It’s ☀️summer☀️, and one of my fav ways to beat the heat is slathering on the SPF, pouring a glass of Prosecco, and heading out to my deck with a fab page-turner!

I started my summer reading with 6 books so far this year, and I want to share them with you. Whether you’re a fiction fan or you gravitate towards the biz-books, I’ve expanded my reading horizons this summer and read titles from all over the literary map. Check out my 6 summer recos and start your own reading list ASAP!

6 Books I’ve Read to Start the Summer ☀️

1. The 4-Hour Workweek

The first time I read this book was the original edition back in 2008. At that point in my life, I had a pretty minimal understanding of what it would entail to be a business owner or to live a location-independent lifestyle. Recently, I’ve been wanting to re-read this book because I knew that with my newer experiences, there would be plenty of information and ideas that I could see from a new perspective. (And I was right!)

My biggest takeaways from this book is that no matter what, we will fill the time we think we have to do something. Sometimes you think you can work on something all day long, maybe because you don’t have a commute to the office or you can work anytime in the day you want. But this type of work style deteriorates any sense of work-life balance. Pick up this book if you’re looking to manage the time you spend working and be as efficient with it as possible!

2. The 4-Hour Body

When you really love a book and you find yourself sad it’s over, stick with the author! After I finished 4-Hour Workweek, I picked up Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Body (to beat the Quarantine-15 😬).

My favorite thing about this book is that despite it being 500+ pages, its a relatively quick read. Tim instructs you on how to read the book based on what your health interests are at that time. It’s almost like a choose-your-own-adventure where in the end, you get to level up your health and keep your body in shape!

3. Rinnavation

For those who may not know, Lisa Rinna is an actress best known for her roles as Billie Reed on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and Taylor McBride on TV drama Melrose Place. I recently dove into her memoir, and I can’t lie — I couldn’t finish it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessed with Lisa Rinna! It’s not uncommon for me to read a book by a person I love and still find myself bored by the book itself. Despite it being one that I didn’t quite stick with until the end, Lisa does share some great beauty and wellness tips. If you’re into that sort of thing, or you want to learn the deets about the life of an actress, this may be the read for you!

4. Where the Crawdads Sing

Fiction wasn’t really something I was into for the longest time, though I loved it when I was younger. I knew I probably just hadn’t found the right fiction for me yet. I’d heard so many good things about Where the Crawdads Sing, so I decided to give it a try as my fiction-experiment this summer. And I am SO glad I did!

This book challenged me to flex my imaginative muscles and create an immersive setting in my mind, and once I did, it became a page-turner that I just couldn’t put down. I highly recommend you check out this book if you’re a fiction fan!

5. Queenie

Continuing my exploration of fiction, especially in a time where educating myself on the Black experience is crucial, I picked up the story of Queenie to dive into something that would give me a different perspective.

Queenie tells the story of a black woman going through a tumultuous time in her life. On top of the stress of love and work and her family, she is continually surrounded with predominately white people. She feels judged because of the color of her skin, and she navigates that feeling in this story. Though it is a work of fiction, Queenie is a book with an important message that I encourage you to listen to and learn from.

PS — I’m also a huge geek for the people of England, so I LOVED picking up all the British lingo in this story!

6. I Will Teach You to Be Rich

Since finishing I Will Teach You to be Rich, I can honestly say that this is my fav financial advice book that I’ve read from a practical, step-by-step perspective. Like, EVER.

Ramit’s sense of humor combined with a natural ability to get to the point somehow make finance fun to learn about. I know, can you believe it?!

If you’re trying to grow wealth or just need to get your finances in order, check out I Will Teach You to Be Rich. You’ll be managing your money like a boss in no time!

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Hey, bookworm! Want more reading recos? Follow @amytvbookclub!

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QOTD: What books have you been loving this summer?