10 Life-Changing Books I’m Glad I’ve Read

Are you looking for books that can change the way you live your life?

Maybe you’re looking for stories that inspire personal growth or motivate you to try new things. You might even be looking for books that teach you something new about yourself and the world.

As someone who reads a lot (I have over 800 books cataloged in my Goodreads account as read), I have a fair share of books I can recommend on these topics.

And these book recommendations are good! I’m not a fan of boring, stuffy books with hard-to-understand jargon and overly complicated ideas.

In today’s article, I’m going over:

The top list of books I recommend reading
Why I recommend reading these books
My go-to personal finance book
The book that helped me feel like I wasn’t stuck

10 Life-Changing Books To Read at Least Once

Below are some of my favorite life-changing books I have read over the years.

Note: There are many ways to get the books below for free. I recommend reading 13 Ways To Get Free Books Online and Sent to You to learn more.

1. The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins

If you feel completely lost when it comes to investing and getting set up for retirement, you need to read The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. This is the book I wish I had read when I was in high school, and I often think about how this needs to be required reading before you enter college.

Investing often feels so hard to understand and complicated when it’s actually quite straightforward once you know the basics. This book is incredibly easy to read, and there’s no stuffy jargon.

Once you’re done reading this book, you’ll feel confident with your finances, and you’ll realize building wealth isn’t at all as complicated as you originally thought.

Please click here to buy The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins.

2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This was one of the very first books I read that talked about death so beautifully and made me less scared to die.

The author was a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at 36 years old. In the book, he shares his experience of being diagnosed with terminal cancer just as his career and family life were starting.

This story makes you think about so many important things in life and raises a lot of questions about what is truly meaningful. This book made me sob, but don’t let that stop you from reading it.

Please click here to buy When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

3. Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

Are you looking for a really quick read about changing the way you think? If you’re someone who tends to overthink and obsess over the little things that actually don’t matter, you need to read this book.

The book is broken down into short chapters with actionable steps to get you on the right path. You’re encouraged to step back from your usual way of thinking and be more intentional about the thoughts you’re thinking and whether or not you want to keep believing them.

This is a recent read for me, and I love how short and easily digestible the chapters are. I learned how to apply things from the book directly to real life circumstances.

Please click here to buy Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen.

4. The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

If you’re anything like me, you really care about being liked to the point where you might not be genuine with yourself. I believe I’ve lived this way for so long because I feel safe and avoid conflict, but I also know this way of living can be exhausting.

The Courage To Be Disliked showed me that I can live a life true to myself without factoring in other people’s opinions. You save a lot of time and mental effort in life when you start living the way you want to without having to constantly think of other people’s thoughts and opinions.

Please click here to buy The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.

5. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Don’t shy away from this book if you think you aren’t an artist.

In fact, you should especially read this book if you don’t think you’re an artist or a creative person.

This book is all about reconnecting you with your creative side and exploring things that can make you happy. If you feel stuck or uninspired in life, this is a great book to read.

One of the biggest things I took away from this book is that you don’t need to be a productive person or make a lot of money in order to be worthwhile as a human being. You can create and make things just for the enjoyment of it.

I’ve lived a lot of my life thinking I was never a creative person or that I had to be good at art in order to be creative. Neither of those things are true. This book is a must-read to bring that fire of creativity back to your life.

Please click here to buy The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

6. Know My Name by Chanel Miller

One of the more difficult books on this list is Know My Name by Chanel Miller. This is a memoir based on the real-life story of a woman who was sexually assaulted while attending a university.

This book is about finding your voice and reclaiming your identity after experiencing something so difficult. What I enjoyed most about this book is learning that the worst thing that’s ever happened to you does not need to define the rest of your life.

Please click here to buy Know My Name by Chanel Miller.

7. Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit is the book to read if you’re struggling with success.

This book teaches you how to think about success and talent differently. You learn that the things that actually matter are persistence, patience, and continuing to work on something even if progress feels slow.

This is the book to read if you need a gentle reminder that you don’t need talent or to be naturally good at something to get better at it.

Please click here to buy Grit by Angela Duckworth.

8. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza

This is a great book everyone should read to take a closer look at their thoughts.

Many of us mindlessly accept all of our thoughts as facts, and this book helps break those habits. You’re even encouraged to take a closer look at the behaviors and habits you don’t like and how to break patterns you don’t want to keep.

This book is definitely more unconventional than the rest of the books on this list, but it’s still worth mentioning here.

Please click here to buy Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

9. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

One of the very first self-help books I ever picked up is You Are a Badass.

I was at the airport on my way to Las Vegas and wanted something to read on the plane. Little did I know I’d become obsessed and end up reading all of Jen Sincero’s books.

This is the perfect book to read if you need a simple, easy-to-read book on how to believe in yourself. You learn to get out of your comfort zone and actually go for the things you want.

I thought this book was really relatable and even funny at times.

Please click here to buy You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero.

10. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Did you know the average person (if they’re lucky) gets about four thousand weeks to live?

When it’s broken down like that, you really start to care about how you’re spending your time. This is one of the newest nonfiction books I’ve read, and I wish I’d read it sooner.

If you feel like you’re constantly behind and not doing enough, you need to read this. This book encourages you that you can’t do everything and that you don’t even really want to anyway.

This is actually really freeing and helps you become more intentional with your time and where you spend it.

Please click here to buy Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to questions you may have about books that can change your life.

Which is the best book to change your life?

The best book that can change your life depends on what you’re looking for.

For example, if you want to:

Feel more confident about your money – The Simple Path to Wealth
Think differently about life and figure out what truly matters – When Breath Becomes Air
Stop overthinking right now – Don’t Believe Everything You Think
Stop feeling like you need to accomplish everything – Four Thousand Weeks

All the books on this list can do something different for you. They can all change the way you see things and how you move about in the world.

What are the best personal finance books to read?

My all-time favorite personal finance book to read and recommend is The Simple Path to Wealth. This book is all about investing in a way that isn’t stuffy and hard to understand, which is how most investing books are written. If you’re new to investing, this book can teach you:

How the stock market works
Why low-cost index funds are so powerful
Why investing simply is a good strategy
Why market downturns are normal
Why you don’t need to be an investing expert

Not understanding something as important as investing can be so incredibly anxiety-inducing, and this is why I recommend reading this book. You get so much power and control back, and it feels so freeing.

What are some good books about feeling stuck in life?

If you’re looking for good books about feeling stuck in life, I recommend:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron if you’re feeling stuck creatively. We are all creative beings; many of us have just lost touch with how to be creative.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman is especially important for people who are trying to get everything done and, at the same time, feel like they are not getting enough done.
The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga is the book to read for people who want to let go of others’ expectations and instead make choices based on what YOU want.

Best Life-Changing Books To Read – Summary

I hope you enjoyed my post on life-changing books to read.

Here is the full list of books:

I’ve been reading almost daily for as long as I can remember.

Reading gives me peace, calm, and consistency when everything around me is moving so quickly, which is why I always come back to reading.

I love that books can meet you where you’re at in life and always teach you something new. Sometimes you need a book that inspires your next life change, and sometimes you need a book just to take you out of real life for a while.

What book has changed your life?

Recommended reading:

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