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Now that it’s officially summer, chances are you’re looking for your next beach read. Ahead, we’ve compiled a list for all of you Create & Cultivators who crave career-driven fiction with strong female characters and non-fiction reads that will give you a boost to become an even better version of yourself. Whether you’re in the mood for some self-help, a sexy thriller, sweet romance, or a bit of office drama, there’s something for everyone.
"Your Fully Charged Life" by Meaghan B. Murphy
$24
This book is the perfect guide for becoming more energetic, happy, and fully charged every day. Written by magazine editor Meaghan B. Murphy, this guide is filled with personal experiences, learnings from positive psychology and neuroscience, and inspiring stories. It presents new ways, big and small, that you can make a difference in all aspects of your life and impact others in a positive way.
"While We Were Dating" by Jasmine Guillory
$15
Ben Stephens has more to worry about than getting in a committed relationship, including family drama and a huge ad campaign he just landed with Anna Gardiner, a major movie star. Anna is using this ad campaign as a distraction as she waits to hear if she landed the role in a big movie that will make her a household name. Ben and Anna are instantly attracted to each other and their flirtations turn serious after Ben helps Anna during a family emergency. They soon plan to turn their infatuation into something more suited for the spotlight, but will they both be content with this fake setup?
"Just One Look" by Lindsay Cameron
$25
After falling from the corporate ladder, Cassie Woodson takes a temp job reviewing correspondence for a fraud suit in order to pay her bills. After finding emails sent between Forest Watts and his wife, Cassie becomes invested and starts to find meaning in her life again. She starts spending her days reading over their email exchanges, slowly becoming more and more obsessed with their lives. After staging a chance meeting with Forest, Cassie starts devising a plan to take his wife’s place.
"Dream First, Details Later" by Ellen Marie Bennett
$25
Written by entrepreneur and founder of the multi-million-dollar company, Hedley & Bennett, Ellen Marie Bennett provides a simple guide to following your dreams, no matter what. Inspired by her experience as a 24-year-old line cook who offered to make new aprons for the kitchen staff even though she had no company or plan, she offers a new perspective on following your dreams by crushing doubt and second guesses. Pick up this book to learn how to step out of your comfort zone and get started on a dream project.
"Del Rio" by Jane Rosenthal
$16
District Attorney Callie McCall has slowly watched her hometown, Del Rio, California, go from a thriving farm town to a run-down, dying town. She decides that now the perfect time to launch her political career and attempt to make a difference in the town she was born and raised in. However, when the dismembered body of a migrant teen is found in one of Del Rio's surrounding citrus groves, Callie faces a career make-or-break case that takes her to the west coast of Mexico and a secretive tropical paradise before coming back home to face the most politically connected and wealthiest family: her own.
"The Other Black Girl" by Zakiya Dalila Harris
$25
Nella Rogers faces isolation and microaggression as the only Black employee at Wagner Books. When Hazel, a new Black editorial assistant, arrives and works next to Nella’s cubicle, she is overjoyed to have someone to talk to. However, Hazel is soon elevated as the office darling and leaves Nella far behind. Soon after, threatening notes start appearing on Nella’s desk telling her to leave Wagner immediately. Confused by the notes, she assumes Hazel has left the notes behind but soon realizes that there is more at stake than her job.
"The Heart Principle" by Helen Hoang
$15
Anna Sun accidentally achieves success when her YouTube video of her playing the violin becomes viral. Soon after the video’s success, Anna finds it difficult to replicate the video and becomes burnt out as a result. On top of that, her longtime boyfriend asks for an open relationship before committing to more, hurting Anna deeply. She decides to participate in an open relationship as well, planning on multiple one-night stands with the most unacceptable men. Anna soon meets Quan Diep, who accepts her unconditionally and offers more than sex. When tragedy strikes her family and Anna takes on an unexpected role, she and Quan end up fighting for their chance at a relationship.
"Mona at Sea" by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
$15
After graduating college at the top of her class and the job of her dreams in her grasp, everything seems to be working perfectly for perfectionist Mona Mireles. That is, until the 2008 recession strikes, and she ends up unemployed and living with her parents. Mona finds herself completely adrift in life and love and is on the path of a downward spiral of bitterness and self-pity. She uses humor and a cynic outlook in order to face her new life which is filled with job searching, navigating her parent’s failing marriage, and figuring out the complexity of adulthood.
"The Photographer" by Mary Dixie Carter
$26
Delta Dawn makes a living from taking photos of New York’s elite and editing them to look like perfect, happy families to their viewers. She spends her days hopping from one photo shoot to the next, but when she takes pictures for the Straub family, she doesn’t want to leave and finds herself wanting to be part of the family’s glamourous life. From babysitting their daughter to becoming a close family friend, Delta seems to have everything in place until questions are raised and she soon finds out that manipulation doesn’t come as easy.
"Write My Name Across the Sky" by Barbara O’Neal
$23
Gloria Rose is an influencer in her ‘70s living her best life in the Upper West Side with thousands of Instagram followers who adore her. However, everything starts to fall apart when her old lover is arrested for art theft and forgery. Gloria decides to run, but her plan gets complicated when she must help the nieces she raised. Willow has returned home after a failed album and relationship while Sam faces the imminent loss of her video game company and her boyfriend due to her uncontrollable anger. The three women must work together to overcome their loss and face their future.
About the Author: Abby Cunningham is a junior at Auburn University studying public relations and minoring in marketing and industrial and graphic design processes. Abby is currently the online and social media editor for her school’s newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman. She is also a part of Auburn’s student-run public relations firm, literary magazine, and yearbook. Abby is usually found spending her day on TikTok, color coding her plans for the month, or settling down with a good book.
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