Tune into yourself with books that will help you with your self-care goals through the Read Great Things 2021 Challenge.
Self-care can be about taking care of yourself in many ways: emotionally, spiritually, creatively, physically, or mentally.
Keep reading for some suggestions based on what your own self-care goals might look like, including some suggestions contributed by your Durham Tech community.
If your self-care goal is to care for your body, mind, and spirit:
Available at the Main Campus (RA 782 .N47 2020) 
Available at the Orange County Campus (BJ 1533 .C7 M38 2020) 
Available at the Main Campus (CT 275 .F714 A3 2020) 
Available at the Main Campus (BL 624 .T64 2004 
Available at the Main Campus (RA 785 .N35 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus (RC 480.8 .G68 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus (RC 394 .A85 G745 2016) 
Available at the Main Campus (QP 136 .H47 2019) 
Available as an audiobook through Dogwood Digital Library 
Available soon as an ebook through Dogwood Digital Library 
Available at the Main Campus (BF 637 .S4 H3434 2017 ) 
Available at the Orange County Campus Library (CT 275 .M469125 A3 2020) 
Available at the Main Campus (QP 425 .W44 2017) 
Available at the Orange County Campus (BF 335 .C44 2018) 
Available in Spanish at the Main Campus BF 335 .D8518 2019)
If your self-care goal is to move your body or get outside:
Available at Main Campus (GV 199.42 .N662 M65 2016 
Available at the Main Campus (GV 1061 .V36 2014) 
Available at the Main Campus (G 153.4 .S76 2018) 
Available at the Main Campus (QL 544.6 .B56 2016) 
Available at the Main Campus (RA 781.7 .S723 2017) 
Available at the Main Campus (GV 1041 .O6 2011)
If your self-care goal is to make something:
Available at the Main Campus (TX 724.5 .A1 L43 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus (TX 773 .H346 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus (TT 770 .G945 2018) 
Available at the Main Campus (TT 385 .F57 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus (ND 1535 .V36 2016) 
Available at the Main Campus (TT 753 .C67 2018) 
Available at the Main Campus (TT 185 .B746 2014) 
Available at the Main Campus (BF 408 .K55 2012) 
Available at the Main Campus (PN 3365 .N63 2001)
If your self-care goal is to cope with the loss of a loved one or help those you care about grieve:
Available at the Main Campus (R 726.8 .G39 2014) 
Available at Main Campus (BF 637 .S4 C769 2017) and as an ebook through Dogwood Digital Library 
Available at the Main and Orange County Campus (QL 696 .F32 M33 2014)
If your self-care goal is get involved to make change:
Available at the Main Campus (E 185.61 .H845 2019) 
Available at the Main Campus in English (E 184 .A1 K344 2019) and in Spanish 
Available at the Main Campus in English (HT 1575 .S23 2020) and in Spanish 
Available at the Main Campus (BF 575 .E55 S443 2018) 
Available as an audiobook through Dogwood Digital Library 
Available at the Main Campus Library in the Phail Wynn Collection (HM 883 .K38 2018)
For some people (see: me), reading itself can be a way to practice self-care because it’s something that encourages me to relax and disengage from stressors. Reading outside in my fancy patio chair is even better.
While I like lots of types of books, sometimes my “reading specifically for self-care” choices differ from my “reading in general” choices. During those times, I especially like fast-paced slightly horror-related YA (preferably with magic), historical fiction set in the 1920s (especially about VERY rich people coping with their own privilege), crime books (especially when the perpetrator gets caught), or a fairy/folk tale rewrite (ALL OF THEM).
Other people love to catch up with their favorite prolific author, Regency, Western, or shifter romance, police procedural, murder mystery, family drama, or whatever sings to their soul. We often choose to repeat a genre when it’s used for self-care not because we’re looking for a surprise, but because we want to engage with something enjoyable and a little predictable in the best way possible. It’s comfort, the book genre-version. Be sure to check out Dogwood Digital Library for some awesome new fiction that you can access from home.
Want to check one of these books out? You can either request it yourself through the catalog or contact us and we can get it for you and schedule a time for you to come get it.
Happy reading! And remember that any of these books fit into our favorite category– A book suggested by a Durham Tech Library staff member or on the Library blog!
Looking for more Read Great Things 2021 category suggestions? Check out our short book list from January and our outer space books from February.
