Sabotage: How to Get Out of Your Own Way- Emma Gannon

This pocket-sized book is for my fellow self-saboteurs. You think to yourself, “what if I’m not as smart as everyone thinks and they find out I’m a fraud?” Emma Gannon, the author of the book, had similar thoughts as well but realized she was holding herself back. We create bigger issues out of minor setbacks. Sometimes we have a bad day, but we don’t need to make the next one worse. This book is the perfect starting point on your way to happiness and success. Gannon gives us a brief analysis of everything you would read in much larger self-help books.

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now- Dr. Meg Jay

The Defining Decade is written by a licensed psychiatrist, Dr. Meg Jay. She provides examples of challenges you may face in your twenties in the form of her real-life patients that have been renamed. They go through everything from academic, relationship and work challenges. The book is portrayed as being everything you need to know when entering your 20s. However, upon reading, I found myself more worried about the future than ever. While there is some merit in what she writes, Jay comes off as preachy. If you are a relatively put-together person, this book may help you overcome challenges that you didn’t even realize were a problem. However, if you are searching for a miracle book that will solve your problems, this might just create more.

Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness- Rachel Kelly

This short book is the perfect read for when you have nothing to do and need some time to wind down. Let’s face it, most of us know that we need to have a healthier, stress-free lifestyle, but if we don’t have a road map on how to do this, we fall back into the same taxing schedule. The book is divided into seasons and each section has steps that fit with what you would be doing during that season. However, this doesn’t mean you have to only follow these rules during the noted season. Don’t think that these rules will require you to be perfect, either. Some of my favorite steps include the “wallow” and “60%.” Sometimes, it’s okay to wallow and if you fully let yourself experience your feelings, then you’ll get over them much faster. The 60% rule states that your friendships, work-life, and relationships only need to be 60% right. perfection is impossible and overrated. If you need a little happiness in your life, then I highly recommend this book.

The Year of Magical Thinking- Joan Didion

Joan Didion is an acclaimed political writer, but this might be her best piece of work to date. While it’s not specifically marketed as a self-help book, Didion helps you cope with loss anyway. She starts off by describing her day, which seemed like any other. There were no signs that anything bad would happen. Then, her world came crumbling down. Her husband, John, died. To make matters worse, her daughter, Quintana, was in and out of the hospital. Her whole world came crashing down in a second. This book feels even more powerful after you lose someone because it allows you to empathize with her and share those feelings of pain. You may continue to wallow in your sadness for a little while longer, but this title will help you remember the good times you once had and that you are not alone.