It's a New Year, So Shall We Try for Happy This Time?

I have 359 books on my Happiness Shelf at Goodreads, and 298 of them I've rated either four or five stars.  

Reading about happiness, you might say, makes me happy.

I've read a lot of books about happiness. Perhaps I'm a bit of a happiness book expert. So I thought I'd share a few with you from my Happiness Shelf.

Some books are obviously on the shelf as a case of What Not to Do. Anna Karenina, for example. If you are interested in becoming happier quickly, I'm not sure it would be in your best interest to read an 864-page book on how to be miserable. So, let's skip Anna.

Some books are just a delight to read. Potato Pants by Laurie Keller is one of them. Though I'm not sure Potato Pants would be delightful for everyone...Maybe strike Potato Pants from your list for right now, but don't forget about silly picture books for a snappy burst of joy.

Let's move on...

If you are wanting some in-depth books about happiness, let me suggest Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one of the founders of the positive psychology movement, and he's very good at explaining the eight characteristics of the peak experience of flow. Or you might like the very-thorough, well-researched The How of Happiness by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.  

Perhaps you are just getting started on your happiness journey, and a big tome is too much right now. I'd suggest you start with The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun or the readable 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help that Actually Works by Dan Harris.

I keep some of these books on my shelves at home for some quick mood-boosting: Better Than Chocolate: 50 Proven Ways to Feel Happier; Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices to Help You Stay Calm and Focused All Day Long; and the most condensed book of all, Be Happy: A Little Book to Help You Live a Happy Life.

Okay. I think that's about it, though I personally think the world would be a much happier place if everyone would read (and put into action) I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening). Just a thought...Maybe something to keep in mind after we all become a bit happier first.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.