21 Books for a Motivational Summer Reading List

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Summer is here, and what better way to pass the time by than with a motivational summer reading list? The summer months are perfect for sitting by the pool, the beach, or sitting on your front porch with some coffee and reading a good book.

I love a variety of genres, but lately, I have really been into inspirational books that motivate me in so many different ways! I love being motivated in my personal life with practical tips, goal setting, and reading about different life lessons people have learned and are passing on to others.

Here are 21 of my favorite motivational books, which are perfect for personal growth, developing good habits, and setting goals! The perfect way to ready many of these books, or any new books, is by going to your local library and checking them out. If you don’t have a library card, it’s very easy to apply for one.

1. Girl, Wash Your Face

This novel is one of my absolute favorites! It is such an easy read. Once you get started, you won’t want to put the book down. It would be a great option for hanging out by the pool all day and wanting a good book to read. Rachel Hollis isn’t afraid to tell you how it is! She is passionately honest, funny, and witty. In her book, she motivates women to drop the negative mindset that defeats joy and helps women boost their self-confidence. I love the stories and testimonies that Hollis delivers to help women know they are not alone in what they are experiencing.

2. Brave Love

Lisa Leonard has done a fantastic job with this book. It is the best type of love story- the story of learning to love yourself for who you are and all the beautiful talents that you have. Lisa Leonard shares her story of losing herself. Then, finding her way back to loving herself. She is very relatable and inspiring. Sometimes we can lose ourselves in life, always trying to please everyone around us. Lisa Leonard encourages women to learn to love themselves deeply and find themselves again! Lisa shows you how to be brave, learn to love yourself, and she teaches you that you are lovable just the way you are! 

3. You Are A Badass

This book was everything I needed! It helped me to stop obsessing over what my purpose is in life. Instead of obsessing, I am taking action to get where I want to be! This book has had a positive impact on my life. It’s one that I keep close by in case I ever need reassurance or feeling unmotivated. Jen Sincero tells it like it is and motivates women to get off their booty and start taking charge of their lives! Start believing in yourself, admitting that you are awesome, and take charge of your dreams! 

Related Post: 27 Ways to Have a Simple, Happy, and Enjoyable Summer

4. #Girlboss

As Sophia Amoruso says, “..you have to be willing to tolerate some sh!t you don’t like, at least for a while”. She is so honest, inspiring, and motivating in this book. Sometimes you have to tolerate things you don’t like to get where you want to be in life. She has taught me to face my dreams head-on and endure all the obstacles I come into contact with. They will make me stronger and teach me a few things too. 

5. This is Me: Loving The Person You Are Today

Chrissy Mets is simply amazing. She is real, honest, and courageous in this book. She has a unique story, and with it she encourages women to push through the obstacles, find and love their unique gifts, and always put in the hard work to pursue their dreams and love themselves. Having obstacles in life make us stronger and more appreciative of the successes that we have. 

6. The Woman Code

Sophia Nelson helps you believe in yourself again. In this book, she gives you 20 Codes to live by- to learn to love yourself, how to treat others, and how to become the leader you were meant to be. We all need a push sometimes on our personal journeys. Sophia Nelson is so inspiring and motivates you to take your worst experiences and grow from them! Sophia empowers women to be successful and live a life full of purpose.

7. In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It

Being the huge Gilmore Girls fan that I am, I had to pick up this book and read it! Lauren Graham is like your best friend pushing you to be the best you that you can be. Just like other books I have read by Lauren Graham, it was witty, motivational, so inspirational, and easy to read! There is no doubt that this book is a great choice for your must-read list for the Summer!

8. Good Health, Good Life

In this short book by Joyce Meyer, she talks about the 12 keys to physical and spiritual wellness. I added this book to this list because it motivated me when I began my journey to a more simple, healthier, and better lifestyle. It’s a practical guide to keeping yourself and your life healthy. This book will motivate you to live a healthier life to fulfill all that God has in store for you. 

9. A Daily Question Journal

I also started a daily question journal. This journal will have one question per day that I will answer for a year. Then it starts over and will have the same questions every day for the next year. Mine goes on for five years. I love this journal because it lets me see how I answer the same question for five years. I can see how much personal growth and professional growth I’ve had. I can see what kind of good and bad habits I’ve gained or lost. It is motivating and can also help you learn a lot about yourself!

10. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives

Are you trying to break a habit? In this book, Gretchen Rubin provides approaches to breaking habits that actually work! She will have you ready to work on your habits in no time. Gretchen Rubin will answer all your questions about habits- why we can and cannot break them, what causes them, and everything in between. When we have control of our daily lives, we will be amazed at what we can do with what we have. Get ready to read the perfect book about habits and start changing your life! If you put into practice what you read in this book, you should have incredible success with your habits. 

Related Post: Fall Reading List For Discovering Joy

11. The Confidence Code

This book is one that every woman should keep handy! Keep it in your purse, on your nightstand, in the bathroom, or anywhere you have easy access to it. Make sure it is always somewhere close by. Confidence is a beautiful thing, and the authors of this book, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, go through great lengths to determine how women can be confident. To be successful, women must be confident in themselves. This is a great read, and I hope you learn a little more about being confident in yourself. Learning to be confident is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

12. Get Your Sh*t Together

Are you looking to be more motivated to get the things done that you care about? Sara Knight, one of my favorite authors, will teach you in this book how to get it together and start getting things done in your life that you want and care about! We all have moments in our life when things are a mess. The good news is, they don’t have to stay that way. We have to learn to pick up the pieces and move forward toward our goals. This book will help make your life easier & better!

13. Redefining Realness

In this book, Janet Mock is so brave and courageous to tell her story! She teaches women that we should all accept who we are and accept others for who they are. Janet Mock is so real and honest about her past and accepting the truth of who she is. She motivates women to open their minds to their true self. You will not regret spending your summer break reading this one. 

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14. The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto For Success

Do you ever feel like you are struggling to be successful? Like you can’t handle tough situations and should be appreciated more than you are? I have felt like this many times in the past. In this book, Kate White will teach you how to be gutsy and excel in confidence! She will teach you how to break the rules and make life your own. With this guide, you will be able to evaluate risks and build your career and success better than ever.

15. You Do You: How to Be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got

Once again, Sarah Knight is amazing. If you can’t tell by this list, I love her! In this second book that I’ve read by her, I love how she tells it like it is and is so honest with you in her books. She is honest and raw, just like she is in all her other books. She teaches you to do you and teaches you that putting your happiness first is OKAY. Sarah Knight shows you how to put other opinions aside so that you can learn to put your happiness first and DO YOU!!

16. Choose Wonder over Worry: Move Beyond Fear and Doubt to Unlock Your Full Potential

The author of this book, Amber Rae, is phenomenal! She gives you everything you need to unlock your full potential. This is the perfect woman’s guide to using their full potential in life. One of my favorite things she says in this book is, “Don’t die with your gifts inside.” We should always, always choose to wonder over worry and let the magic from our gifts flow. This book will not disappoint! It helped me personally in more ways than I can count.

17. The Life Changing magic of Not Giving A F*ck

In this book, Sarah Knight gives some MUCH needed advice! She is hilarious and so helpful at the same time. She teaches you how to stop caring and focusing on those things that are not important in your life, and to start focusing on the things that ARE important! You should never waste your time on things that you don’t care about. This book teaches you how to take care of yourself and not to care what other people think about the decisions that you make! It’s time to stop letting others influence the decisions you make for your life. 

Seriously, just go ahead and buy all her books! Lol

18. Year of Yes

Year of Yes is such an enlightening and inspiring book! When you genuinely think about a full year of saying yes to all the opportunities that present them self… it sounds life-changing! Shonda Rhimes reveals how saying yes for a year changed her life, and it inspires you to do the same!

19. The Mountain is You

This book was on a list of book recommendations from a good friend of mine. I read it a few months back and truly enjoyed it. It has life-changing information and suggestions that I didn’t even realize I needed! Do you ever feel like you self-sabotage? Maybe you don’t even realize why you do it, but you know you do. Brianna Wiest explains in this book why you do it and how to stop self-sabotaging. You will feel like you can conquer your life and the world after reading this book.

20. How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t

I just finished reading this book during a flight back home. Andrea Owen had me from the first chapter! She discusses 14 habits that women have (you may not have all of them, but at least one or two) that hold them back in life. These habits may make you feel bad, hold you back from your dreams, and make you feel like crap! But don’t worry because she offers solutions on how to get over these bad habits on to better ones to feel more positive about yourself and your life.

21. The Glow Up Journal

The Glow Up Journal is so much fun! You can create inspiration and motivation for your life using this journal everyday. It has prompts for all your dreams and visions in life. I have enjoyed writing in my journal everyday and seeing my dreams and visions come to life.

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I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I have. These are perfect for a summer read. I hope they motivate you to make the changes you want, to reach for those dreams that have been stored on the back burner, and to reach for the success you have been dreaming of! Please drop a comment about your favorite ones, or a new recommendation for me.

Until next time,

Catherine