Good Reads & Book Reviews!
- Tessie Ledesma
- Feb 2, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 3, 2023
There's no feeling quite like picking up a good book and getting lost in it. It should come as no surprise that I have a deep love for reading and self-improvement. I thought I'd create a list of my favorite and most recent reads, some of which, have changed my mindset and my outlook on life completely and others that have sparked my creativity. We all love a good book that you just can't put down and would love to finish in one sitting if time allows. Luckily, these books are exactly that.
Whether you’re just looking to change your life or just looking for something fun to read on your downtime, I highly recommend the following books!
Books that sparked my creativity:
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Rating: 8.5/10
Review: I really enjoyed this one. The mystery pulled me in, and the slow unraveling of the story kept me involved so much so that I laughed and cried. A fun read, makes you really consider the people who love you, and whom you love. Love, friendship, loyalty and above all life lessons that not everything has to be planned out, and living in the moment can be more beneficial. Gave it a 8.5 because the final ending was just anti-climatic and kind of, "huh".
100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons
Rating: 9/10
Review: A wonderfully written romance & motivational novel! The message that it sends of "punching life in the face after it knocks you down" really resonated strongly with me. Beautiful book about seeing the beauty in others when they can't "see" it for themselves. The story's themes of strength, love, and hope are compelling and the romance is believable and well-paced. Gave it a 9 because the story seemed to drag on at times.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 9/10
Review: High on my all time favorites list! This book started off fast paced and beautifully. I couldn't put it down. It's about butterflies in your stomach, old school mixed tapes, and that first sweet taste of love. But that's not all it's about. It's also about being different and finding strength in those differences. Eleanor & Park is also about abuse and how to escape that abuse. Rating a 9 out of 10 because I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this book (it is left in a way that you, the reader, decide the ending). I like closure, and this book didn't give it to me.
The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith
Rating: 10/10
Review: This book is extremely hard to put down. So detailed that while reading, I’m watching it like a movie in my head. There were times I wanted to put it down, to take a mental break because the book covers things that are not a light subject (sexual assault) and quite frankly, wreck you. It was so well written, so intense and so believable. This story is brave. It exposes the truths that sexual assault can happen to anyone, its damage lasts a lifetime and manifests in many forms, and it affects so many people in the victim's circle. This book will definitely empower young women to stand up and know their worth. You need to buy this and read this NOW.
Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven
Rating: 9/10
Review: I was entertained until the very end, and that's what I like to get from my books I read. I also loved the structure of the book, having perspectives almost makes it easier to read. Holding Up The Universe is a book about two very different people with their own set of problems yet develop an unlikely friendship based on a secret. The characters are so easy to fall in love with and the story/plot is so unique. This book gave me a bigger view on life, myself and others. Rating 9 out of 10 because I feel like the book had a really good idea for the plot but it wasn't thought out well enough.
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
Rating: 9.5/10
Review: This book left me with so many feelings....happy, sad, angry, and irritated. To get some trigger warnings out of the way, this book covers eating disorders, panic attacks/anxiety, OCD, and self-harm. The plot of the story was very interesting. It was sort of like coming-of-age combined with mystery, which was surprisingly enjoyable. The whole story flowed really well and even when there were plot twists (and oh were there plot twists) it was easy to follow.
See Me by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 10/10
Review: I DEVOURED this book. It gets your attention from the very beginning. It has a VERY interesting plot and is definitely mystery and suspense but also borderline thriller. Nicholas Sparks is successful with telling a great romance story, but in this, he adds other things that I’m not used to him writing about such as hispanic culture, crime, and law. No other writer keeps me guessing and on-the-edge-of-my-seat!I liked the character development and numerous twists. This book has the ideal balance of everything and is not oozing with unrealistic love.
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
Rating: 9/10
Review: This book hit home and is very relatable not only for myself but for my South Texas and Hispanic audience. Takes on a lot of stigma and taboo subjects that the typical Latino community avoids. Definitely recommend. It does touch on the importance of mental health which is always a topic that needs to be talked about. It really makes you think and reflect. Rating a 9 out of 10 because it is a little bit of a slower story line but it is 100% worth the wait.=
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Rating: 10/10
Review: This book leaves a lasting impression on you! There are not enough words to rave about how great this book is. The writing is beautiful, soft with a sense of impending doom. It deals with difficult issues of loss and surviving and left me in tears, but I would recommend this book to anyone, it gives hope to those who have suffered loss. They did make a movie, however, don't waste your time with the movie. The book is SO much better. One of my favorite life quotes actually came from this book and it is “The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.”
Books the changed my mindset and outlook on life:
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
Rating: 10/10
Review: This book shook me. I took notes throughout the whole read and implemented everything I was learning into my daily life. It taught me how to be much more disciplined. This self-help/motivational book will change your life. Hard to describe, but will change your perception of yourself, and your attitude. After reading Dave Goggins heroic life journey, you wont want to hear excuses from your former self. If you're looking for a book to inspire you or motivate you to seek more for and from your life this is the book. It's a story how you can overcome so much by strengthening your mental toughness, which is not easy but doable. Even when failures happen you can still learn lessons and take those lessons and and turn those failures into wins.
Master Creator Destroyer Slave by Christopher Canwell
Rating: 10/10
Review: This book has all of the information you need to change your life and belief system, but to apply it may be scary, especially looking at your life with complete honesty. The truth always hurts but it is the only way to grow. It has opened my eyes to things I've long being ignorant of, wishing I'd always put myself first, being more assertive, and going after I want. It'll make you realize that society has tricked us through its many forms of social programming. I will say that this is a book that I read slower only because one page has SO much empowering and important information in each sentence. I like that each component tied in a relatable story first before dissecting it.
Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba
Rating: 10/10
Review: This book is completely amazing!! Great read for anyone looking for or needing a shift in perspective. Geared towards women in business but can resonate with anyone! I felt empowered, inspired, refreshed and generally more positive after reading it. The stories are relatable on a personal level. The book made it simple and straight to the point of what we have to do as women. When women show up and support others, crazy amazing things can happen! This book helps you roadmap your personal thoughts and dreams to be a better you by helping you connect with yourself and your why. I think every woman should have this book whether you are an entrepreneur or not. This book is great in serving as a boost to say keep on going but don't forget to pour you a glass and make a toast to your hard work.
Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Lee Dooley
Rating: 9/10
Review: Currently about 80% through this book, and it’s refreshing! If you are walking through transition in life this is the book for you. This book changed my life and healed brokenness in me that was needed to begin to embrace the large changes in my life. Important read if you feel an unmet expectation in your life and need a boost of "what do I do?". I initially wanted this book because I'm in a pretty big waiting season, but what I didn't know was that it spoke to me about so many other things. Things like friendship, and relationships and the beauty of our God. This book talks a lot about not wasting seasons of “waiting” and instead, making sure that I am not wasting this season of my life.
The Working Women's Handbook by Phoebe Lovatt
Rating: 9/10
Review: This book surprised me in all the best ways! This one is for all my girl bosses and boss babes! Extremely helpful in guiding me to better transition into not only adulthood but also into being a business woman. Something important: this is not just pages of workbook sheets. It's mostly reading, with fill-in pages here and there, which I LOVED. This book is an absolute godsend. Super practical advice on budgeting, scheduling, effective time management, and negotiation skills. This book is genuinely helpful. There are interviews & advice in this book that are great for young millennial women navigating through their career path. This book serves as a reminder that there are various ways to do things and also serves as an inspiration to go smartly in the direction of your dreams.
You Negotiate Like A Girl by Amy Trask
Rating: 8/10
Review: Let me first start by saying that growing up, I always watched NFL football with my dad and brothers. That said, I was immersed in a male dominated field. I fell in love with learning more and more about this sport and being able to keep up with others when talking football. I wanted to be a sports reporter or work with a football team. With this dream and goal, I have always loved following and connecting with other women in sports. This is where we shatter the glass ceiling together. Amy Trask is so inspiring in this field. She is the only female CEO of a NFL team. Her story of how she made it through plenty of firsts in this male dominated field, the tough skin she needed, the backlash she received, the work environments she was in, was so empowering. She girl bossed it and had to do 100 times more to succeed around a business that typically employs men. It fueled me as a woman. I also genuinely love to read about other women's success in fields that are male dominated. it shows that we can do it too. Rating 8 out of 10 because I feel like the book could have been shortened. Some chapters were slower than others in telling her story and getting to the point.
Reads I Have Lined Up Next:
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I have had this book on my bookshelf for the last 2 years! I have been meaning to get to it as I finish books I had lined up ahead of it. This one is high on my list because I absolutely love everything Michelle Obama stands for and the amazing women she has grown into. She embodies girl boss and success. I would love to read her story on how she became who she is. I love tapping into a good story or hearing others on how they came up to be the person they are because it serves as fuel for my own story. I have also heard many good reviews and seen how this book has been popular for many book clubs.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
From seeing other bloggers rave about this book to seeing it pop up numerous times on my explore page with nothing but amazing reviews, this book has landed on my "must read" list! It is also trending on amazon as a #1 bestseller right now and the price is only $10! It is about greek mythology and I have lately wanted to tap more into learning about greek mythology. It has always been a topic that has peaked my interest. This gives me the opportunity to use my imagination to bring greek mythology alive in my creative mind.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This one has landed itself upon the amazon charts recently at #7! That alone, is enough to pull me in to see what the story is about and in doing so, I am hooked. I love a good nonfiction book that lets me read while playing a movie in my head and giving me the ability to envision characters. It has glitz, glamour, hollywood, and scandal which instantly hooks me! I am so excited to buy this one and read!
Never Finished by David Goggins
Need I say anything? My review above about his first book is just everything you need to know when going into why I want to read his second one. David Goggins is beyond inspirational. He is an icon and the true definition of resilience and perseverance. I am so excited to read his second book, which actually just launched a couple of months ago. His journey makes you realize that there is absolutely ZERO excuses to doing anything you put your mind to. It's about destroying your old self, bad habits, bad thoughts, and kickstarting your way into the right mindset and tools to achieving the person you want to be. It is on sale on Amazon right now and only $22! It is also on amazon's charts at #3!
Please feel free to reach out to me with any comments about this list. If you happen to be persuaded enough to buy one of these books, come back and let me know what you think! I would love to chat with any of you on these books. Maybe we can start a book club, what do you think?!
xoxo,
Tess
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