Picking the right book is a lot like choosing the perfect outfit. Just like you consider the weather and your agenda when choosing the right clothes, when I am picking my next read I think about my current mindset and what’s happening around me. Am I looking for an escape? Am I in the mood to fall in love with a great character? Am I trying to sharpen an area in my personal or professional life?

There have been times that I’ve started a book and could tell I’d love it but its not the right season or reason.

You know you’ve found the right book when you have that book hangover vibe [that longing feeling when you have to stop reading and can’t stop thinking about the book]. Here are a few moods and my all-time favorites to go with them.

1. Overcoming Adversity: Educated by Tara Westover

Educated is the autobiography of Tara, a young woman born into an isolated family in Idaho. Without any schooling and surrounded by violence, Tara strives for an education that changes the trajectory of her life. Educated is an incredible true life story of overcoming difficult circumstances and thriving.

2. Self-Affirming Read: Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

Between being a mom, a wife, having a career, maintaining health and fitness, time for friends, and personal hobbies; I easily fall victim to trying to do it all and working myself into sickness. I read Present over Perfect about six months ago and it has slowly helped me to silence the pressure for perfection and enjoy the moments.

3. Historical Fiction w/ Badass Women: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

This is my FAVORITE book. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this novel had me in ugly TEARS (I rarely cry). The Nightingale details the story of two sisters during WWII. Both women fight the Nazi regime in their own courageous ways. Vianne, a mother and the older sister, navigates raising her daughter and keeping them alive in occupied France. Isabelle, the younger sister, joins a the Resistance and risks her life to save others.

4. Psychological Thriller: Verity by Colleen Hoover

This book is wild, creepy, and addicting. Jeremy, the husband of a best selling author,Verity, hires Lowen to finish writing Verity’s book that she was unable to finish due to a debilitating injury. While on the assignment, Lowen uncovers Verity’s unfinished autobiography that reveals bone-chilling admissions that would certainly change how Jeremy feels about her. I would not recommend reading this book in the middle of the night!

5. All The Feels: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

This book will stay with you! Victoria came out on the other side of the foster care system at 18 years old with no family and an emotional past. She expresses her raw emotions through the Victorian language of flowers- where each flower has a meaning. A local florist finds her homeless in the park and puts her talents to use. When Victoria meets a man at the shop, their relationship forces her to confront her past.

6. Escape to Another World and Solve a Murder: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Hurton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is like Clue and Groundhogs Day all rolled into one. I could not put down this murder mystery! Evelyn Hardcastle is killed at 11 pm. The story is told from the perspective of Aiden Bishop who is trapped in Blackheath. If he doesn’t find the murderer in eight days, he will be trapped forever. The twist -> Each day, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest of Blackheath.

7. Sharpen Your Business Acumen: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle dives into examples of extraordinary teams and what makes them work together with cohesion, trust, and positive change. This book served as my oxygen when I was building the team underneath me. There are only a few business books I’ve read that I feel give advice that is truly applicable and actually contain meaty content rather than taking up 200 pages with what could have been a blog post. HIGHLY recommend.

All of this writing about my favorite books is making me want to get snuggled up and dive into something fantastic to read! I am looking for something new myself so please leave your favorite reads in the comments. 🙂