We like Sandra Boynton. We read her books when we were small. We’ve read her books to people close to us when they were small. And we suspect her pictures of hippos, chickens, cats, and dogs will be enjoyed for many, many centuries to come. We’re also delighted that she’s been posting regularly to Facebook. Single pictures, and many of them she freely admits are from existing works, but she’s tagging them with little reminders of kindness and self-awareness and community. Well worth a few seconds of your time as you start your day. 

How you spend the rest of your day is entirely dependent on how many cool books you have stacked up. Here are this week’s contenders for your TBR pile. 

Let’s start with Old Home Love, the visual companion to the HGTV hit show, Old Home Love. Andy and Candis Meredith restore dilapidated houses from the 19th century—giving them new leases, so to speak—and this book showcases fifteen of their efforts. Filled with gorgeous pictures of what modern know-how can do to creaky timbers and whistling walls, this book will inspire everyone to tackle that long-standing home improvement project. 

And speaking of improving your surroundings, let’s not forget Charles Montgomery’s Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design. This one has been out for a few years, but we were reminded of it the other day and we were delighted to reacquaint ourselves with Montgomery’s analysis of modern urban design and how it is fomenting joy among locals. 

Fomenting. It’s a cross between foaming and formulating. Sourdough starters foment when you’re not watching them, for instance. They’re very subversive. 

Speaking of subversive behavior, Andy Andrews would like you to disregard the old adage about not sweating the small stuff. In his new book, The Little Things, Andrews argues that success comes from ACTUALLY sweating the small stuff. Because paying attention to the world around you—the parts of the world that you can actually influence and control—has a ripple effect throughout your environment. Change happens at a point just beyond tip of your little finger (and not much further), so learn to work close and tight. 

On the flip side, we have Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which isn’t as subtle as we think it suggests it is. Okay, okay. Maybe it is. Manson’s been blogging about honesty in all things for some time now, and this book wraps up the best of that commentary in a brightly colored tome you can proudly read in public when you’d like to have a little peace and quiet. 

And speaking of peace and quiet, we highly recommend Dungeon! as a way to get the kids to go into the other room for a few hours. It’s not as complicated as 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, but it’s got all the best parts: dungeons, dragons, orcs, dudes with swords, ladies with cooler swords, and horses. And loot. It’s all about the loot, right? Dungeon! will introduce your entire family to useful skills like evading traps, counting gold coins, and rolling dice to decide one’s ultimate fate. Much more engrossing than Candyland and much less depressing than the Game of Life. 

And speaking of high adventure, Sebastien de Castell’s third book in the Greatcoats series is now out. Following on Traitor’s Blade and Knight’s Shadow, Saint’s Blood continue the adventures of Falcio, Kest, and Brasti as they fight against the rise in religious martial orders. It’s The Man in the Iron Mask meets The Game of Thrones, but with better sword fighting!

Seriously, de Castell knows a thing or two about sword fighting. Trust us. We’ve seen him in action. 

And speaking of action, Margaret George is back with The Confessions of Young Nero. Ms. George has had a long and distinguished career writing historical novels, and she’s now turned her attention to the decadent days of Rome, where young Nero struggles to be understand and appreciated (read not smothered in his sleep) by both his mother and the Roman empire. 

And finally, Joan Didion returns with South and West—a not quite memoir showcasing the legendary writer’s thought processes and insights. South follows her and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, as they tour through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, while West traces her thoughts on California and the West as she works on an article for Rolling Stone that was never published. Time and The New York Times Book Review are already hailing this book as something we’ll be talking about for the rest of the year. We might as well be ahead of the curve.