The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

by Melinda Gates

“In her book, Melinda tells the stories of the inspiring people she’s met through her work all over the world, digs into the data, and powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention—from child marriage to gender inequity in the workplace.” -President Barack Obama”

Why it’s on my list: This year, I’ve completely re-oriented my business to focus solely on working with women. I’ve stepped away from ‘business as usual’ and have embraced building a business that empowers and uplifts other women. Who better to learn from than Melinda Gates, who has spent decades working to help those in need and bring equality to our world?

Read what  Bill Gates has to say about it here.

Becoming

by Michelle Obama 

‘An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States’ – from the cover

Why it’s on my list: Another book I’ve been waiting to read as I’ve heard rave reviews about it. (Check out this review by Sigrun) I thought Michelle Obama was an exceptional First Lady and she just impresses me as a human being.

The Magnolia Story

by Chip and Joanna Gaines

A story about love, adventure and dreaming big. (Magnolia)

Why it’s on my list: I want to know more about Chip and Joanna, and the ups and downs they’ve gone through to get where they are today. As a ‘young’ entrepreneur, I am fascinated by the empire the Gaines’ have built in a relatively short period of time. Their brand message really speaks to me and I feel like they’ve built a business that is honest, authentic, but also very strategic.

I’m a big fan of the Gaines’ so I actually can’t believe I haven’t read this book yet, but I haven’t.

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love

by Jonathan Van Ness

Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathan is today. (Amazon)

Why it’s on my list: A few months back I discovered Queer Eye on Netflix. I had enjoyed the original series way back in the day, so I thought I’d check it out, but the new Queer Eye was even better! I absolutely loved it. Each episode was unique, honest, heartfelt, and just really inspiring. A lot of what was going on on the show was similar to some of the work I do with my clients, and I really felt like each of the ‘Fab 5’ had a lot to contribute.

So when I discovered that some of them have written books, I knew I’d be adding at least one of them to my summer reading list. This is my first of 2 picks. At the beginning of the show, Jonathan was actually the one I felt the least affinity to. He was, as his obviously well-chosen book title suggests, just too much for me. But, over the 3 seasons, he really grew on me. He was unashamedly authentic, never trying to be someone else just to put others at ease, but also giving 100% of himself to empower and uplift those he was helping. And that’s why he’ll be my first Queer Eye read.

Naturally Tan: A Memoir

by Tan France

“Tan France has wife words to offer across all areas of life. France gives readers a candid and intimate look at his past and shares all that he’s learned about being a spouse, television personality, and role model.”—Time (“Books You Need to Read this Summer”)

Why it’s on my list: My second Queer Eye pick. I loved how Tan was always trying to elevate a person’s look, but in a way that was authentic to them. I draw a lot of parallels between his work and mine, as that’s always my goal as well: elevate in a way that feels good and is authentic.

The Rosie Effect & The Rosie Result

by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman is the protagonist who keeps on giving. He is a gem, an empirical laser trained on human shortcomings, especially male ones, and even more especially his own. He is also utterly charming in his lack of guile and his belief in improvability . . . blissfully comic (Evening Standard)

Why it’s on my list: On my last trip to Canada I spontaneously picked up ‘The Rosie Project’, Graeme Simsion’s first book and also the first in this series. It lay unread for 6 months. But as soon as I started I couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing and cringing all the way through. I was happy to discover 2 sequels, which I’ll be reading during my summer vacation.