BOOKS THAT MADE HER FEEL SOMETHING — AND WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU.
Nicole does not recommend books lightly. If a title is on this page, it is because it moved her — to feel, to think, to act, or to see the world differently. Whether it is a poetry collection, a cookbook, a children's book, or something that defies category, every recommendation here carries her personal stamp.
WHY THESE BOOKS
Nicole's reading criteria is simple: if a book moves her to feel something or to take action of some kind, she recommends it to others so they can have their own experience with it.
She does not curate lists based on bestseller rankings or critical acclaim. She curates them based on what stayed with her after the last page — the books she thought about days later, the passages she underlined, the titles she pressed into the hands of friends and said you need to read this.
Her shelves span poetry, cookbooks, children's literature, and works that cross every boundary. But the common thread is always the same: every book here changed something in her. And she believes it can do the same for you.
THE ONE POETRY BOOK SHE THINKS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD READ AT LEAST ONCE.
"We Want Our Bodies Back" by Jessica Care Moore speaks to women of color, but expresses the importance of all women standing together against those wanting power over our minds and bodies. It changed Nicole — and she believes it will change you.
FIND IT ON AMAZONNICOLE'S BOOK PICKS
Poetry, prose, cookbooks, children's books — if it made Nicole feel something, it is here. Each recommendation comes with her personal take on why it deserves your time.
Available on Amazon
This is the poetry book Nicole recommends above all others. It speaks to women of color, but its message resonates with every woman who has ever felt the weight of someone else's expectations on her body, her mind, or her choices. It is fierce, beautiful, and unforgettable. Nicole says it expresses the importance of all women standing together — and she means it.
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Poetry Collection
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A collection that stayed with Nicole long after she finished reading it. The poems in this book reach into the places most people are afraid to look — and they do it with language that is honest, precise, and impossible to forget. Nicole pressed this into the hands of three friends the week she finished it.
Cookbook Recommendation
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Not all of Nicole's recommendations come from the poetry shelf. This book lives in her kitchen, dog-eared and flour-dusted, because the recipes inside are the kind that teach you to cook by feel. It inspired her to try new things and trust her instincts at the stove.
Children's Book Recommendation
Available on Amazon
A children's book that Nicole believes every parent and educator should know about. It handles its subject with care, its illustrations are stunning, and it makes children feel seen in a way that most books for young readers do not even attempt. She recommends it alongside her own KLE series.
Memoir Recommendation
Available on Amazon
This is the book Nicole read during one of her hardest seasons — and it met her exactly where she was. It is honest without being heavy, wise without being preachy, and it left her feeling like she had just had a long conversation with someone who understood everything without her having to explain.
Poetry Anthology
Available on Amazon
Another poetry collection that earned its place on Nicole's permanent shelf. She returns to this one often — not because she forgets what is in it, but because the poems read differently depending on where she is in her own life. That, to Nicole, is the sign of a book worth keeping.
READING IS THE FUEL
For Nicole, reading is not separate from writing — it is the engine that powers it. Before she writes, she reads. When the words will not come, she reads. When she needs to remember why language matters, she reads.
The books on this page are not just recommendations. They are the fuel that has kept her going through every season of her creative life — the poetry that taught her what a line break can do, the cookbooks that reminded her that recipes are stories too, and the children's books that proved you can say something profound in 24 pages.
She hopes they do the same for you.
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