7 Non-Fiction Books That Will Give You All the Feels This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to relax and unwind with a good book. Even better is spending the summer months with true stories that are sure to uplift you. Check out these seven new books that will brighten your day and your life.

1. More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth ($26): Elaine Welteroth’s debut book is the perfect read for any woman just starting out in her career. As the former editor-in-chief at Teen Vogue, Welteroth has seen plenty of challenges throughout her career and in this new memoir, she discloses how she unlocked a bright future for herself. Through her own story, she hopes to inspire women to believe in themselves and take control of their destinies. With anecdotes from her own life, More Than Enough is an anthem for the modern woman.

2. Let Love Have the Last Word: A Memoir by Common ($26): Grammy award-winning musician Common believes that love is the most powerful force and that you have to approach everything you do with love in your heart. In his new memoir, he touches on important and timely topics of fatherhood, race and politics. Let Love Have the Last Word inspires readers to open their hearts and approach the world with kindness and, most importantly, love. If you’re in the market for a spiritual and honest read this summer, Common’s memoir is the book for you.

3. Newcomers in an Ancient Land: Adventures, Love, and Seeking Myself in 1960s Israel by Paula Wagner ($17): By the time Paula Wagner was 18, she was already an experienced traveler who has learned everything she can about where her mother came from. Eager to learn more about her father’s Jewish roots, she travels to Israel for a work/study program to learn Hebrew. Inspired and wanting to learn yet another language, she jets off to France where she learns many important life lessons including the kind of woman she truly is. Through her life-changing travels and education, Wagner comes to find out her true purpose in life and the kind of person she wants to be.

4. The Apology by Eve Ensler ($22): Eve Ensler will never forget the sexual and physical abuse she endured at the hands of her father. Knowing she’d never get an apology after his death, she set out to write her own apology—what she’d want him to say to her if the chance arose. The result of this healing exercise is Ensler’s latest book The Apology. Choosing to learn and grow from past trauma, the author of The Vagina Monologues encourages others to follow in her footsteps and find their own path to healing and finding a new beginning.

5. Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir by Jayson Greene ($25): Jayson Greene’s world was forever changed when he lost his two-year-old daughter due to a freak accident. But instead of wallowing in his grief, Greene did his best to keep going and living his life to the fullest. Finding love in the darkest places, Once More We Saw Stars documents the life of a couple going through an unimaginable loss and the strength and love it took to overcome the tragedy. In this new memoir, Greene spreads a message that with love, anything is possible.

6. Naturally Tan: A Memoir by Tan France ($28): Queer Eye’s fashion guru Tan France graces the book world this summer with his debut memoir Naturally Tan. From his humble beginnings as a young, queer Muslim boy in South Yorkshire to his successful professional career, this new book gives readers an inside look at the life of a modern cultural icon. With chapters about fashion, navigating his way through the gay community and finding true love, France gives his best advice and life stories for readers who are trying to create their own path to success and happiness.

7. Love You Like the Sky: Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved by Sarah Neustadter, PhD ($12): When psychologist Sarah Neustadter lost the man she loved to suicide, she couldn’t help but wonder why it happened. Over a three-year time period, Neustadter documented every emotion and every hardship to try and find answers to the questions she had about life, death and dealing with grief. Love You Like the Sky is a guide for anyone who is dealing with their own grief and looking to turn their sadness into something hopeful and beautiful.

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