Self-Help Must-Haves for Your Library
The genre of self-help is broad — a good thing because you are bound to find some helpful gems nestled in this category. Self-help is timeless due to how the information learned in this category can help the reader heal, get promoted or connect with a loved one on a deeper level. These resources enhance the quality of the non-renewable resource of time.
Self-help books have long been a resource to many searching for merited advice, supportive materials and assistance in a particular topic, like mental health, confidence or relationships. While this genre is not a replacement for therapy, these books can help you to develop your emotional vocabulary so you can improve the way you communicate with yourself and others.
A popular relationship book is The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. In his book, Gary gives insight into the ways people give and receive love, broken down into five categories: words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service and receiving gifts. This particular resource can help couples or even friends clearly demonstrate his, her or their feelings. Becoming fluent in the love languages of the people you love and care deeply about is better than gold. When someone gives you words of affirmation or gives you a gift that is so heartfelt, it’s priceless.
A recent mental health book is Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab. She discusses establishing or redefining boundaries to create and maintain your peace. The inner work a person has to do and master to keep healthy boundaries is a life skill and is necessary in all relationships. One of the many takeaways in this work is “People can’t meet a standard that we never express. Boundaries are not unspoken rules.” This is the type of book you revisit from time to time.
Exploring one’s thoughts and especially one’s relationship with fear can be a daunting task, but Luvvie Ajayi Jones’ Professional Troublemaker: The Fear Fighter’s Manual is an ordnance and friend. Luvvie helps the reader navigate the emotions that accompany fear through sharing her experiences with fear. While this particular work is for an adult audience, she also has published works for teen and little troublemakers too. With the holidays around the corner these would make great gifts or stocking stuffers. Look at you, checking things off your holiday list too — winning!
Brittany is a book lover with a continuously expanding To Be Read (TBR) List. She lives in an Atlanta suburb with her husband and two daughters.
