One of my favorite ways to get out of my head after a long rough day is to curl up with a good book and let it all fade away. My love of reading started my freshman year of high school and I’ve been trying to read as many books from every genre since, from thrillers to science fiction to graphic novels, the possibilities are endless.
Here are 6 inspirational books for women from different genres to check out so you can check out.
Young Adult
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
“Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind? Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.”
When I picked up this book I wasn’t sure if it was going to stick with me or become just another book I once read but I loved it, I found it heartbreaking and surprisingly sweet.
Sometimes young adult novels get push aside because of their genre but so many amazing books come from it and If I Stay is one of them.
You get pulled in by memories from her childhood, her awesome parents and love of music. I love when an author is able to give you a good feel of the characters even in a shorter book and that’s exactly what Forman did, it’s a perfect choice for a weekend read especially if you’re looking for a bit of a cry.
Fiction
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
“EVERY DAY THE SAME: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
UNTIL TODAY: And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?”
I admit, I hadn’t planned on reading this book until I saw the trailer for the movie and I am so glad I did. You follow three characters whose lives intertwine in sad and unexpected ways; you get hit with a million different emotions throughout the entire book.
I mean, I felt real feelings for Rachel and wanted to help her, and that’s something I absolutely love from books. A number of twists and turns leaves you riveted and wanting more, fantastic visual writing gives you a sense of what’s really going on and why. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re interested in the movie.
Humor
YES Please by Amy Poehler
“In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.”
This book is everything; it’s funny, it’s smart and it’s relatable. I’ve read Yes Please twice and found it just as hilarious the second time around, filled with amazing character photos and some throwbacks you get an inside glimpse of her rise to comedy stardom.
Amy writes to you like she’s talking to a friend and it’s so endearing, pulling you in and making it hard to put down. Whether you’re a fan or just looking for a good laugh with some words of wisdom thrown in this is definitely the book for you.
Horror
“Anyone can be positive . . . The tattooed plus sign on Finnegan’s hand marks him as a Positive. At any time, the zombie virus could explode in his body, turning him from a rational human into a ravenous monster. His only chance of a normal life is to survive the last two years of the potential incubation period.
If he reaches his twenty-first birthday without an incident, he’ll be cleared. Until then, Finn must go to a special facility for positives, segregated from society to keep the healthy population safe. But when the military caravan transporting him is attacked, Finn becomes separated.
To make it to safety, he must embark on a perilous cross-country journey across an America transformed into a dark and dangerous land populated with heroes, villains, madmen, and hordes of zombies. And though the zombies are everywhere, Finn discovers that the real danger may be his fellow humans.”
An interesting take on a very popular topic, Positive is an underdog story wrapped in a zombie apocalypse that has you rooting for Finn and the other characters to succeed. From the start, everything is up in the air and leaves you questioning everything and wanting more.
The author wrote realistic views of people and the different ways they may react in the messed up world, like our hero whose just a confused guy trying to find his way and it’s refreshing.
I love horror and zombies and I loved this book, it’s intense, scary and gave some anxiety because you don’t know what’s going to happen next and it’s awesome. If you’re a lover of zombies and suspense I highly recommend this zombified look at human nature.
Romance
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
“An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard. Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office. As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other.”
If you’re like me, you probably didn’t like 50 Shades but still enjoy the occasional romance/erotic novel, well, Beautiful Bastard is a wonderful alternative. With lots of drama filled with sexual tension and some funny moments, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
What started out as a Twilight fan fiction was rewritten and became something completely different and way more enjoyable, I have read both versions and the first draft doesn’t even come close to the published one.
The characters are likeable, the sex scenes are dirty and surprising – which is what you want in books like this…some good smut! They also do a good job introducing characters that will become the main focus in books later on in the series – which I also recommend you read along with in-between novellas – the writing and story lines get better as you go!
Mystery
Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
“Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town. There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own). Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth…”
Charlaine Harris is best known for her Sookie Stackhouse novels, a.k.a. True Blood, but now she’s out with a new series. Descriptive writing gives you a wonderful sense of the town and the eccentric group of people living in it, Harris has a knack for creating interesting small towns that make you wish you were there even though there’s potential danger behind every corner and Midnight Crossroad is no different.
Paranormal beings, hidden pasts, and loaded with twists, turns and surprising revelations, the inhabitants of Midnight, Texas will keep you entertained and guessing at what’s going to happen next. Plus, with two other books in the series you’ll be able to continue reading on about the strange town in the middle of nowhere.
Sometimes it’s so easy to just sit and dwell on the day but picking up a good book, maybe even one you never thought you’d read before, can help that melt away and you can transport yourself somewhere else for a bit and give you a break.
Trying a new genre or author is fun and can lead you to new favorites. Check your local library or bookstore for any of the suggested books above and below leave a comment letting us know your favorite books to read after a long day.
Happy reading!
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