Need some new books to add to your reading list?
I’ve always been a book lover.
It started when I was young with The Baby-Sitter’s Club series (I eagerly waited for trips to the mall so I could get the newest one every few weeks).
And then it progressed into Sweet Valley High during my pre-teen and teen years (thanks to a free book funnel — but that’s a story for another day!).
And of course in the mix of all of that was Fear Street, Anne of Green Gables, Judy Blume, and so much more.
Nowadays, I still love to read — and I know that as a business owner, I should be reading tons of marketing and business books, but to be honest I still love some good fiction novels.
In fact, I’m on a vacation right now (with a little work in the mix!) and I’ve read 3 fiction books and started a business book in the past 48 hours.
Over in my Facebook group, I was asked for some book recommendations so I put together a list of some of my top choices for you to check out during the last few weeks of summer.
I put together a mix of some of my favorite Business books + and really enjoyable fiction novels.
Let me know in the comments which you choose to read + how you like it!
Business books
Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas
I was first introduced to Denise Duffield-Thomas with her book, Get Rich Lucky Bitch, and since then I’ve been a huge fan of the simple ways she helps you overcome money blocks and increase abundance. Of course, I was excited to find out that she had a new book coming out about business, and I got to read it in the perfect place — when I was living the laptop lifestyle in Mexico for a few weeks earlier this year. This book is so in alignment with the business strategies I already use with my clients — it was so great to read many of our shared beliefs this way! Check it out if you’re looking to run your business with more ease and less stress.
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
Truthfully, telling stories in my marketing is still one of my weakest areas of business. My first business was actually as a therapist, so my initial instinct still tends to be around privacy and not talking about myself. This is actually a book I’m still working through but I feel like it’s already transforming the way I connect with my audience. If you’re working on connecting with your audience as well so that you can bring in your dream clients, then this is a going to be a book you want to check out ASAP. It’s time to stop creating random content and actually put some strategy behind it.
You’re a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
If you know me, you know that I wouldn’t leave you without a book around money mindset. Honestly, if you’re anything like my clients and are feeling the urge to build a bigger business than creating a healthier money mindset is a MUST. What I like about Jen is that she doesn’t hold back and tells you exactly what you need to address if you want to create more abundance in your business and life. She’s completely honest and direct about how she transformed her relationship with money and believe me if she can do it, you can do it too.
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss
As a business owner, there’s a good chance that you’ve read the 4 Hour Workweek or heard of it at some point in time, which is Tim Ferriss’s first book. The truth is that I never intended to pick this one up because it’s basically a lot of super-short stories (which I usually don’t enjoy). I’m so glad I did though because I really loved getting a behind the scenes look at the habits and strategies of so many well-known, successful people. The reality is we can do MUCH of what they’re doing too — it doesn’t always require a lot of money. What it does take you though is commitment and consistency and that’s exactly what you find out about in this book. If your routines for creating success and abundance are a little stale then you can definitely use the stories in here to freshen them up.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Business Don’t Work and What To Do About It by Michael Gerber
This is a classic business book and one of my first introductions to business systems — I actually read this a few years ago now but as I was adding it to this list I decided to read it again. Statistics show that most businesses fail. And in my personal experience, the reason I see a lot of businesses failing is that the owners are focusing on the wrong tasks — they’re spending their time and attention on things that don’t matter as much as they think and ignoring the boring (but most important tasks) like setting up systems and processes. Michael Gerber gives you a framework to understand the many roles you play in your business… and more importantly, you’ll learn how to not let your business burn you out.
FICTION books
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This is one of my most favorite fiction books that I’ve read over the past few years — it’s all about an unlikely friendship that starts up between 3 people (including Eleanor) and it’s also a strong reminder of how important it is to have strong connections with others. It’ll also cause you to experience a range of emotions from sadness to laughter. I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it and just wish I had gotten to it on my Kindle a little sooner! I know that this is a story that I will for sure be reading again in the future.
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
This is definitely a book that I needed a full day by the pool to read — it was hard to put down and kept me turning the pages until I figured out exactly why Sarah (the main character in the book) was ghosted by Eddie. We’ve all probably been ghosted at times by dates, friends, or even potential clients and it’s a good reminder that the reason is not always what we would think. This is the perfect read when you want to to take a break from work and need a good distraction.
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
I’ve been reading mystery novels practically my entire life, after getting started with the Boxcar Children when I was young and then progressing into Mary Higgins Clark when I was in high school and college. Right now it seems like thriller/mystery books are super popular, and I’m always eager to devour them all. This one starts like many of them do — with a murder. It ends up reuniting 2 estranged sisters and it doesn’t end how you think it will. Truthfully, since I’ve been reading mysteries so long it’s hard to pull one over on me but even this book had a twist that I didn’t see coming.
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Maybe you’ve read the Shopaholic series or seen the movie a few years back — this is another book by the same author. This one is actually my favorite of hers (and yes I’ve read them all!) and it still makes me laugh every time I read it. If you’re looking for a book to lift your mood and don’t mind laughing out loud in public while you read your kindle, then this is the one you’re going to want to grab first. Just imagine what kind of craziness can occur when you spill all your deepest darkest secrets on a plane ride to the stranger sitting next to you… only he’s not a stranger. He’s actually someone more important but you just don’t know it yet. That’s exactly what happens to the main character in this book and we can all connect to her embarrassment on some level.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
If you’re looking for a book that’s going to make you cry, this is the one. This book came out a few years ago, it’s already a movie, and has 2 follow-up novels in the series as well, so you might have already read it. But if you haven’t and you’re looking for a heartbreaking romance story to check out, this is the one that you should read. This is about 2 people who don’t seem to fit in or connect with many other people but do connect with each other. Unfortunately, one character has a plan that will prevent them from achieving long-term happiness.
