This week I am back to give you another round of book recommendations, this time a selection of non fiction books I read in 2023 that I think would be worth your time. I have chosen to present them by my own categories below, and not by which I think is better nor in what order I read them. The categories below will be (1) generic, kind of feel good, personal development books, (2) more biographical, feminism-ish books, (3) helpful facts, and (4) impactful women power books. So there should be something for anyone, but not everything is always meant for everyone. But here are my recommended non-fiction books that I read in 2023.
First out are these three, which I feel like is the most generic out of the bunch – good options for just about anyone.
1. Make your bed, by William H. McRaven talks about, as it also says on the cover, the small things that can change your life, and maybe even the world. Admiral William H. McRaven, that is, shares his ten principles that he learned during his Navy seal training which has helped him overcome challenges, not only as a Navy seal, but also in life in general. With just over 100 pages, he gives you exactly what you need to get started and find a way to believe you can do it – that you can make it. It is such a nice and easy read, and perfect if you’re feeling a bit down or unmotivated in life. Would fit just about anyone, and a book you’d want on your bookshelf so you can read it again the next time you need a little pick me up. I gave this FOUR stars on Goodreads.
2. The law of success in sixteen lessons, by Napoleon Hill is a classic. One of the business books recommended by everyone for almost 100 years, and the one that started off Napoleon Hill’s self-help odyssey back in 1928. This book talks about 16 lessons you need to learn to have success, those being “The Master Mind”, “A Definite Chief Aim”, “Self-Confidence”, “The Habit of Saving”, “Initiative and Leadership”, “Imagination”, “Enthusiasm”, “Self-Control”, “Habit of Doing More than Paid For”, “Pleasing Personality”, “Accurate Thought”, “Concentration”, “Co-Operation”, “Failure”, “Tolerance”, and ” The Golden Rule”. Even though this book now is old (though it has been reviewed since its release), and I really do not agree with all of the lessons completely, I do really think there are important takeaways and food for thought that makes it worth the annoyance I felt at times. Prior to this I have also read another book by him, Think and Grow Rich, which I would also recommend. Definitely written in a time where women weren’t among the intended audience, but didn’t feel it was too difficult to look past that and focus on the point being delivered. Gave it FOUR stars on Goodreads.
3. 101 Essays that will Change the way You Think, by Brianna Wiest is I think one of today’s most talked about collections of essays designed to make you evaluate how to think and feel about almost everything. I listened to this on audiobook, but I do think I would have enjoyed it more if had read it as a physical book where it is easier to just stop and go back to really acknowledge the content better. But what I could gather and take in, did have an impact, and I would recommend it just based on that as well – but I do think the benefit will be better if read physically! Will get back to you on that when I get around to doing that though. Gave it FOUR stars on Goodreads.
Next up, there’s two more, like, biographical books, and one more interview based, but all three on being a woman in the world.
4. Girls will be girls, by Emer O’Toole, follows her story of trying to fit in and not, by dressing up, playing parts and daring to act differently, as she says on the cover. She shares many stories of how being a woman a lot of times is just a performance, to survive and live, and be viewed in a way you want. How the way you dress, talk, conform or change impacts how you’re treated, and why playing outside the rules is the way to go. Such an honest, nuanced and overall great book on the topic. Felt relatable both regarding my journey of becoming a feminist, and of being a woman and finding out what that means for me. Heartily recommend! Gave it FIVE stars on Goodreads.
5. The Only Woman in the Room, by Eileen Pollack, goes into her story of being a woman in science all the way from primary school to where she is now, and “why science is still a boys’ club”. Talking about how she was treated differently from a young age, because why would a girl want or need good grades in the hard sciences even though she was better than the others? But also on how women and men in the field have different needs, and how she sees everything in hindsight after talking with some of the people involved. A very good reed, and I gave it FOUR stars on Goodreads.
6. Secrets of six-figure Women, by Barbara Stanny, is based on talks and interviews with women earning above $100 000, and their “surprising strategies to up your earnings and change your life”. Although there were relevant takeaways in this book, I do feel it was very American focused and not that transferable to my life here in Norway. But there are definitely some good mindset shifts and ways of thinking I took from this that I feel can help. Worth a read, but not necessarily without also getting your information from other places as well. Gave this FIVE stars on Goodreads when I read it, being very hyped, but would probably downgrade to three and a half thinking back.
Thirdly, I have a collection of two very fact based books, and a third that feels fact based and is VERY helpful – loved ALL of these!
7. Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker, is a book I would recommend everyone read and then recommend to everyone they know. I had to find both a marker and some tiny post-it notes, because it became obvious that this was a book I needed to reference after I was finished reading it. This talks about how sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life, and how detrimental it can be to not take it seriously, but also how much of a difference it can make in your life to do take it seriously. Written by an actual scientific expert, having done a lot of research on the topic for many years, who knows the topic well enough to be able to write it in a comprehendible way for those of us who hasn’t. A must read, and I gave this FIVE stars on Goodreads.
8. Divergent Mind, by Jenara Nerenberg, on how to “thrive in a world that wasn’t designed for you” as a neurodivergent person. This is a formidable study of neurodivergent women, those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder, and how and why these traits so often have been, and still are, overlooked in women. As well as why we as a society would gain so much more if it wasn’t so. This was such a good book, and definitely one I would recommend to anyone wondering if this might relate to you or any woman you know. I gave it FIVE stars on Goodreads.
9. The Clutter Connection, by Cassandra Aarssen, on “how your personality type determines why you organize the way you do” was also a favorite of 2023, and I have started following her YouTube channel afterwards. She is also known as The clutterbug, and have made four types of organizers – and there’s also a test online where you can find out which one you are. This helped me a lot, both in bettering my own systems, but also in understanding others – especially how my systems differ from my parents. So if you too struggle a bit with making your systems work for you, definitely read this book! I gave this FIVE stars on Goodreads.
Finally I have the two non-fiction books I read in 2023 that probably made the biggest difference for me, the first on how to take back your power as a woman, and the second on why we still live in a world where we need to read the first book – kind of.
10. Unbound – A Woman’s Guide to Power, by Kasia Urbaniak, was such a refreshing read, my mind was just continuously blown throughout the entire read. I did read it on Audible first, but as soon as I was done I went straight to the internet to buy the physical book! This will be one of those “on repeat” books to ingrain all the lessons and continuously integrate the exercises to be the best version of myself for both me and everyone else. And a books I definitely would recommend to anyone finding it hard to stand up for yourself, what you believe in and what you deserve. I gave it FIVE stars on Goodreads.
11. The Authority Gap, by Mary Ann Sieghart, on “why women are still taken less seriously than men, and what we can do about it”, was another new love of my life. That book now has so many markings, tags, and generally lot of things I want to look at again and review at a later time. Her points I feel are so well presented, and just gave so much sense – I was definitely pissed a lot, but that is at the world, not the messenger of course. It asks you some hard questions on that even though you maybe believe in equality, and accept that women are as intelligent and competent as men, do you actually take women as seriously, do you read what they write or books written by them and so on. I absolutely gave this book a FIVE on Goodreads.
So, did you find anything to peak your interest? Let me know if you’ve either read any of these books, or plan on reading any of them based on my suggestion – I would love to hear your opinion. Maybe you also have a recommendation for me? Leave them in the comments below. See you again in a week!
Kine lovise Fredriksen 