HOT GIRLS READ! BOOK RECS FROM ME, TEMBE DENTON-HURST & LIZZY HADFIELD
I am committed to a lazy girl summer this year. I have no brand trips, and I’m only doing one personal trip at the end of July to spend time with my family. Otherwise, I will be taking it easy in London, and I love that for me. At the moment, I’m feeling called to really examine and re-evaluate who/what I’m giving my energy to. So, I’m looking forward to slower days ahead, which also means more time to read.
Now, I know people think there are a lot of rules to being a reader, so I want to clear up a few things. Yes, you can read multiple books at one time! I never limit myself to just one book. I think it’s just like watching TV. One night, you’re in the mood to watch The Office re-runs, and then you decide you need a dose of Sex and the City the following night. I read based on my mood or what I’m feeling curious about. No, you don’t need to read for hours at a time. For so long, I used to feel like I couldn’t open a book if I couldn’t commit to reading all morning or afternoon, but it’s like exercise: even if you can get 15 to 20 minutes in, it is still worthwhile. Ditch the book if you’re not feeling it. Sometimes, I will put a book down for months and return to it at a later date. Reading is meant to be enjoyable.
So, here’s a list of my current reads, from a neuroscientist's take on manifestation to manifesting the one. I’ve also tapped my friends and fellow voracious readers, Tembe Denton-Hurst and Lizzy Hadfield, to share their favorite fiction finds. Happy reading!
Just Finished: The Source by Dr. Tara Swart
I’m a big believer in the power of manifestation so I was easily influenced to pick this up after seeing my friend Mercedes raving about this book and how it inspired her to start her own boutique fitness studio. Some may write off manifesting as “woo woo,” but this book is written by accomplished neuroscientist and MIT lecturer Dr. Tara Swart, who expertly breaks down how we can co-create the life we want by changing our thoughts and habits and using ancient techniques like meditation and visualization.
Currently Reading: The Karma of Success by Liz Tran
Liz Tran’s story is one that so many people can relate to: she spent her twenties following a very traditional path of “success” that wasn’t necessarily her own. She excelled in a career she wasn’t passionate about and got married because she felt that was what she was supposed to do. One yoga retreat later, she found the clarity she was seeking to embrace her true calling. She got certified in reiki, started learning astrology, divorced her husband, and now works as an executive coach for CEOs and founders. Her story is about how to untangle yourself from outside influences and timelines and listen to your inner guide to create success that feels most meaningful to you.
Currently reading: Calling In the One by Katherine Woodward Thomas
Like many others, I, too, was influenced when my friend/business partner, Danielle, made a video about how this book helped her manifest her boyfriend. I don’t know why I even waited so long to read it because she told me about it while we were in Jamaica last year. Sometimes, things don’t click for us until we’re in the right place or ready to receive the information though. I ordered it a week after I broke up with my boyfriend. The author is a therapist who had a history of chasing the wrong men until she got serious about becoming the type of person who could attract the relationship she truly wanted. She shares all the exercises and points of reflection she used to unpack her patterns and get really clear on what she wanted in her love life.
Up Next: New Methods for Women by Sharmadean Reid
One of my favorite London gals, who I’ve interviewed for this newsletter, wrote a book! Sharmadean is the definition of a leader. She is also vulnerable and intuitive and deeply cares about building community and empowering women. I admire how clearly she sees things for herself and how she has a way of knowing what others want even before they know what they want. Originally, this was meant to be a business book, but instead, she assembled a compilation of essays about the last twenty years of her life and her journey to finding her purpose, community, motherhood, and living an empowered life.
Up Next: Wisdom of the Path by Yasmine Cheyenne
White voices usually dominate the wellness and self-transformation space, so I’m always happy to see other Black women who have taken healing into their own hands, prioritized their well-being, and aren’t afraid to talk about it. Trusting my inner guide and knowing that I have all the answers within me is something I’ve been thinking about often since my breakup. So, I can’t wait to dive into Yasmine’s book, which acknowledges that our lives are inevitably filled with ups and downs, joy, and grief, but we can harness all the wisdom we’ve learned in these moments to help us chart our path forward.
LIZZY HADFIELD content creator and founder of Buffy’s Book Club
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
We just read this for my book club. It's an epic multigenerational family saga set in Korea and Japan. It’s heartbreaking and filled with characters who stay with you long after you finish the book.
Pew by Catherine Lacey
A short book that’s perfect for a weekend away when you are packing light, following Pew, a character with no clear race, age, or gender, who wakes up on a church pew in a Southern American town.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Another relatively heartbreaking read follows a group of friends living in Chicago through the height of the AIDS epidemic in America. I find my self often thinking of Yale, the main character, even though I finished the book months ago.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
A classic for a reason, and especially relevant this year as it’s Baldwin's 100th birthday in August!
TEMBE DENTON-HURST author of Homebodies, writer at NYMag and Extracurricular newsletter
Polar Vortex by Shani Mootoo
This book is a meditation on relationships and the lies we tell ourselves. It's a quiet, beautiful character study of a woman who has to reckon with her past.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This book is very important to me. I read it for the first time when I was 16, and it changed my conception of how Black women could appear on the page. The main character, Janie, is a wild woman and has stuck with me ever since. It also has one of the best final lines ever written.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
If you have a couple weeks to lose yourself in a horror book, I recommend Our Share of Night, which is about a cult of billionaires who want to live forever (as they all do). It follows Juan, a father who has been exploited by this cult and is trying to save his son, Gaspar, from the same fate. It’s riveting and dark, and the writing is gorgeous. It’s also translated by one of my favorite translators, Megan McDowell—anything by her doesn’t disappoint.
Hope by Andrew Ridker
I want more people to read Hope by Andrew Ridker, which made me laugh out loud more than a few times while reading. It’s about a family reeling from the patriarch’s crime and explores the ripple effect of tragedy. It’s absurd in a way that works in its favor and when it was done I found myself missing Ridker’s way with words.