Many of us have experienced changes in our daily lives due to the coronavirus pandemic. This can be taxing to your mental health, whether you’ve transitioned to working or studying from home full-time or are maintaining social distance on campus or in the workplace. You may find that settling into a good book is the perfect remedy for negative emotions.

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite motivational reads to help inspire you to stay positive and grow in confidence during this uncertain time, all written by female authors. If this year has taught us anything, it is to be grateful, and we’re always appreciative of a good book!

Here are a few of our favorite page-turners!

opens in a new windowUntamed by Glennon Doyle

According to Reese Witherspoon, this book is “packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today.” In this revealing and powerful memoir, activist, speaker, bestselling author and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People) Doyle explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others’ expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us. Untamed shows readers how to be brave, and as Glennon insists, “The braver we are, the luckier we get.”

opens in a new windowDaring Greatly by Brené Brown

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”

opens in a new windowHeart Talk by Cleo Wade

True to her hugely popular Instagram account, Cleo Wade brings her moving life lessons to Heart Talk, an inspiring, accessible book of wisdom for the new generation. Featuring over 120 of Cleo’s original poems, mantras and affirmations, including fan favorites and never-before-seen ones, this book is a daily pep talk to keep you feeling empowered and motivated.

opens in a new windowI’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi

With over 500,000 readers a month at her enormously popular blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Luvvie Ajayi is a go-to source for smart takes on pop culture. I’m Judging You is her debut book of humorous essays that dissects our cultural obsessions and calls out bad behavior in our increasingly digital, connected lives. With a lighthearted, razor sharp wit and a unique perspective, I’m Judging You is the handbook the world needs, doling out the hard truths and a road map for our lives, social media and popular culture, the do-better manual.

opens in a new windowThe Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

What if you could change your life without really changing your life? On the outside, Gretchen Rubin had it all, but knew something was missing. Determined to end that nagging feeling, she set out on a year-long quest to learn how to better enjoy the life she already had. The Happiness Project is the engaging, relatable and inspiring result of the author’s 12-month adventure in becoming a happier person. Written with a wicked sense of humor and sharp insight, Gretchen Rubin’s story will inspire readers to embrace the pleasure in their lives and remind them how to have fun.

opens in a new windowEverything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. Marie’s mom once told her, “Nothing in life is that complicated. You can do whatever you set your mind to if you roll up your sleeves. Everything is figureoutable.” Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, learn to dance, heal a relationship or grow a business, Everything is Figureoutable will show you how. opens in a new windowGirl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence and believing in yourself.

opens in a new windowChasing the Bright Side by Jess Ekstrom

Optimism fuels the belief that you can be the one to create the good the world needs. But you’ve got to hone it, practice it and determine to live from it. In Chasing the Bright Side, Jess Ekstrom shares her own inspirational story of how optimism helped her overcome multiple challenges, and the dynamic ways her mindset propelled her as a young entrepreneur, international speaker and philanthropist. Jess’s journey will inspire you embrace the power of optimism in your own life, and help you reimagine your purpose so you create good in the world while fulfilling your own dreams—right where you are.

opens in a new windowAll Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living by Morgan Harper Nichols

All Along You Were Blooming is a striking collection of illustrated poetry and prose, inviting us to “stumble into the sunlight” from the pen of popular Instagram poet Morgan Harper Nichols. Nichols reminds us there is a purpose in every season, no matter how you want to race through this day or run away from this place, you are invited to live fully—right here, right now and that you are always blooming in the way you were meant to.

Check out more of Kappa Delta’s favorite reads opens in a new windowhere.