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 October 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!
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• We also encourage you to support your local independent booksellers! You can search by your location here.​
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• 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: Financial Joy: Banish Debt, Grow Your Money and Unlock Financial Freedom in 10 Weeks

6 am and your alarm goes off, signaling that it's time to get up, while activating that knot in your stomach that forms every time you think about going to work. Lifting your head up from your pillow you feel exhausted from overworking yourself the day before. And while you're dreading getting out of bed, the never-ending worries of paying off your debt and saving for retirement push you to continue your grind. Everyday you hope the little money you make will help you one day live a life of financial freedom.

You stare at yourself in the bathroom mirror for a few seconds wondering: what happened to the joy you once had? When did your life become all about making enough to survive and that's it? Authors Ken and Mary Okoroafor were once right where you are now. As working-class immigrants, they had to work hard for every dime, yet they were able to find joy in their labor, which helped them create a life where money isn't a worry, but a means to liberation.

From their experiences, they wrote Financial Joy, a book that teaches you how to change your current money struggles by better managing your finances, creating necessary money habits, and eliminating your debt. Financial Joy is all about teaching you how to double your income so you can not only pay bills with ease, but also use your money to travel, take time off, and enjoy life while prioritizing your wellbeing.

The road to financial freedom doesn't have to be paved with blood, sweat, and tears. Instead, you can have fun on your way and learn how to live your best financial life.

Career/Business pick: Power Moves - The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Retail Store: All you need to get started and succeed in your own retail adventure

You've been dreaming about opening your own retail store. But you're not sure where to start, how to run it, or even if it's a good idea. Well, we are here to tell you that your dream can become a reality. The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Retail Store is your answer to all those complicated questions around startup costs, dealing with competition, and so much more.

If you're worried about where to open a shop, what software to use, and how to handle the day-to-day operations, this book will show you how to:

• Spot and capitalize on small retailer trends
• Do your own market analysis
• Find the software that makes sense for you and your business
• Understand day-to-day operations
• And most importantly, get customers through your doors

Stop worrying about whether opening your store will work, and create a strategic plan with this book to ensure daily success and long-term growth.

Explore the Clever Girl Finance Book Series!🎉

​Close out 2026 strong!​

Personal Growth pick: Finding Me: An Inspiring Story of Resilience, Self-Discovery, and Finding Your Voice

If you've seen How to Get Away with Murder or the action-packed movie Woman King, you are probably a fan, or at least an admirer, of powerhouse actress Viola Davis. Yet the fame and fortune she's acquired aren't just the result of hard work and countless auditions. In fact, Davis spent a good part of her youth in a deteriorating apartment in Rhode Island.

Although she is a celebrity, and most of us feel like the lives of the rich and famous are something we can't relate to, Davis has a story that almost everyone an connect to. If you're someone who feels like the world is constantly pulling, poking, and pushing you to conform into a version of yourself that isn't true to you, and you've been fighting and clawing your way through life to preserve the essence of who you are, then Finding Me will resonate deeply with you.

Readers describe this book as raw, honest, and heartfelt, with storytelling so gripping and authentic that every page will evoke an emotion.

Don't be mistaken: this book isn't a story about how some rich and famous person got caught up in the Hollywood scene and had to regain control of their life. This is a truthful account of finding one's voice, triumphing over trauma, and discovering what it truly means to love yourself.

Wellness & Life pick: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

In the US, we're asked, "What gets you out of bed in the morning?" or "What's your motivation for living?" In Japan, they ask about your ikigai; your reason for being.

Do you know the answers to these questions, or do you feel like your life is on repeat? Are you going through the motions because that's what's expected of you, but deep down, you're lacking purpose, passion, and fulfillment? Remember that spark you had as a child, excited for the ice cream truck to pass down your street, or eager to meet your friends at the park? What happened to that joy? Did it get crushed by work, responsibilities, and the weight of adulthood?

So many adults feel lost, living as if life is just happening to them. Yet in a small village in Japan, located in a Blue Zone where people live the longest, residents live with intention, deep satisfaction, and everyday joy. What could your life be like if you reclaimed even a fraction of the wonder you had as a kid? What if your daily routine energized you instead of draining you?

Would you like to know their secret? It’s all revealed in Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.​

Unlike many of us who spend our days working solely to reach retirement, the centenarians in this book live each day for community, connection, and purpose. Through their stories and practical wisdom, this book will show you how to find where your passion, skills, and mission overlap, so you can stop surviving, rediscover your spark, and start living with true daily fulfillment.

Fiction Pick: Daughters of the Sun and Moon: A Novel

If you long to be loved, then you'll relate to Dove. If you feel like life has wronged you and you seek justice, you'll relate to Moon. If you desire freedom, then you'll relate to Petal.

Dove, Moon, and Petal are three Chinese women whom life hasn't been kind to.

Taking place in a post-Civil War Los Angeles where anti-Chinese sentiment is high, Daughters of Sun and Moon follows the journey of these three women who endure the bitterness and heartbreak of life to fight for their freedom, discover their voices, and embrace true friendship.

Discover how these women not only come together, but survive the worst moments of their lives.

Which books will you read this fall season?

Which book are you considering?

Don’t forget you can stay motivated and learn other financial tips and tricks from our completely free financial courses.​

Happy reading! ❤️
Team CGF