The Books That Changed My Life
I’m really excited to write these book recommendations as all of these books have improved my life in some form or another. I’ve categorised them into female empowerment, the menstrual cycle and enhancing pleasure. You can find each one by following the link in the title.
I can hand on heart say you should read these books. It’s my hope that in sharing them you will also learn a lot more about yourself, your relationships and how to make everything juicier and more pleasurable!
My intention for 2019 was to reignite my fire for life and these books all certainly played a part in that.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Please comment below with any recommendations you’d like to add.
FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer
I came across this book thanks to my friend Beth. She shared a quote that stopped me in my tracks and had me ordering a copy of the book before I’d even read the synopsis. I’ve given my copy away to a friend who is on her own pussy journey so unfortunately I can’t reference it. What I can tell you is this book changed the way I saw myself as a woman. Regena has a incredible way of shining a light on the power of the feminine in a humorous and empowering way so that you feel on top of the world.
I couldn’t put this book down.
Also, a good sign, I shared this title with anyone who would listen.
Regena taught me how to value my female essence and learn to appreciate the powers I have as a woman.
Who’s it for? - Everyone should read this book.
The wild woman’s way: Unlock Your Full Potential for Pleasure, Power, and Fulfillment by Michaela Boehm
My friend Jo recommended this book to me and I absolutely loved it. The author takes you on a journey to reconnect to your sensuality through movement, self-pleasure, ritual and self-care. It was especially reaffirming to read it as I am already doing many of the things she advises.
The book is written in a really clear, easy to read format and will be a great bible for you to refer back to when you’re looking to treat yourself like a Queen.
Who’s it for? - Women who want to connect to their sensuality and tap into their pleasure.
RISE SISTER RISE: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within by rebecca campbell
This book is a firm favourite between me and many of my yoga community. It’s a beautiful resource full of poems, thought provoking questions and inspiration to help women fulfil their potential. I’ve referred back to this book many times, especially during the Let Your Spirit Soar retreat I created with Calli and Courtney.
This is a really lovely book to read when you feel you’ve lost your way slightly and want to come back to your heart.
Who’s it for? - Any woman who wants to feel inspired and powerful.
THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE
period power by maisie hill
A lot of women who I respect and love were talking about Maisie’s work so I wanted to see for myself. From the age of 17 I was on and off the contraceptive pill. It came to a point about 3/4 years ago where I kept getting a strong message from my body that it didn’t want these drugs anymore. 18 months ago I transitioned off the pill and ever since have been on a journey of discovery about the menstrual cycle.
I’ve learnt about the different seasons of each cycle from summer through to winter. I learnt that actually I’m only fertile a few days of each month. I was put back on the pill aged 19 because I was experiencing amenorrhea after my eating disorder to ‘regulate’ my cycle and improve bone density. The irony is, the pill doesn’t give you a real cycle! Period Power has taught me to pay much closer attention to my cycle and to revel in the magic of my creative power.
I loved Maisie’s inclusive attitude and educational stance on why we should all learn about the power of our cycles.
Who’s it for? - Anyone who wants to learn about the menstrual cycle so they can live their life in alignment with it. I think this book is especially important for young women approaching menarche.
WomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source by Alisa Vitti
I read this book before Period Power and I have to say I much prefer Maisie’s book. Womancode is much more focused on using nutrition to supercharge your cycle which is not something I’m so drawn to. However this is a great book if you’re interested in balancing hormones using nutritional advice. I certainly enjoyed reading this but it didn’t fire me up in the same way as Period Power.
Who’s it for? - Those who are interested in learning nutritional advice to balance their hormones.
ENHANCING PLEASURE
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
This golden nugget of book helped me to understand that the times in my life where I’ve experienced zero libido was down to mixture of factors, a huge one being CONTEXT. Have you ever felt like you’re not normal because you don’t want to immediately ‘get down’ at the drop of the hat? Have you questioned why you once felt horny non stop and now you’re lucky if you even experience a mere tingle of excitement? Well then PLEASE read this book.
Did you know that our arousal and desire have brakes and accelerators and SO many factors will affect them. More often than not we need to change the context around arousal and desire to get things flowing. Emily uses real life examples to demonstrate how to improve sexual relationships.
Who’s it for? - Anyone who wants to understand the psychological elements and environmental factors that affect your sexual desire and how to adjust them so you can have the sex life you crave!
becoming cliterate Why Orgasm Equality Matters-And How to Get It by laurie mintz
I’ll start this one of with a quote…
“55 percent of men versus 4 percent of women said they usually reach orgasm during first-time hookup sex”
Holy moly. Thats a whopping 96% of women leaving a sexual encounter without climaxing.
This book has been written to help close that gap and start to balance out orgasm between men and women. This book goes into every element of orgasm from the physical practicalities to tips for communicating with your partner. Hopefully all of us want to give pleasure to the person we are with. Many of us don’t know how to ask for what we want because we don’t know what we want. Please for the love of your pleasure go and read this book. I’ve learnt so much in the few days of reading that I can barely put it down.
Who’s it for? - Anyone who wants to experience an orgasm. This book is especially recommended for men who want to please a woman.
Sensation: Adventures in Sex, Love & Laughter by Isabel Losada
This hilarious book came highly recommended by my friend Seda. I took it to Bali with me and laughed my way through Isabel’s hilarious account of learning how to ‘ommm’. If you’ve never heard of the practice it’s where a woman receives 15 minutes of clitoral stroking from a partner. The goal of orgasm is off the table, the only requirements are that the woman gives feedback and the partner listens and follows accordingly. Her exploration has taken her all over the world and this book is the culmination of all her learnings.
It’s light-hearted and warming, especially when Isabel talks about the discussions she had with her partner about exploring the curious world of ‘omming’. I learnt that there are omming groups all over the world who gather together to practice and perfect the technique, I must say I’m fascinated!
Who’s it for? - Anyone who wants to open the doors of pleasure and to learn better communication with their partner.