Sponsored by Reading Group Gold.
Book Riot is teaming up with Reading Group Gold for a chance to win a stack of books worth talking about! One winner will receive each of the following titles to add to their TBR pile: Here We Are: To Migrate To America… It’s the Boldest Act of One’s Life by Aarti Namdev Shahani, Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson, Jack: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson, The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War, Delphine Minoui, Lara Vergnaud (Translated by), and What You Wish For by Katherine Center.
Are you getting enough sleep? Are you drinking water? Or are you, like certain nonfiction newsletter editors, staying up til 1 AM every night and telling yourself the water in coffee is good enough. WELL these books are here to help you start taking care of yourself.
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, which is a real thing. “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience,” Wiking explains. “It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe.” This little book has advice and ideas on how to incorporate this vibe into your life. Get into it (y’know, if you want).
The Witch’s Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
This newsletter endorses a variety of ways to practice self-care. Also I like the leaves on the cover. Wiccan author Murphy-Hiscock covers Green Space Meditation, DIY body butter, how to magically cleanse things and a ritual to release guilt. I actually might get this one, despite not doing anything witchy in my daily life.
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
Conscious breathing! Mindfulness! How to be present and peaceful when the world around you is chaos. It “contains commentaries and meditations, personal anecdotes and stories from Nhat Hanh’s experiences as a peace activist, teacher, and community leader.” There are so many exercises to incorporate into your life. Exciting.
The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
This “offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by [systems of oppression]” and awakening “to our own indoctrinated body shame.” Body shame can take up a LOT of personal energy, and this is a step to counteracting it and being able to spend that energy doing other things. Like playing video games!
For more nonfiction new releases, check out the For Real podcast which I co-host with the excellent Kim here at Book Riot. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.