With work and school wrapping up, and the party season in full swing, December can leave us feeling burnt out.
Fitness and finance goals are thrown out the window, and little thought is given to anything other than surviving the month’s social calendar.
With January signalling the start of a brand new decade, now is the perfect time to realign yourself with whatever it is that inspires you and get motivated. To help, we’ve rounded up a list of inspiring reads that will leave you feeling ready to take on the world.
Below, 11 beach-ready pick-me-ups to read now.
‘Your Own Kind of Girl’ by Clare Bowditch
Your Own Kind of Girl by Clare Bowditch, $24.95 at Dymocks
Equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, this new memoir by Australian actress and musician Clare Bowditch will leave you inspired. Bowditch shares brutally honest stories from her childhood and beyond that deal with issues of grief, acceptance, anxiety, weight and love – issues many will relate to. A motivational read you’ll want to share with all your friends after finishing.
A Real Girl’s Guide to Money: From Converse to Louboutins by Effie Zahos, $18 at Big-W
Make 2020 the year you get on top of your finances with this anything-but-boring guide to saving, wiping debt and investing. Forget feeling excluded and intimidated by money talk; this book by finance commentator Effie Zahos keeps things 100 per cent relatable (there’s a chapter called ‘I Earn $150K, Why Am I Still Broke?’) and will leave you feeling motivated to get money-savvy in the New Year.
Perspective by Ellyse Perry, $24 at Target
She has represented Australia in both cricket and football World Cups, and now Ellyse Perry can add another string to her bow: author. In this collection of essays, Perry looks back on her inspiring rise to the top, the people that helped her get there and the evolution of women in sports. A must-read for anyone wanting to kick goals in 2020.
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates, $27.35 at Angus & Robertson
As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the world’s largest private charitable organisation), Melinda Gates has helped to improve the lives of many in need. In this candid book, Gates shares stories from those she has met along the way, and with it, her greatest revelation: if you want to lift a society up, you must invest in women. Powerful and optimistic, the story looks at female empowerment and its link to the health of societies — and counts Barack Obama and Brené Brown as fans.
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), by Elaine Welteroth, $27.80 at Angus & Robertson
If there was an antidote to The Devil Wears Prada, this would be it. Former Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth shares her story of climbing the ranks of the fashion and media world, unpacking lessons in race, identity and success along the way. Welteroth divulges the hardships involved with being a young boss and the only black woman in most meeting rooms, and leaves her readers feeling empowered to ask for exactly what they want. If you’re looking to take on big new things in 2020, add this to your reading pile.
The Power of Age: A Celebration of Life’s Second Act by Kelly Doust, $39.99 at Dymocks
Writer Kelly Doust approaches the topic of age from a refreshing and important angle, and celebrates the power that comes with growing older. With stories from fierce females including former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, designer Leona Edmiston and food legend Maggie Beer, it’s the perfect read for women who are not willing to sit back, but instead, ready to embrace their exciting future.
The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey, $24 at K-mart
As we enter a new decade, who better to turn to for help uncovering our purpose than Oprah? In this guide, the talk-show host encourages readers to activate the deepest vision of themselves, and to use it as framework for creating a life of success and significance. The book is divided into 10 chapters that act as steps in helping you recognise the important milestones along the road to self-discovery, and features personal stories and photos from Oprah. An uplifting beach read.
Smashed Avocado: How I Cracked the Property Market and You Can Too by Nicole Haddow, $23.35 at Angus & Robertson
Don’t think you’ll ever become a home owner? Neither did author and Melbourne-based journalist Nicole Haddow who, at 30, had no financial plan, an unstable income and credit-card debt. In her story, Haddow explains the steps she took to crack the property market (in just two years!) and how you can too. Money motivation, 101.
About A Girl by Rebekah Robertson, $34.99 at Dymocks
Rebekah Robertson shares her powerful story about raising her transgender child, Neighbours actress and transgender rights advocate Georgie Stone. When Georgie was in her early teens, the mother-daughter duo sought permission for Georgie to begin puberty-blocking medication, which led to the successful 2013 challenge to the family court’s jurisdiction on making early medical decisions for transgender youth. A thought-provoking read and a message of hope for those navigating similar a similar path, About A Girl is, above all, a celebration of family.
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews, $24 at K-mart
A follow-up to her critically acclaimed and bestselling memoir, ‘A Memoir of My Early Years’, Andrews’ latest book picks up from her arrival in Hollywood, and shares career highlights and lows with reflections on film experiences including Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Told with Julie Andrews‘ trademark charm and candour, the memoir makes an uplifting, heartbreaking and inspiring read.
Being Black ‘N Chicken, & Chips by Matt Okine, $23.95 at Booktopia
Comedian and creator of The Other Guy, Matt Okine, has released his debut novel; a coming-of-age tale that finds Okine reflecting on losing his mother to breast cancer at the age of 12. Whip-smart, heartfelt and refreshingly inappropriate, this beautifully told story will leave you in tears (of joy and sadness). A great read for anyone dealing with loss or looking for a good laugh.
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