When Shay Mitchell isn’t busy filming Pretty Little Liars, she likes to spend her time curling up with a good book. The actress, 28, recently published a novel of her own, Bliss, with her best pal Michaela Blaney. The story follows a group of friends navigating their way through adulthood. Mitchell shared her own pretty little list of must-reads with Us Weekly.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
This is the actress’ go-to for “really important life lessons.”
The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery by Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz
Mitchell says she travels with the self-empowerment guide: “I highlight the life lessons.”
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
A cult favorite, the Japanese organizer’s manual helped “simplify my home,” says Mitchell. “Having a tidy space inspires your mind.”
My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey
Mitchell deems Rousey, a bronze medalist in judo at the 2008 Olympics, “the toughest woman on earth!”
Star by Danielle Steel
When Mitchell moved to Toronto to study acting, she found this novel about an aspiring singer. “As an escape, I’d go to a used bookstore and buy Danielle’s stories.”
A House in the Sky: A Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett
The best-selling memoir of a New York Times photographer held captive in Somalia for 460 days left the actress feeling “very hopeful.”
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
“I read it over and over,” she notes of the father-son novel set in Afghanistan. “It’s incredible!”
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The dark family tale, she says, “is my next plane book.”
The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
Mitchell calls this relationship guide a staple that “everyone should read.”
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
“It’s about being different and celebrating that and I think that’s an important lesson that is great for children to read at a young age,” the actress says of her favorite kids’ book.
