TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2025

For all things health, personal development and business

It is here! My annual favourite books compilation, the 2025 edition!

Every year, my bookshelves (and Kindle… and Audible…) tell the story of who I’ve been and what I’ve needed. Last year was all about rebuilding my reading rhythm and redefining what “growth” looked like for me. This year? It felt different, softer, richer, more intentional.

I found myself craving books that didn’t just teach me something, but actually supported me in holding the energy and state I wanted to walk through life with.. Some stretched my thinking, some cracked my heart open, and others simply brought me back to myself at the end of a long day (hello regulated nervous system - thank you smut!). And of course I continued to embrace the magic of audiobooks, because sometimes the most nourishing thing you can do is let someone else read to you.

Reading is still one of my most grounding nervous system rituals. It’s where I get to switch off the part of my brain that’s always holding space, creating, problem-solving, and leading… and just sink into a world, a lesson, or a line that makes everything feel a little clearer. It also means a lot less screentime (I mean I do read on my iPad but the blue light is off and it’s not backlit so it doesn’t count right?!)

So, in that spirit of expansion and ease, I’ve pulled together the 10 books that genuinely shaped my year, the ones that stayed with me long after I closed the final page.

And if you love weekly insights, quotes, research gems, and reflections from whatever I’m reading (across health, hormones, personal development, business, spirituality and more), make sure you’re on my newsletter - it’s where I share the good stuff.

Let’s dive in…

MY TOP BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

In no particular order other than how they popped into my mind

1. Beautifully Brave - Sarah Pendrick
   Embodying the theme of self-love this month, I have come back to a favourite of mine. This book not only looks incredible on your coffee table but is packed with tangible, actionable acts of self-love and tools to help you step into radical self-awareness so you can operate from a sense of true self-worth and confidence. 
   
   
2. It Begins With You - Jillian Turecki
   This book resonated so deeply with me, every one of the 9 truths felt aligned and I could feel myself nodding and smiling along as I listened to this on my walks and drives last month. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt personally and continue to empower my clients with is radical self-awareness + responsibility. The freedom that comes from shifting out of victimhood and taking ownership of your actions, feelings and life is hands down where I see the most transformation in my work as a life coach and even nutritionist. I cannot recommend this book enough!
   
   
3. The Metabolic Reset - Dr. Lara Briden
   This book is a breath of fresh air in a world still obsessed with calorie math and willpower hacks. It explains why so many women start gaining weight in their 30s and 40s — not because they’ve become lazy or indulgent, but because their hormones, nervous system, and metabolism are shifting in response to stress, inflammation, and undernourishment. Briden breaks down how things like low progesterone, thyroid suppression, and muscle loss slow metabolic function, and how the real root of fat storage often comes from the body trying to protect itself — not sabotage your goals.
   
   What makes this book so powerful is that it hands women their power back. It’s not about shrinking yourself. Instead of cutting more and pushing harder, Briden teaches you how to fuel your body, support your hormones, and regulate your nervous system so metabolism can work with you again. It’s science-backed, refreshingly compassionate, and actually tailored to a woman’s physiology — not some outdated one-size-fits-all fitness advice.
   
   
4. Limitless - Jim Kwik
   Whilst I am someone who is all about physical health and well-being, hopefully you know this about me by now - I see mental and emotional health as being just as important. I also really value being able to be at my peak performance which is why this book is so appealing! Jim Kwik is known as ‘the guy with the broken brain’ - but he turned this weakness into his superpower and in this book teaches on methodology that’s supported everyone from celebrities to teachers in optimising their brain health + performance. As someone who wants to get the most done with her time and be productive, I was excited that this book taught little hacks to help me with this along the way.
   
   
5. Boundless - Ben Greenfield (the updated and revised edition)
   I actually had the privilege of meeting Ben himself at Venice Beach where I heard him speak at a Coffee & Chill event. Even though I have the OG copy of this book, this version is new and improved! All the cutting edge latest tools and tricks for all things wellness + biohacking. I look at this less like a book you sit and read cover to cover, and more like a manual to your body! Ben and I share a lot of the same philosophies (in fact I did a little reel sharing about women + ice baths with Ben’s hot take). I’ve been integrating a lot of this work more deeply within my programs too.
   
   
6. Billionaire Situation Series - by Lyra Parish
   Every now and then I love diving into a non-fiction book or series that I love, because let’s be real - we don’t always want our nervous system ‘on’, we love a good read that isn’t always about learning. This series (as per all my smutty books), comes from the amazing @booksoftash. It’s a billionaire series that is tied to the Valentine series by Lyra Parish and I am in love with these books!! This isn’t 50 shades level, it’s better in my opinion, and the brothers are just so heart melting. Billionaires or not, a love like this is goals hehe! I binged the entire series and had to stop myself from just putting the laptop down, curling up and reading all day - they’re that good! The first one is called ‘The Wife Situation’ if you wanna check it out.
   
   
7. Rich As F*ck - Amanda Francis
   There is something super empowering about being able to generate your own wealth (and this isn’t just limited to entrepreneurs or business owners). As Amanda Francis says very early on in this book “we need to get money into the hands of goodhearted people who live with the intention to make a positive difference in the world.” Wealth in the right hands will make the biggest difference in the world, so why can’t it be me and you! I love this book, and the simplicity of it, not to mention the mindset shifts. I am also being super intentional about doing the ‘homework’ as I go through this. It really does make a huge difference when you take action - because as one of my favourite sayings goes, ‘knowledge is power, but application is wisdom’. 
   
   
8. Excuse Me Your Life Is Waiting - Lynn Grabhorn
   The positive effect the book has had on me has been profound. It’s one of those books that reminds you how much of your reality is being created not by what you do, but by what you feel. We all know the concept of the Law of Attraction — “like attracts like.” But what Lynn explains so beautifully is that it’s not your thoughts alone that create your experience, it’s the emotional charge behind them. You can say the affirmations, visualise the dream life, write the goals, but if you’re doing it from fear, lack, or frustration, you’re still magnetising more of that same energy. It sounds simple, but when you start paying attention to how you feel moment to moment, everything starts to shift. For me, this landed in a really tangible way. I realised how easy it is to slip into “fixing mode”. This book reminded me that I can’t manifest my way into joy while feeling anxious, or call in abundance while feeling scarcity. The feeling comes first. The results follow!
   
   
9. A Very Merry Series - Lyra Parish
   I actually read the first two in the series last year, but the third one dropped in perfect time for the holiday season. If you want Christmas romance with actual plot, actual chemistry, and actual spice, this is it. Lyra Parish nails the cosy-small-town vibe in the best way. A Very Merry Mistake gives you chaotic Christmas energy with a meet-cute that turns unexpectedly swoony.  A Very Merry Nanny brings the single-dad softness and the kind of slow-burn that makes you grin at your Kindle. And A Very Merry Enemy (the newest one!) has that delicious rivals-to-lovers banter that keeps you hooked from page one. It’s festive, it’s fun, it’s flirty, it’s light-hearted… and yes, the spice is very much there, but in a way that feels warm, not cringe. I devoured the first two last year and have been counting down for the third. The whole series just feels like a warm mug, fairy lights, a cosy blanket, and a little bit of trouble. If you want a holiday read that makes you smile, makes you blush, and makes you forget the outside world… This is your sign!
   
   
10. Books of Tash
    I need to give a special shout-out to one of my gorgeous clients who, this time last year, had just launched her blog… and she has absolutely taken off with it. And yes, she’s still serving us the very best of the smutty world. What still makes me laugh is how many high-achieving women secretly adore a spicy read. Every time someone admits, “Oh… I’m actually a smut girl too,” I’m reminded why Tash’s corner of the internet is such a gift. She’s built this brilliant little universe of reviews, recs, and unapologetically fun content — and she’s kept it going all year long. And in case you’re new here: I still don’t pick up a fiction book unless it’s Tash-approved. Truly. She’s never missed. She’s done all the “research” for us (and by research, I mean she has suffered through the terrible books so we don’t have to 😂 - check out her IG here).
    
    Tash — I’m so proud of you. Watching your voice, your confidence, and your creativity grow over the past year has been such a joy. Keep sharing your magic, keep shining brightly, and please… keep my TBR spicy. Enjoy the fun, lovelies. You deserve a little pleasure in your reading list 😉