Top 3 books under $15 to help you unleash your inner bad b*tch!

@bbabybelIs

By: Martha Komninou

You want to feel in control? So do I!

You want to gratify your ambitious self? Me too!

You want to become a badass? Who does not?

You are lost in life? Get in line.

Feminism constantly tells us to accept our unapologetic self, reclaim the girly girl stuff and embrace being sisters with all women. Simply put, to be a badass. However, if you are anything like me, you feel currently lost. Having finished university, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Even getting the most meager job seems impossible as the market is a four-letter word, and no it is not “nice.” On top of that, the possibility of returning to live with my parents seems more ominous day by FREAKING day.

Deep breath Martha. Deeeeeeeeeep Breaaaaaaaaaaath.

I repeat, if you are anything like me, feeling like a badass bi*ch is a difficult, stressful task.

In an obvious quarter-life crisis, I started scrolling through Tik Tok for glow-up tips and browsing r/Vindicta on Reddit to learn how to become gorgeous. Yet, I ended up murmuring "Notice me Senpai” when seeing amazing CEOs telling their inspiring stories. With perfect all-white teeth, 8-packs, and flawless hair, they say "You need to get ahold of your life.”

Easier said than done Senpai.

Drooling, crying, and staring at the ceiling became a part of my routine. These “activities” don’t help though. I took a hard look at the mirror and decided that I needed to take more drastic steps on changing my life. So I started reading online on how I can achieve getting a hold of my life. By buying books on sale, downloading e-books, or even reading summaries on Wikipedia (Hey broke ex-student remember? Don’t judge), I discovered some gems that truly helped me move forward from the wormhole called the early twenties. And yes, forward sometimes is going on a run and having a shower. Setting up your calendar. Applying for an internship. Baby steps are still steps on helping me become a girl boss.

So here are the top three books I can’t stop recommending to others because well, they actually work.

(Disclaimer: I have actually read those, not just the summary)

1. #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso

Have you ever heard the term #girlboss? I bet you have. This is the book that coined the term as it is literally the title. Sophia Amoruso went from selling vintage clothes on eBay to having her very own company called Nasty Gal. From talking about her vagina, to how she persisted and even by sharing tips, she write in a fun, quick-witted way that leaves you inspired and wanting more. I promise you will not get bored. And if you are still uncertain, Netflix did a series #GIRLBOSS, starring Britt Robertson. (You have no excuse dear reader, pick one and dive in).

When this book was written her company was thriving: she had employees, she had just expanded on publishing and she was the paragon of the successful woman. Yet, as she later admitted she was not ready to become a CEO, losing control of the company. Thus, Nasty Gal went bankrupt.

Now you are asking: “AND YOU WANT US TO READ THIS BOOK? Who is that? Another Elizabeth Holmes?”

Well no. Her bankrupt company was still sold for 20 million dollars and it still operating under another firm. What is more, Amoruso is now a very successful motivational speaker sharing tips on how women can succeed with a lot of hard work, by having a vision and knowing their limits. If nothing else, she did learn from her own experience. So read this book to avoid making the same mistakes and to post #girlboss with pride.

2. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

I know that this is a “parenting book” but aren’t our twenties the age where we parent ourselves? We tell ourselves to try, to wake up in the morning, to give a damn about our life, even if is difficult.

Amy Chua does just that.

She narrates how she raised her daughters to become successful, music prodigies by instilling them an incomparable work ethic from a very young age. She underlines that success is not just about being smart but it giving 100% to everything and never giving up. The novel is full of anecdotes regarding Amy Chua's daughters Sophia and Lulu. From having them study piano 5 hours a day to urging them to win various competition s, having them practice advanced math from kindergarten, even by threatening to leave her then 3-year-old daughter outside in the cold if she does not study piano. All those stories resulted in the two girls being admitted to Harvard and Yale, having lengthy resumes, and being considered gifted prodigies all over Europe and the United States.

Unsurprisingly, the book was highly controversial when it was brought out, as it was seen as child abuse and raising a gap between western and eastern parenting. Western parenting is all about praising and loving your child unconditionally. Eastern parenting is about setting high standards and pushing your offspring to succeed because you know they can do it. Chua cauterizes participation awards and unneeded praising. She rather puts emphasis on communicating with your child and urging them to succeed. The book's eastern logic made it beloved by the Asian community as they felt seen. In China, the book was adapted to a very successful tv series while Asian mothers now proudly admit that they are tiger moms. In fact, the book coined the very term "tiger mom" in the English vocabulary which was mentioned in one of David Cameron's speeches, and had Amy Chua in the list of the hundred most influential people.

So why read it? Personally, I read this book at a particularly low point in my life, where I felt that I had made all the wrong choices. I felt like the ultimate loser and so incredibly dumb. Picking up that book made me realize that it is not about intelligence but about resilience and effort. You need to persist and not give up at every difficulty. If you believe in yourself, everything is possible. Chua's doctrines helped me realize that it is never too late. All I have to do is try and do my best.

3. Crescent City series- House of Earth and Blood

I bet you had all been waiting for Mark Manson’s novel "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" to appear.

Yet, Crescent City encapsulates all the dogmas of the former with twice the fun without stealing eastern philosophy and making it seem original ( we know Mark Manson, we know).

You see, Bryce Quinlan is half-fae half-human in the city of Lunathion and is having her best life ever. Clubbing all night, working in an antique shop during the day, and having the most awesome friends, her life was perfect. Until her friends got murdered by a mysterious entity and her reputation got stained.

Two years later, she has to work with a criminal to help her solve her friends’ murder and find herself once and for all.

This fantasy novel shows how it feels to be lost and have no idea what to do next. Moreover, it contains urban fantasy, a mixture of social media and an original context that makes it a page-turner and most importantly, relatable.

When I finished reading this novel, I re-decorated my house, dyed my hair red and I started getting in touch with long-lost friends.

Yes, it is not self-help books but it has an implicated self-help ideology in a bad-ass, unapologetic heroine. What is more, it has benefited from the Subtle art of not giving a fuck, as it contains many swear words and it feels like it is written by twenty-year-olds for twenty-year-olds. Finally, the author is Sarah J Maas, so many steamy scenes are expected.

One last thing: be sure that your day is free when you commence reading it. After the 100-page info dump, you will not be able to put it down.

Trigger warning: The novel contains issues of sex, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide.