2019 Reading List: 50 of the best books for women to read in 2019 to gain major inspiration, empowerment, creativity, new perspectives, & more!
One of my 2019 New Year’s Resolutions is to make time & an actual effort to read! I could say make time to read more, but if I’m being completely honest, I barely read actual books so any reading would be considered an improvement. I want to actually commit to this & try to READ & FINISH 12 books this year. 1 per month…ideally. I wanted to put together this 2019 Reading List for any women out there looking for the best books to read this year. Because if you too find yourself with a goal of reading more, or if you already have a love of reading, you just might be in need of some book inspiration!
I’ve finished 3 books within the past year, this month included LOL! Early in 2018, I read Eat Dirt by Dr. Josh Axe & Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant in one night (seriously) this past October. I also recently finished Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis last week or so. Reading is enjoyable for me once I get into a groove, but like everyone, our days are filled with so many distractions that when we actually sit down to spend time reading, our minds start racing. And then comes the dreaded re-reading each page & paragraph over & over to actually understand what’s going on after the mindless thoughts.
Believe me, I know it all too well.
I also have a habit of starting a book & not finishing it at all. There’s this amazing & extremely informative book called Woman Code that I have, by Alisa Vitti, that I can’t seem to finish! I also need to re-read Eat Dirt again because I don’t think I was fully “present”.
We live in such a world consumed by technology, obviously. Everything revolves around the internet, phones, tablets, YOU KNOW! This had me even questioning why Barnes & Noble was still open. But then I went into an actual Barnes & Noble to get a new planner for 2019 before I left for Canada & I did not want to leave. The store was packed. I spent so much time looking through the shelves, at all the amazing books. I ended up purchasing Girl, Wash Your Face because I had heard so many great things about it, but in reality, I wanted to get about 7 more books I saw that day.
Books open a whole new world to readers. As clique as that may sound, there is something so captivating about quieting your mind & diving into a really good book. When I was in Barnes & Noble, I understood why it was still in business. There isn’t anything quite like holding an actual book & flipping through the pages. Now I say that with no Kindle experience, but I assume it’s just not the same.
I truly want to accomplish my goal of reading & actually finishing a book each month this year.
I read online all the time, but I want to expand my knowledge, vocabulary, & overall awareness, which I absolutely believe reading helps improve. Like I mentioned, I’ve finished Girl, Wash Your Face last week so that’s 1 book down. I’ve moved on to What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey for book #2. I’m actually almost half-way already…& I highly recommend. It’s a great read.
It took me a good amount of time putting together this reading list of 50 books. I scoured the New York Times Best Sellers, blogs, & recommendations I’ve seen on social media. I think this list really has something for every woman. There are inspirational books, health-conscious options, fiction, non-fiction, books on self-improvement & growth, women’s health, auto-biographies, & more! Some are newer releases, while others have been on the market for a while. Regardless, I would read every single book on this reading list, but for now, I’m just going to start with 12! 🙂
2019 Reading List
Each book title is clickable, if clicked, you will be re-directed to the book on Amazon.
- Girl, Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis
- What I Know For Sure – Oprah Winfrey
- Girl, Stop Apologizing – Rachel Hollis
- Judgement Detox – Gabrielle Bernstein
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
- #GirlBoss – Sophia Amoruso
- 12 Rules for Life – Jordan B. Peterson
- Becoming – Michelle Obama
- Lessons – Gisele Bündchen
- The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
- You Are A Badass – Jen Sincero
- Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
- The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz & Janet Mills
- Five Feet Apart – Rachel Lippincott
- The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
- The Universe Has Your Back – Gabrielle Bernstein
- Just Jessie – Jessie James Decker
- The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin
- Feeding You Lies – Vani Hari
- Medical Medium – Anthony William
- Heal Your Body – Louise Hay
- Genius Foods – Max Lugavere & Paul Grewal M.D.
- How Not To Die – Michael Greger M.D. & Gene Stone
- I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
- Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
- When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
- Untethered Soul – Michael A. Singer
- The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch
- Our Year of Maybe – Rachel Lynn Solomon
- Again, But Better – Christine Riccio
- The Water Cure – Sophie Mackintosh
- Sugar Run – Mesha Maren
- The Art of Simple Living – Shunmyo Masano
- Trust Exercise – Susan Choi
- Do Less Get More – Shaa Nasmund
- Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Chemistry of Calm – Henry Emmons
- Eat Dirt – Dr. Josh Axe
- The Dream Daughter – Diane Chamberlain
- No One Ever Asked – Katie Ganshert
- Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office – Lois P. Frankel
- Miracles Now – Gabrielle Bernstein
- Designing Your Life – Bill Burnett
- Woman Code – Alisa Vitti
- Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
- Still I Rise – Marlene Wagman-Geller
- Own Your Glow – Latham Thomas
- The Body Book – Cameron Diaz
- Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path – Erin Loechner
- Grace, Not Perfection – Emily Ley
Have you heard of any of these or have any favorites I mentioned?
What are you currently reading?
Great selection of books. I have decided to begin to read often in this new year, so I can easily select some from this list. I think the first one would be The happiness project. It’s not the first time I see it in a list, now I’m curious about it!
Thanks for reading Fiorella! I heard The Happiness Project is wonderful…I would definitely like to read that one as well!
Great list! Something that will appeal to every woman!
I can’t wait to read some of these.
Me too Melissa! Thanks for stopping by! xo
So happy to have stumbled upon this post as I am always looking for more books to read. Will for sure be checking some of these out!
Love hearing that! Thanks so much for stopping by! xo
Great list! I was happy to see Dr. Josh Axe and Louise Hay as I am fans of both of them. And I can definitely relate to the not making enough time in my day to read and reading the same paragraph over and over…even though I’m an English teacher! I’d also add any of Derek Rydall’s books or The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse by Debbie Ford.
Thanks so much for stopping by Kate! I will definitely be looking into your suggestion! It sounds right up my alley! 🙂
I hope I can make more time to read in 2019 because I love it so much. I already have several of these books on my list, but I’ll have to look at some of the other ones!
Thanks so much for stopping by Bri! xo
So many books on this list that I had not heard before (or maybe I did and don’t recall) so now i have a much bigger TBR.. The Alchemist is one of my favorite reads ever
Yes I heard it’s exceptional! Thanks for checking it out! xo
So many great books to choose from! I’ve been looking for a better read lately and tbis was super helpful Thanksyou!
You’re so welcome! Glad it was helpful! xo
I am definitely adding some of these to my list for the year. I am always looking for recommendations for new books.
Thanks for checking it out! Glad you found something of interest! xo
It is good to see that many of the books on your list I have had the opportunity to read. I will definitely have to read the rest this year. Thanks for the jnfo
You’re welcome! Thanks for checking it out! xo
Inspiring! Need to add more of these books to my reading list.
Glad to hear! Thanks for reading!
LOVE this post. I recently completed my personal reading list and this has so many great options. Thanks for sharing!
Of course Lauren! Thanks for stopping by! xo
This is a very inspiring collection! I also read Girl, Wash Your Face and found it very enjoyable and motivating. I wish I had more time to read and would like to find a good audible solution since I spend a lot of time in the car!
That’s a great idea Rachel, that’s one of the main reasons I love podcasts, because I can listen to them while doing other things! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Awesome list. I’m looking to read 25 books by end of 2019.
That’s a great goal! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Thanks for putting this list together! I will be checking out some of these recommendations!
Great to hear! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Madi, I also recently read and enjoyed Girl, Wash Your Face, Think and Grow Rich, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I will definitely be adding the rest to my never-ending reading list. I always find that when I get recommendations from other people I enjoy the books so much. Thanks for sharing, Madi!
I love hearing that! Thanks so much for stopping by Sara! xo
This reading list looks SO GOOD! I’ve been wanting to read Girl Wash Your Face, but I already have like 10 books at home waiting to be read. lol The struggle! I’m currently reading Grace, not Perfect and it’s SO GOOD! It’s such an easy read, but she really makes you think about what your investing in in your life. She’s also pretty funny so that always helps 😉
I would love to read that! Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! xo
Thank you for the awesome list of books! I’m listening to Michelle Obama’s book at the moment, and loving it. To be honest, I also struggle to find time to read an actual ink on paper book, so I turned to Audible. It’s so great to be able to listen to books while I bike to and from work!
I’ve heard great things about Becoming & I say you have to do whatever works! I love that you still make time! Thanks for stopping by! xo