Will Power!

Will Power! Using Shakespeare's Insights to Transform Your Life by George Weinberg

Weinberg is an esteemed psychotherapist and Shakespeare enthusiast and he brings the two together for an interesting take on human behavior. Each section begins with a passage from a Shakespeare play and then continues with a character study that translates to modern day people. I found his examples incredibly true to life and surprisingly spot on. Most people who read literature are looking to relate to other humans, but Weinberg takes this a step further by showing us how to learn from the behavior of Shakespeare's most famous characters. If you enjoy pop psychology and are done with self-help books that are no help, give this one a try.

Marry Him

Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough by Lori Gottlieb


If you're not an unmarried woman between the ages of 25 and 35, you are probably unfamiliar with Gottlieb's controversial article from The Atlantic in which she accuses single women of being too picky in the dating scene. (And if you ARE unmarried and 30ish, you likely received a copy of the article in your inbox from number friends and family members.) It was a good, eye-opening article. Prince Charming is a myth, right? Through interviews with matchmakers, psychologists, scientists, and everyday people who have been both lucky and unlucky in love, Gottlieb has writen an entire book on the subject.

Although the book could easily have ended at 100 pages, it was still an interesting read. Gottlieb's own vested interest in the subject (she's 41 and single) adds to the content as do the personal stories of her friends' love lives.

This is obviously made for a small audience, but somehow it's still on the Bestsellers List. Single women rule the world, apparently. Or at least read a lot.

The Wife's Tale

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens


Lansens has delivered a solid second novel with The Wife's Tale. Mary Gooch is a trapped middle-aged woman but she's not trapped in the typical fashion of cliche stories. This is the story of how she realizes her potential and steps out of that trap and the journey is heartfelt and entertaining.