Summer is here, and with it comes the best excuse there is to put down your phone, step away from the doomscrolling, and pick up a really good book. From personal experience, there is nothing quite like a book that meets you where you are and genuinely changes how you see yourself.
These are my five picks. Books that live in my home are underlined, have the odd Post-it note attached, and maybe a few pages are smudged in suntan cream.
I love, trust, and recommend without hesitation, and each one is empowering, informative, and deeply rooted in the real experience of women navigating perimenopause and midlife. Whether you’re looking for science, strategy, or simply a story that makes you feel less alone, there’s something here for you.
Read them in the garden, on a sun lounger, or in that rare quiet hour when the house is finally still. Consider this your permission slip to invest in yourself this summer and to start pressing play on the next chapter of your life.
Menopause and ADHD: how to navigate hormone flux and neurodivergence— Dr Helen Wall
If you have ever wondered if you have Perimenopause or ADHD, then this book is for you. Dr Helen Wall is a GP, a registered menopause specialist, and on a mission to tackle the often-overlooked intersection of hormones and neurodivergence with science and compassion. Whether you have an ADHD diagnosis or have simply spent years wondering why your brain works differently. Filled with information plus self-help tools to support yourself. This book will make you feel heard, understood and far less alone.
She wanted more: reimagine your future and live by your rules — Poorna Bell
This is the book for every woman who has quietly sensed that there is more available to her and hasn’t yet given herself permission to reach for it. Written in the aftermath of profound personal grief, Poorna Bell’s warm, honest exploration of midlife reinvention is part memoir, part rallying cry. It asks the questions we often don’t let ourselves ask, and answers them with stories of real women who chose differently. Uplifting, validating and impossible to put down.
Have a magnificent menopause: a straightforward guide to looking good and feeling great— Alison Bladh
Exactly what the title promises. This is a practical, grounding guide for women who want to navigate menopause with confidence rather than dread. Alison Bladh is an award-winning registered nutritional therapist, hormone health expert and author who brings a nutritional and holistic lens to the conversation, making this one of the most accessible and genuinely useful books in the space. Reclaim your energy and step into your next chapter with confidence! Keep it on your bedside table. Refer back to it often.
Unlock your power through self-awareness, authenticity and taking action — Poppy Delbridge
Perimenopause is one of life’s greatest pivots and has a way of bringing every old pattern and belief quietly to the surface- the ones that have been running in the background for years, keeping you safe, but also keeping you small. Poppy Delbridge, bestselling author and founder of Rapid Tapping®, has written the book so many women have been waiting for. Unlock Your Power is a clear, practical seven-step framework that blends neuroscience, energy work, and identity transformation to help you spot the patterns shaping your choices and consciously choose a different direction. Rewrite the script and step into your most powerful decade yet.
Age like a girl: how menopause rewrites your brain for mental clarity. Increased confidence and renewed energy — Dr Mindy Pelz
Dr Mindy Pelz makes the science of the female body genuinely exciting, and this book is her most empowering yet. Age Like a Girl reframes the entire conversation around midlife health, putting women back in the driving seat of their own biology. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused, or just exhausted by conflicting health advice, this is the book that will make everything click. A powerful Read!
