All the books you need to add to your reading list this month!

We’re back with yet another list of book recommendations! This month's selection includes books that will make you feel all the good things this month—after all, it’s all about taking care of yourself. So, brace yourself for these incredible reads!

Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier by Marisa Meltzer

Looking for insights straight from the beauty world? Meltzer offers a sneak peek of the complexities of beauty culture and the world of magazines, focusing on all things glamorous and aesthetic. She recounts Glossier’s journey from a vague concept deck to a dominant player in the beauty business. In all of this, Marisa tries to reflect on the ways we must perceive ourselves.

Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given

Nothing tastes better than the sweetness of being unapologetically authentic in the true essence of being a woman. This page turner is a celebration of empowered femininity. It takes you on a journey of self-discovery and self-love. Packed with pearls of wisdom, the book will leave you embracing your feminine power. After all, lucky are those who are able to appreciate the richness of being a woman in all its delicious glory!

Want: Sexual Fantasies by Gillian Anderson

Have you ever woken up to an intimate dream you just couldn’t get out of your head? Anderson’s book collates 174 fantasies from anonymous women across the world, organised into 13 chapters with titles like ‘To be worshipped’ and ‘The watchers and the watched’. These fantasies provide a window into the most secret part of our minds. The book aims to give narrative control back to women.

Shakti by Nilima Chitgopekar

In this book, the author explores the ‘Divine Feminine’ as she is represented across India and the subcontinent. From mythology and rituals to philosophy and incorporation into many belief systems, the book tells the complete story of the Goddess in a linear narrative. Chitgopekar has weaved a wonderful web wherein she has included diverse threads from different cultures, regions, and traditions in which the Goddess can be understood.

Buy Yourself The Damn Flowers by Tam Kaur

Sometimes you need to be the one who can give yourself the beauty and love you deserve and not wait for others to bring you joy—Tam Kaur’s verses are a poetic reminder to embrace self-love and self-care, and bloom like the radiant flower you truly are. In her book, she advises on how to break free from seeking external validation and feeling unworthy, and teaches us to set healthy boundaries. The message is simple, yet powerful: Treat yourself with kindness and appreciation, acknowledge your worth, and prioritise your happiness.

Lead image credit: Pexels 

This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan India, September-October 2024, print edition.

Also read: Things everyone’s talking about lately

Also read: What Sally Rooney’s latest novel taught me about family and forgiveness