By Dennis Pierce

Lifestyle-related books are hugely popular, and it’s easy to understand why. Not only do these books help readers express their creativity and achieve the kind of lifestyle they aspire to, but they also bring together people with a common interest and create a sense of connectedness around their topics.

“With everything that’s going on in the world now, finding community and understanding where you exist with other people is something that really resonates,” says Annie Mazes, associate director of library and academic marketing for Hachette Book Group.

In this sense, lifestyle-related materials align perfectly with one of the core missions of libraries: building community.

“We’re seeing sort of a heartwarming trend in which older generations are connecting with younger generations over crafting and passing along tips on how to do certain crafts,” says Valerie Palacios, marketing and publicity manager for C&T Publishing. “And it works the other way as well, with younger generations showing older generations new ways of doing things. It’s been nice to see.”

Amid the bustle of life today, books that help readers slow down and simplify their lives have proven especially popular, such as books on homesteading, gardening, and creating natural, herbal remedies. Among the new lifestyle books coming out this spring, financial literacy is also a key trend—from retiring early, to visiting Europe on a budget, to becoming a more informed voter and getting a handle on our national debt.

Here are some of the top new lifestyle titles this spring.

Hachette Book Group

Part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher, Hachette Book Group’s mission is to help people discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment, and opportunity. The company’s Workman Publishing Group is best known for its nonfiction lifestyle content in particular.

Claire Bidwell Smith is a leading grief therapist who has spoken on countless news outlets, podcasts, and radio shows and consults with companies like X (formerly Twitter), GoodRx, and the National Funeral Home Association. In Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss , March 2024, ISBN 9781523520282, she offers a new framework for understanding and navigating loss through four stages of grief: Entering, Engaging, Surrendering, and Transforming.

Drawing upon her own experiences with grief and loss, Bidwell Smith reminds readers that while loss is something that we all experience inevitably, how we grieve is up to us. When we consciously engage with our grief, rather than avoiding it, we can access profound healing.

In many immigrant households, money isn’t a topic of discussion, so financial education can be minimal—especially when a family is just trying to survive day to day. Financially Lit!: The Modern Latina’s Guide to Level Up Your Dinero & Become Financially Ponderosa by Jannese Torres, April 2024, ISBN 9781538741665, aims to change this situation.

Torres, a first-generation Latina who achieved financial independence at age 35 and now hosts a podcast on financial literacy, offers readers culturally relevant and relatable financial advice to help them set boundaries with their money, protect themselves from financial abuse, and invest in ways that will enable them to reach their goals.

In Psilocybin Therapy: Understanding How to Use Nature’s Psychedelics for Mental Health by J.J. Pursell, April 2024, ISBN 9781643262000, Dr. Pursell explores the next frontier in mental health: the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms and related psychedelics. Readers will learn about the chemical makeup of mushrooms and how they can help users work through deep psychological issues, what microdosing means, and how to assess potential risks. Dr. Pursell is a naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, and author of The Herbal Apothecary .

Another new Hachette title that focuses on natural wellness therapies is Herbal Remedies for Sleep: How to Use Healing Herbs and Natural Therapies to Ease Stress, Promote Relaxation, and Encourage Healthy Sleeping Habits by Maria Noel Groves, April 2024, ISBN 9781635867749. The book introduces readers to 15 herbs for reducing stress and encouraging a good night’s sleep, along with recipes for using them in homemade formulas. Groves is a clinical herbalist and herbal medicine teacher with more than two decades of experience.

From COVID to climate catastrophe to the looming AI revolution, it’s starting to feel like civilization as we know it is ending. The good news? It’s alwaysfelt that way. In A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times , April 2024, ISBN 9781523518258, author Athena Aktipis, an evolutionary psychologist and professor at Arizona State University, uses humor to tackle a serious subject.

Drawing on evolutionary psychology, history, brain science, game theory, and other fields, Aktipis explains how we are hardwired as a species to survive big existential crises—and how we can do so again by leveraging our innate abilities to communicate and cooperate.

Interlink Publishing

Founded in 1987, Interlink publishes books with an international perspective. The company’s mission is to build bridges between people from different cultures.

Interlink is especially known for its cookbooks that feature cuisines from around the world, written by authors native to those regions. As example is Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, January 2024, ISBN 9781623711160. This is the first cookbook from Imad Alarnab, a chef from Damascus who now runs a London restaurant that was named GQ’s Best Breakthrough Restaurant 2022. The books tells how Imad was left homeless when civil war broke out in his home country, and it describes his harrowing journey as a refugee through eight countries before settling in London.

“Imad is like a phoenix who has risen from the ashes, and his story shows that refugees are not people we should fear,” says Managing Director Harrison Williams. A celebration of how food brings people together, Imad’s book is full of Syrian recipes, traditions, and family stories.

Zaynah Din is a digital marketer who started a TikTok channel to showcase quick and simple meals with a desi (South Asian) flair. Within a few years, she amassed more than 300,000 followers. In Desified , February 2024, ISBN 9781623711177, she presents more than 90 recipes featuring South Asian flavors and inspired by the core principles of Ramadan, during which Muslims abstain from eating or drinking anything from sunrise to sunset.

Din’s recipes include easy, five-minute breakfasts that can be made before dawn, as well as simple, satisfying dinners for breaking a fast and tricks for prepping meals ahead of time. “Because of her TikTok background, she’s very astute at breaking down and presenting information,” Williams notes.

Why Aren’t We Talking About This?! by Hazel Mead, March 2024, ISBN 9781623716967, reads like a mini-encyclopedia of answers to questions that teenagers born with a female body are likely to be thinking about—from how to prepare for a cervical screening to recognizing a toxic relationship to how to practice self-defense. Mead has turned to Google to uncover what girls and women are secretly asking about their relationships, bodies, and identities while searching the internet, and she has consulted with clinical experts for answers to these questions.

Featuring dozens of demystifying illustrations from the author, the book explores topics women are too afraid to ask about but desperately need to understand and discuss for greater acceptance of others and themselves.

Breakfast in China is a big deal. At dawn, the streets come alive with vendors offering a variety of noodles, dumplings, and buns made fresh to order right on their doorsteps. Michael Zee, creator of the popular SymmetryBreakfast Instagram account, has toured all eight culinary districts of China, sampled the very best of these morning favorites, and recreated them at home so that others can, too. In Zao Fan , April 2024, ISBN 9781623716950, he shares these recipes devised for speed and convenience, which can also serve as lunches, snacks, or dinners.

In One Bake, Two Ways, June 2024, ISBN 9781623716950, author Ruby Bhogal—a runner-up on The Great British Bake Off —meets a growing demand for adaptable recipes suitable for people trying to follow a vegan diet. In a creative twist, Bhogal presents two versions for each of her 50 recipes: one traditional and one plant based. This clever concept gives readers the freedom to bake with choice.

Page Street Publishing Co.

Based in Salem, Massachusetts, Page Street publishes picture books, young adult fiction, and a variety of nonfiction books in categories like cooking, traveling, interior design, crafting, and parenting. “Our goal is to inspire readers to do the things they love better,” says Marketing and Publicity Director Katelynn Jasper.

Former software engineer and current Internet personality Frank Niu didn’t just dream about early retirement; he succeeded before age 30. In Retire By 30: Achieve Financial Freedom Through the FIRE Movement and Live Life on Your Own Terms , March 2024, ISBN 9781645679486, Niu—who has more than a million followers on his social media channels—explains how readers can break free from the corporate grind before the traditional retirement age.

The book features advice on how to calculate the amount you’ll need for early retirement, reduce debt and invest money the right way, negotiate higher-paying job offers, and set up and leverage IRAs and 401(k)s to attain the life you want.

With travel on the rise after the pandemic, many people are looking for cost-conscious ways to visit popular locales. Traveling to Europe on a Budget: An Insider’s Guide to Finding Hidden Gems, Avoiding Tourist Traps and Having the Vacation of Your Dreams on the Cheap by Tonia Hope, April 2024, ISBN 9781645678663, offers expert advice and affordable Itineraries for traveling to Europe’s top destinations.

Hope is a professional travel guide, and her insight can help readers experience places like London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Dublin, Lisbon, and the Greek islands “without feeling like they’re skimping,” Jasper says.

Homesteading, “cottagecore,” and other celebrations of simple, traditional living have become popular in recent years,. The Natural Soapmaking Handbook: Easy Recipes and Techniques for Beautiful Soaps from Herbs, Essential Oils and Other Botanicals by Simi Khabra, May 2024, ISBN 9798890039989, should appeal to those engaged in any of these lifestyles.

Khabra, an experienced soap maker and creator of Muddy Mint Soap Co., guides readers through easy-to-learn techniques for creating beautiful and aromatic soaps from scratch using 100-percent natural ingredients. Perfect for beginners and enthusiasts alike, her in-depth guide includes more than 30 soapmaking recipes.

Globe Pequot

Founded in 1947 and based in Essex, CT, Globe Pequot is a publisher and distributor of nonfiction books on numerous topics, including history, entertainment, cooking, crafting, and outdoor recreation. The company was acquired by Rowman & Littlefield in 2014.

Charcuterie boards are a hot topic in cookbooks today. In Gathering Boards: Seasonal Cheese and Charcuterie Spreads for Easy and Memorable Entertaining , June 2024, ISBN 9781493075553, author Sarah Tuthill reveals how to create thoughtfully arranged spreads that will make guests feel special during any occasion.

Tuthill’s book shows that entertaining doesn’t have to be intimidating, with creative ideas for preparing and serving a variety of hors d’oeuvres, including seasonally and holiday themed boards. She also pairs the boards with suggestions for drinks and decorations. Tuthill is a food and lifestyle journalist who runs EZPZ Gatherings in suburban Pittsburgh, where she teaches charcuterie classes and caters made-to-order boards.

Reading Rainbowis one of the most successful PBS children’s series in history, earning 26 Emmys and a Peabody Award. Creating Reading Rainbow: The Untold Story of a Beloved Children’s Series by Barbara Irwin, Tony Buttino Sr., and Pam Johnson, June 2024, ISBN 9781493077328, is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the show’s history that will appeal to those who grew up with the program as well as those who’ve never seen it.

Reading Rainbowbegan at WNED-TV, a public TV station in Buffalo, NY. The books’ three authors—Irwin, then a project assistant in the Educational Services department; Buttino, the WNED producer who led the show’s creation; and Johnson, executive director of Ready to Learn at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—share many stories about this iconic show’s creation.

Megan Lapp of @CraftyIntentions has been creating imaginary crochet creatures since 2017 and has amassed thousands of fans online. Her third book for Globe Pequot, Crochet Monsters, July 2024, ISBN 9780811771627, contains instructions for 37 unique bodies, as well as numerous options for horns, limbs, tongues, teeth, tails, hair, antennae, and more—allowing readers to mix and match designs to create their own unique monsters. The patterns are appropriate for all levels of crocheters.

Hay House Publishing

Founded in 1984 by Louise Hay, one of the pillars of the modern self-help movement, Hay House publishes books, calendars, journals, and card decks on such topics as personal growth and development, health, meditation, and well-being. The company was acquired by Penguin Random House in January 2024.

The health of your gut, which is home to millions of microbes, affects the health of all organs in the body—and it’s often the root of many health-related problems, from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to joint pain, eczema, allergies, and fatigue. In The Holistic Guide to Gut Health: Discover the Truth About Leaky Gut, Balancing Your Microbiome, and Restoring Whole-Body Health , April 2024, ISBN 9781401975104, author Dr.Mark Stengler offers natural solutions for maintaining a healthy gut. Content includes an overview of the types of foods that heal—and injure—the gut, the best supplements to stimulate and support gut healing, and specific steps to heal common conditions related to leaky gut and dysbiosis.

Known as “America’s Natural Doctor,” Dr. Stengler received training in both conventional medicine and natural alternatives, allowing him to combine advanced modern technology with time-tested traditional therapies. He runs the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine and has helped tens of thousands of people over 27 years of practice. As a testament to his success, Dr. Stengler was voted the 2019 Doctor of the Year and 2021 Doctor of the Decade by the International Association of Top Professionals.

Suzanne Giesemann was a senior Navy commander before becoming a spiritual teacher, author, and messenger of hope. Now, her YouTube videos reach more than nine million viewers, and she hosts the popular Messages of Hope podcast. In The Awakened Way: Making the Shift to a Divinely Guided Life , April 2024, ISBN 9781401978433, Giesemann combines deep spiritual wisdom and practical tools for living a consciously connected and divinely guided life.

Japanese author Ken Honda’s self-help books have sold more than eight million copies worldwide since 2001. Known as the “Happy Money Guy,” “Money Healer,” and “Zen Millionaire,” Honda bridges the topics of money and happiness in his writing, and his latest book—and the first from Hay House—does just that. True Wealth: 9 Lessons from a Grandfather on Happiness and Abundance , May 2024, ISBN 9781401978020, is told through a series of letters from a grandfather to his grandson. Each letter unveils a lesson about what is most important in life: achieving a joyous and successful existence beyond material wealth.

In 2022, Dr. Mindy Pelz published Fast Like a Girl, which has been among Amazon’s top 100 selling books and has helped tens of thousands of women take back their health by adopting a fasting lifestyle. Now, Dr. Pelz has two new follow-up titles publishing soon.

Eat Like a Girl, November 2023, ISBN 9781401979447, is a companion cookbook with more than 100 recipes to help women burn fat, boost energy, and balance their hormones. Microdosing Menopause: Small Doses of Science-Backed Strategies That Ease the Mental Stress of Menopause , January 2025, ISBN 9781401975562, helps women navigate the mental health aspects of menopause through a diverse range of tools, from plant-based remedies and the healing power of nature to essential nutrients and tailored exercise routines.

Brown Books Publishing Group

Economics can seem like a foreign concept to many people. But a basic understanding of the topic is essential to being a responsible citizen in our democracy—which is why the lead title of Brown Books for the spring is a handbook about the U.S.’s looming national debt crisis.

In Why You Should Give a Damn About Economics: The U.S. Debt Crisis and Your Future , April 2024, ISBN 9781612546469, professional accountant and real estate developer Leslie A. Rubin aims to give readers the knowledge they need to follow fiscal policy discussions and vote in a well-informed manner. Just as important, he hopes to impress upon readers the urgency of the U.S. debt crisis before it’s too late to solve it.

The amount of debt the nation is carrying is “unsustainable,” Rubin observes—and if we don’t come to terms with this problem soon, it will “bring this country to its knees.”

Rubin’s book consists of two parts. Part one outlines basic economic concepts such as supply, demand, and international trade. Part two explains the current debt crisis, how we got here, and what will happen if we don’t reduce our debt.

Foreign companies are liquidating their debt, he notes, not adding to it. This means there are fewer companies that will purchase our debt. If we can’t sell our debt, we have two options: either print more money—which will lead to hyperinflation—or default. This latter scenario “would lead to an economic disaster that will make the Great Depression look like child’s play,” Rubin warns.

The only way Congress will act is if lawmakers feel pressure from voters; Rubin hopes his book will spur readers to get involved.

Rubin’s book is being published by Brown Books Publishing Group in Dallas, TX. “This isn’t your typical economics book,” says Milli Brown, founder of Brown Books. “Our objective is to make it very reader friendly.”

To make what can seem like a dry and abstract topic highly accessible, the book itself is short—only 150 pages—and contains original artwork from New Yorker cartoonist Lisa Rothstein.

Rubin graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in accounting. His passion for economics education inspired him to create Main Street Economics Inc., a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that gives the average person an opportunity to learn about economic systems without going back to school.

C&T Publishing

Founded in 1983 and based in Concord, California, C&T Publishing is an independent, family-run publisher of quilting, sewing, and crafting books. In 2020, C&T launched Creative Spark Online Learning , a platform with online crafting courses for learners at every skill level.

Suzanne Pypke is a DIY blogger from Germany who has written two books on creating pompom animals out of yarn, both published in February 2024. Pom-Pom Forest Animals: Craft an Artisan Yarn Menagerie , ISBN 9781644034583, includes detailed instructions for creating 12 different forest animals, including a deer, fox, rabbit, owl, and squirrel. The instructions include tips on how to create a furry texture from yarn scraps and trim materials and how to sculpt and define each animal’s unique shape. Pom-Pom Birds: Craft an Artisan Yarn Flock, ISBN 9781644034446, describes similar techniques for creating 18 different birds.

In Hand-Stitched Oasis: Embroider Realistic Elements , March 2024, ISBN 9781644034125, author and embroidery artist Theresa M. Lawson guides readers in creating realistic-looking natural scenes through embroidery, including forests, lakes, deserts, beaches, and gardens. Lawson shares 35 different techniques for adding realistic elements to embroidery projects, such as shadows, highlights, texture, and depth—allowing readers to capture their “happy place” with embroidery thread, says Valerie Palacios, marketing and publicity manager for C&T Publishing.

Color Basics for Makers: Understanding the Rainbow by Lee Chappell Monroe, April 2024, ISBN 9781644032107, is a guide to using color in any kind of project and is applicable to a wide range of crafters. Lee is a trained graphic designer known for her innovative modern quilts, and she shares crafting tips on her blog, www.maychappell.com . In this book, readers will learn how to elevate their art with a deeper understanding of color theory.

Drawing on her fine art and design knowledge, Lee explains the fundamentals of using color in any medium, including: how the saturation of the color pigment changes as white, black, or gray are added; what makes a successful palette and how color affects the mood of a finished piece; and how to select and use color with confidence through hands-on exercises and beginner-friendly projects that demystify the process of choosing and using colors.

Gibbs Smith

Founded in 1969 and based in Utah, Gibbs Smith publishes children’s books, cookbooks, and books on home design and gardening. “Our mission is to enrich and inspire humankind,” says Executive Acquisitions Editor Madge Baird.

Many of the company’s home design books are aspirational in nature, Baird says, featuring beautiful homes and decor that readers can aim to replicate. Last year’s French Country Cottage Christmas by Courtney Allison, August 2023, ISBN 9781423662570, is a prime example. The country cottage aesthetic is very much in vogue. In this book, Allison—a stylist, photographer, and author of the popular blog French Country Cottage —offers creative ideas for fashioning a rustic holiday decor that readers can apply to their own homes year-round. “It’s aspirational but completely doable,” Baird says.

Although many of Gibbs Smith’s architectural books feature ambitious designs and decor, the company also publishes books with a more practical bent, such as ADUs: The Perfect Housing Solution by Sheri Koones, March 2024, ISBN 9781423665250. ADUs, or accessible dwelling units, are smaller housing units built on the same lot as a primary dwelling, like an in-law apartment. These structures can be used to house family members, guests, or renters. As communities and individual homeowners consider how to make more efficient use of their spaces, Koones highlights a variety of examples of how ADUs can be integrated effectively into the architecture of existing homes and neighborhoods.

Philip Gorrivan is a Manhattan-based interior designer widely renowned for his work. In Authentic Interiors: Rooms That Tell Stories , March 2024, ISBN 9781423664949, he showcases 13 examples of stunning home interiors he designed that vividly capture and reflect the lives of the people who inhabit them. “Gorrivan does not merely decorate,” a promotion for the book states. “Instead, he creates a unique and authentic narrative of his clients’ next chapter through singular surroundings.”

So much of our nation’s story grew out of Philadelphia, and “there is a lot of history and tradition in the gardens of this region,” Baird observes. Private Gardens of Philadelphia by Nicole Juday, photographs by Rob Cardillo, March 2024, ISBN 9781423663935, takes readers on a behind-the-scenes tour of 21 private gardens in the Philadelphia area. Juday has worked as a landscape curator and has won an award for her writing from the Garden Writers Association. Cardillo’s work has appeared in such publications as Gardens Illustrated and the New York Times . He was inducted into the Garden Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Wellness is a topic on many peoples’ minds these days. Live Natural: A Relaxed Approach to Creating Healthy Homes by Alison Davin, photographs by Lisa Romerein, May 2024, ISBN 9781423665823, features examples of warm and welcoming home interiors designed with wellness in mind. Davin is a California-based interior designer known for creating comfortably chic interiors using natural, nontoxic materials, and she’s an expert in taking a health-conscious approach to design without sacrificing aesthetic values. Packed with insightful tips and illustrated with beautiful photographs, Live Natural shows how to harness light, space, and natural elements to design a clean, comfortable, and healthy home—whether you’re remodeling an existing structure or building from scratch.

The Quarto Group

Established in 1976, Quarto is a leading global publisher of illustrated books for adults and children, primarily nonfiction. The company’s mission is to inspire life’s experiences, and it publishes as many as 1,000 books per year through more than 30 U.S. and U.K. imprints.

Cookbooks that celebrate regional and national cuisines in an authentic way are one of Quarto’s hallmarks. “We’re not afraid to highlight homegrown chefs, people who might not be formally trained but have made a name for themselves by cooking what they love,” says Marketing and Publicity Director Giuliana Caranante. “They know how to make their recipes accessible for home cooks, without needing fancy tools or ingredients.”

This accessibility is a key aspect of Quarto’s cookbooks. “Our goal is to make books that actually get used in the kitchen,” Caranante adds.

Modern Asian Kitchen by Kat Lieu, April 2024, ISBN 9780760384046, is a perfect example. The book—her second—features more than 80 recipes celebrating New Asian cooking: quick, casual meals that fuse different styles and are easy to prepare, such as braised shiitake mushrooms or Taiwanese popcorn chicken cooked in an air fryer.

Lieu is a social media personality whose Subtle Asian Baking Facebook group amassed over 10,000 members in its first month. Her first cookbook, Modern Asian Baking at Home, won the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Food Culture in the First Book category.

Another example is Smokin’ and Grillin’ with Aaron Brown , April 2024, ISBN 9780760389188. Brown started a YouTube channel in 2017 focused on his parents’ and grandparents’ traditional grilling and smoking recipes. He quickly became one of the most popular online food personalities. His debut cookbook aims to make grilling and smoking highly accessible to home cooks, with more than 100 recipes drawing on Southern, Cajun, and African American influences.

In Mexico in Your Kitchen by Mely Martínez, April 2024, ISBN 9781631069376, Martínez shares more than 95 traditional Mexican recipes that anyone can make in their own kitchens, such as mole poblano and veggie tamales. A former schoolteacher, Martínez started a cooking blog in 2008 for her teenage son, hoping it would help him one day recreate the recipes she grew up with herself. This is her second cookbook, a follow-up to The Mexican Home Kitchen.

Mobius Books

The American outpost of Hachette UK, Mobius Books chooses titles from Hachette’s U.K. lists and publishes them for the U.S. market. Mobius’s titles span several categories across fiction and nonfiction, including mystery and crime thrillers, contemporary fiction, memoirs, cookbooks, and gardening and crafting books.

“Our mission is to identify the very best U.K. titles that would resonate with an American audience and bring them overseas,” says Senior Publicist Amanda Harkness.

How the Rose Got Its Thorns and Other Botanical Stories by Dr. Andrew Ormerod, illustrated by Romy Palstra, April 2024, ISBN 9781529430554, reveals the inner workings of common flowers and trees. It is designed to help both novice and experienced gardeners better understand how different plants grow.

Accompanied by four-color illustrations from Palstra, each chapter explains how plants work and the processes they’ve evolved to thrive, such as protecting themselves from predators using chemicals; attracting pollinators using scent, shape, and color; growing in low or high temperatures; and retaining water efficiently. Dr. Ormerod is a professional botanist with a doctorate in plant breeding.

With bees and butterflies threatened by climate change, many people are looking to plant gardens that can help support them. In A Flower Garden for Pollinators by Rachel de Thame, illustrated by Lauren Lusk and photography by Jonathan Buckley, June 2024, ISBN 9781529422146, de Thame—an expert horticulturalist—explains how to create a garden with plants that are rich in nectar and pollen. Illustrated with exquisite hand-painted wat Finding Community

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