For our first book club on this blog, we read a pretty cerebral analysis of marriage. This time, I'm thinking we should do something more practical and hands-on, like a guide to strengthening our relationships. I'd love to read some smart advice with helpful, concrete follow-up exercises/conversations to have with our partners. What do you think?
Any nominations of specific books that you think would be helpful?
14 comments:
I posted before (http://memyselfandbride.blogspot.com/2010/04/ducking-punches.html) about this lady I heard talking about her book called "This Is Not the Story You Think It Is...: A Season of Unlikely Happiness"
It sounds like a relationship book via way of self help. Aka benefit yourself and your relationship benefits.
But her relationship story it Ca-RAZY!
Here is an article she wrote about it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/fashion/02love.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1
(sorry so many links and that links in comments suck!)
Love Languages (Christian-centric but not overbearingly so, IMHO).
Love languages is really great. It gave us a new vocabulary with which to speak about our feelings. I.E. Love tanks not being full.
The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz.
My husband and I have both read this book several times- it's a quick read and always leaves us feeling.. aahhhh..
I highly recommend it to everyone.
@ Jen, that article was a-maz-ing. Thank you for sharing!
Nice to see the shout out for the "5 Love Languages" already. It's by Gary Chapman. Very effective and practical for all relationships, but especially for married couples. It really changed how I relate to the close people in my life. I'd read it again in a heartbeat. He also has a version geared for children as well, so when you and you husband do get to have a baby you can read that too.
These all sound great...can't wait!
you do a book club on your blog? that's wonderful!! i'm not too sure how i missed those posts...but anyways, some books that are great are love & respect, his needs her needs, for men only and for women only. i have read so many relationship/marriage books so i could just go on and on but those are some of my favs!
"Love and Respect"
Based on the facts that women thrive on love and men thrive on respect, and breaks down ways to better communicate with one another and meet each other's needs.
My fiance and I have been reading "Meaning of Wife" together as we prepare for the wedding. I find it adds some perspective that really helps focus on why we want the things we think we want. Like why did I have an impulse to go hit the gym after buying a wedding dress when I've set foot into a gym maybe three times in my entire life?
For the next cerebral wedding-pulling-apart...I HIGHLY recommend Kamy Wicoff's "I Do But I Don't"
It is, so far, the best analysis of the internal struggles we women who are getting married face in this day and age. It's so good and thought provoking that I couldn't get to sleep until 2 am the first night I read it, because it was TOO thought provoking.
For Better: This one sounds ultra-cerebral but possibly practical as well, in taking an overview of the science of marriage which you could apply to your own relationship. I'm curious to read it after my mom sent me an article from the New York Times: "The Science of a Happy Marriage". Yes! Evidence-based marriage!
"The Seven Spiritual Practices of Marriage" by Kevin Anderson---My husband and I are reading it, and it has brought a lot to our marriage.
Love Languages is a really great book. Gave my husband and I tools and like someone else mentioned, vocabulary to talk about how we show our love and how we receive it. Great for any relationships in our lives.
And the quizes at the end helped us find simple ways to show each other love and support.
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