The Female Brain by Louanne Brizendine
If you're curious about the neurobiological differences between men and women and how that drives behavior, this book is for you.
I especially like it because it talks about how women's brain changes over time and how that affects our preferences, decisions, and responses to situations.
The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
For women who want to understand themselves and the early dynamics that shaped them.
I like it because it helps normalize anger, which is an emotion that many people have a lot of judgment about. I also like it because it emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries in relationships.
Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
For people who find themselves in tumultuous and hurtful relationships over and over again, this book provides a good overview of attachment styles and why/how certain styles work and don't work together.
I like it because it normalizes attachment style and helps the reader understand their style and the developmental reasons for their preferences. It also provides pointers for styles to seek and those to stay away from.
The Body Remembers by Babette Rothschild
If you want to understand more about the impact that psychological trauma has on humans this book is for you.
I especially like it because it explains very clearly how trauma gets stored in our brain and body and how psychotherapists treat it. It also uses real life examples which brings the material alive.
Healing The Child Within by Charles Whitfield
This is for adults who grew up in families with addiction issues and/or major dysfunctional issues.
It does a great job of explaining how addiction affects the entire family and the roles family members play to keep things from unraveling.
I like it because it brings to life the often unspoken pain and suffering that kids feel growing up in highly dysfunctional families and empowers them to change the patterns.
The Mommy Myth by Susan Douglas and Meredith Michaels
This book provides a history of the different messages women get about what makes a "good mother".
I like it because it normalizes the complex emotions that many women feel about being a mother.
It also challenges us to think about how we're being socialized by various forces and how we want to handle that.
I'd Listen to My Parents If They'd Just Shut Up by Anthony Wolf
If you're looking for a book to help you deal with your teenager, this is a great resource.
I especially like it because the examples he uses are very real and not sugar-coated.
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
This is a mindfulness book focused on helping you learn to harness your thoughts and emotions so they don't limit you.
I really like this book because it does a great job of helping you understand the nature of thoughts and how we actually have a choice about what internal chatter we listen to and what we don't.
Dancing with Life by Phillip Moffit
If you're looking for a book about human suffering this book is for you. It talks about Buddhist philosophy and the purpose of suffering in a way that is both understandable and uplifting.
I especially like it because Phillip was a CEO before he became a Buddhist so he brings a practicality to the subject that is often missing in other books on Buddhist philosophy.