Reading daily makes you a better person. Just ask science. According to research, picking up a book once a day has a multitude of health benefits and might just be the key to living your best life. Along with alleviating symptoms of depression and helping you sleep better, one study showed that reading can even help you live longer, and we are here for all of that.
If you're ready to level up your literary game and have already burnt through your personal library, Jada Pinkett Smith recently slid through with a few must-read books that you can add to your Amazon wish list ASAP.
In addition to The Mists of Avalon, The Red Tent, and The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, Jada also recommended Wild Seed by black female sci-fi writer Octavia E. Butler, and what she calls her favorite book of all-time, The Coldest Winter Ever.
With Jada inspiring us all to put Sistah Souljah back on our regularly scheduled reading list, we took some time to explore and compile a list of a few other celebrity-recommended books that you didn't know you needed in your life. There's nothing like winding down and rolling up with a good read.
Here's a compilation of titles that will get your spring reading list all the way together. Scroll below for details:
Issa Rae - 'The Alchemist'
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"I read 'The Alchemist' during a transitional period in my life, and it just made me think differently."
Regina Hall - 'Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of The Dalai Lama'
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Michelle Obama - 'Song of Solomon'
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"One of the books that I loved — one of the first books that I loved and read cover to cover in one day — not because anybody made me read it but because the book was good ... it was a book called 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison. And that book helped me love reading, because before then reading was kind of like something you did when you had to do it. But that book, it like grabbed me and pulled me, and I just kept reading and kept reading."
Michelle Williams - 'The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself'
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Taraji P. Henson - 'The 5 Love Languages'
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"I'd been single for so long and the book opened my eyes on what it would be like to commit to someone forever."
Phylicia Rashad - 'Play of Consciousness: A Spiritual Autobiography'
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Kelly Rowland - 'Waiting to Exhale'
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"I learned about friendship through this book. Some stuff I didn't quite understand because it was talking about marriage and I read it in my teens, but it taught me how important my friends are."
Misty Copeland - 'The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment'
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Featured Image via Instagram/@JadaPinkettSmith.
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Kayla Nicole says she wore a dress that was once worn by Braxton herself for the Halloween costume. “It’s not a secret Toni is more on the petite side. I’m obsessed with all 5’2” of her,” she tells xoNecole via email. “But I’m 5’10'' and not missing any meals, honey, so to my surprise, when I got the dress and it actually fit, I knew it was destiny.”
The episode was the perfect way for the multihyphenate to take control of her own narrative. By addressing the viral moment on her own platform, she was able to stir the conversation and keep the focus on her adoration for Braxton, an artist she says she grew up listening to and who still makes her most-played playlist every year. Elsewhere, she likely would’ve received questions about whether or not the costume was a subliminal aimed at her ex-boyfriend and his pop star fiancée. “I think that people will try to project their own narratives, right?” she said, hinting at this in the episode. “But, for me personally – I think it’s very important to say this in this moment – I’m not in the business of tearing other women down. I’m in the business of celebrating them.”
Kayla Nicole is among xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, powered by SheaMoisture, recognized in the Viral Voices category for her work in media and the trends she sets on our timelines, all while prioritizing her own mental and physical health. As she puts it: “Yes, I’m curating conversations on my podcast The Pre-Game, and cultivating community with my wellness brand Tribe Therepē.”
Despite being the frequent topic of conversation online, Kayla Nicole says she’s learning to take advantage of her growing social media platform without becoming consumed by it. “I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out,” she says.
On The Pre-Game, which launched earlier this year, she has positioned herself as listeners “homegirl.” “There’s definitely a delicate dance between being genuine and oversharing, and I’ve had to learn that the hard way. Now I share from a place of reflection, not reaction,” she says. “If it can help someone feel seen or less alone, I’ll talk about it within reason. But I’ve certainly learned to protect parts of my life that I cherish most. I share what serves connection but doesn’t cost me peace.
"I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out."
Credit: Malcolm Roberson
Throughout each episode, she sips a cocktail and addresses trending topics (even when they involve herself). It’s a platform the Pepperdine University alumnus has been preparing to have since she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, with a concentration in political science.
“I just knew I was going to end up on a local news network at the head anchor table, breaking high speed chases, and tossing it to the weather girl,” she says. Instead, she ended up working as an assistant at TMZ before covering sports as a freelance reporter. (She’s said she didn’t work for ESPN, despite previous reports saying otherwise.) The Pre-Game combines her love for pop culture and sports in a way that once felt inaccessible to her in traditional media.
She’s not just a podcaster, though. When she’s not behind the mic, taking acting classes or making her New York Fashion Week debut, Kayla Nicole is also busy elevating her wellness brand Tribe Therepē, where she shares her workouts and the workout equipment that helps her look chic while staying fit. She says the brand will add apparel to its line up in early 2026.
“Tribe Therepē has evolved into exactly what I have always envisioned. A community of women who care about being fit not just for the aesthetic, but for their mental and emotional well-being too. It’s grounded. It’s feminine. It’s strong,” she says. “And honestly, it's a reflection of where I am in my life right now. I feel so damn good - mentally, emotionally, and physically. And I am grateful to be in a space where I can pour that love and light back into the community that continues to pour into me.”
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
Featured image by Malcolm Roberson
