Research shows that reading books can be beneficial to well-being (for instance, Serowik et al., 2020). It can be challenging to wade through the myriad offerings to find the gems that hold the complexity of both our internal and our external worlds and provide useful guidance for a meaningful, connective, values-based path forward in our own lives.

These three books are among my highlights from the past year; each of them really resonated with me and I think they have valuable voices that resonate with anyone who reads them. Each is based in scientific evidence, experience-based insights, contextual/structural awareness, and wisdom-based traditions, and all of them will provide readers with wise companions in navigating internal and interpersonal challenges.

In Joyfully Just, Dr. Majied skillfully weaves Black wisdom traditions, Buddhist contemplative practices, her clinical social work practice, with her own experience, into a heartfelt, inclusive guide to living with joy and in the service of justice. She takes readers on a journey through painful realities such as racism, discrimination, loss, and injustice, while simultaneously cultivating joy and connection. She shows a path that includes cultivating discomfort

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