If You Loved 'Untamed', Here Are 6 More Empowering Books to Read This Year
In a way, memoirs could be considered self-help books. Using personal memories and experience, the best memoirs often inspire and empower readers to overcome adversities in their own lives.
Glennon Doyle's Untamed—full title Untamed: Stop Pleasing, Start Living—is a prime example. The bestselling memoirist's third book debuted at the top of the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list and has inspired thousands of readers with its raw insight into overcoming addiction and finding love. It's an electrifying story about the bravery it takes to decide to finally be true to yourself, and reading it could help you drum up the courage to follow suit.
If you haven't read this incredible memoir, add it to your list, as well as these 5 just as empowering books that will give you the strength to say "F you" to the haters and help you live your authentic truth.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson
When you're constantly paralysed by worry, some of the best advice to follow is just to stop caring. Author Mark Manson makes it clear in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck that the most successful people are the ones who don't let other people's opinions get in the way of what they want—who heard the phrase "you do you" and adopted it as their life motto. If you are a chronic worrier, this is something that is easier said than done. "Now, while not giving a fuck may seem simple on the surface, it’s a whole new bag of burritos under the hood," Manson writes about the book. "I don't even know what that sentence means, but I don't give a fuck. A bag of burritos sounds awesome, so let's just go with it." Read the book for more deeply funny pearls of wisdom that will give you the energy to just do it.
Educated by Tara Westover
In this memoir, Tara Westover recounts her childhood living in a survivalist Mormon family in remote Idaho, which she escaped when she was still just a teenager. Once she joined the world outside, realisations about the abuse and mistruths she was told started to overcome her. This is a memoir about an extraordinary upbringing and the strength it takes to forgive.
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
Known by some as Michelle Williams' BFF, Busy Philipps has become a must-follow on Instagram in recent years and in her 2018 memoir recounts stories from her childhood and her acting career, and is a powerful insight into the inequalities affecting even the most famous and successful Hollywood stars.
Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
The daughter of a police officer, Bri Lee graduated with a law degree and spent a year working as a judge's associate in Queensland. While she assists on a string of sexual abuse cases, her own childhood memories start becoming clearer and she decides to seek justice for the crimes committed against her. At times brutal, at others heartbreaking, Eggshell Skull is a compelling read that demonstrates how much strength and resilience we have inside of us.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adapted from Chimamanda Ngozi's 2012 Tedx talk, We Should All Be Feminists is a succinctly powerful read on what modern-day feminism looks like. Living in a time where the inequalities and injustices of the past persist, it is crucial that everyone—not just women—understand what it means to be a feminist. Ngozi's book-length essay is a commanding read that will help you organise your own beliefs, and then take action.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
This collection of essays by cultural critic, novelist and academic Roxane Gay examines the complexities of personal identity, looking at all of the things that might appear at odds with the common understanding of feminism. Broken into five sections and covering topics such as gender, sexuality, race, entertainment, politics and the author's own personal experiences, Bad Feminist is a book you'll keep going back to even after you finish reading it.
Enjoyed this? Here are 12 captivating reads with less than 200 pages.
