4 Books to Improve Your Life in 2022
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I read these 4 books towards the end of 2021, and I found them all incredibly valuable in different ways. If you want to be rich, pretty, and at the top of your game mentally this year, look no further than this mini reading list!
I Will Teach You to be Rich | by Ramit Sethi
Confession: I never read a finance book in my life before this one. In fact, I’d rather watch The Matrix than read or watch anything to do with finance, budgets, saving, investing, blah blah blah because, boring. (Funny since my boyfriend works in finance, right?)
But Ramit is HILARIOUS! This book is so witty, I found myself cracking up on the Subway. He breaks things down in a way that’s super easy to understand, and gets you excited about making, SPENDING, saving, and investing money.. even for someone as clueless about finance as I was!
Thanks to Ramit’s techniques, I no longer feel guilty about spending lavishly on the things I love, I know when to be frugal, all my accounts are automated so I do literally nothing and my bills and credit cards get paid on time, and I’m investing every single month for my future. Game changer! I still can’t believe I actually enjoyed a finance book, plus it’s approved by my Dad, who really knows his shit when it comes to managing money.
Get The Fuck Out of the Sun | by Lauryn Evarts Bosstick
The Skinny Confidential aka Lauryn Evarts Bosstick is my FAVORITE content creator, influencer, blogger, and podcaster. She is also ageless, as in she looks about 22 (she’s 34).. and wrote this “cheeky” bubblegum pink skincare bible that looks adorable on my nightstand.
GTFO is chock-FULL of specific, super helpful information / advice about all things skincare and beauty.. including tons of interviews with celebrities, doctors, influencers, etc. It’s a great resource for anyone who is obsessed with skincare (me!) and it led me to some of my favorite products including this Vitamin C serum from Summer Fridays, and these peel pads from Dr. Dennis Gross.
Quit Like a Woman | by Holly Whitaker
While I have no plans to stop drinking alcohol entirely, I have found that passing on wine-o-clock during the work week and imbibing less on the weekends has been super beneficial.
Quit Like a Woman is a raw and witty book about alcohol, non-traditional methods of recovery, and feminism. (It’s also the book Miranda Hobbes reads when she decides to get sober on the new Sex & The City spinoff, And Just Like That.)
Author Holly Whitaker gives no fucks in this hybrid of memoir and self-help. What I found interesting was her comparison of Big Alcohol to Big Tobacco, her observations of a culture “obsessed with drinking” and how it affects women, and her compelling argument that the predominant systems of recovery (AA) are archaic, patriarchal and ineffective for the unique needs of women and other historically oppressed people.
Your Brain is Always Listening | by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, MD
Lately I have become obsessed with the concept of neuroplasticity. This refers to the brain's ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience. This means that you can literally change your own brain—not just your thoughts but your gray matter, if you give it the right messages, eat the right foods, avoid harmful substances and don’t bonk yourself in the head (or play football.)
Doctor Amen gets into all things brain-related, from automatic negative thoughts, to habits, to ADHD, to addiction and a whole lot more. Read this book if you want to fall in love with your brain, and invest in taking care of it now so it will be healthy and serve you for the rest of your life.
Now it’s your turn! What books do I need to read this year? Drop your recommendations in the comments section please!
x, gretchen
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I’m a Brand Designer and Strategist living in NYC. 9 years ago I quit my job to start this business, and now I’m here to help you do it too! I specialize in helping established female millennial entrepreneurs transform their brands.. to attract Dream Clients and grow their businesses, so that they can make more money, be their own bosses and live the life they deserve!