The Wellness Bookshelf
Books have shaped so much of my own wellness journey, and certain titles have earned a permanent place on my shelf.
These are the ones I return to again and again. Each time, they offer something different…a reminder I needed, a perspective I’d grown into, or a nudge back toward the version of myself I’m working on becoming.
I hope one of these finds its way into your hands at just the right moment and supports you wherever you are in your own season of life.
Christine Glaser, C.A.
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If there’s a book that’s supported your own wellness journey, I’d love to know about it. Share it with me anytime through the contact page.
10% Happier (Dan Harris)
If your mind tends to go into overdrive (mine certainly does at times), 10% Happier offers the kind of honest, real-world reminder that slowing down doesn’t have to be complicated.
Dan Harris approaches mindfulness the way many of us do—skeptically at first, and then with this surprising sense of “oh…maybe this actually helps.” His storytelling is raw and funny, but what stays with me is how accessible he makes calm feel.
It’s one of those books that reminds you: a little more awareness, a little more breathing room, can shift everything.
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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse (Charlie Mackesy)
This is one of the sweetest books on my shelf, and it’s been part of my nighttime routine with my daughters for years. We read a page or two aloud, linger over the illustrations, and somehow the words speak just as much to me as they do to them.
It’s not a traditional story—it’s a collection of small, tender moments that stand beautifully on their own. Often after I tuck the girls in, I’ll snap a quick photo of a page and send it to someone I know could use that bit of wisdom too.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is gentle, grounding, and endlessly shareable—a little reminder that kindness and hope are worth passing around.
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The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)
What I love most about The Power of Now is how practical it is. It isn’t about escaping everyday life—it’s about learning how to stay present while the real world keeps moving around you. Somehow, it even manages to make things like stressy traffic and crazy drivers feel more manageable (something I genuinely didn’t think was possible).
It’s a gentle introduction to mindfulness, but it’s also one of those books you can return to whenever you need to recenter. Every read offers a new reminder, depending on the season of life you’re in.
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In an Unspoken Voice (Peter Levine, PhD)
“Trauma” has become such a charged word—some people feel it instantly, while others pull back from it. But the truth is, we’ve all lived through something. Emotional, physical, mental…our bodies remember it all. They grow around it the way a tree twists around a fence: sometimes it builds character, and other times it creates a tension we’d be healthier to release.
In an Unspoken Voice is one of the most powerful explanations of how that happens. Peter Levine brings together science, compassion, and real human stories to show how stress and hurt settle into the body—and how we can gently unwind the patterns they leave behind.
It’s an incredibly hopeful read, especially if you’re ready to understand your body’s wisdom and reconnect with the parts of you that are still healing.
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The Overstory (Richard Powers)
This is the first true fictional book on my Wellness Bookshelf (unless you count The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, which sort of lives in its own category). And The Overstory absolutely deserves a spot here.
It isn’t one long novel—it’s a collection of shorter stories, each following different people whose lives intersect with the quiet strength and wisdom of trees. And with a business named Treesnail, I’m sure you can imagine this theme is right up my alley.
Richard Powers has a beautiful way of showing how nature weaves itself into our lives—subtly, persistently, and often when we’re not paying attention. Nature will always find a way.
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Talking to Strangers (Malcolm Gladwell)
This might seem like an unexpected choice for a wellness bookshelf, but hear me out: Talking to Strangers is a wake-up call we desperately need. Malcolm Gladwell shows, through real stories, how badly things can go when we decide we already know who someone is without actually knowing them.
And this matters for wellness because connection isn’t optional. It’s foundational. We can drink the water, meditate, move our bodies, and eat the nourishing food—but if we’re walking through the world misunderstanding each other, assumptions first and curiosity last, we stay tense, guarded, and divided.
Wellness is also about how we treat one another. How we listen. How willing we are to slow down long enough to see the human being in front of us. And this book makes it painfully clear what happens when we don’t.
The 5 Love Languages (Gary Chapman)
I first read The 5 Love Languages during pre-marital counseling, and it was such a sweet, eye-opening part of that season. What surprised me even more was rereading it years later and realizing that our love languages had shifted as we grew. This book really does evolve with you.
Gary Chapman explains the different ways people give and receive love, and it’s amazing how much clarity it brings—not just to romantic relationships, but to friendships, parenting, and how you understand yourself.
It’s a gentle reminder that love deepens when we’re willing to communicate with intention…and that revisiting these ideas as you change is absolutely worth it.
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The 5 Love Languages of Children (Chapman & Campbell)
After having my daughters, I wanted to understand their emotional world a little more deeply, so I picked up The 5 Love Languages of Children. And just like with the original book, rereading it as they’ve grown has been incredibly eye-opening. Kids evolve so quickly, and the way they feel loved can shift just as fast.
This guide helped me see how each child expresses and receives love differently—whether it's words, time, touch, gifts, or acts of service. It also gave me a new perspective on the kids in my wider circle—nieces, nephews, friends’ children—reminding me how unique each little personality truly is.
If you’re looking to strengthen connection, support emotional growth, and meet children right where they are, this book is a beautifully grounding tool to revisit over the years.
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The Let Them Theory (Mel Robbins)
As a lifelong people pleaser and overthinker, The Let Them Theory was a much-needed perspective shift for me. The idea is simple: people are going to think, feel, and do whatever they’re going to do…whether you twist yourself into knots over it or not. So instead of carrying that burden, just let them.
What makes this book powerful is the second part—Let Me. Let me respond with intention. Let me check in with my own needs, my boundaries, and the relationships I want to nurture.
It’s a surprisingly grounding read for anyone exhausted from managing other people’s expectations and ready to reclaim their own energy.
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Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker)
As someone who has battled insomnia since high school (and one of the reasons I fell in love with aromatherapy in the first place), Why We Sleep was a real wake-up call. We all know sleep matters…yet we constantly steal from the very habits that support it.
What surprised me most was the actual brain science behind it. When Matthew Walker says, “The less you sleep, the shorter your lifespan,” it hits differently. This book breaks down just how deeply sleep touches every part of our lives—and how many of our everyday choices quietly sabotage it.
Sleep is a foundational pillar of wellness, and this book explains the why in a way that truly sticks. It’s the kind of read that nudges you to take your nighttime routine seriously.
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This is Your Mind on Plants (Michael Pollan)
This Is Your Mind on Plants explores three plant drugs—opium, mescaline, and caffeine—and how deeply they shape human behavior. The caffeine section was the most fascinating to me. Pollan cuts it out completely, notices what changes, and then reintroduces it with intention. The difference is remarkable.
Between this book and Why We Sleep, I ended up reworking my entire relationship with caffeine. What used to be a mindless morning (and sometimes afternoon) habit became something I actually paid attention to—and that small shift changed so much about my daily energy and routines.
If you’re curious how something so ordinary can impact so much, this book is a quiet little life changer. Freaking love books.