📚 (May 2026): Our Book Recommendations!


Hello Reader,

We know you’re always looking for your next good read, so we have some great recommendations.

Every month, you’ll receive team CGF’s top picks of books to help you improve your finances, advance your career, practice self-care, or get lost in a fantasy world.

Here is our list of MONTH book recommendations!

  • Note: This book list contains affiliate links from Amazon. Clever Girl Finance is an Amazon Associate which means we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. These commissions help us keep our resources free!
  • We also encourage you to support your local independent booksellers! You can search by your location here.
  • Love this email? You'll love our books too! Check out the Clever Girl Finance book series, including Clever Girl Millionaire — written to help you build real, lasting wealth.

Finance pick: Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life

Does having debt feel like you have a 50-pound weight strapped to your back? Are you constantly making payments, only to feel like you’re sinking deeper into a hole? Have you simply accepted that you’ll be making debt payments from the grave?

No matter how overwhelmed you feel, it is possible to conquer those mountains of debt. In fact, it’s even possible to live entirely debt-free.

How? Gail Vaz-Oxlade can show you the way.

In her book, Debt-Free Forever, she has helped thousands of people pull themselves out of the depths of financial despair, and she can help you, too.

By following her proven methods, you will:

  • Learn the strategy to eliminate consumer debt in three years or less.
  • Face your balances head-on and create a realistic, actionable plan for elimination.
  • Build a budget that actually works for your lifestyle so you can achieve—and maintain—a debt-free life.

The journey to financial freedom isn't easy, but it is far better than dodging creditors, maxing out credit cards, and letting your debt be the reason you're not fully enjoying life.

Take control of your future. Pay off the debt and keep it off by reading Debt-Free Forever.

Self-help pick: Girl On Fire: How to Choose Yourself, Burn the Rule Book, and Blaze Your Own Trail in Life and Business

If you became more confident after reading Cara Alwill Leyba's first book, Girl Code, then her highly anticipated second book will change your life.

This book is for the girl who has always played by the rules and done what she was told. This is your playbook to start forging your own path. What if that small flame burning inside of you becomes a raging fire, scorching anything that stands in your way of making your dreams come true?

Girl on Fire is meant for every girl who feels held back in life and is waiting for permission to truly start living.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to start your business, hesitating to start your own podcast, or dreaming about that solo trip, Girl on Fire will give you the steps to follow your dream now. No more waiting. Pick up your action plan and start living the life you desire today.


Explore the Clever Girl Finance Learning Platform + Community!🎉

Whether you've taken our courses before, haven't started yet, or want a fresh reset, this is the perfect moment to dive in. The new platform is easier to navigate, community-driven, and built to support you from start to finish.

We even have fun coloring sheets in our worksheet library — because who says personal finance can't be enjoyable?

Take ownership of your finances in 2026!

👉 We’d love for you to join us: Click here to set up your account.


Business/Career pick: Power Moves - Mind Your Business: A Workbook to Grow Your Creative Passion Into a Full-time Gig

Most of us have a passion project or a side hustle that we dream of doing full-time. Instead of juggling your day between the work that pays the bills and the work that lights you up, you want to stay in one lane. You wish that you could turn your creativity and passion into a full-time income, but you don't know where to start.

You're worried that walking away from stability will lead to failure and struggle. These fears and doubts are something that author Ilana Griffo has faced; yet, she created a six-figure design studio from a creative hobby.

Drawing on her knowledge and experience, she wrote Mind Your Business to help aspiring entrepreneurs thrive. Filled with advice from successful business owners, legal guidelines, and steps on how to create a budget and avoid pitfalls, this book provides a foolproof plan for your business. This book will teach you how to:

  • Sidestep the common pitfalls that sink most startups
  • Dominate online platforms
  • Provide actionable tips to beat the competition using SEO and social media

With Mind Your Business, it's possible to not only grow your creative passion but scale it as well.

Fiction Pick: Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?: A Novel

Are you someone who gets hounded by family members about when you're going to get married? Or perhaps you're dodging calls from your ex.

Even though your love life may be a mixture of chaos and unintentional solitude, you still believe in true love. Sound familiar?

Then you'll definitely relate to the main character and "hot mess" Yinka, who really isn't a hot mess, but more of a hopeless romantic who struggles to get things right.

Seemingly stuck in the single life, Yinka is determined to find her perfect match at her cousin's wedding. Will she find the love of her life, or maybe discover something else that's been missing?

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? is a funny, relatable, and charming story of a girl who isn't going to give up on herself or love. Add this book to your collection of romantic novels today!


Do you have your copy of Clever Girl Millionaire?

Clever Girl Millionaire is more than a book — it's your roadmap to the financial freedom and future you deserve. Already read it? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop a review where you purchased it and let us know what resonated with you. Haven't grabbed your copy yet? Now's the perfect time — your next level is waiting!


Which summer reads will you choose?

Which book is making it onto your summer reading list? Drop it in the comments — we'd love to know! And while you're at it, don't forget to check out our completely free financial courses to keep the money momentum going all summer long!

Happy reading! ❤️
Team CGF

Clever Girl Finance

Clever Girl Finance isn’t just about money. We are about freedom, choices, and confidence. We know how overwhelming finances can feel, especially when you’re juggling career, family, and personal goals. That’s why we’ve built one of the largest personal finance communities for women, with over 100,000 women learning, growing, and winning with their money together.When you subscribe, you’re not just signing up for financial tips, you’re joining a movement. You’ll get access to relatable, judgment-free advice designed to help you ditch debt, save consistently, and invest with confidence. We break down money topics in a way that’s simple, practical, and actually fun. Whether you want to build your first emergency fund, pay off thousands in debt, or finally start building wealth for the long term, we’ve got the tools and support you need. With our resources, tools, and strategies, you’ll know you’re not alone on this journey. Subscribe today—because your future self deserves the financial freedom you’re dreaming of!

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