30 Inspirational Books That Will Change Your Life
Updated: Jun. 27, 2024
Looking for that nudge in the right direction? These inspirational books will guide you on the path toward a fuller, freer and happier life.
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Life-changing inspirational books
The best books can warm your heart, satisfy your curiosity, enlighten your mind and feed your soul. They can make you cry, laugh, swoon, see red or even go running scared, looking for the nearest blanket to toss over your head. But perhaps one of the best things that a good book can do is change your life. Whether your aspirations are focused on personal growth and motivation or you’re seeking answers to life’s big questions, turning to inspirational books to improve happiness, manage mental wellness or instill hope and strength in times of inner turmoil is always your best bet.
These books can act as motivational guides that enrich lives by teaching everything from how to be happy to how to practice gratitude. They encourage readers to keep a positive attitude, they establish a framework for how to set goals, and they ponder the purpose of life.
This list of both fiction and nonfiction books contains titles for anyone who wants to gain wisdom, find direction, build a career, begin self-reflection or just become happier. Here, you’ll find some of the best inspirational books you can read to improve various aspects of your life. We chose these titles from a wide range of genres, as well as bestsellers, critically acclaimed selections and those that have gained high ratings among thought leaders and armchair critics alike. It’s our hope that these inspirational books motivate you to find your best sense of self.
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The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
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New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong by Stephanie Harrison
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Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness by Pooja Lakshmin, MD
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
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Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
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The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
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Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown
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The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD
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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
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The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
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Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
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Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
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Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others by Zachary Levi
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How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times by Chris Bailey
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Touch Matters: Handshakes, Hugs and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance Your Well-Being by Michael Banissy
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The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
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Becoming by Michelle Obama
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We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting by Tara McMullin
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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
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Be That Unicorn: Find Your Magic, Live Your Truth and Share Your Shine by Jenny Block
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The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor
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The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
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The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Genre: Inspirational self-help
For fans of: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Known for helping artists make Grammy-winning magic, legendary music producer Rick Rubin takes a step back to look at the bigger creative picture with his 2023 book, The Creative Act. With this New York Times bestseller, Rubin offers a profound and transformative guide to unlocking the creative potential within all of us. Using a blend of philosophical insights, practical advice and deeply personal reflections, Rubin challenges conventional notions of creativity and delves into the essence of inspiration, the importance of mindfulness and the value of embracing uncertainty. Which means this book is not just for artists but for anyone seeking to enrich their life with creativity and purpose.
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New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong by Stephanie Harrison
Genre: Self-improvement/inspirational
For fans of: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith and The Lightmaker’s Manifesto by Karen Walrond
Does happiness feel out of reach for you? Well, according to happiness expert Stephanie Harrison, it’s not your fault; you’ve just been misinformed. In her 2024 international bestseller, New Happy, Harrison draws upon hundreds of studies and a decade of research to dispel false ideas you’ve been taught about what happiness is and how to achieve it. One of the newer inspirational books on this list, it offers you a step-by-step guide to building the life you want. Using a blend of inspiring stories, real science and art explaining key concepts, New Happy aims to help you reimagine how you see yourself and your place in the world. Whether you’re navigating a career change, going through a rough patch in your personal relationships, struggling with parenting your kids in a complicated world or simply hoping to experience more joy every day, New Happy offers a path to a brighter, better side of life.
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Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness by Pooja Lakshmin, MD
Genre: Self-help/women’s health
For fans of: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab and Self-Love Workbook for Women by Megan Logan
Sometimes a bubble bath is just a tub full of water. When it comes to women’s health and wellness, self-care needs to go deeper than doing a juice cleanse, getting a mani-pedi or buying pricey bamboo sheets. Board-certified psychiatrist and New York Times contributor Pooja Lakshmin, MD, believes it’s time to move beyond these incomplete versions of self-care that focus outward and instead get self-reflective. In her 2023 bestseller, Real Self-Care, Dr. Lakshmin helps readers understand what a meaningful practice of caring for yourself could—and does—look like. Using case studies from her practice and clinical research, she provides a step-by-step program for real and sustainable change. Packed with actionable tips and strategies to tackle common problems women face, Real Self-Care is a practical guidebook to help women assert their power, get a clearer understanding of who they really are and discover lasting self-care.
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Genre: Self-improvement/inspirational
For fans of: The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman and Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown
In 2016, bestselling author Amy Tan (the genius behind The Joy Luck Club) was depressed and overwhelmed by the dismal state of the world. She decided to seek solace in nature, specifically watching and tracking the birds visiting her yard. What started with Tan looking out her window and journaling soon turned into pages and pages of drawings and insightful musings about the world around us and ultimately became The Backyard Bird Chronicles.
Published in the spring of 2024, this New York Times bestseller, which Tan calls “an accidental book,” is a witty, thoughtful collection of essays and original sketches that celebrates the beauty around us and our necessary connection to it. For birders and the bird-curious, the book is a charming, original account of the peace we might find in our own backyards.
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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Genre: Fiction
For fans of: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A critically acclaimed classic novel, Paulo Coelho’s 1988 The Alchemist is packed with wisdom and revelations, empowering anyone on a journey of self-discovery. Readers are swept into the mystical world of a shepherd boy named Santiago, who embarks on a quest in search of worldly treasure only to find his riches in the people he meets and insights he grasps along the way. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re on the right path or if you’ve lost sight of what you want in life, Santiago’s story may inspire you to rediscover your own spiritual connection.
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Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
Genre: Self-improvement/spirituality
For fans of: Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
Based on the sought-after Yale undergraduate course and written by the faculty who teach it, Life Worth Living strives to answer the question, “What makes a good life?” Is it trying new things? Spending time with family? Making room for happiness? This 2023 release encourages readers to find where their lives hold meaning—and what might require some change. The authors provide meaningful reflections and jumping-off points to better discover the aspects of your life that make it worth living.
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The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Genre: Self-improvement
For fans of: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
In his bestselling 1997 book, Don Miguel Ruiz introduces readers to wisdom from the ancient Toltec, who ruled central Mexico a thousand years ago. The Four Agreements examines how we might be limiting ourselves in the lives we lead and how we can open ourselves up to freedom, happiness and moments of joy, all based on Toltec teachings. It continues to rank as one of the best inspirational books year after year.
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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Genre: Picture book/philosophy
For fans of: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Big Panda & Tiny Dragon by James Norbury
In his internationally bestselling 2019 novel, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charlie Mackesy uses the simplicity of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse (plus gorgeous illustrations) to teach universal life lessons of kindness, hope, love, friendship and moving through times of great difficulty. The feel-good book‘s adventures, conversations and artwork have connected with readers of all ages.
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Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown
Genre: Self-help
For fans of: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, and What Happened to You by Bruce D. Perry, MD, and Oprah Winfrey
In her 2021 New York Times bestseller Atlas of the Heart, research professor, author and lecturer Brené Brown breaks down 87 essential emotions and experiences that shape us as human beings. She provides readers with the tools and skills needed to make more meaningful connections, to understand what it is to be human and to be inspired by life. For more inspirational books on mindfulness, reflection or how to set boundaries, look to Brown’s decade-spanning body of work.
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The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD
Genre: Spiritual self-help
For fans of: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach and Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton
Happiness is the key to life. At least that’s what the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, explores in his 1998 inspirational book, The Art of Happiness. As humans, we want to achieve happiness, but the harder question to answer is how. Learning how to navigate insecurity, discouragement and anxiety are a few things this book explores, using meditation, stories and conversations as examples to help readers through common difficulties.
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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Genre: Creative nonfiction
For fans of: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown and Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
From Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, is an empowering book that seeks to understand the nature of inspiration and creativity. Published in 2016, Big Magic features unique insights from Gilbert about tackling the things we love most, facing fears, breaking unhealthy attitudes and embarking on a path toward creativity (at work and at home) with nonnegotiables like mindfulness and passion.
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The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Genre: Memoir
For fans of: Just Kids by Patti Smith and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
From one of America’s most iconic writers, The Year of Magical Thinking is both a New York Times bestseller and winner of the National Book Award. In this heartfelt 2007 memoir, Joan Didion chronicles her experience after the unexpected death of her husband just weeks after her daughter was placed on life support, and the six-hour brain surgery her daughter endured just two months later. Didion used her lived experience to write a powerful book on loss, love and life itself, packed with inspirational quotes and reflections on longing.
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Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Genre: Autobiography/psychology
For fans of: Night by Elie Wiesel
This international bestseller, published in 1959 in the United States, reveals the unimaginable hardships that psychiatrist Viktor Frankl endured during his time in the Nazi concentration camps. Through his own recollections in Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl offers a riveting story of physical and spiritual survival, arguing that at the heart of human survival, it’s not pleasure that drives us but the pursuit of what we find meaningful, especially during bleak and hopeless times. His text will inspire readers to find significance in their own lives, despite any challenges that arise.
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Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Genre: Self-help
For fans of: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
From the world’s leading expert on habit formation, James Clear, comes a transformative book that walks readers through specific strategies and systems that will help them form good habits and break bad ones. Published in 2018, Atomic Habits provides real-life stories from Olympians, physicians, leaders and award-winning artists who have mastered their craft by changing simple behaviors and understanding the importance of a growth mindset. It’s a remarkable read that’ll help you process complex ideas and turn them into actionable steps you can apply to your everyday life for lasting change.
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Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others by Zachary Levi
Genre: Memoir
For fans of: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The 2022 debut memoir by actor Zachary Levi, Radical Love is an honest portrayal of the anxiety and depression that led to his rock bottom. With raw candor, Levi shares his emotional journey toward mental wellness and inspires readers to rise above their own trauma and pursue a life of gratitude.
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How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times by Chris Bailey
Genre: Self-help/mental health
For fans of: Burnout by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton
Released in 2022, this science-backed book guides readers to productivity during anxious times. Stress, burnout and exhaustion consumed Chris Bailey before he realized the importance of taking breaks and creating a capacity within his schedule for calm. In How to Calm Your Mind, Bailey discusses how finding calm and reducing our mental load can lead to a more fulfilled life. For those looking to become more engaged and focused, Bailey’s teachings can help.
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Touch Matters: Handshakes, Hugs and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance Your Well-Being by Michael Banissy
Genre: Neuroscience/social psychology
For fans of: The Art of Saying No by Damon Zahariades and Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Michael Banissy’s 2023 book, Touch Matters, examines how vital the sense of touch is to our health and relationships. As an award-winning social neuroscience professor, Banissy uses one of the largest studies on touch to help readers enhance their self-esteem, find their “touch personalities” and harness the role touch plays in friendships, professional settings, personal settings and more. Just like the effects of exercise on our emotions, our senses and the environments in which we live impact every ounce of our well-being.
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The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele
Genre: Self-help/business
For fans of: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant and No Hard Feelings by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
Morra Aarons-Mele’s 2023 release, The Anxious Achiever, strives to strip away the stigma surrounding anxiety, normalizing it and teaching high achievers how to transform it into a superpower in the workplace. If you’ve struggled to understand your own mental health, how to clear your mind or how to turn stress and worry into a source of strength, then this book is for you.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Genre: Self-help/business
For fans of: Getting Things Done by David Allen and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
More than 30 years after its release, this highly acclaimed book (read by presidents and parents alike) is still giving high achievers and leaders around the world the tools they need to live effective lives. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has become one of the most popular inspirational books of all time for its description of seven incredibly successful habits and Stephen R. Covey’s principle-centered approach to time management and problem-solving in personal and professional settings.
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Becoming by Michelle Obama
Genre: Memoir
For fans of: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah and Finding Me by Viola Davis
Released in 2018, Becoming is an intimate, motivational memoir written by former first lady Michelle Obama, who recounts her time growing up in Chicago, her career as an attorney, balancing motherhood in the spotlight, advocating for women, becoming the first Black woman to hold the role of first lady of the United States and so much more. She went on to adapt the bestselling book for young readers, launch a Becoming-themed gratitude journal and release an inspiring follow-up memoir in 2022 called The Light We Carry.
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We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Feminist theory
For fans of: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and Shrill by Lindy West
A short yet inspiring 2014 essay adapted from a Tedx Talk of the same name, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists explores what it means to be a woman in the 21st century and draws upon her experiences to provide refreshing, motivating insights on the modern definition of feminism. It’s a must-read that sits high on the growing list of the best inspirational books for women.
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Beloved by Toni Morrison
Genre: Literary fiction
For fans of: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
One of the most inspirational books ever written, Beloved (which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction) follows Sethe, a former slave who now resides in post–Civil War Ohio. But even after 18 years, she’s still not free. Sethe is haunted by the spirit of the child she tragically lost and struggles to escape her dark past while grappling with the present. This 1987 novel from Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison is a powerful classic and masterwork of American literature—and certainly on the list of books everyone should read before they die.
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What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting by Tara McMullin
Genre: Self-improvement/business
For fans of: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven and The 12-Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington
Are you someone who creates a goal-setting vision board? Those looking to transform the way they achieve goals might want to ditch the rigid metrics so often involved in personal development, says Tara McMullin. Her 2022 book, What Works, provides readers with actionable strategies to embrace practice over achievement, to stop constant comparisons and to look for gentler, more fulfilling ways to go after goals that won’t lead to burnout.
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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
Genre: Inspirational autobiography
For fans of: Educated by Tara Westover and A Promised Land by Barack Obama
In 2012, few expected 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai to survive after being shot point-blank by the Taliban on her way home from school. She fought for her right to an education and survived. And soon, she became the world’s youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Her 2015 memoir, I Am Malala, is one of the most popular inspirational books and one of the best autobiographies, telling a story of survival, endurance and passion for making waves and creating change.
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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Genre: Memoir
For fans of: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
What makes a virtuous and meaningful life? That’s the question neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi sought to answer after receiving his Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis at age 36. Just a decade into his young career, Kalanithi was forced to confront his own mortality and began writing this memorable, devastating and inspiring memoir. He died in 2015, before When Breath Becomes Air was published but not before he shared a transformative collection of insights and learnings in this profound read. Heartbreaking and heartening at once, the book is a lasting testament to what it means to truly live, not just exist.
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Genre: Self-help
For fans of: Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen and Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
This breakout bestseller became one of the most reached-for self-help inspirational books after its release in 2016. In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson urges readers to forget positivity and instead embrace those fears, faults and painful truths in order to find courage and perseverance. It’s an attention-grabbing and refreshing read for anyone who’s been dwelling on things they feel they cannot change.
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Be That Unicorn: Find Your Magic, Live Your Truth and Share Your Shine by Jenny Block
Genre: Motivational self-help
For fans of: Rising Strong by Brené Brown and Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
Do you tend to search for happiness quotes throughout the day? Load up playlists with songs that keep your mood on the sunny side? Pack your streaming services with feel-good movies? Have we got the book for you. One of the most encouraging inspirational books of 2020, Jenny Block’s Be That Unicorn guides readers to a place of happiness. If you’re great at being yourself, she argues, you’ll make other people feel great about themselves as well. Being the most honest version of yourself, also called being a unicorn, takes confidence and authenticity, and this book is perfect for readers looking to find happiness through their authentic selves.
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The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor
Genre: Motivational self-help
For fans of: Grit by Angela Duckworth and Think Again by Adam Grant
Why do we laugh? Why do we smile? What creates happiness? This internationally bestselling book, published in 2018, argues that happiness fuels success—success does not fuel happiness. Backed by science and research, The Happiness Advantage shows readers how to rewire their mindsets and seek possibilities in order to seize opportunities.
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The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
Genre: Motivational self-help
For fans of: Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander and Boston Philharmonic conductor Benjamin Zander work together to give readers 12 transformative practices that will help them bring creativity into their lives. Published in 2022, The Art of Possibility offers readers inspiration from the writers’ personal stories and profound anecdotes.
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Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Genre: Inspirational biography
For fans of: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple
It was the sound advice of Morrie Schwartz, Mitch Albom’s college professor, that gave the young writer a profound view of the world. Years later, as that view was waning and Morrie’s insights fading, Albom rekindled his relationship with his old mentor. Every Tuesday, Albom sat in Morrie’s study for lessons on living, all chronicled in one of the most popular inspirational books, 2002’s bestselling fan-favorite, Tuesdays with Morrie.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece, Farrah Penn tapped her experience as an author and book reviewer to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Originally Published: March 12, 2024
