Summer reading list: The books we can't stop recommending (part 1)
Tired of self-help books that feel bro-y and out-of-touch? Us too. That’s why we're excited to share the reads that genuinely changed our relationships with money, gave us confidence in our careers, and made us feel less alone in our financial journeys — just in time for summer days by the pool.
In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we break down our favorite reads across six categories:
Money books that don't feel like a chore
Books that have shifted our entire money mindset
Financial classics worth your time
Career-leveling must-reads
Fascinating nonfiction to keep you curious
Books that made us feel completely seen
Whether you're looking to finally tackle investing, level up your career, or just want something that makes personal finance feel like a conversation with your smartest friend, we've got you covered with this summer TBR list.
Join us next week for part 2: our favorite fun + fiction reads!
📌 Time Stamps:
[00:01:30] Our reading habits and how often we dive into finance books
[00:03:30] "The money read that doesn't feel like homework"
[00:07:45] "The read that'll change your relationship with money"
[00:13:00] "The financial classic worth revisiting"
[00:17:00] "The book that'll help you level up your career"
[00:20:00] "Learn something new nonfiction"
[00:25:00] "The one that'll make you feel seen"
[00:30:00] What's coming in part two: fiction and fun reads
📚 Books Mentioned:
Money for Couples by Ramit Sethi
How to Money by Jean Chatzky and Katheryn Tuggle
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rogers
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
A Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Bet on Yourself by Sarah Turner
We Should Get Together by Kat Vellos
How to Win At Travel by Brian Kelly Untamed by Glennon Doyle
The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
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Transcript
Emily Batdorf: [00:00:00] Are you drowning in money questions, but too embarrassed to ask? Tired of scrolling endlessly through conflicting financial advice that leaves you more confused than when you started? Welcome to the Finance Girlies Podcast, your cozy corner for all things finance. I'm your host Emily.
Cassidy Horton: And I'm your host Cassidy. We're both finance writers for brands like Forbes Advisor, USA Today Blueprint, and Yahoo Finance. Throughout our careers and personal lives, we have come to one realization: When we keep our money worries to ourselves we end up feeling alone. That's why each episode we tackle those burning questions you've been afraid to ask with no judgment, no jargon, just real talk about real money. Ready to finally get answers? Let's dive in.
Cassidy: Welcome back to the finance girlies.
Emily: And welcome to part one of a two-part very [00:01:00] cozy episode, our summer reading list special.
Cassidy: We are talking about the books that shaped our thinking, the ones we're obsessed with, and the ones we've got stacked by our computer desks as well as our beach chairs this summer, because we're loving 'em.
Emily: We're both big readers, so we split this topic into two parts. This episode, which is part one, will be all about the finance, career and personal development books we love, and part two, which will come out next week, will be all about fiction and fun reads we love. Before we start, Cassidy, how often do you read finance and career development books?
Cassidy: Mm, that's a good question. I feel like it comes in waves for me.
During the pandemic I started reading a lot more just in general. And so I was reading a lot of fiction books, but then I would also weave in like one non-fiction book. So a lot of times my mornings would look like me reading like, 10 to 15 pages of a self-development book or like a non-fiction book.
And a lot of times they were more like either [00:02:00] personal finance oriented, 'cause that's the space that we write in, that's the space that we're passionate about. Or it would be some like career, get outta your mindset, create better habits, kind of book. And I still try to keep that up. Like a lot of times I'm never just reading a personal development book at a time. Usually I also have like, a fiction book going on. But you know, maybe I'm reading like four or five non-fiction, self-development books a year.
What about you?
Emily: Yeah, really similar. I always have a novel or you know, some sort of fun book to read at night. And then, I typically have some sort of nonfiction book, personal development book that I start my day with. And I will say I have gone through phases where, like, for example, when I was starting my business, I read so many personal development, business books that I just kind of burn myself out on them. So now I'm much more careful about like, [00:03:00] how many I'm reading and how often I'm reading them, so I try to, try to keep a healthy balance.
Cassidy: So for anyone listening, we wanted to walk you through all of our favorite books that we've read, broken up into these really cute, adorable categories to help you visualize like, who this book might be best for or when it might be best for.
So we are going to start off with some finance, career, and development books that we really love.
So the very first category we're gonna talk about is “the money read that doesn't feel like homework.” So this is kind of the finance wisdom that feels like chatting with a money savvy best friend.
And Emily, what book do you have for this category?
Emily: I chose Money for Couples by Ramit Sethi, and I chose this book because number one, I just like breezed through it when I first got it earlier this year, and the whole [00:04:00] book just feels like every chapter, every page has some really valuable advice that I don't know, encourages you to keep reading. So I, I just like zoomed through this book and got so much out of it and like immediately, you know, had chapters bookmarked that I knew I wanted to revisit.
And so yeah, if you are like, in a relationship, manage money with someone else, or like, are thinking about doing that, this is a really helpful book that again, does not feel painful to get through in any way. It's quite enjoyable.
And then I also had an honorable mention, which is called How to Money, and that's by Jean Chatzky and Katheryn Tuggle.
And that book, to be totally honest, I have not read, but I have read other books by Jean Chasky. This book I bring up because it's kind of set up like a graphic guidebook almost. So it's like, super fun, all illustrated. But like again, super [00:05:00] practical. It's actually aimed at younger adults, so like college, early career stage of life.
And essentially it is just explaining all of these basic money principles that you should know as you, like, become an adult. But I think, even though I haven't read it, it is something I would recommend to anyone who like, wants a basic introduction into financial concepts.
Cassidy: Yeah, the title says it perfectly, How to Money. Like if you need to start from the very, very beginning and get those foundational building blocks going, that is a good one.
Emily: In a non-intimidating format.
Cassidy: Mm-hmm. The book that I have for this category, “the money read that doesn't feel like homework,” is The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. And I feel like a lot of personal finance books are really prescriptive. Like this is [00:06:00] the first step you take if you wanna get better with money. This is the second step. This is the third step. is how investing works.
So you almost follow it like a workbook of sorts as you're like, learning how to think about money. But I really like The Psychology of Money because the author really leads with storytelling and each chapter is just this little lesson to get you thinking about money in a different way.
So it's not necessarily, here is homework for you to do, but by the end of it you feel like your perspective has shifted on how money and wealth and investing and all of these things work.
So I feel like it does a lot of that mind shift deeper work without being like, now here is a list of things for you to do now that know this thing. So I, I just really like it.
Emily: The next category is, “the read that'll change your relationship with money.” So these books are about mindset shifts that stick with you long after the last page. So I'll start with my pick, [00:07:00] which I know Cassidy, you've read too. It's called We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rogers. And this book, I think I’ve read it two or three times. I've at least read sections of it, you know, multiple times.
It's just so good. It is part personal finance, part career growth, part like, personal development. It's like a little bit of everything. But this book was just kind of instrumental in how I began to think about money as like, something that's worth pursuing and, and that might sound weird, but what I mean by that is like, it's not selfish to like wanna take care of yourself financially and to even go beyond that. So yeah, I recommend this book all the time. It's one of those.
Cassidy: I recommend this book to literally every woman on the planet, like, you need to read this book.
I feel like it woke [00:08:00] me up to, yeah, like why I deserve to make good money as a woman. And there are so many just like, facts and statistics and data to back up everything that she's saying, and by the end of the book, you really will feel like this is something that I need to do for myself. And I will feel no shame about it because I think in general. Especially as women, we are taught to like, kind of be meek and like to not be like, I don't, I don't need money. Like yes, I need to make a good living, but like it's okay. Right. And part of that too is like a lot of the predominantly women-led fields that exist are like teaching for example, like they're lower paying fields of work by nature, even though they deserve to be paid a lot more than they do.
So I just feel like as a society, women are kind of taught like, you can do [00:09:00] all of these service-based roles and also be okay with not being paid a lot of money. Like that should be the general mindset. And this book shakes all of that up and is like, no, you deserve to make a good living and this is why.
Emily: Mm-hmm.
Cassidy: It's so good.
Emily: Yeah. It is like the motivational pep talk you need if you are starting a business or like wanting to ask for a raise or anything like that. Um, and also she's hilarious. I just, I just love her.
Cassidy: Yeah. Yeah. It's so good. Okay. I'm embarrassed that my top pick is even put in the same category as the Rachel Rogers herself. But remember, this category is the read that will change your relationship with money. And so as I was thinking of what book I wanted to put in this category, I was like, I'm gonna put the book that honestly changed my relationship with money initially, the most. And as [00:10:00] embarrassed as I am to say this, it's Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. And Emily also mentioned in a side conversation that her first personal finance book read was also she is like, I'm a little embarrassed to say this out loud.
Not, not to put you on the spot, but do you wanna say it?
Emily: Sure. It was Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Cassidy: And to our point, like you kind of can't help the first personal finance book that you're introduced to. Like Emily mentioned that she was introduced to this book by a family member. I was introduced to Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey by a librarian who worked in the library that I also worked at in undergrad.
So, you know, I was just like a 19-year-old whatever. And she was like, oh, you're interested in personal finance. I'm gonna bring you a stack of my favorite books. And that was one of the books.
And this book really did wake me up and kind of change my mindset around money. And I think that's because it was the first personal finance book I ever read [00:11:00] that was very prescriptive about, this is what you need to do to build wealth.
And I liked that because up until that point, personal finance to me just felt kind of like a mystery, a little elusive, like I didn't really know how to be good with money. And this book was like, here's, here's baby step one, here's baby step two. And I was like, I can do a baby step. This sounds so easy.
And then throughout the book, every point that he's trying to illustrate is backed up with a story of someone who successfully did that thing. So there's tons of anecdotes in the book well, and by the end of it, you just feel like. Wow, I can really do this thing. Like I can really get my money in order. And so I really liked that book and I did follow the baby steps.
And I'll add the caveat of, I've said this before in previous episodes, I initially, like college Cassidy was a fan of Dave Ramsey and this was back in 2014, 2015. So over a decade ago. But I [00:12:00] was a fan of his for years before I ever heard his voice out loud.
Like truly my only experience with him was reading his book and then reading the blog post on his website, which he doesn't even write, I would almost guarantee, like there are people hired to write those. And then I remember one day I was at my mom's house and she was listening to a Dave Ramsey podcast and I was like, who is talking like, he sounds like such a jerk. And it, it was Dave Ramsey and I was like, Ooh.
But yeah, once I heard his voice for the first time, I was like, I don't think I like this guy very much. Yeah. And that's kind of how it all started to fall apart. But up until that point, I'd never heard his voice. I'd only read his books, his blog, and I was, I can follow this. It's good.
Emily: Yeah, I mean, as problematic as he is, I think there are lessons you can take from his material, with a grain of salt. And like, it is true, [00:13:00] he has helped a lot of people, get out of debt and such and such. So no shame.
Cassidy: Yeah. The next category is, “the financial classic worth revisiting.” So these are kind of oldie, but goodie money wisdoms that stand the test of time, in our opinion. And I guess I can go first on this one. My recommendation, if you're looking for a financial classic is A Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins.
And this was a book that I read, I was already a finance writer at the time, I already had those personal finance basics down, but my next step was being brave and investing for the first time. And I was like, I really don't know how to do this. And this was the book that I read. And if memory serves, it's like a collection of letters that he wrote to his daughter.
Do you know this? Let me fact check it real quick.
Emily: I think you're right. I think you're right.
Cassidy: Yeah. So this book was kind of born out of a series of letters that he wrote to his daughter. And it really does, if you feel at all overwhelmed or cloudy or [00:14:00] confused about how to invest, by the end of the book, it really does make you feel like, okay, this actually is very simple. I can do it. I have confidence that I can do it right.
And it just feels really good. It really does feel like a, a warm fatherly figure. Kind of guiding your hand through how to do this thing that on the surface seems very scary, so I really recommend it.
Emily: Nice. And my financial classic is another Ramit Sethi book. His first book, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, and this book is like 15 years old, I wanna say, although I know there's a, a second edition. But it is like, I think I would say if you are looking for one book to help you get serious about building a financial life and system that works for you, I think this would be the book I recommend. It just is so [00:15:00] comprehensive, so simple, like it's not overly complicated in any way. And it is, just like a approachable, in a way that I think a lot of traditional financial books are not. So, yeah, I won't say too much 'cause I think the book like, speaks for itself, but I think it's one of the best.
Cassidy: Yeah, I read, I Will Teach You to Be Rich maybe six years ago, and the very first time I read it, my thought was, this feels like a more relevant version of Total Money Makeover, like the lays out all the baby steps of Dave And from that point on, I had the thought like, if I needed to recommend a book to someone where they're like, I have no idea how to get my finances in order. Like I need a book that lays out all the steps and shows me exactly what to do, that I Will Teach You to Be Rich, is a, is like the best version of that. So.
Emily: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Cassidy: 'Cause it does walk you through, I don't know [00:16:00], how to think about savings. I also really like that he comes at the angle of building a rich life, like whatever a rich life means to you.
So he's not like scrimp, scrimp, scrimp, scrimp, scrimp, be frugal. He’s like, you just need to prioritize what you value. Even if that's like, I really value having designer shoes or whatever. And then not feeling any shame about that, but just making sure that you, you've structured your money in a way to where you can spend lavishly on those things while still hitting all of your savings goals.
So I really like that mindset that he brings into it.
Emily: Yeah, and I think that's why it makes for such a good, like, all in one, like if you need one finance book, this is it. Just because it has such practical, clear steps along with like a really healthy money mindset. And caveat, I would say, when I say like, the one book, that and the Rachel Rogers book, 'cause you, you need to read that too.
Cassidy: Mm-hmm.
Emily: Okay, moving [00:17:00] on to, “the book that'll help you level up your career.” So this is for anyone looking to make power moves this summer or next fall. If you wanna take, take a break this summer.
So we have the same pick for this category. And it's a book called Bet on Yourself, written by a friend of ours and mentor Sarah Turner.
And this book is just so good. I knew it was gonna be good because Sarah, for, for anyone who doesn't know Sarah Turner, she is a copywriting genius. So I just knew that she would write an amazing book, but it still just kind of blew me out of the water and like was something I think I read in, I don't know, a day, two days.
Like I just wanted to keep reading. And it's one of those books that makes you feel like you can do anything. And the [00:18:00] premise of it is, she kinda makes the argument that traditional jobs aren't as secure as we've been taught to believe or maybe that they used to be. And the best thing you can do for yourself is to invest in yourself.
And she kind of, kind of frames this as by running your own business and, and creating income on your own. So, it's kind of a mix of, some journal prompts and like questions to ask yourself, but there's a ton of personal stories and she has an incredible story herself.
And it's just really inspiring. And again, it's, this book is kind of like a pep, pep talk if you are like, at all curious about freelancing or going off on your own, building a business, this is for sure a must-read
Cassidy: Yeah, Sarah Turner is the reason I have a freelance business. [00:19:00] Period.
Emily: Same.
Cassidy: And she, yeah, same. And for, for so many of us. And she does such a great job of just guiding you through all of those sticky parts or like the mindset shifts that you need to make to really embrace being a business owner. And I, I do really also credit her for my own mindset shift of thinking that freelancing is a bit more stable than having your own job too. Because we've had so many people that we know, like get laid off from their jobs and it was their sole source of income. But as a freelancer, you know, we may have like anywhere from five to 10 clients at a time.
So it's like even if one or two lay off their writers, we still have so many others to like carry us through so our income is never zero, even if it does dip at times. And yeah, it's, I, I credit her to helping me start my freelance business and also for still being a freelancer all these years later. So.
Emily: Hmm. Yeah.
Cassidy: Really good book.
Emily: Really good. [00:20:00] And then. We mentioned this before, but we should all be Millionaires is an honorable mention for this category because as we said, it is kind of part, part career growth and definitely worth a read whether you are a business owner or an employee, so.
Cassidy: You know how sometimes you can read a book multiple times and you glean different things from it just based on the season of life that you're in? I think for me, I read we should all be millionaires at a time where I already had. A successful-ish freelance business, but I like, knew I was undercharging, but I was like, afraid to charge more.
And this book really spoke to me in that season to be like, no, you are gonna raise those rates and you are gonna find a way to, to earn the money that you need and want to earn more easily. And so, yeah, yeah, that book was just really instrumental in helping me level up my career too.
Emily: Hmm.
Cassidy: So, [00:21:00] alright, the next category is the “learn something new nonfiction,” for when you want to stay curious while you're lounging by the pool.
So for this category, my mention is we should get together at The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships by Kat Vellos and. You may have heard me say if you've listened to previous episodes, I went through a season hardcore a few years ago where I was like, I am determined to make friends as an adult.
And so I was reading articles on how to make friends as an adult. And this was one of the books that I read. And if you're at all in a season where you're also like, how can I make more friends as an adult or strengthen the friendships that I already have as an adult? Highly recommend it. We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, because in the book, she gives some really good pointers.
I think one of the things that stuck out to me the most was just how to approach new friendships and the math and science behind, like how long you have to [00:22:00] hang out with someone before your friendship can be strengthened. And so she talks about, for example. Needing to eventually move beyond like just a coffee date, for example.
'Cause a lot of times when you're friends as an adult, you're like, we're gonna meet up for coffee like once a month. But really what you're doing in those times is you're just catching up on each other's lives, but you're not like living life together, which is how more of those memories happen and that foundational friendship gets strengthened.
And so she, there were just tons of little nuggets. At that season in my life too, whereas where I was like, I have never thought about this. She also brings up the point, I think it's the MIT study that talks about how many hours you have to hang out with someone before you move from an acquaintance to like a kind of friend and then from a kind of friend to a friend and then like a friend to a best friend.
And so just having all of that like math kind of presented to me, like the logical side of how to make friends as an adult as well as tips for actually like how to go out and do it. It's just a very helpful [00:23:00] book.
Emily: Yeah, that's on my list for sure. I haven't read it yet, but I definitely want to. And my pick for this category, the “learn something new nonfiction book,” is called How to Win At Travel by Brian Kelly. And Brian Kelly is the guy, is The Points Guy, the guy behind The Points Guy which I think actually might have a different name now. Don't quote me on that.
But anyway, he is like the expert when it comes to travel hacking and using your credit card points strategically for going on trips and upgrading your flights and all of those things. And he packs all of his tips, all of his years of travel — I mean, he's been traveling like crazy for years and years and years and it's, he just puts everything into this book 'cause he wants the average person to know that travel hacking and points and all these things are not [00:24:00] just for business people or people who, you know, travel for a living, like this is accessible to everyone. So I will say this book is like, in some ways, a little bit overwhelming. It is so full of information that it's kind of hard to just like, sit down and read.
But as somebody who wants to dip my toe in a little bit more into how to maximize points and travel more for less, I do think it is like an amazing resource and something that you just kind of have to work your way through, you know, chapter by chapter with whatever feels relevant. So yeah, highly recommend if you're interested at all in learning more about travel hacking and using credit card points and all of that.
Stuff.
Okay. In the last category, in our personal development section, is “the one that'll make you feel [00:25:00] seen.” Books where you think, wait, are they in my head? Cassidy, you wanna share yours?
Cassidy: Yeah, so my pick for this category. Is Untamed by Glennon Doyle and holy crap. Like I've never felt more seen reading a book. So as soon as I saw this category, I was like, this is a book that's going in here. Yeah, Untamed is kind of Glennon Doyle's memoir. Just about her life and her journey to really embracing like this full life where you feel untamed and not like you are limited by like, the expectations society puts on you or your family puts on you. And just really about turning inward and trusting what she calls like your knowing like that, that gut feeling in your stomach where you're just like, this is the best decision for me.
Or like, I know that this thing is absolutely right for me. And it was one of those books where I tried to read it a few years ago and I felt so seen that I could [00:26:00] not get through it without just like, bawling my eyes out. So I had to like, close the book, put it away for a year, and then come back to it when I felt like I was ready to handle it.
And yeah, it's, it's just such a good book. And I think also like, I am someone who identifies as like, a people pleaser and someone who, even if I know in my gut what decision is right for me, I like wanna research all, all the possible takes on that decision and really sit with it. And she talks about how she is that way too in the book. And so I just, you know, and then seeing her work through that and come out on the other side, I was like, this book is so good. Highly, highly recommend.
Emily: Yeah, I need to reread that 'cause it's been a long time since I read it. Uh, my pick for this category is The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler, and this [00:27:00] is another book I find myself wanting to recommend all the time. Before I read this book, I didn't really think of myself as a perfectionist and was like I, I don't know, this was like a book club book a while back and I was like, I don't wanna read that book. It's not for me. And then I like, cracked it open and I was like, in the bookstore and just kind of reading a little snippet and I dramatically changed my mind and bought it on the spot and was like, actually this is me.
And, it really kind of addresses the whole idea of like, overcoming perfectionism and how perfectionism is such a bad thing and instead kind of teaches you how to embrace your perfectionism and however that like shows up for you and use that as almost like a superpower to just like live the life that you want.
[00:28:00] And it's written by a therapist who she just, I, if I could invite her over for dinner, I would in a heartbeat. Like she just is so smart. And the whole book is so well written. It's, I, I think it's rare to get a non-fiction, kind of self-help book that's written so well. But this is one of 'em. So highly, highly recommend.
Even if you don't think you're a perfectionist, I challenge you to at least give it a try.
Cassidy: Yeah, Emily recommended this book to me a few months ago, and I just picked it up from my local bookstore a few weeks ago, and I think I'm maybe on chapter two or three. And I am someone who has identified as a perfectionist my entire life. And you take this quiz at the beginning to figure out like, what type of perfectionist you are.
And then as you continue reading the book, you're viewing it through the lens of the type of perfectionist you are, and, even still, like, I've just started it and it, I've learned so [00:29:00] much about myself. I'm like oh my gosh. I really am a procrastinating perfectionist. I will sit with every detail of information and keep researching, and keep researching and keep researching until I feel confident that I'm making the right decision for me.
Yeah. It’s good.
Emily: And it has so many like actual helpful tips. Tangible things you can do. And so it's one of those books that, like, I have a bunch of pages dog-eared that like, you know, I was like, oh, I, I'll have to go back to this. And I have, so.
Cassidy: Yeah, and I really like the concept of not, of, the way she approaches it, of, perfectionism is not a bad thing. Like it's not something you need to overcome or get rid of. You're just learning how to use it as the superpower that it is, you know? So.
Emily: Yeah, and she is like the only person I've ever heard say that. And so now anytime I see or hear, you know, something about [00:30:00] overcoming your perfectionism, I have this immediate reaction that's like, nope, don't need to do that, and here's why. So it's really interesting.
Cassidy: That's a wrap for our summer reading list on this finance and personal development edition, but please stay tuned for part two where we dive into our top fun recommendations for your summer reading marathon.
Emily: If you've read any of the books we talked about today or have other recommendations you think we'd love, send them our way. We are 100% serious when we say we would love to know what you're reading.
Cassidy: You can leave a comment on Substack or email us at hello@thefinancegirlies.com. We would love to include your favorite summer reads in a future episode, or honestly just in a newsletter, because we are here to build community, and we would love to share some of your favorite reads with our community as well.
Emily: And if you need an excuse to log off early this summer, this is your sign to grab a drink, find some shade, [00:31:00] and lose yourself in a good book.
Cassidy: Absolutely. And with that, we will see you next week for part two,
Emily Batdorf: That's a wrap on another episode of the Finance Girlies podcast. Nothing in this episode is meant to be taken as financial advice.
Cassidy Horton:Please do your own research and talk to a professional if you need advice. As always, if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate [01:02:00] and review. Love you. Bye.
