It’s the first week of summer as I’m writing this, and we’re all salivating at the thought of finally going on the beach holiday we’ve been waiting for all year. But what’s a day at the beach without a good book to read in between lazy floating or body surfing? As much as I’ll be packing a juicy romance and a dark thriller, this year I’ll be trying to work on my brain and my tan at the same time.
- Here are some of the most helpful beach reads in my collection:Atlas Obscura by Ella Morton, Dylan Thuras, and Joshua Foer. Why read it? Well, it’s a fascinating compendium of the most unique and strange places in the world. We all love an adventure, but sometimes we just need to lie on the beach. This will help make your well-deserved sunchair flop more of an adventure. Plus, you’ll learn more about the world and totally win at trivia night. We often fall into a trap of thinking that the world is so familiar, with the advent of the internet and planes. But there’s still more to know – and more to explore. This book will help you do it from your chair.
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data In A Word Designed For Men by Caroline Criado Perez. Why read it? Because knowledge is power! This book does a great job at educating us on the shocking gender bias that affects our everyday lives. And without information, how can we fight back? Perez did us a service by writing this book.
- Beta: Quiet Girls Can Run The World by Rebecca Holman. Why read it? It’s the ultimate challenge to the idea that to be successful you have to be aggressive or a natural born leader. There is a pervasive, damaging idea in our society that there is only one way to be successful, especially in the world of work. I’m ready to look at other options, especially as someone who isn’t fond of speaking in front of crowds. This book helps you learn how to harness other skills to get ahead in the workplace. We’re here for it.
- Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People by Gayle King. Why read it? The books gives incredibly successful people like our queen Ruth Bader Ginsburg the chance to write letters to their younger selves. The next best thing to having a woman who changed the world as your mentor? Knowing what she would do differently.
- It’s Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality, and Race by Mariam Khan. Why read it? This is a book of seventeen muslim women speaking openly about the issues that affect them, whether it be queer identity or religion. Set in the background of a country that is all too often racist and misunderstanding of muslim women, this is an important read. Challenging Islamophobia and pervasive stereotypes, you’ll come away from this book with a much broader world view.
- Gross Anatomy: Dispatches from the Front (and Back) by Mara Altman. Why read it? Altman goes on a quest to look at the root of society’s expectations of the female body. It’s hilarious, but it’s also deeply informative. She interviews a plethora of doctors and scientists to get to the truth about our bodies. A book to help us realize we don’t have to conform to fit society’s expectations is as smart as it gets.
- Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. Why read it? Rubin addresses how to transform our negative habits (helloooo pressing snooze on my alarm clock three times) into positive ones. The goal being to make our lives happier. In general, I’m not a fan of the genre of self help books but this one is unique. Rubin is funny, and focuses on realistic actions to make pretty much every aspect of our lives work better.
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge. Why read it? Because in a time where politics is rife with racism, we need to combat it in every way we can, and that starts by educating ourselves. I read this book last summer and loved it. An extremely informative read that honestly, every white person should read.
- The New Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get on with Your Life by Bill Schultheis. Why read it? As Rihanna says, Bitch better have my money. Let’s get your money game higher while relaxing with a coconut water. Schultheis explains all the seeming complexities of investing, making it clear that it can be simple if you make it that way. An easy way to make your money work harder for you. What’s not to like?
