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“We read books to find out who we are.
– Ursula K. Le Guin

We may read alone.

But we aren’t alone in choosing the books we read. Or in talking about the books once we’ve finished reading them.

One of the advantages of #NonfictionNovember is hearing about the great variety of nonfiction books available. As you read about the best of the best from other bloggers, you jot down the titles you’d like to try, too.

For Week 5 of Nonfiction November, I’m sharing not only 6 books I recommend from what I finished this month, but also 6 books that were recommended to me. See more recommendation posts at Jaymi’s blog, The OC BookGirl.

Here are 6 books I recommend from what I finished reading this month.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Good Inside
A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
by Becky Kennedy

This is far more than a parenting book. It’s a book for every relationship, whether with a child or an adult. Dr. Becky gives great advice to look for the good inside each of ourselves. 

2. The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin

For years I’ve read quotes from James Baldwin’s writing, but now I’ve finally read a complete work. I’m glad I did. Even though we’ve come a long way fighting racism in this country, Baldwin’s truths from 1963 show how far we still have to go.

3. Bright-Sided
How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
by Barbara Ehrenreich

Wow. This book really underscores so many thoughts I have about the harm of toxic positivity in our culture. I can’t speak for other countries, but we Americans overdo our zealousness to “deny reality, submit cheerfully to misfortune, and blame only ourselves for our fate.” 

4. The Body Keeps the Score
Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk

I didn’t like this book as much as I’d anticipated. But it’s still worth recommending. Van der Kolk has made amazing progress through the years in helping people find hope again after surviving horrific traumas. 

FICTION

5. Necessary Lies
by Diane Chamberlain

In this novel set fifty years ago, 15-year-old Ivy Hart works on a tobacco farm. When she’s assigned a new social worker—the first job for young Jane Forrester—secrets begin to unravel. Such a heart-rending story. 

6. Sing You Home
by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult dives straight into the ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding pregnancy and family in modern times. Music teacher Zoe Baxter saves her fertilized eggs when she and her husband can’t get pregnant, but they later divorce. The plot gets more complicated as the book unfolds.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• This Chair Rocks
  A Manifesto Against Ageism
  by Ashton Applewhite
• No Time Like the Present
  by Jack Kornfield
• How to Keep House While Drowning
  A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
  by K. C. Davis
• Learning Humility
  A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue
  by Richard J. Foster
• True Biz
  by Sara Nović

6 BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY OTHERS

I’ll be following up on MANY recommendations this month from fellow nonfiction readers. Here are 6 of those books I’ll be looking into. Have you read any of these? Would you would recommend them, too?

• Selfie
  How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us
  by Will Storr
  Recommended by whatsnonfiction
• Decluttering at the Speed of Life
  Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
  by Dana K White
  Recommended by TheOCBookGirl
• Revenge of the Librarians
  by Tom Gauld
  Recommended by WordsandPeace
• The 1619 Project
  by Nikole Hannah-Jones
  Recommended by Unsolicitedfeedback
• How the Word Is Passed
  A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
  by Clint Smith
  Recommended by Spiritblog and by Readerbuzz
• White Evangelical Racism
  The Politics of Morality in America
  by Anthea D. Butler
  Recommended by SheSeeksNonfiction

What good book do YOU recommend? Please share in the comments.

More books I recommend

sharing at these linkups

Some books won’t let us go. They challenge our thinking. They make us turn around and do differently.

“Worldview Changers” is the category for week 4 of Nonfiction November. Join Rebekah at She Seeks Nonfiction to see more worldview changing books.

5 Worldview-Changing Books

Here are fives books I read this year that changed me.

1. Self-Compassion
The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
by Kristin Neff

• A new thought it made me think:

Our culture has incorrectly focused too much on self-esteem. That focus made us fall into the traps of self-righteousness, prejudice, narcissism, self-absorption, etc. A healthier mindset is to focus on self-compassion.

• A quote I like:

“We can recognize that weakness and imperfection are part of the shared human experience. We can feel more connected to our fellow life travelers who are just as flawed and vulnerable as we are. At the same time, we can let go of the need to feel better than others.”

• An action it motivated me to take:

When you’re having difficult feelings, try one (or all) of these three things:

1. Give yourself kindness and care.
2. Remind yourself that pain is part of the shared human experience.
3. Hold your thoughts and emotions in mindfulness awareness.

2. Do the Work!
An Antiracist Activity Book
by Kate Schatz and W. Kamau Bell

• A new thought it made me think:

Racism is prejudice plus power. Instead of defining racism as a person who hates a person of a different race, Bell says racism is when one group has the power to carry out systematic discrimination by (a) the institutional policies and practices of the society, and (b) by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices.

• A quote I like:

“You might call these things ‘microaggressions,’ but honestly? Can we just drop the ‘micro’? That makes it sound almost cute. Death by a thousand papercuts is still pretty aggressive. A microaggression is just racism that didn’t get me killed.”

• An action it motivated me to take:

Put my privilege to good use in multiple ways, including using my voice among white people to speak out against white supremacy, to listen and believe Black people when they share their experiences, to support Black-owned businesses when possible, and to continue reading books by BIPOC authors.

3. The Sleep Solution
Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It
by W. Chris Winter

• A new thought it made me think:

Even if I don’t actually sleep all night, resting even without sleeping is still good for me. I don’t have to be asleep to still feel relaxed and comfortable, taking a needed break from the stresses of the day.

• A quote I like:

“For many people who struggle with their sleep, you can almost think of their nightly angst as a mini-PTSD episode….Don’t make your sleep disturbances a defining characteristic in your life. The hour or two it takes you to fall asleep is not that big of a deal. Believe this. Free yourself.”

• An action it motivated me to take:

Put my phone further away from me during the night so I won’t be tempted to listen to podcasts when I can’t sleep. Stop looking at the clock when I do wake up in the middle of the night. Accept that it’s ok if I’m awake part of the night.

4. Immortal Diamond
The Search for Our True Self
by Richard Rohr

• A new thought it made me think:

Dying before we die is an important practice. As some roles are stripped away, I’m more aware that who I am in God remains. I am still complete. The goodness of God fills all the gaps of the universe, without discrimination or preference.

• A quote I like:

“Remember that resurrection is not woundedness denied, forgotten, or even totally healed. It is always woundedness transformed. You still carry your scars forever, as both message and trophy. They still ‘hurt’ in a way, which keeps you mindful and humble, but they no longer allow you to hurt other people. Pain transformed is no longer pain transmitted.”

• An action it motivated me to take:

Watch and participate as God—through love—fills in the gaps. Know that after each little death, resurrection will follow.

5. The Power of Regret
How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward
by Daniel H. Pink

• A new thought it made me think:

Being aware of my regrets brings benefits. Ultimately it can strengthen my sense of meaning and connectedness, if used properly.

• A quote I like:

“When relationships come apart, whether by intent or inattention, what stands in the way of bringing them back together are feelings of awkwardness. …Yet those concerns are almost always misplaced. But more often—much more often, in fact—we overestimate how awkward we’ll feel and underestimate how much others will welcome our overtures.
So, this simple problem has an even simpler solution. Shove aside the awkwardness.”

• An action it motivated me to take:

Ask myself which I’ll regret more: inaction or action (we typically regret inactions more than actions). Use my thinking to prompt my doing in the direction of my deepest values.

What book has changed you this year? Share in the comments.