How to be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books by Jolenta Greenberg & Kristen Meinzer

Jolenta and Kristen are the hosts of the funny and insightful podcast, By the Book.  In each episode, they read a chosen self-help book, spend two weeks living by the book’s guidelines, and then offer their opinions of the book’s premise.  When they had read and lived by 50 different books, they decided to write one of their own.  How to be Fine highlights what they learned from their experiment.  

Their book is divided into three sections: the good things they learned, the things that didn’t work at all or were actually harmful, and the advice they wish they had found in the book but did not.  Kristen and Jolenta are very candid in their critiques, pulling no punches when authors promote unhealthy ideas or perpetuate ugly stereotypes.  They are also very open about their own personal struggles and offer some excellent advice of their own about self-care.  

If you’re drawn to self-help titles, this is a great way to experience 50 books in one.  The authors distill the knowledge into the most important take-away ideas, while sharing their own experiences with a good deal of humor and compassion.

A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis

This book of short stories by Hugo Award winning author Connie Willis is sure to get you in the spirit of the season. She puts a fantastical spin on many cherished holiday traditions, from android Rockettes to high-tech decorations. Willis also pays homage to the classics, pondering what the ghosts from Dickens's A Christmas Carol do in a modern December, and presenting a Christmas mystery that takes cues from both Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. A couple of tales touch on the biblical story, including a trio of contemporary magi cruising the interstate, and a nativity lost in time. Willis' love of holiday movies is also on full display (are you team It's a Wonderful Life or team Miracle on 34th Street?). She even includes her personal advent calendar of movie suggestions.

The stories in A Lot Like Christmas are light fare with just a dash of science fiction and a healthy dose of humor; perfect for listening to while putting up decorations or baking cookies.