Okay I have to admit, I haven’t read for pleasure in years. Of course I did a lot of reading for school and since I’m a journalist I read tons of articles every day, but when it comes to books I just never set aside the time. So, last year I decided to finally start buying books that I would actually like and that I was excited about so I would read more. I ended up reading 5 books last year and I know that’s child’s play to the hardcore book lovers out there, but I feel pretty good about it! For 2018, my new goal is double that and read at least 10! Hopefully I can stay on top of doing book reviews every month or two as well. But first, I would like to share the awesome books that I completed last year. They were all so good and really got me excited about reading again. I would totally recommend any of these for people with similar interests!
The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace
I am obsessed with this book! It’s filled with short, yet very powerful poems. It had me thinking about life, family, love, heartache, body image, and finding confidence within myself. I marked tons of pages that seemed to express how I was feeling so perfectly. I read the entire thing in about two days. I would highly recommend this for pretty much any 20-something young woman. Amanda’s next book is coming out this year and I’m super excited for it!
A New Model by Ashley Graham
This book was so good I couldn’t put it down! I found myself breezing through the chapters because Ashley’s story is truly so interesting. As a body positivity advocate, of course I love and respect her for everything she has done for the plus-size community, but there is a lot more to her than even that. She has been in an abusive relationship in the past, she struggled with her relationship with her father as a child, she even faced rejection and doubt in her career — these are all things I can relate to oh so well. However, she remained strong-willed, confident, and came out all the way on top. It doesn’t get much more inspiring than that!
Photo via @ashleygraham/Instagram
The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur
Before reading this early last year, I hadn’t read poetry in years. Poetry was actually how I discovered my love of writing at a young age so I was more than ready to get back into it. If you enjoy Tupac’s music then you will definitely enjoy this book. My parents played his music every since I was a kid so I already went in expecting to enjoy it. Tupac’s words in this book are very raw and honest. It’s vulnerable and relatable. It’s also easy to digest for those who don’t read a lot of poetry. He definitely inspired me to want to do more creative writing again. RIP Pac.
Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht
This book was part autobiography and part advice/self-help. I totally loved it! Aliza used to be famously known as her secret identity, DKNY PR Girl. The online persona blew up and fashion-lovers all over the world were following her tweets. But, before that, she was an intern at a magazine just like me. Being recently graduated from school, this book was really motivating! It’s filled with tons of good career advice for people interested in the fashion and/or communications industries.
Nasty Galaxy by Sophia Amoruso
I actually wrote up a full review of this book right after I read it and you can check that out here!
What was the best book you read last year?
xoxo, Kayla
I am so jealous! I used to be such an avid reader but now I have the hardest time getting into books. I was an English major and now I am in graduate school for communication, and I just feel like whenever I have free time, the last thing I was to do is read.
Girl, same! I just started reading again after I finished grad school!