During the past year and almost a half, I have really enjoyed my time with reading again! Life slowed down and I was able to pick up books again. I started really targeting self improvement and have enjoyed adding these types of books to my library.
Today I want to share with you some of my favorite books I have enjoyed over the past year! I’ve shared and passed around a few of these with friends who have also enjoyed them. I’ve also gotten a few of them as recommendations from friends.
If you are on a journey to improve yourself, these books are a great place to start!
Number 1
Uninvited: Living Loved when You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst
This book was given to me by a friend and I loved it! It really resonated with me and I have to be honest, Lysa is one of my favorite Christian writers. She is so very open and honest about all things in her life, shares her struggles and her past. She gives light to those of us who are struggling, have struggled and working to improve.
I feel like this one is a great place to start. If you have moved to improve your life, there’s going to be changing. And more then likely you have felt those changes already. This book really helps you put all those changes and emotions in perspective. Rejection is a real thing in our lives, even as adults, and dealing with this rejection sometimes is harder then we like to admit. This book really helps us see that, feel it and move past it. Finding what God has in store for our lives. This is a wonderful book for everyone!!
Number 2
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
This one is super popular as well as her Podcast! I have to be honest, when I opened the book to read it I had no idea it was a nonfiction, self help book! I tend to read A LOT of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club books and this was one of them. Boy, it was a happy mistake to pick this book up and read it! I guess God knew I needed it in my life!
This book is one of those ones you will refer back to over and over again. It really is amazing at opening your eyes up to your life, realizing how and what you want to change and doing something about it. A lot of us live “happy” lives. We are going through the motions of our “labels” society puts on us, this books helps open your eyes to being you!! And saying it’s ok to be YOU by your definition and not what society has labeled you to be.
Number 3
Own your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley
My oldest daughter got me this book for my birthday. She picked it up, read the back and thought I would like it. I LOVED it! It really was a great book and she is such an honest writer! Even though Jordan is a millennial I feel like she hits home for even us mothers! What is our purpose? Are we living our purpose? Can we change our purpose? All these questions are so important in our lives, and this book helps us move through them.
I loved how easy to read this book was. I loved how she added scripture to support her points. And I really love how honest she was with her writing. We are all a broken mess, trying to make it through this crazy life. Jordan admits, she too is just like us!
Number 4
This book was recommended to me by one of my dear friends. Like myself, she is going through a self improvement journey and we have found supporting one another is the best way to do it. At first of was very hesitant about this book, the title set me back. There is no way I was going to be able to be rude to anyone. BUT I gave it a read and quickly fell in love with this book. It’s a super easy read, I finished it in two days (a quick day trip away in the car).
There’s a few topics from this book that I love, but there’s one big one I really want to share here. As women we are taught from a young age and society presents to us that our job is to make others happy. It’s so true, we put our happiness aside, make ourselves uncomfortable for the sake of other’s happiness. After reading this it really hit home. My entire adult life (and probably earlier then that) I have always done anything and everything to please others. Why is this? Why do we sacrifice our happiness, ourselves to please others. After reading this book, I have really taken a look at my daily life and begin the movement of changing the way I live. Yes, I like to please others, but I am important too! Maybe it’s time to please myself first!!
Number 5
Get out of your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen
I first ordered this book and read it because there is a Study Guide/Book Study to go along with it. I love having small groups with church friends and others and thought this may be a prospect. This isn’t my favorite self help book I have read but it was a good one.
I do like her use of scriptures to help support the idea of changing our thought process. I am super hard on myself and my thoughts are tough, so I thought this book would be a great place to start. If you are hard on yourself with your thought, this is a great place to start.
Bonus Book!
Present over Perfect: Leaving behind Frantic, for a Simpler, more Soulful way of living by Shauna Niequist
I had this book on my wish list for awhile. It kept popping up and I finally ordered it and read it. I really enjoyed this book from front to back. I have really strived in the past number of years to live a more simpler life (Hello, Modern Simplest!!). So, reading this book really connected with me. Knowing that I want to live a simpler, quieter more slowed life, and reading this book gave me the support I needed to know that I am not nuts!!
I’ve mentioned before not just here on the blog but with talking with friends that I LOVED the pandemic. I know I am one of the very few people who will say that. But here’s why: I wasn’t running from place to place every minute of the day, stressed over how I was going to get it all done in the small day I had. During the pandemic we slowed down, I looked forward to the few things we had on the calendar instead of dreading ALL the things on the calendar. This book really helps support this life and let’s you know it’s possible!
I keep a wish list of books that I want to read. The next few ones I have on my list is:
It’s All Under Control: A Journey of Letting Go, Hanging On, and Finding Peace You Almost Forgot was Possible by Jennifer Dukes Lee
Brave Enough: Getting Over our Fears, Flaws and Failures to Love Bold and Free by Nicole Unice
I would love to hear your recommendations for some self-help books. Leave your suggestions in the comments! And as I continue to read and love more books I will update this post!
