It’s a brand new year, and people often reflect on what they can do to improve their quality of life.

Cobb Public Library has posted a self-care, mindfulness and mental health reading list for people of all ages that can help you take steps toward a better life.

The announcement posted on the library website describes the purpose of the list as follows:

Begin the new year with mindfulness and intent, and strive to make your needs a priority. We’ve curated a list of books for all ages that tackle mental health and well-being and promote self-care.

Here’s this list, posted verbatim from the announcement:

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Children’s Books

Are You Listening? by Susan Verde

Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness by Maria Gianferrari

The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee

I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde

I Am a Peaceful Goldfish by Shoshana Chaim

The In-Between Book by Christopher Willard

It’s OK: Being Kind to Yourself When Things Feel Hard by Wendy O’Leary

Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More by Mallika Chopra

My Monster and Me by Nadiya Hussain

My Thoughts are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness by Georgia Heard

A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth

Take a Moment: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kids by Paul Christelis

Children’s and Preteen Chapter Books

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Just Roll With It by Lee Durfey-Lavoie

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Ms. Jo-Jo is a Yo-Yo by Dan Gutman

Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen

Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicholl

The Summer of June by Jamie Sumner

Teen and Young Adult Fiction

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs

The Cartographers by Amy Zhang

Chaos Theory by Nic Stone

Cold Girls by Maxine Rae

The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora

In the Ring by Sierra Isley

The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford

The Warning by Kristy Acevedo

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

When It All Synchs Up by Maya Ameyaw

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden

Teen and Young Adult Nonfiction

Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out When You or Your Friend is in Crisis by Kristi Hugstad

Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community with a foreword by Lady Gaga

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen

In Limbo by Deborah Lee

Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles edited by Jessica Burkhart

Positively Teen: A Practical Guide to a More Positive, More Confident You by Nicola Morgan

Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to a Calm Chill Life by Michael A. Tompkins

You Are Enough by Jen Petro-Roy

Your Brain Needs a Hug: Life, Love, Mental Health, and Sandwiches by Rae Earl

Adult Fiction

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi

Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs

The Endless Vessel by Charles Soule

The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro

Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong

Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London

The Unfortunates by JK Chukwu

Us Fools by Nora Lange

Adult Nonfiction

Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence by Daniel Siegel

Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully by Kelly Starrett

The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health: Essential Wellness Strategies for Flourishing in College by Mia Nosanow

Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas Insel

How Plants Can Save Your Life: 50 Inspirational Ideas for Planting and Growing by Ross Cameron

Move: How the New Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free by Caroline Williams

Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep by Jennifer Heisz

New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong by Stephanie Harrison

The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough by Thomas Curran

Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin

Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence by Gavin Francis

Sisterhood Heals: The Transformative Power of Healing in Community by Joy Harden Bradford

Soul Shift: The Weary Human’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy by Rachel Macy Stafford

The Story of Sleep: From A to Zzzz by Daniel Barone

While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life by Jamie Kern Lima

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About the Cobb County Public Library

According to the Cobb County Public Library website:

Cobb County Public Library is a 15-branch system headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, where its staff members serve a diverse population of over 750,000 people. Cobb is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, and Cobb County Public Library is dedicated to being a resource center in the community by providing equal access to information, materials, and services.

History of Cobb’s library system

The first public library in Cobb County was opened in the home of Sarah Freeman Clarke in Marietta. Clarke, whose family was from Massachusetts, was an advocate for free lending libraries and began lending books from her own collection informally from her house before it became obvious there needed to be a better-organized library system.

According to The First Hundred Years, A Short History of Cobb County in Georgia, by Sarah Blackwell Gober Temple, the library opened in 1882, was at Clarke’s residence on Whitlock Avenue, and was named the Franklin Library.

The first standalone library building opened on Church Street near the home of William Root in October 1893 and was named the Sarah Freeman Clarke Library.

Subsequently, libraries were opened in Acworth and Austell. In 1959, the city of Marietta and several other Cobb County libraries combined to form a countywide system that began the Cobb County Public Library as we know it today.

You can read more about the history of the Cobb County Public Library by following this link.