We all need a pick-me-up from time to time that doesn’t take the form of coffee or comfort food.

Sometimes, snuggling up with a good book that aims to inspire and empower is all we need to recharge our minds and our lives.

These 5 books, written by incredible women, will provide just the motivation you need to finally start that business, rid yourself of a toxic situation or just get through each day with courage and confidence.

1. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

As one of the greatest screenwriters and producers of our time, Shonda Rhimes has us gripped to our screens through the rollercoaster plot-lines of her hit TV shows. Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder are some of our favourite series’ to binge, and now she has blessed us with a book too.

Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person is a first-hand account of Shonda’s own life, taking us on a journey through her most transformative years along with all the trials and tribulations she faced along the way. She shares how even in the midst of all her success, insecurities and self-doubt still controlled her mindset, but that in learning to say YES for one year she was able to advance in every aspect of her life – and how you can do the same. Shonda’a flair for story-telling makes this not only an entertaining read, but one that inspires all women to conquer their goals and chase their dreams.

2. Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht

Leave Your Mark is another millennial girl’s guideline to building a successful brand and leaving a lasting impression in a fast-paced world of ever-changing technology. Author Aliza Licht is a well-known and influential personality in the fashion and PR circles, providing insider knowledge on the industry as well as career advice and valuable lessons she had to learn the hard way. The book focuses specifically on communication and personal brand development.

3. Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso

Last year, Netflix released the comedy series Girl Boss, inspired by Sophia Amoruso’s best-selling book of the same name. As the founder and CEO of clothing brand Nasty Gal, Sophia shares the pearls of wisdom she gained in growing a multi-national corporation from the tender age of 23 with no degree and little money.

This book is somewhat of an aspirational success story borne from unconventional circumstances, depicting how Sophia went from working minimum wage jobs to starting an eBay store that exploded online due to her smart business tactics and strong work ethic.

It gives girls who are just starting out in their careers a guideline into the do’s and don’t of navigating the working world, how to build relationships and how to find and use your strengths in order to be successful.

4. Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed

We are so often consumed by achieving our goals and being ‘better’ than our current selves that it’s easy to lose sight of the little things that bring us joy everyday. Reclaim Your Heart is about freeing your heart from material possessions, detoxing your mind and finding enrichment from within. Yasmin Moghahed talks about dreams, love, relationships, feminism and spirituality in a way that’s inspiring and simplified. It is a transformative book for women looking to purify their life and find a new perspective in times of adversity.

5. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

You may recognize her name from the popular novel Eat, Pray, Love but author Elizabeth Gilbert released a sequel in 2015 in the form of Big Magic – a spiritually enlightening and motivational self-help book. In it, she encourages women to uncover ‘strange jewels’ that are hidden within us and to always maintain ‘a drive to keep creating’.

Whether it’s creating art, writing a book or tackling challenges in our everyday lives, Big Magic will inspire you to hone in on your skills and let go of the fear that many of us feel when putting our work out into the world.

AUTHOR: Farah Khalfe

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash