Bombshell Books: A List of Fabulously Inspiring Books For Women

self help books every woman should read

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Bombshell Books

A list of our favorite recommended reads to help you level up your look, level up your mind, and level up your life.

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Books to help you level up your mind.

How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be, By Jack Canfield — The Success Principles is a watershed book and platform for a renewed era of Success-oriented culture, touching on every aspect of our 21st-century lives. As Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich was an innovative and durable touchstone for readers last century, so this book will become the new self-improvement standard for our own. From graduates and teachers to parents and self-starting business aspirants, Canfield offers readers practical help and inspiration for getting from where they are to where they want to be. 

The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness, by Jeff Olson — The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. It’s not just another self-help motivation tool of methods you must learn in order to travel the path to success.

The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy — No gimmicks. No Hyperbole. No Magic Bullet. The Compound Effect is a distillation of the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal achievements in business, relationships, and beyond.

The Art of Extraordinary Confidence: Your Ultimate Path To Love, Wealth, and Freedom, by Dr Aziz Gazipura PsyD — Confidence is the doorway to success in all areas of life. Whether you want to excel in your career, triple your income, create an amazing relationship, or just feel happy and satisfied with who you are, self-confidence is essential. In this inspiring and liberating book, Dr. Aziz slices through each obstacle on the path towards ever-increasing confidence.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, by Mark Manson — In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

As a Man Thinketh: Classic Wisdom for Proper Thought, Strong Character, & Right Actions, by James Allen — In the years since its publication in 1902, As a Man Thinketh has set thousands of men on the pathway to personal and financial growth. Now, in this unique rendition of James Allen’s masterwork, you, too, can manifest the traits and skills characteristic of those honorable, refined, and successful men. 

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers, by Timothy Ferriss — This book contains the distilled tools, tactics, and ‘inside baseball’ you won’t find anywhere else. It also includes new tips from past guests, and life lessons from new ‘guests’ you haven’t met.

Books to help you level up your lifestyle.

The Official Preppy Handbook, by Lisa Birnbach — A facetious guide to emulating the look, speech patterns, thinking, and lifestyle of those who attend prep schools and are a part of high society.

The Old Money Book: Living Better While Spending Less – Secret’s of America’s Upper Class, by Byron Tully — Details how anyone from any background can adopt the values, priorities, and habits of America’s upper class in order to live a richer life. This entertaining and informative work reveals for the first time the Core Values that shape the discreet–but truly affluent–Old Money way of life.

The Social Climber’s Bible: A Book of Manners, Practical Tips, and Spiritual Advice for the Upwardly, by Dirk Wittenborn — Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it, so what’s the big deal? You shouldn’t be punished for wanting to improve your lot in life! This is America, after all. 

Thirty Chic Days: Practical inspiration for a beautiful life, by Fiona Ferris — Is it possible to live a chic and elegant life if you don’t live in Paris, or even France? Instead of daydreaming about running away to the City of Light, ‘Thirty Chic Days’ invites you to put on your French-tinted sunglasses and view your everyday through an enchanting and motivating filter.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondō — Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results.

HOW TO MEET THE RICH for Business, Friendship, or Romance, by Ginie Sayles — If you want to climb the ladder of success in business… Or enter the world of high society without intimidation… Or if you fall in love with someone who happens to be Rich—and you don’t want to lose… This book is for YOU!

What Southern Women Know About Flirting: The Fine Art of Social, Courtship, and Seductive Flirting to Get the Best Things in Life, by Ronda Rich — Ronda Rich, a true Southern belle, enlightens women on the age-old art of flirting—an art that any woman can master. She reveals the techniques and secrets for making the most of every woman’s natural female instincts—whether at home, in the office, or in any social situation that calls for a little extra honeysuckle.

Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris, by Jennifer L. Scott — Inspired by Paris, this lighthearted and deceptively wise contemporary memoir serves as a guidebook for women on the path to adulthood, sophistication, and style. Jennifer Scott’s self-published success is now a beautifully packaged and fully illustrated gift book, perfect for any woman looking to lead a more fulfilling, passionate, and artful life.

Books to help you level up your wellness and health.

The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself Hardcover, by Veronique Vienne — A culture of overachievers, we make things happen–and happen fast. While rushing along, though, the days seem to get shorter and shorter. If only time would hold still, just a little bit, to let us savor life’s simplest moments.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto 1st Edition, by Michael Pollan, Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion–most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become. 

The Witch’s Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock — Self-care is a necessity for any modern woman, and this book helps you prioritize #1 with a little help from the magic of witchcraft. The Witch’s Book of Self-Care has advice for pampering your body, mind, and spirit with spells, meditations, mantras, and powerful activities to help you to keep healthy, soothe stress, relinquish sadness, channel joy, and embrace your strength. This book features such magical self-care remedies:

Books to help you level up your love.

Get the Guy: Learn Secrets of the Male Mind to Find the Man You Want and the Love You Deserve, by Matthew Hussey — From landing a first date to establishing emotional intimacy, playful flirtation to red-hot bedroom tips, Matthew’s insightfulness, irreverence, and warmth makes Get the Guy:  Learn Secrets of the Male Mind to Find the Man You Want and the Love You Deserve a one-of-a-kind relationship guide and the handbook for every woman who wants to get the guy she’s been waiting for.

The Old Money Guide To Marriage: Getting It Right – Making It Last, by Byron Tully — reveals the secrets and strategies used by America’s Upper Class that contribute to a vibrant, fulfilling, and enduring married life. From dating around to settling down, everything you need to know and every question you need to ask yourself and your potential mate is detailed here.

Find a Husband After 35: (Using What I Learned at Harvard Business School), by Rachel Greenwald — Fate is late! For women 35 to 95, it’s time to get proactive if you want to find a husband. The rules for finding the right mate change later in life, as there are fewer eligible men and fewer opportunities to meet them. Now successful dating coach Rachel Greenwald shares her proven 15-step action program based on simple marketing tactics she learned at Harvard Business School. 

All the Rules: Time-tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right, by Ellen Fein — The search for Mr. Right starts here. This simple set of dating dos and don’ts-combining The Rules and The Rules II-will teach you how to find (and keep!) a man who treats you with the respect and dignity you deserve.

How To Marry The Rich: The Rich Will Marry Someone, Why Not YOU?, by Ginie Sayles — My Role Model was Queen Esther of the Bible”—Ginie Sayles The Book That Started An Industry—Now UPDATED and With New Information! GINIE SAYLES went through college as a single mother on Welfare and a Student Loan, earning a degree in English and speech. Ginie is married to REED SAYLES, Reed was born into a wealthy family and he became a millionaire in his own right in the oil and gas business.

The Power of the Pussy – How to Get What You Want From Men: Love, Respect, Commitment and More!, by Kara King — Kara King’s controversial dating and relationship advice book, “The Power of the Pussy”, shares 12 powerful secrets that will transform any woman into the type of strong, desirable woman that can effortlessly obtain what she wants from men; including the love, respect, and relationship she desires.

Books to help you level up your femininity.

The Black Girl’s Guide To Being Blissfully Feminine, by Candice Adewole — You’ve been told that you must be strong . You know what you want and you think you know how to get it, but no matter how hard you try, you still feel like there’s “something missing”, you are overworked, tired, and ready to give up. Author Candice Adewole knows your struggle and, more importantly, knows how to get you headed in the right direction

Simply Feminine: Surprising Insights from Men, by Morgan Wonderly — Simply Feminine is a groundbreaking look at a rarely-explored topic: what men think about women’s femininity. After a decade of research and thousands of hours talking with men, Morgan Wonderly has uncovered timeless truths about femininity that were buried under negative cultural attitudes. 

The Geisha Secret: Ancient Dating Rituals Proven to Win a Modern Man’s Heart, by Hanako — The Geisha Secret will show you how to become attractive to men by transforming you into the ideal female companion. You will learn The Rituals, ancient practices of the geisha applied to the modern world, which will change how men perceive you. Men will be intrigued by you, love you, and seek to give you their hearts with the hope of their affection being returned. The Geisha Secret can give you the power to win a man’s heart and forever change your life.

The Temptress’s Handbook: The Real Dirty, Naughty Secrets to Make Your Man FOREVER LUST After You, by Eric Monroe — This book will show you how to unlock the temptress inside you will keep your man coming back for more – and more, and still more. By unlocking your inner temptress, you can kick start a relationship that’s rewarding for the both of you.

Forever Chic: Frenchwomen’s Secrets for Timeless Beauty, Style, and Substance, by Tish Jett — For any woman who last saw forty on her speedometer comes a sparkling new primer for aging—the French way—with grace and style. Frenchwomen of a certain age (over forty) are captivating and complex. They appear younger than their years and remain stylish throughout their lives. They look at birthdays as a celebration of a life well-lived and perhaps a good reason to go shopping before they dress to perfection for a celebration of another anniversaire.

Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic: Lessons in Everyday Elegance, by Jennifer L. Scott — Just step out your door today and you will notice that poise is a rarity in our wired, fast-paced, and unmannerly world. As uncivil behaviors like flip-flops at Broadway shows and digital oversharing proliferate, this timely book reminds us of the quiet power of behaving with dignity, kindness, and grace.

Choosing the Simply Luxurious Life: A Modern Woman’s Guide, by Shannon Ables — Women have never had so many options. Yet we often experience a kind of paralysis, an unconscious willingness to follow societal dictates rather than become the CEOs of our own lives. When we mindlessly follow the dots, we smother our innate gifts and miss opportunities to fulfill our true potential.

How to Be a Hepburn in a Kardashian World: The Art of Living with Style, Class, and Grace, by Jordan Christy — Though fashions may change, certain things never go out of style–like your favorite little black dress that can take you from a business meeting to a dinner party to a night on the town. But what makes it work is not the dress, it’s how you present yourself while wearing it. A woman who is polite, well spoken, gracious, charming, and thoughtful is always welcome-though such women appear to be in short supply these days! Despite the headline-grabbing antics of certain flashy celebutantes, most of us would rather have respect–for ourselves and from our family, friends, and colleagues.

Books to help you level up your finances.

Old Money, New Woman: How To Manage Your Money and Your Life, by Byron Tully — Powerful insights and wit-soaked wisdom to help you make the most of your money and improve the quality of your life. Revealing 8 ‘Old Money Secrets’ for women, the author shares time-tested tips and step-by-step strategies used by the women of America’s Upper Class, generation after generation. From education and etiquette to cosmetics and clothing, this must-read book details the coveted, rarely-discussed fundamentals that any woman can use to achieve financial independence, discover her personal style, and make the most of every opportunity.

The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, by Dave Ramsey — Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby expenses into a well-toned budget? Do you want to transform your sad and skinny little bank account into a bulked-up cash machine? Then get with the program, people. There’s one sure way to whip your finances into shape, and that’s with The Total Money Makeover.

The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss — Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, or earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!, by Robert T. Kiyosaki — Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert’s story of growing up with two dads — his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad — and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you.

Books to help you level up your appearance.

Looking Good: (Even after 45), by Christina Wedel — It will help you understand your body and your style. It will teach you how to fix your closet. How to shop for the RIGHT stuff and how to handle menopause. You will get new easy routines, and you will finally understand that it’s never you who are wrong, you just didn’t know what was right for you! It is a complete guide to make you feel amazing for the rest of your life.

The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart, by Nina Garcia — fashion judge on Bravo’s hit Project Runway and the New York Times bestselling author of The One Hundred and The Little Black Book of Style—comes Style Strategy: a perfect primer on achieving the best fashion look possible, with a strong emphasis on saving money in the process.

Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life: Because You Can’t Go Naked, by George Brescia — Open the door to harmonious, powerful, and positive dressing with a guide that’s like The Secret—for your wardrobe. In this groundbreaking how-to book, style expert George Brescia shows you how to transform yourself from the inside out.

Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else, by Clinton Kelly — He’ll teach you how to look your best, sound your smartest, use the manners your momma taught you, poach an egg, fix a perfect gin and tonic, throw the most popular parties (and top the guest list at other soirees), make your home the envy of your neighbors, and generally be the fabulous person you always knew you could be.

A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions, by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux — From Accessories to Zippers, Madame Dariaux imparts her pearls of wisdom on all things fashion-related — and also offers advice on other crucial areas in life from shopping with girlfriends (don’t) to marriage and sex.

David Kibbe’s Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle As Only You Can, by David Kibbe — Analyzing personality traits in conjunction with physical characteristics, this makeover guide shows women how to express their personal style with advice on clothing, makeup, and hair styles.

The Bombshell Manual of Style, by Laren Stover — In this glittering beauty and lifestyle guide packed with pearls of wisdom, Laren Stover has compiled everything a woman needs to know to live the Bombshell life: from how to dress and make an entrance to what to eat and where to shop. 

The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe, by Anuschka Rees — With so many style and shopping options, it can be difficult to create a streamlined closet of pieces that can be worn easily and confidently. In The Curated Closet, style writer Anuschka Rees presents a fascinatingly strategic approach to identifying, refining, and expressing personal style and building the ideal wardrobe to match it, with style and shopping strategies that women can use every day.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, by Elizabeth L. Cline — Cheap fashion has fundamentally changed the way most Americans dress. Stores ranging from discounters like Target to traditional chains like JCPenney now offer the newest trends at unprecedentedly low prices. Retailers are pro­ducing clothes at enormous volumes in order to drive prices down and profits up, and they’ve turned clothing into a disposable good. After all, we have little reason to keep wearing and repairing the clothes we already own when styles change so fast and it’s cheaper to just buy more.

More of our favorite books you may find interesting.

Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, by Paul Fussell — Based on careful research and told with grace and wit, Paul Fessell shows how everything people within American society do, say, and own reflects their social status. Detailing the lifestyles of each class, from the way they dress and where they live to their education and hobbies, Class is sure to entertain, enlighten, and occasionally enrage readers as they identify their own place in society and see how the other half lives.

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, by Rolf Potts — Vagabonding is about taking time off from your normal life—from six weeks to four months to two years—to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts shows how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel.

The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills–and Leave a Positive Impression!, by Debra Fine — With practical advice and conversation “cheat sheets,” The Fine Art of Small Talk will help you learn to feel more comfortable in any type of social situation, from lunch with the boss to an association event to a cocktail party where you don’t know a soul.

How To Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie — Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you: Six ways to make people like you. Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking. Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini PhD — Understanding and applying the six principles ethically is cost-free and deceptively easy. Backed by Dr. Cialdini’s 35 years of evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific research—as well as by a three-year field study on what moves people to change behavior—Influence is a comprehensive guide to using these principles effectively to amplify your ability to change the behavior of others.

Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, by Timothy Ferriss — Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, shares the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure book—a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits from 130+ of the world’s top performers. From iconic entrepreneurs to elite athletes, from artists to billionaire investors, their short profiles can help you answer life’s most challenging questions, achieve extraordinary results, and transform your life.

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now, by Meg Jay — Our “thirty-is-the-new-twenty” culture tells us the twentysomething years don’t matter. Some say they are a second adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, argues that twentysomethings have been caught in a swirl of hype and misinformation, much of which has trivialized what is actually the most defining decade of adulthood.

Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely — Behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author Dan Ariely offers a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that led to our current economic crisis.

Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman — Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell — Blink reveals that great decision-makers aren’t those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of “thin-slicing”–filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

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