Now I know what you’re thinking, “Summer reading? Gross!” Well, these summer reading recommendations are MUCH better than what you were assigned in middle and high school. I think they’re much better anyway!

Of my summer reading recommendations below, I’ve completely read four and am in the process of reading the other four. I may not have finished them all, but I’ve read enough to know that they are going to be fantastic reads!

If you’re interested in other books I’ve read or in books outside of my summer reading recommendations, check out my Amazon List!

If you’re a planner or bullet journaler, you can track all of your summer reading (fall and winter reading too) with my Reading & Book Log.

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon

Book Description: An inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age, Steal Like an Artist presents ten transformative principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life

My take: This book was an incredibly fun and quick read! It’s full of little illustrations that help explain each of the 10 lessons. I read it on a flight earlier this month and liked it so much, I purchased two other books from the author, which you will find below!

Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon

Book Description: Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery―let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive

My take: I’m a few pages into this book and can’t wait to dive in further! I have a flight coming up next month, and this book will be packed in my carry on as in-flight entertainment!

Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon

Book Description: The creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, it’s a loop—so find a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters. Disconnect from the world to connect with yourself—sometimes you just have to switch into airplane mode. Keep Going celebrates getting outdoors and taking a walk (as director Ingmar Bergman told his daughter, ”The demons hate fresh air”). Pay attention, and especially pay attention to what you pay attention to. Worry less about getting things done, and more about the worth of what you’re doing. Instead of focusing on making your mark, work to leave things better than you found them.

My take: This book will be packed in my carry on next month as well! Every creative goes through a slump at some point. I’m looking forward to reading this book and seeing what suggestions it has for finding your way out of a slump!

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

Book Description: A delightfully inquisitive tour that explores the rich history and the subtle powers of fonts. Fonts surround us every day, on street signs and buildings, on movie posters and books, and on just about every product that we buy. But where do fonts come from and why do we need so many? Who is behind the businesslike subtlety of Times New Roman, the cool detachment of Arial, or the maddening lightness of Comic Sans (and the movement to ban it)? Simon Garfield embarks on a mission to answer these questions and more, and reveal what may be the very best and worst fonts in the world.

My take: If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I love lettering! Fonts go hand-in-hand with that love of lettering! I’ve read a chapter or two so far and love the history and stories about fonts that I knew nothing about! I can’t wait to finish this one! I’ll be packing it in my carry on next month as well.

#GIRLBOSS by Sofia Amoruso

Book Description: #GIRLBOSS proves that being successful isn’t about where you went to college or how popular you were in high school. It’s about trusting your instincts and following your gut; knowing which rules to follow and which to break; when to button up and when to let your freak flag fly.

My take: After watching Girlboss on Netflix a few years back, I decided to give Sofia Amoruso’s book a read. While we now know that things weren’t so smooth with her company in the end, this book was laugh-out-loud hilarious and shared a lot of great tidbits and lessons. I would read it again any day!

Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose. by Lara Casey

Book Description: Make It Happen is the story of how I surrendered my fear, took the leap, and got a life. In my case, a perfectly imperfect, fulfilling life as a mama, a working woman, and a grateful wife. This is the story of how I chose to make “it”―a greater purpose than mine―happen, and how you can too.

My take: I follow Lara Casey on Instagram and absolutely love her. She is such a cheerful woman with a lot of wisdom to share. This book really gets you thinking about your life and what you could be doing differently. Lara has another book, Cultivate, which I’d also love to read someday!

Power Your Happy: Work Hard, Play Nice & Build Your Dream Life by Lisa Sugar

Book Description: Lisa Sugar has an amazing job. She spends her days at POPSUGAR creating content about pop culture, must-have handbags, and makeup, healthy recipes, and Instagram-worthy sweets. She manages an enormously successful, growing company with employees who love what they do. And her life is just as great at home. She and her husband have three daughters and she’s the number one soccer mom who loves reading bedtime stories every night. How did she do it? By figuring out what her dream job was, taking risks, and believing in herself. And now she wants to motivate others to do the same. She wants to show them how to live colorful, interesting lives where every second counts.

My take: I received this book in my POPSUGAR Must Have subscription a few years back. I really admire women like Lisa who have built incredible companies that have become household names. This book gives great insight into how to she got where she is and tips on what to do if you have your own business. (I don’t have a business but still found this book to be very interesting and a great read.)

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

Book Description: As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore.

My take: I’m sure you’ve seen this book all over Instagram, Pinterest, and other reading lists recently! This book is EVERYWHERE! After seeing this book pop up on my own social media feeds a few times and hearing about it from coworkers, I decided to order it and see what all the hype was about! I’ve only ready a few chapters, but everything I’ve read so far has been sound advice! Taking four books on my trip next month is a tad ambitious, but I might pack this one too!

I hope you like this list of summer reading recommendations! I love reading, so I’ve enjoyed sharing a few of my recent reads and my upcoming reads with you! For more, check out my Amazon List.

Affiliate links are in use in this post.