N4L 020: Editor's Picks - Home & Family

For the Nonfiction4Life Editor’s Picks debut, we used your recommendations to share just three books in the Home & Family category. While none is a new release, they all fit nicely in this category, especially during this time of year. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (recommended by KaRynn). In her New York Times bestseller, Kondo puts magic in decluttering. For instance, she teaches us to fold every clothing item into a perfect rectangle. Then, when stacking them on their side (instead of on top of each other), we can look in our drawers and see everything at once. Kondo also takes a unique approach to helping clients get rid of things. She begins by greeting the house. That is, she literally kneels, bows, and formally introduces herself. After this ritual, she continues to show respect for the people, things, and the house itself by dressing professionally. So, while she declutters, she wears either a dress or slacks and a blazer. My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging by Rachel Naomi Remen (recommended by Carolee). The author, a cancer physician entrenched in the art of healing, hearkens back to times with her grandfather. An orthodox rabbi and friend to all, he taught Remen that “blessing one another is what heals the isolation and loneliness in us all.” Blessings can be small acts of service for even the strangers along our way, and through such service, we connect ourselves to the human race. Creating these connections and belonging to each other is most important in families. Remen recounts a story of listening to a well-known rabbi speak of forgiveness. At the beginning of his sermon, to illustrate how forgiving God is, he took his own infant daughter from his wife’s arms. Naturally, the child began to grab her father’s nose and glasses, as babies do, but nothing the child could do would be unforgiveable—ever. For the first time, Remen saw forgiveness not only as the work of God but also an essential element to strong family relationships. The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking (recommended by Alexis Tanner). Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute (a Copenhagen think tank), is turning hygge (pronounced “HOO-guh”) into a household word. Defined as a Danish quality of “coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being,” hygge is not just a thing. Hygge is also something we can do. In fact, the true expression of hygge is joining with loved ones in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. It’s is about slowing down with those you love the most and to appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Joined now by several other hygge books, this one recommends families embrace hygge…together.  BUY The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (2014-10-14) BUY My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging by Rachel Naomi Remen (2001-04-01) BUY The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living