January is a time for reflection and resolutions. Hopefully, you will make your resolutions after an appropriate period of reflection. It’s the perfect time to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and make a plan for 2023. instead of plowing ahead.

You can still make this year one of action, but sometimes it’s important to stop and get your bearings. Remember there are 365 days in a year. Each year has twelve months of opportunities and challenges  – you do not have to make all your changes in January. Reading is a great way to clear your head and claim some quiet time for yourself. Becoming immersed in the trials and tribulations of fictional characters can help put our own problems in perspective and bring us clarity. Maybe you need some friendly encouragement to make changes in your life. Reading memoirs and self-help books can sometimes help. We have an eclectic set of recommendations for you to get you started. Enjoy!

Seeing Silence by Pete McBride – McBride is a photographer who travels from pole to pole visiting every continent to seek out the quiet wonders of the world and warn us of the threats to their existence. Stunning photography of some of the most beautiful and hidden wonders in the world.

Healing is a Gift: Poems for Those Who Need to Grow by Alexandra Vasiliu – An empowering poetry collection about love, loss, letting go, and moving forward.

Stupid Things I won’t Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow – When the author turned 50, he decided to make a list of things his 70-something parents were doing that he never wanted to be doing in his old age. He prefaces his list by admitting growing old is a privilege not everyone gets and illness, while sometimes a part of aging, can skew how we view our elders and our golden years. Some of his observations are funny and address the stereotypes we embrace about aging. Others are common sense things we can address before they happen.

Stuff You Should Know by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant – In 2008, the authors started a podcast to take a deep dive into things they were curious about, and it is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Indulge your curiosity and rediscover your passion for learning about a plethora of subjects just because.

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith – Eden always played by the rules, and it never occurred to her that the people around her might not be so honorable. After she is raped by her brother’s best friend during her freshman year of high school, she doesn’t know who she can trust, so she buries what happened and tries to move forward. Burying her trauma means she must also bury the girl she used to be. Told in four parts (Freshman -senior year) Eden becomes a survivor

The Quiet Zone by Stephen Kurczy – Kurczy is an investigative journalist, and this is a non-fiction work based on his experiences in Green Bank, West Virginia where all technology is banned because it might interfere with the work of scientists at the Green Bank Observatory. Children attend school with no WIFI connection, no tablets, cell phones, or internet connections that might emit radio frequencies that would interfere with the observatory’s telescopes. Kurczy gets to know the people who live there and how they manage with limited technology. Is the quiet simple life really better? Kurczy discovers paradise might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn – Wolynn is an expert in the field of inherited family trauma – the belief that anxiety, depression, chronic pain, phobias, or obsessive thoughts might not be caused by our environment or by a chemical imbalance. Families can pass their trauma down from generation to generation through their stories, attitudes, or secrets. It’s an interesting theory when there is no obvious cause of trauma in the immediate family setting. How do the stories of your ancestors affect you and how can you honor them without jeopardizing your well-being or the well-being of other family members?

Strong Women: 15 Biographies of Influential Women History Overlooked by Kari Koeppel – There are thousands upon thousands of women and men who have helped shape history, but never received the proper recognition for their efforts. Koeppel features fifteen women who changed the world with little or no fanfare.

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story by Debbie Tung–Tung chronicles her experiences as an introvert in a world designed for extroverts in a clever selection of short comics. It’s a poignant and often-light-hearted look at a young woman learning to find balance and quiet in a noisy world.

Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy – Dungy’s inspiring and insightful memoir explains how quiet strength in a noisy and boisterous world enabled him to accomplish great things. He is the first African American NFL coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. He did this without the screaming and histrionics of other famous coaches.  He is well-respected by his players and his peers. Despite the demands of his profession,  Dungy has always managed to put faith and family first.