Gaston Library discussion

Explore our selection of nonfiction titles to help inspire and transform your life in 2021. From a new hobby to a new perspective, its never too late to build a better you!

All titles are currently available for checkout at the original time of posting. Please call 704-868-2164, option 1 to check out these titles and more using our curbside pickup program.

Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
"From the authors of the #1 New York Times best seller Designing Your Life ('Life has questions. They have answers' --The NYT)--a job-changing, outlook-changing, life-changing book that shows us how to transform our work lives and create a dream job that is meaningful without necessarily changing the job we have." (Goodreads)


Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
"A memoir of marriage and self-discovery by bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring account of how we are all born to be warriors: strong, powerful, and brave; able to confront the pain and claim the love that exists for us all. This chronicle of a beautiful, brutal journey speaks to anyone who yearns for deeper, truer relationships and a more abundant, authentic life." (Goodreads)


Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg
"The world’s leading expert on habit formation shows how you can have a happier, healthier life: by starting small.

When it comes to change, tiny is mighty. Start with two pushups a day, not a two-hour workout; or five deep breaths each morning rather than an hour of meditation. In Tiny Habits, B.J. Fogg brings his experience coaching more than 40,000 people to help you lose weight, de-stress, sleep better, or achieve any goal of your choice. You just need Fogg’s behavior formula: make it easy, make it fit your life, and make it rewarding. Whenever you get in your car, take one yoga breath. Smile. Whenever you get in bed, turn off your phone. Give yourself a high five." (Goodreads)


Never Too Old to Get Rich: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life by Kerry E Hannon
"When you think of someone launching a start-up, the image of a twenty-something techie probably springs to mind. However, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are just as likely to start businesses and reinvent themselves later in life. Never Too Old to Get Rich is an exciting roadmap for anyone age 50+ looking to be their own boss and launch their dream business.

This book provides up-to-date resources and guidance for launching a business when you're 50+. There are snappy profiles of more than a dozen successful older entrepreneurs, describing their inspirational journeys launching businesses and nonprofits, followed by Q&A conversations, and pull-out boxes containing action steps. The author walks you through her three-part fitness program: guidelines for becoming financially fit, physically fit, and spiritually fit, before delving more deeply into how would-be entrepreneurs over 50 can succeed." (Goodreads)


The 4 Season Solution: The Groundbreaking New Plan for Feeling Better, Living Well, and Powering Down Our Always-On Lives by Dallas Hartwig
"With his runaway bestsellers It Starts with Food and The Whole30, health trailblazer Dallas Hartwig has helped millions of people improve their lives by changing how they eat. In this groundbreaking new book, he reveals the antidote to today’s epidemics of burnout, weight gain, disease, and fatigue. Rooted in ancestral health, yet designed for our busy, modern lives, The 4 Season Solution is a blueprint for not just eating better, but living better." (Goodreads)


Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Irvin Painter
"How are women, and artists, "seen" and judged by their age, race, and looks? And how does this seeing change, depending upon what is asked of the viewer? What does it mean when someone states (as one teacher does) that "you will never be an Artist"—who defines "an Artist," and all that goes with such an identity, and how are these ideas tied to our shared conceptions of beauty, value, and difference?

Old in Art School represents an ongoing exploration of such questions, one that ultimately honors curiosity, openness, and joy—the joy of embracing creativity, dreams, the importance of hard work, and the stubborn determination of your own value." (Goodreads)


National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography by Joel Sartore
"This entertaining book from beloved National Geographic photographer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore shows aspiring photographers how to take great pictures, from framing and F-stops to editing and archiving. Whether you're using your phone or a DSLR camera, you'll learn the fundamentals of photography--and how to put them to work every day." (Goodreads)


Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla
"The team behind the inspirational design sites Gardenista.com and Remodelista.com presents an all-in-one manual for making your outdoor space as welcoming as your living room. Tour personality-filled gardens around the world and re-create the looks with no-fail planting palettes. Find hundreds of design tips and easy DIYs, editors’ picks of 100 classic (and stylish) objects, a landscaping primer with tips from pros, over 200 resources, and so much more." (Goodreads)


Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines by Martha Stewart
"Trust Martha to help you master all things organizing—sorting, purging, tidying, and simplifying your life—with smart solutions and inspiration. Here, she offers her best guidance, methods, and DIY projects for organizing in and around your home. Topics include room-by-room strategies (how to sort office paperwork, when to purge the garage or attic), seasonal advice (when to swap out bedding and clothing, how to put away holiday decorations), and day-by-day or week-by-week plans for projects such as de-cluttering, house cleaning, creating a filing system, overhauling the closet, and more. Martha’s indispensable expertise walks you through goal-setting, principles of organizing, useful supplies, and creating systems for ongoing success. A look into Martha’s own personal calendars offers a template for scheduling essential tasks. Last, plenty of strategies, how-tos, timelines, and checklists will help you stay organized all year long." (Goodreads)


The Evolved Eater: A Quest to Eat Better, Live Better, and Change the World by Nick Taranto
"Taranto provides eye-opening facts about how we acquire and eat food and easy and practical things that you can do to improve the way you eat (and live) starting today. Eating doesn't need to be complicated or painful or over-thought. We're starting The Evolved Eater revolution right here, right now." (Goodreads)