body issues and focus on self-love instead.
Katie spent thirty years of her life feeling ashamed of her body and the self-determined wrongness within it. Now she wants to help other women who are currently struggling with loving their bodies. This is due to the unrealistic beauty standards we see online.
This book is a guide to self-love and how to start living your best life.
‘Me vs Brain: An overthinker’s guide to life” by Hayley Morris
In this book Tik Tok sensation, Hayley Morris is on the mission to prove once and for all that you are normal.
There is a lot of humour in the book to ensure the reader is engaged. It highlights a lot about anxiety and is comforting to the many overthinkers out here.
This may not be a ‘self-help book’ but instead a book to help you ‘fix your issues’. It is a book to allows you to embrace yourself and find a way to live at peace with it.
‘Sisters of the Yam: Black women and self-recovery’ by bell hooks
This book was originally released in 1994 and today is considered a classic within the African American and feminist circles.
The book examines how the emotional health of black women is wounded by daily assaults of racism and sexism.
It explores relatable issues such as work, beauty, trauma, addiction, and estrangement – where she then offers strategies for self-recovery and healing.
‘I am Malala’ By Malala Yousafzai
This memoir has remained the most important of the century. The book reveals what happened to the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner to date. Malala is a symbol of peaceful protest. She refused to be silenced when the Taliban took control of her region in Pakistan. She fought against her oppressors and stood up for her right to an education.
Overcoming terrorism at such a young age and being discriminated against due to her gender makes her a true inspiration to many women in this world. She is fighting to change the world.
’Men explain things to me’ by Rebecca Solnit
Have you ever come across the term “mansplaining” and does the behaviour drive you insane? In that case, you should read Rebecca Solnit’s book from 2015.
In her book, she speaks on how often conversations go wrong with men and women. Mainly men as they always wrongly assume they must answer.
Many women have had something “mansplained” to them and in this book, we see accounts of others who have had this happen to them too and it is humorous and relatable – making it even better.
‘The gifts of imperfection’ by Brene Brown
In our day-to-day lives we can’t help but seek validation from others.
It isn’t a trait anyone should be proud of. In this book, Brown tells us to not seek it and instead to accept all our flaws and embrace who we are individually.
The book is there to help you accept yourself and all the beautiful insecurities you may have.
It has a lot of Brown’s interpretation of research and gives us a guide on how to act in our daily lives.
This New York Times bestseller is a memoir that empowers women to embrace their true selves and break free from the societal expectations, which have been set. Glennon Doyle found peace and inner strength by challenging life in all its areas. From love to parenting, personal growth and work.
One of the many lessons you take away from this book is ‘Stop fighting what is meant to be and embrace your true self’.
This is more of an interactive approach allowing the reader to complete exercises, journal, and do quizzes. If you struggle with low self-esteem, this is the right option for you.
Megan communicates with the readers about the importance of self-love.
The main question is: How can you love anyone if you don’t love yourself?
The interactive activities and prompts for self-reflection are there to help you learn how to fall in love with yourself.
