I don’t know about you but I love a good distraction! Lately, books have been that for me and I started a list of books to read for that distraction time. As a podcaster I’m constantly listening to things and judging it for sound quality, what they do for the intro and how they break up the audio – it’s work for me. So to relax my mind, get some creative inspiration, and just take a beat away from being called mommy, wife, or work – I’ve taken on reading.

I try to read for about 30 minutes as the last thing I do before bed. My level of tired dictates this time though, sometimes I make it, other times not so much!

These books were either recommended to me, I’ve read them, or I really want to! Basically, take this as a reminder to get something for yourself that’s not about what you do for a living and that will entertain you, fill you up, bless you, make you laugh, or smile. That’s what they have done for me.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Tiny changes, remarkable results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving – every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst

God gave us emotions to experience life, not destroy it! Lysa TerKeurst admits that she, like most women, has had experiences where others bump into her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. We stuff, we explode, or we react somewhere in between. What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us instead of against us? Yes, and in her usual inspiring and practical way, Lysa will show you how.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Gillory (also read The Proposal, The Wedding Party, and Party of Two!)

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist. 

On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend… 

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other… 

They’re just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century – or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want… 

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career – and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules: 

  • Nude pics are by invitation only 
  • If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice 
  • Protect your heart 

Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night…and disappears.  

Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful – and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk….

Success from the Inside Out: Power to Rise from the Past to a Fulfilling Future by Nona Jones

Many of us aspire to achieve position, wealth, and notability in the hopes that those things will erase the pain of the past. But for those like Nona Jones who have experienced trauma, success requires more than a changed mind-set – it requires repairing a broken spirit.

Nona was appointed to an executive role with a Fortune 100 company at only 23 years old. Since then, she has led award-winning initiatives in public affairs, brokered multimillion-dollar business deals, addressed the United Nations, and championed juvenile justice and education policy reform in the halls of Congress – all under the age of 35.

Then, in one of the largest wake-up moments of her life, Nona realized that her past battles were waging a present war. Though she tried to push away the memories, her childhood trauma continued to affect her emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically – until she made a pivotal decision.

If you enjoyed this list of books to read – try these!

50 must read books for black children!

50 podcasts all moms need to hear