Whether you’re looking for books to bring on your beach vacation or you want to stock up on summer reads, Beia has your back.

Seriously! We’re all about educating our community when it comes to sex, relationships, love, bodies—and none of that would be possible without the intelligence of so many women before us. Much of their knowledge comes in the form of the transformative books they’ve written, and we want to encourage you to snag them for yourself this season. 

The following is our quick little Beia summer reading list. Grab these titles to advance your (sex!) education and learn more about the power of your own body in the process. 

Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape

By Peggy Orenstein

~Hookup culture~ is all the rage right now. In this bestselling book, journalist Peggy Orenstein explores the way women are simultaneously empowered and hurt by this new cultural moment. 

Thick: And Other Essays

By Tressie McMillan Cottom

Odds are you could use a refresher on the ways that women are taught to hate their bodies—especially when living in a larger one. Writer, sociologist, and professor Tressie McMillan Cottom unpacks the history of this cultural value, plus how to distance yourself from it. 

The Purity Myth

By Jessica Valenti

If you want to unpack the toxic ways women have been socialized to understand sex, you’ll find this read by journalist and writer Jessica Valenti. (Trust: it’ll take you all the way back into your middle school sex ed class.) 

Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

By Esther Perel

This bestselling book will change the way you think about monogamy and relationships! Written by the beloved sex and relationship therapist Esther Perel, the book teaches readers how to restore lust in the relationship you have with your current—or future—domestic partner.

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

By Lindy West

You might recognize this title! That’s because the book was turned into a Hulu television series (starring SNL’s Aidy Bryant!) based on author Lindy West’s memoir, which explores what it’s like living as a big bodied woman in a world that wants women to be small and compliant. 

All About Love

By bell hooks

This classic read is a bestseller for a reason. Written by the world-renowned scholar bell hooks, this book will remind you of the importance of showing up with love, compassion, and unity in our increasingly divided relationships and society. 

Happy summer reading, my book worms!

Xo, 

Brittany