I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

From the hardcover:
   Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them.
   But three years later, at sixteen, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else - an even more unpredictable new force in her life.
   The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to each other, they'd have a chance to remake their world.

   This book is stunning. I read the majority of it on a partially devoted Sunday just finishing it up after work today. I could not put this book down. I knew I'd have to finish it immediately after struggling through my work day. I could only think of how this book could possibly end. A lot of the YA I've read lately have not-so-happy endings *coughthefaultinourstarscough* so I was mildly concerned about half way through, when I realized I loved both Noah and Jude. "Mildly concerned," ha! I was a worried mess.
   One of my favorite things about I'll Give You the Sun is the way Noah sees people. Bursting at the seams with light, floating, the animals inside. Sounds a little strange, but he's an artist, and it's truly amazing. I could picture each description as it would appear on canvas, a work of art. I wish I saw the world through his eyes all the time.
      I laughed, I swelled with emotion, I even had trouble breathing for a short time. I hope I'm not spoiling anything because this book needs to be read. It is such a gorgeous tale of loss, family, and being true to you.

I Am That Girl: How to speak your truth, discover your purpose and #bethatgirl by Alexis Jones

From the back of the book: 

"Does your mind go blank when someone asks you, 'What do you really want in life?' Alexis Jones has built a career listening to and inspiring girls (ages 8 to 80 years old) all around the world to figure out those questions in order to help them create the most awesome life imaginable. For the first time, Jones has compiled what she's learned into one complete guide to being That Girl, the best version of you."

"I witness a sea of daily distractions that hold us down like shackles to our feet when we should be flying. Our narrow definition of beauty requires girls to pluck, dye, brush, shave, cut, bleach, wax, diet, shop, and endlessly compare; all of which leave very little time for us to really shine. What we haven't noticed is that we are forced into a lifelong beauty contest that we will never win, and didn't ask to enter in the first place."

I don't read much self-help and I admit I was skeptical. Sophia Bush wrote the foreward, which is how I first discovered this book. Then I saw it pop up on my Goodreads feed. I decided to check it out for myself. What an empowering book! Every girl should read this.
   Alexis walks us through the steps needed to become the best version of ourselves. She tells us in nearly every chapter that we're perfect the way we are, redefining the word "perfection." She invites us to discover our passion and helps us find out exactly what that might be, then encourages us to pursue it in whatever way possible. Many women share their personal experiences with us throughout the book, helping to reinforce the concept of  'never give up,' life throws you curve balls for a reason. It's a "call to arms" for girls everywhere, challenging us to change the perception of beauty, to get out of this race we never signed up for, to be that girl.