5 Books to Kick Off a New Year and a New You

Gerad Kite’s first career was as a therapist, until he realized that all the talking wasn’t actually helping his patients. So he switched gears and consulted ancient Chinese philosophy, eventually realizing that feeling happy and satisfied in your life doesn’t come from travel or a lack of technology or making sure your stuff gives you joy: it’s already inside of each of us. Kite teaches us how to tap into our inner sanctuary in order to achieve bliss any time we want.

In today’s fast-paced world, sleep has been made to feel like an extraneous luxury. People brag about how little sleep they get, subsist on sleeping pills and fall asleep to the glow of a phone or tablet. The Huffington Post co-founder argues that sleep affects our work, our weight—even our sex lives! This book—which will change your life—should be read in bed with the covers drawn up to your chin.

Yes, I want to eat better. No, I don’t want to slave over a hot stove for hours, then eat something unappetizing. Gina Homolka gets me and this new cookbook features 140 recipes that are either fast (under 30 minutes) or prepared in a slow cooker (hello, only one pot to wash!). And meals like Spicy Harissa Lamb Ragu and Grilled Cheese with Havarti, Brussels Sprouts, and Apple don’t taste healthy, they just taste good.

Career paths are no longer linear; today, these paths curve, sometimes stopping for a while before picking back up again. Tim Ferriss argues that anyone can create a more ideal work-life balance. In this updated volume, he teaches readers how to double their income while halving the hours worked, how to outsource annoying tasks to remote assistants and how to create a retirement before the end of your life.

What if your diet could change how you look from the inside out? Former makeup artist Wendy Rowe instructs readers on which food to eat to cure which skin problem. For example, did you know pomegranates stimulate collagen production, which helps skin look taut? And that spinach helps repair skin cells and red wine fights acne? We didn’t either, but we’re headed to the grocery to grab some pomegranate juice right now…