The first book mentioned is "What School Could Be" by Ted Dintersmith which talks about solutions that American teachers have found to improve public school education. The second book mentioned is "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini which highlights the history of Afghanistan and the role of women within that history. She also encourages people to make a meaningful purchase under $100, which could include any item that has positively impacted their life.