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The Most Popular Self-Help Books Of 2019

Goodreads compiled a list of the top self-help books published this year.
By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

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Self-help books can be a very useful resource for people who are struggling or just generally seeking ways to improve their lives. And often, specific ones resonate with large audiences.

If you’re searching for a new self-help book that other people have loved, we can lend a hand. The folks at Goodreads shared the most popular titles of 2019 with HuffPost, based on how the site’s 90 million members have rated them or whether they added them to their want-to-read shelves.

“People are looking for ways to calm down and weed out the noise of the world, and that’s being reflected in the books they are finding and loving in 2019,” says Goodreads senior editor Cybil Wallace.
Publishing
“People are looking for ways to calm down and weed out the noise of the world, and that’s being reflected in the books they are finding and loving in 2019,” says Goodreads senior editor Cybil Wallace.

The top picks cover a variety of topics and range from mega bestsellers to works from lesser-known authors, but they share some common elements, according to Goodreads.

“To look at the most popular self-help books of the year is to glimpse an over-stressed, tech-obsessed readership longing to unplug, unwind, and focus on the important things,” Cybil Wallace, Goodreads senior editor, told HuffPost. “People are looking for ways to calm down and weed out the noise of the world, and that’s being reflected in the books they are finding and loving in 2019.”

Without further ado, here are Goodreads’ most popular self-help books published so far this year:

1
"Girl, Stop Apologizing" by Rachel Hollis
Thomas Nelson
Goodreads description: As a follow-up to last year's bestselling "Girl, Wash Your Face," Hollis sounds a wake-up call in this inspiring self-help book, urging women to live to their full potential by identifying common excuses and obstacles.
2
"Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed" by Lori Gottlieb
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Goodreads description: The bestselling author, psychotherapist and national advice columnist takes us behind the scenes of a therapist’s world where both she and her patients are looking for answers. With wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her life as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others.
3
"Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide" by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Macmillan
Goodreads description: From the hosts of the hit podcast "My Favorite Murder" comes this frank, funny, and illuminating reflection on true crime, formative life events and the importance of valuing personal safety over being "nice" or "helpful."
4
"Notes on a Nervous Planet" by Matt Haig
Penguin Random House
Goodreads description: A follow-up to the bestselling memoir "Reasons to Stay Alive,"Haig takes a broader look into how modern society feeds our anxiety. He examines how social, commercial and technological "advancements" have created a world that can actually hinder our happiness.
5
"Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World" by Cal Newport
Penguin Random House
Goodreads description: The Georgetown computer scientist makes the case that in order to live well in our high-tech world, we need to learn to unplug. He argues that our addiction to personal tech has taken a dark turn.
6
"More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)" by Elaine Welteroth
Penguin Random House
Goodreads description: Part-manifesto, part-memoir, the revolutionary Teen Vogue editor explores what it means to come into your own. Welteroth unpacks lessons on race, identity and success through her journey of having climbed the ranks of media and fashion.
7
"The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes The World" by Melinda Gates
Macmillan
Goodreads description: A debut from Forbes’ third-most-powerful woman in the world, Melinda Gates offers a timely call to action for women’s empowerment. Throughout her journey as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, invest in women.
8
"Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" by David Epstein
Penguin Random House
Goodreads description: Epstein examines the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists to discover that in most fields — especially those that are complex and unpredictable — generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel.
9
"Everything is Figureoutable: How One Simple Belief Can Help Us Overcome Any Obstacle and Create Unstoppable Success" by Marie Forleo
Penguin Random House
Goodreads description: Forleo sets out to train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps. She emphasizes that the problem isn’t that you aren’t hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven’t yet installed one key belief: Everything is "figureoutable."
10
"Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Chose Your Life" by Nir Eyal with Julie Li
BenBella Books
Goodreads description: From the best-selling author of "Hooked," Eyal reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. He describes why solving the distraction problem is not as simple as swearing off our devices. Instead, he lays out a four-step model of how to get the best of technology without letting it get the best of us.
11
"How Happiness Happens: Finding Lasting Joy in a World of Comparison, Disappointment and Unmet Expectations" by Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson
Goodreads description: Only one-third of Americans surveyed said they were happy. How can this be? Based on the teachings of Jesus and backed by modern research, "How Happiness Happens" presents a surprising but practical personal plan for living that will change you from the inside out.

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