Bookshelf
We are Book Dragons. That means we read.
A lot. Like a lot a lot.
Here are just some of the favorites we keep on our shelves.
*Schedule doesn’t match up?
No worries, call/text us at 346.347.9765
and we’ll find a time that works for both of us!
Decluttering & Organizing (ADHD Friendly)
How to Keep House While Drowning
by K.C. Davis
The runaway bestseller in ADHD books. K.C. Davis details how the COVID shutdown derailed her life & how she reclaimed it.
Key steps include removing moral judgements, simplifying tasks, & further breaking down the chaos known as life with a toddler.
Note* - K.C. is neurospicy (ADHD)
The Clutter Connection
by Cassandra Aarssen
There is no “one size fits all” in organizing. Cass asks 2 simple questions that will guide how to start organizing for your brain.
Note* - Cass is neurospicy (ADHD)
Decluttering at the Speed of Life
by Dana K. White
White identifies the mindsets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. She provides workable solutions to break out of the paralysis and overwhelm.
Note* - Dana has been diagnosed as neurospicy (ADHD) by the internet, NOT by a professional
ADHD
ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life
by J. Kolberg & K. Nadeau
Written by a Professional Organizer & ADHD Clinician, this book takes common ADHD challenges and gives a myriad of solutions. The solutions are presented in ‘Tiers’; those you can do on your own, those you need support from family/friends, and those you need a professional’s assistance.
We feel the book is packed with great info but that it could overwhelming. We also noticed the font & font size may not be ADHD friendly. Regardless, there’s some solid info here!
The ADHD Effect on Marriage
by Melissa Orlov
We’re not even done reading this book and had to list it. Having first hand knowledge, Orlov is the recognized leader in helping couples navigate the hurdles that ADHD can throw at them. Her no-nonsense “3 Legged” approach is full of strategies, tips, tricks and plain old good fashioned advice.
Orlov also runs a Marriage Workshop that uses this book as the text. We are also in the middle of this workshop and already recommending it to ANYONE we know that is in a romantic relationship with ADHD riding along as the third wheel. For info on the workshop go to Orlov’s website.
ADHD for Smart Ass
by Tracy Otsuka
Written by ADHD Coach & Podcaster, this book is a love letter to the kickassery that is the female ADHD brain. Overlooked & underdiagnosed for too long, Otsuka gives solid tools to grab your life by the well. You get it.
You can also find online support groups dedicated to the book.
ADD and Zombies
by W. Crenshaw & K. Daugherty
A comprehensive (seriously comprehensive) summary of using medication to help manage ADHD.
The authors tackle the medications currently available, what they do (and don’t do), potential side effects & risks. They discuss what your doctor should (and should not) ask & do to get you started on medication and how to find your optimum dosage & regimen. While “pro-medication” they do not force and help walk you through your fears so you can make a decision about medication that is based in true knowledge!
Is it You, Me, or Adult ADD?
by Gina Pera
Pera’s first hand knowledge of navigating adult ADHD is the critical success of this book. Using ADHD support groups as a critical resource, Pera discusses the impacts of undiagnosed ADHD, how it can express itself and the sometimes unhinged ways group members have found of managing it.
This is a gold mine of lived experiences that are often unacknowledged (or even unknown) in medical circles - including the DSM-5.
Downsizing (all ages)
Let It Go
by Peter Walsh
Walsh provides practical strategies to manage the guilt, nostalgia, and stress tied to belongings, helping you distinguish necessary items from emotional baggage to create a lighter, more fulfilling life by focusing on what truly brings joy and purpose.
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t
by Messie Condo
Swedish Death Cleaning meets humor with a sprinkling of cursing. Condo delivers the brutal truth of what your relatives are likely thinking (aka “please don’t gift me your ceramic duck collection”). With wit and wisdom, Condo walks you through the common pitfalls of decluttering and encourages you to let that sh*t go!
Senior Downsizing
Righsizing Your Life
by Ciji Ware
Written for retirees & others wanting a simpler, smaller space for their next chapter in life.
Ware takes a step-by-step approach to planning & executing a “rightsizing” move; including when to call in the experts & how to find them.
Unlike similar books, Ware tackles the emotions involved in rehoming the items collected over a lifetime.
Downsizing the Family Home
by Marni Jameson
Written for retirees & others wanting a simpler, smaller space for their next chapter in life.
Ware takes a step-by-step approach to planning & executing a “rightsizing” move; including when to call in the experts & how to find them.
Unlike similar books, Ware tackles the emotions involved in rehoming the items collected over a lifetime.
The Boomer Burden
by Julie Hall
Required reading for anyone who has elders surrounded by a lifetime of items and no plan to address it.
Hall draws on her extensive experience to guide you through the conversations, questions & actions needed to navigate decluttering a lifetime of belongings & the emotions attached to them.
Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash
by Vickie Dellaquila
Dellaquila draws on her years of experience as a Professional Organizer and Senior Move Manager to help guide you through the decision to downsize into a smaller living space & the steps needed to ensure success.
She maps out practical questions to ask that will help guide your steps and lists resources to assist you along the way.
Communicating with Elders / Seniors
How to Say it to Seniors
by David Solie
A must read for anyone with elders in their life, especially if you serve as a caretaker.
Solie discusses how we often view aging as a decline when in fact it is a stage of development. A life time of experiences brings awareness, reflection & wisdom. With this stage, priorities often shift, leading to miscommunication & frustration.
Repetitive at times, but gives the reader solid language to use so you can empower your elders and reopen the lines of communication.
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
A breathtaking book that addresses how our society fails us in the last stages of our life, especially if we are fighting a serious disease.
Gawande details what we need to ask and when so we can decide with conscious awareness when “enough is enough”.
This is for anyone with elders in their life or someone facing a difficult and potential terminal diagnosis. It also allows you to reflect on what matters to you and makes your own life worth living.
Caregiving & Eldercare Planning
Become and Informed Caregiver
by Deanne Morgan
All the things you need to know to be a proactive caregiver. Explains what you need to know (and why) and how to get organized. You’ll learn what (and who) to ask about your loved one’s: health, medical care, housing, finances, transportation needs, personal property, end-of-life wishes & more. Reduce the stress of the unknown by arming yourself with information.
The Complete Eldercare Planner, 4th ed.
by Joy Loverde
The Eldercare Planner is divided into how-to guides & easy-to-use action plans complete with checklists & worksheets to help you track important information. Includes a directory of low-cost and free resources. You’ll learn how to: communicate with your elders, find caregiving help, manage caregiving from a distance, protect your own finances while paying for long-term care, manage the stress of caregiving & ask the right questions in an emergency.
Cognitive Changes (Alzheimer’s & other Dementias)
Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s
by Joanne Koenig Coste
This book focuses not on the science but on how to manage the home life, items, routines & communication with the individual who has been diagnosed.
A foundational book. Run, do not walk to pick up this book!
The 36-Hour Day (8th Ed)
by Nancy Mace & Peter Rabins
Widely cited by memory care providers as THE book for cognitive changes. Very, very detailed, so it’s not a book to read from cover to cover.
We recommend reading what applies to your situation.
Estate Planning & Documentation
In Case You Get Hit by a Bus
by A. Schneiderman & A. Seifer
Updated for the digital world, this book opens with advice you won’t hear elsewhere. Namely, your passwords, phone & email need to be accessible by whomever is settling your affairs.
Broken down into tasks based on the bandwidth required to complete them, this is literally a DIY approach to ensuring your heirs won’t curse you when you’re no longer here.
Get It Together, 11th ed
by Melanie Cullen
Routinely updated, look for the newest edition. The book gives checklists for you to complete & step-by-step instructions for the person settling your estate.
We find this book is best coupled with something like “In Case You Get Hit By A Bus” as it’s a bit deficient in the digital information.
Otherwise, we love the step-by-step method as it gives clear guidance during a time of high stress.
Hoarding Disorder
Digging Out
by M. Tompkins & T. Hartl
Written for family & friends of those who hoard. Main focus is on harm reduction as the first step of treatment & the reality that reducing harm might be the best achievable outcome. Step-by-step instructions and advice are given for managing health & safety hazards, preventing eviction & improving strained relationships.
Buried in Treasures, 2nd ed
by D. Tolin, R. Frost & G. Steketee
Paired with support groups of the same name, this book is science based & written for those who hoard & those who love or know them. Tolin offers self-assessments, organizing tips, practical tools & skill-building as a way to tackle hoarding behavior.
Shopping Addiction
To Buy or Not to Buy
by April Lane Benson
Benson digs into the reasons we overshop, the potentially life-altering consequences, and how we can stop. Complete with self-reflection and journaling exercises, you can discover your personal triggers and take back control of your spending.
*Schedule doesn’t match up?
No worries, call/text us at 346.347.9765
and we’ll find a time that works for both of us!