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)
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 needing support from family/friends, and those needing professional support.
We feel the book is packed with great info but verges on beomg overwhelming. We also noticed the font & font size may not be ADHD friendly. Regardless, there’s some solid info here!
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
ADHD for Smart Ass Women
by Tracy Otsuka
Written by an 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.
Your Brain’s Not Broken
by Tamara Rosier, PhD
Written from the perspective of a person with ADHD who also parents and coaches those with ADHD. The book moves beyond the classic advice of “Just Do It” by explaining why that doesn’t work. Instead Tamara delivers actual tools you can actually use in your everyday life.
We just finished reading this book and will be re-reading it soon to further absorb the great info!
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.
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 that viewpoint. They walk you through your fears so you can make a decision about medication that is based on fact, not fear.
Why Does Everybody Hate Me?
Living & Loving with RSD
by Alex Partridge
Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is not yet recognized by the DSM as a factor in diagnosing ADHD. However those with ADHD widely report the same experiences.
Alex takes RSD head on and explains it’s intricacies as well as the coping techniques he’s developed over the years.
Follow Alex on his podcast and on social where he interviews thousands of other ADHDers and shines a brilliant spotlight on common challenges within the ADHD community.
The ADHD Effect on Marriage
by Melissa Orlov
We listed this book before completing it, it’s that good! Having first hand knowledge, Orlov is the recognized leader in helping couples navigate the hurdles of ADHD. 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 recommend 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.
You Are Not the Problem: Late-Diagnosed ADHD Women & the Invisible Forces That Shape Us
by Liz Lewis
Late life diagnoses of ADHD for women is on the rise. Lewis walks through the impact of the collision of ADHD & womanhood. She explores the fall out and potential ways to navigate your diagnosis.
Paper Organizing
The Paper Solution
by Lisa Woodruff
Written from Woodruff’s experience of settling her father’s estate. She takes a two part approach starting with purging, telling you exactly what to keep and what toss. After you have whittled down your paper to only the necessities she presents step-by-step management options with her “Sunday basket” and binder system. Adapt the system as it works for you, the important part is the scheduled weekly check-in.
Overshopping & 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.
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.
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 dash 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 / Elder 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
Jameson documents her journey of assisting her parents in downsizing their family home as they enter assisted living and then later pass on.
Jameson and her siblings are left with a lifetime of memories and the emotions they hold. The book explores the questions to ask of those involved, discusses goals & options for downsizing and re-homing a lifetime of someone else's memories.
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 lifetime 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.
Boundary Setting & Self Care
Boundary Boss
by Terri Cole
Terri details her own journey from Boundary Fluid to Boundary Boss. She details the factors that shape our boundaries and how we can work with them to shape boundaries that are healthy for us and our relationships.
This is a MUST read!
Real Self-Care
by Pooja Lakshmin, M.D.
Dr. Lakshmin skewers the faux self-care market, analyzing how it maintains the status quo. She discusses how to discover your own values and map out authentic self-care that moves you to change.
This is a MUST read for any demographic who has been “Othered”.
Say The Thing
by Kami Orange
Kami gives specific language to communicate boundaries regarding racism, body image, sexual orientation, and a whole long list of other topics. Gain confidence when communicating your own boundaries and standing up for others.
*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!