Fans pick 100 books like Joyful

By Ingrid Fetell Lee,

Here are 100 books that Joyful fans have personally recommended if you like Joyful. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui: Free Yourself from Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Clutter Forever

Amanda Sullivan Author Of Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist's Guide to Getting -- and Staying -- Organized

From my list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional organizer since 1999, Iā€™ve realized that the problem isnā€™t so much that we are disorganized, but that we are out-matched. We have too much stuff, it is too cheap and we are too busy and we canā€™t keep up. If you really want to stay organized, you have to examine your relationship to stuff. Why we want what we want and buy what we buy. Less but better! 

Amanda's book list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff

Amanda Sullivan Why did Amanda love this book?

Probably the grandmother of all decluttering books, this book, like all great books, is so deep and yet so simple. She has some great practical tips for de-cluttering, such as using a ā€˜transitā€™ box for things that go in other rooms so you donā€™t have to keep getting up and end up getting distracted; as well as some expansive interpretations of de-cluttering, like clear out old relationships. As an organizer, I realize that almost everything a person needs to know about de-cluttering Kingston put down on paper in 1998. 

By Karen Kingston,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this revised and updated edition of her classic, bestselling book, Karen Kingston draws on her wealth of experience as a clutter clearing, space-clearing, and feng shui practitioner to show you how to transform your life by letting go of clutter.

Her unique approach lies in understanding that clutter is stuck energy that has far-reaching physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effects. You'll be motivated to clutter clear as never before when you realize just how much your junk has been holding you back!
You will learn:

- Why people keep clutter
- How clutter causes stagnation in your life
-ā€¦


Book cover of Off: The Day the Internet Died: A Bedtime Fantasy

Christina Crook Author Of Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in the Digital Age

From my list on beat binge watching.

Why am I passionate about this?

Christina Crook is a pioneer and leading voice in the field of digital well-being. She is the award-winning author of The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World, the harbinger of the global #JOMO movement, and Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in a Digital Age. Christina regularly shares her insights about technology and our daily lives in international media including The New York Times, Psychology Today, and Harper's Bazaar which called her "The Marie Kondo of Digital.ā€

Christina's book list on beat binge watching

Christina Crook Why did Christina love this book?

We all dream about it: a life free of scrolling, tweeting, liking, faving, streaming, replying, apologizing for not replying, and other assaults on our poor, saturated brains. But what would an analog world actually look like? Award-winning writer, Chris Colin, paints a picture in his bedtime fantasy book for adults titled Off: The Day the Internet Died

Delivered in a pitch-perfect, tongue-in-cheek biblical style, this little book imagines an alternate reality that will hit home in our tech-addled worlds. Un-barraged by celeb gossip and political news, we begin to notice nature again. Rinee Shahā€™s playful illustrations perfectly capture the absurdity of life reflected in our screens. Whether youā€™re addicted to tech or not, youā€™ll see something of yourself when you put down your phone and pick up this smart, funny book.

Off is ā€œSo funny and so necessary. For humanity to stay sane, this must be read like theā€¦

By Chris Colin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Off as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

We all dream about it: a life free of scrolling, tweeting, liking, faving, streaming, replying, apologizing for not replying, and other assaults on our poor, saturated brains. But what would an analog world actually look like? Chris Colin, author of What to Talk About, paints a picture that's a little Edenic and a little demented. Un-barraged by celeb gossip and political news, we begin to notice nature again. We take walks, stare at the clouds, and listen to podcasts consisting of our own thoughts. Snapchatting gives way to endless rounds of Go Fish. Minecraft is a game involving sticks andā€¦


Book cover of Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy

James Poskett Author Of Horizons: A Global History of Science

From my list on how technology is ruining everything.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up with digital technologies. It was the 1990s. Things could only get better. Or so we were toldā€¦ I went to study computer science at Cambridge in the 2000s. Switched subjects a few times, and ended up with a degree in the history and philosophy of science. By the time I graduated, life had changed. The world economy was on the brink of collapse, China was on its way to becoming a superpower, and right-wing nationalism was on the rise. That experience absolutely shaped me as a historian and writer. The world of science and technology suddenly seemed a lot more politically fraught.

James' book list on how technology is ruining everything

James Poskett Why did James love this book?

This is a rare book. It is written by a philosopher. It can be read in an afternoon. And it will change your life. Forget your next self-help book. Read this instead. In Stand Out of Our Light, James Williams gives a straightforward (but extremely satisfying) account of the digital ā€˜attention economyā€™ and what is wrong with it. Williams used to work for Google, before he realised that things werenā€™t quite right. After all, the world built by big technology companies isnā€™t the one many of us would choose.

By James Williams,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Stand Out of Our Light as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Former Google advertising strategist, now Oxford-trained philosopher James Williams launches a plea to society and to the tech industry to help ensure that the technology we all carry with us every day does not distract us from pursuing our true goals in life. As information becomes ever more plentiful, the resource that is becoming more scarce is our attention. In this 'attention economy', we need to recognise the fundamental impacts of our new information environment on our lives in order to take back control. Drawing on insights ranging from Diogenes to contemporary tech leaders, Williams's thoughtful and impassioned analysis isā€¦


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Book cover of Currently Away: How Two Disenchanted People Traveled the Great Loop for Nine Months and Returned to the Start, Energized and Optimistic

Currently Away by Bruce Tate,

The plan was insane. The trap seemed to snap shut on Bruce and Maggie Tate, an isolation forced on them by the pandemic and America's growing political factionalism. Something had to change.

Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. With noā€¦

Book cover of The Wander Society

Dr. Caroline Brookfield Author Of The Reluctant Creative: 5 Effortless Habits to Expand Your Comfort Zone

From my list on trying new things even if you are scared.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was driven to become a veterinarian for as long as I could remember. Then, in high school, I developed a love of performance. I felt stuck. Should I choose art or science? I chose science, and despite a great career, I felt like something was missing. When I reconnected with my creativity through stand-up comedy, entrepreneurship and other non-artistic creative outlets, I found out what I had been missing. Why do we drop creativity for science? It was a common story. I dove into the research on creativity, and was blown away by how a bit of creativity can make us happier, more resilient, and make workplaces more effective.

Dr.'s book list on trying new things even if you are scared

Dr. Caroline Brookfield Why did Dr. love this book?

I was pulled into this book as I entered the world of a secret society of Flaneurs or Wanderers. I loved the secret intrigue of how the author found the symbol for this secret society in a used book and how it spurred a curious exploration of why we wander.

I used the ideas in the book to slow down, use my curiosity, and re-engage with my human qualities that are so often buried in the busyness and connection to tech all day long. This book was a welcome, cool drink of water on a hot day, filled with great stories and illustrations. 

By Keri Smith,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Wander Society as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the internationally bestselling creator of Wreck This Journal...

wan*der
verb \ wan-dar\
to walk/explore/amble in an unplanned or aimless way with a complete openness to the unknown

Several years ago when Keri Smith, bestselling author of Wreck This Journal, discovered cryptic handwritten notations in a worn copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, her interest was piqued. Little did she know at the time that those simple markings would become the basis of a years-long, life-changing exploration into a mysterious group known only as The Wander Society, as well as the subject of this book.

Within these pages, you'llā€¦


Book cover of The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life

Christina Crook Author Of Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in the Digital Age

From my list on beat binge watching.

Why am I passionate about this?

Christina Crook is a pioneer and leading voice in the field of digital well-being. She is the award-winning author of The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World, the harbinger of the global #JOMO movement, and Good Burdens: How to Live Joyfully in a Digital Age. Christina regularly shares her insights about technology and our daily lives in international media including The New York Times, Psychology Today, and Harper's Bazaar which called her "The Marie Kondo of Digital.ā€

Christina's book list on beat binge watching

Christina Crook Why did Christina love this book?

People have called Henri Nouwen many things: a priest, an author, a spiritual guide, a natural mystic. His books have sold millions of copies and continue to resonate deeply with people from all walks of life. In 2000, when asked to share the book that had most influenced her life, Hillary Clinton chose Nouwenā€™s The Return of the Prodigal Son. The following sentence, in particular, she said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, hit her ā€œlike a lightning boltā€: "The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a "gift to be celebrated with joy." 

ā€œI had never thought of gratitude as a habit or discipline before,ā€ she explained, ā€œand I discovered that it was immensely helpful to do so.ā€ I first discovered Henri when I was eighteen years old and gifted withā€¦

By Henri J. M. Nouwen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Only Necessary Thing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Throughout the forty-some books that Henri Nouwen wrote and the hundreds of talks that he gave, the subject of Prayer runs through them all and unites them. For him a life of faith is a life of prayer. Drawn from many decades of his life, the compilation of Henri's thoughts, feelings, and the struggle with prayer, reveal the core of the man and his belief that prayer is the only necessary thing.


Book cover of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Rebeccah Ahmed Author Of The Energy of Success: Power Up Your Productivity, Transform Your Habits, and Maximize Workplace Motivation

From my list on trust, change, and cultivating energy.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was eleven, my then-boyfriendā€™s father asked me what I would be if I could be anything in the world. I told him I would be an author. Over a decade in HR leadership has deepened my understanding of workplace narratives. On April 10th, 2021, my mentor Bobby passed away, inspiring me to write "The Energy of Success." His wisdom fueled my mission to capture the transformative power of human connections and inclusive leadership in the workplace. This book is a testament to those stories that shaped my HR journeyā€”rooted in empathy, purpose, and creating thriving environments for all.

Rebeccah's book list on trust, change, and cultivating energy

Rebeccah Ahmed Why did Rebeccah love this book?

I loved Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book because it provided me with an extremely comprehensive understanding of what it means to be in flow and how it allows me to achieve meaningful goals and happiness. I found the definitions, diverse examples, activities, and the effects of being in the flow state incredibly insightful.

Csikszentmihalyi engaged me with scientific studies and challenged me to evaluate the differences between pleasure and enjoyment. Additionally, the book helped me understand my own self-consciousness and ego as they relate to finding flow.

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Flow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€œCsikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.ā€ ā€”Los Angeles Times Book Review

The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.

Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes anā€¦


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Book cover of Free Your Joy: The Twelve Keys to Sustainable Happiness

Free Your Joy by Lisa McCourt,

We all want peace. We all want a life of joy and meaning. We want to feel blissfully comfortable in our own skin, moving through the world with grace and ease. But how many of us are actively taking the steps to create such a life? 

In Free Your Joyā€¦

Book cover of A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy

Amanda Sullivan Author Of Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist's Guide to Getting -- and Staying -- Organized

From my list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional organizer since 1999, Iā€™ve realized that the problem isnā€™t so much that we are disorganized, but that we are out-matched. We have too much stuff, it is too cheap and we are too busy and we canā€™t keep up. If you really want to stay organized, you have to examine your relationship to stuff. Why we want what we want and buy what we buy. Less but better! 

Amanda's book list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff

Amanda Sullivan Why did Amanda love this book?

This tiny gem of a book was born when Lazarovic decided to go on a shopping diet and paint the things she coveted instead of buying them. In the first half of her wonderfully illustrated and hand-lettered book, she explains her evolution from ā€œI want itā€ child, to mall-rat teen to coming of age in the age of fast fashion. She chronicles her clothes, her awakening to the downsides of late-stage capitalism, and ends with several wise tips to help slow our consumption. A dynamo of a political pill wrapped in utterly playful confection of art and humor. One thing I do not regret buying is this book!

By Sarah Lazarovic,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Like most people, Sarah Lazarovic covets beautiful things. But rather than giving in to her impulse to spend and acquire, Sarah spent a year painting the objects she wanted to buy instead. Based on a visual essay that was first published on The Hairpin, A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy is a beautiful and witty take on the growing 'slow shopping' movement. Sarah is a well-known blogger and illustrator, and she writes brilliantly without preaching or guilt-tripping. Whether she's trying to justify the purchase of yet another particleboard IKEA home furnishing, debating the pros and cons ofā€¦


Book cover of The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish

Amanda Sullivan Author Of Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist's Guide to Getting -- and Staying -- Organized

From my list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional organizer since 1999, Iā€™ve realized that the problem isnā€™t so much that we are disorganized, but that we are out-matched. We have too much stuff, it is too cheap and we are too busy and we canā€™t keep up. If you really want to stay organized, you have to examine your relationship to stuff. Why we want what we want and buy what we buy. Less but better! 

Amanda's book list on to reimagine your relationship to stuff

Amanda Sullivan Why did Amanda love this book?

Przybryszewski, a history professor at Notre Dame, had me from the start where she says sheā€™s probably the only person to have spoken to the Supreme court wearing a ā€™suit that won a blue ribbon at a country fair.ā€ Taking American fashion back to the Home Economics taught at Land Grant Universities and subsequently, at high schools, Przybryszewski argues that knowing how to sew was not just a practical skill, but also made us better consumers.

Making our own clothes might have seemed like drudgery, but it was empowering and now that most of us donā€™t have those skills, weā€™re literally slaves to fashionā€¦  we canā€™t tell high-quality from low quality, we canā€™t put in pockets when we need themā€¦ and nothing, nothing is ever our exact size. This is a book that will make you want to learn to make your own clothesā€¦ or at least cast a farā€¦

By Linda Przybyszewski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lost Art of Dress as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As a glance down any street in America quickly reveals, American women have forgotten how to dress. We chase fads, choose inappropriate materials and unattractive cuts, and waste energy tottering in heels when we could be moving gracefully. Quite simply, we lack the fashion know-how we need to dress professionally and flatteringly.As historian and expert dressmaker Linda Przybyszewski reveals in The Lost Art of Dress , it wasn't always like this. In the first half of the twentieth century, a remarkable group of women,the so-called Dress Doctors,taught American women how to stretch each yard of fabric and dress well onā€¦


Book cover of Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness

Joanna Thornhill Author Of My Bedroom Is an Office: & Other Interior Design Dilemmas

From my list on how our interiors can support our wellbeing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a lifelong interiors obsessive, which Iā€™ve managed to turn into a multi-stranded career: I style commercial photoshoots and set up events for brands, write about interiors trends for magazines and a trend forecasting agency, have authored several interiors books of my own, and recently Iā€™ve begun teaching my own blend of authentic yet actionable interior design tips to others, through courses, workshops, and creative consultancy. I am always interested in the why behind what makes us feel a certain way when it comes to design, and believe that creating a home that reflects and supports our emotional needs will ultimately support us in all aspects of life.

Joanna's book list on how our interiors can support our wellbeing

Joanna Thornhill Why did Joanna love this book?

Interiors expert and host of Interior Design Masters (BBC), Michelle has a fascinating view on interiors, honed through her many years working on magazines alongside her personal interests in Buddhist philosophy, sustainable design, and ā€˜cleanā€™ living within the home. She goes deep into her research within this title, examining potential pathogens that might be lurking in a typical household (and advising on what to do to mitigate them), alongside thoughtful prose on how you can identify both your aesthetic and wellbeing needs and decorate accordingly.

By Michelle Ogundehin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Happy Inside as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'I love this book. Strong, clever, intelligent advice with soul.'
Mary Portas

'A wonderful look at how to transform our homes to be more mindfully aligned with our true nature and a reflection of who we are.'
Fearne Cotton

'A happy home is a fundamental building block of happiness, and Michelle's book is an essential, step-by-step guide to creating a home we love.'
Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global

'A must-have read for anyone looking to improve not just their home but also their quality of life within it.'
Matthew Williamson

Be happier, healthier and more empowered with Michelleā€¦


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Book cover of Today Was A Good Day: A Collection of Essays From The Heart Of A Neurosurgeon

Today Was A Good Day by Edward Benzel,

My book is a collection of monthly Editor-in-Chief letters to the readership of World Neurosurgery, a journal that I edit. Each essay is short and sweet. The letters were written for neurosurgeons but have been re-edited so that they apply to all human beings. They cover topics such as leadership,ā€¦

Book cover of The Sensory Home: An Inspiring Guide to Mindful Decorating

Joanna Thornhill Author Of My Bedroom Is an Office: & Other Interior Design Dilemmas

From my list on how our interiors can support our wellbeing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a lifelong interiors obsessive, which Iā€™ve managed to turn into a multi-stranded career: I style commercial photoshoots and set up events for brands, write about interiors trends for magazines and a trend forecasting agency, have authored several interiors books of my own, and recently Iā€™ve begun teaching my own blend of authentic yet actionable interior design tips to others, through courses, workshops, and creative consultancy. I am always interested in the why behind what makes us feel a certain way when it comes to design, and believe that creating a home that reflects and supports our emotional needs will ultimately support us in all aspects of life.

Joanna's book list on how our interiors can support our wellbeing

Joanna Thornhill Why did Joanna love this book?

Pippa has artfully woven her visual expertise as a stylist and art director, with her research and understanding of the role that designing for the senses plays within our overall wellbeing. Inspired in part by the needs of her autistic daughter (and in turn, others on the neurodivergent spectrum who may have sensory differences and sensitivities), there are lots of brilliant ideas in this book for everyone wanting to learn about the role of colour, texture, and material when it comes to helping soothe our often-frazzled nervous systems.

By Pippa Jameson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sensory Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Embrace mindful decorating and create a comfortable home that is kind to your senses and improves your wellbeing.

The Sensory Home will help you to understand whether your home is working for or against you. Layout, colour, texture, scent, lighting and more can be used to create a calming or stimulating environment according to your family's unique needs, including for neurodiverse individuals. This book offers hints and tips as well as long-term solutions to bring your vision of a warm, inviting and harmonious home to life. Chapters covering each room of the house include sensory checklists to help you identifyā€¦


Book cover of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui: Free Yourself from Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Clutter Forever
Book cover of Off: The Day the Internet Died: A Bedtime Fantasy
Book cover of Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy

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Interested in self-actualization, happiness, and neuroscience?

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