The Definitive List Of Hoda Kotb’s Books: Everything To Read Before Her Explosive 2025 Release

Hoda Kotb has cemented her legacy as one of television’s most beloved personalities, but her impact extends far beyond the *Today Show* desk, reaching millions through her powerful, heartfelt literary career. Her books, spanning from candid memoirs to collections of inspirational quotes and touching children’s stories, consistently top the *New York Times* bestseller lists, offering readers a much-needed dose of optimism, resilience, and joy. As of today, December 12, 2025, the excitement among her dedicated readership is building for her next major work, which promises to be her most personal and ambitious yet. Kotb's writing is characterized by its authentic voice, chronicling her own journey through adversity—including her battle with breast cancer—and sharing the transformative stories of others who have embraced change and found happiness in unexpected places.

Hoda Kotb: A Profile in Resilience and Joy

Hoda Kotb’s journey from broadcast journalist to inspirational author is defined by her incredible resilience and unwavering commitment to finding the good in every situation. Her personal story is the foundation of her literary success, lending an authentic, relatable weight to her motivational themes.

• Full Name: Hoda Kotb
• Born: August 9, 1964, in Norman, Oklahoma
• Heritage: Egyptian-American
• Education: Virginia Tech (B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, 1986)
• Career Milestones:
  • Began her broadcasting career in 1986, working for local news stations across the South.
  • Joined NBC News as a correspondent for *Dateline NBC* in 1998.
  • Became the co-host of the fourth hour of the *Today Show* in 2007, originally alongside Kathie Lee Gifford.
  • Was named the main co-anchor of the entire *Today Show* in 2018.
• Personal Life:
  • A breast cancer survivor, having undergone a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2007.
  • Adoptive mother to two daughters: Haley Joy Kotb and Hope Catherine Kotb.

Her ability to connect with an audience, whether through a television screen or the pages of a book, stems from her willingness to be vulnerable. This vulnerability is the secret ingredient that turns her books from simple advice guides into deeply personal, life-affirming companions for millions of readers seeking a path to personal growth.

The Definitive Hoda Kotb Bibliography: From Memoir to Motivation

Hoda Kotb’s bibliography is a testament to her versatile talent, encompassing everything from raw autobiography to gentle picture books. Her work consistently explores themes of hope, faith, and the power of human connection. The following list details her most significant titles, culminating in her highly anticipated 2025 release.

1. Jump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life (Upcoming, September 23, 2025)

This is the title currently generating the most buzz. *Jump and Find Joy* is set to be Kotb’s most ambitious and personal book yet, focusing on the wisdom of embracing major life changes. The book combines insights from change experts, the latest research on resilience, and deeply personal stories—including those from celebrities—to provide a guide for navigating life's inevitable transitions. The book’s core message is that true happiness is found not in stability, but in the courage to take bold risks and embrace the unknown, a theme that resonates strongly with her own career shift and personal journey.

2. Hope Is a Rainbow (March 5, 2024)

One of Kotb’s newest releases, this picture book focuses on the simple, yet profound, concept of hope. Illustrated by Chloe Dominique, the book is a lyrical, gentle exploration of what hope looks like and feels like, perfectly tailored for young children (ages 4-8). It continues her tradition of creating uplifting children's literature, following the success of her previous picture books.

3. This Just Speaks to Me: Words to Live By Every Day (October 13, 2020)

Following the massive success of her first quote collection, Kotb released this follow-up, offering 365 new inspirational quotes, stories, and reflections—one for every day of the year. The book dives into the power of simple words to offer courage, wisdom, and perspective during challenging times. It serves as a daily dose of motivation, a concept that has become a hallmark of her brand of inspirational writing.

4. I Really Needed This Today: Words to Live By (October 15, 2019)

This collection originated from Kotb’s habit of sharing uplifting quotes on social media, which quickly became a source of daily inspiration for her followers. The book compiles these favorite quotes, along with her own reflections on their meaning and how they apply to everyday life. It is a powerful example of her ability to curate positivity and share it with the world, establishing her as a leading voice in motivational literature.

5. I’ve Loved You Since Forever (March 6, 2018)

A deeply personal and heartwarming children’s picture book, this title was inspired by the adoption of her first daughter, Haley Joy. The book is a beautiful, lyrical celebration of the unconditional, timeless love between a parent and a child. It quickly became a *New York Times* bestseller, resonating with parents everywhere who understand the profound miracle of family.

6. Where We Belong: Journeys That Show Us the Way (2016)

In this book, Kotb steps away from her own story to share the powerful narratives of others who made major, often unexpected, life changes to find their true purpose and sense of "home." The book is an "inspirational page-turner" that explores the universal human desire for belonging and the different paths people take to achieve it, featuring ordinary individuals whose lives took extraordinary turns.

7. Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed (2014)

This compelling work profiles six individuals who experienced life-altering adversity—such as a devastating accident or a major health crisis—and revisits their stories a decade later. The book examines the long-term impact of a single, game-changing moment and the profound transformation that can occur over a ten-year period, highlighting themes of perseverance and the human spirit’s capacity for renewal.

8. Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee (2010)

Kotb’s first memoir is a candid, humorous, and deeply moving account of her life and career up to that point. It covers her early days as a journalist in challenging environments, her personal battle with breast cancer in 2007, and her unexpected, career-defining partnership with Kathie Lee Gifford on the *Today Show*. This book laid the groundwork for her motivational writing, establishing her as a voice of hope and authenticity.

The Core Themes: Joy, Resilience, and The Power of the Pivot

The true topical authority of Hoda Kotb’s books lies in her consistent focus on a few key, interconnected life themes. These themes are not just abstract concepts; they are lessons learned from her own life and the lives of the people she has profiled throughout her decades-long career.

The Celebration of Joy and Positivity

Kotb’s motivational collections, *I Really Needed This Today* and *This Just Speaks to Me*, are physical manifestations of her daily pursuit of joy. She believes in the power of small, intentional moments of happiness and the profound impact of positive affirmations. Her writing encourages readers to actively seek out and internalize messages of hope, creating a mental shield against life’s inevitable negativity. This focus on daily gratitude and optimism is a central pillar of her inspirational brand.

Embracing Change and Personal Transformation

The underlying current in her most impactful works, including *Ten Years Later* and the upcoming *Jump and Find Joy*, is the necessity of embracing change. Kotb’s own life—from her career pivot to her journey to motherhood through adoption with daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine—demonstrates that life’s greatest rewards often come after a "jump" into the unknown. She frames change not as a loss, but as an opportunity for profound personal transformation, a concept that resonates deeply with readers facing their own life transitions.

Inspiration Through Shared Vulnerability

Whether discussing her breast cancer diagnosis, her emotional path to adoption, or her daughter Hope Catherine’s health challenges, Kotb uses her own story and the stories of others to create a framework for shared vulnerability. Her books are a powerful reminder that adversity is universal, but the response to it can be a source of incredible strength. By focusing on resilience and the strength found in community, Hoda Kotb has created a literary body of work that is not just read, but truly lived by her devoted audience.