Dating coaches, cringe-worthy 20 versus 1 videos, and popping the balloon YouTube videos continue to flood social media timelines. While the content is supposed to be giving people easy access to dating advice, it’s often more polarizing than anything. Learning about something, even dating, requires seeking knowledge. Instead of ingesting the opinions of dating from self-proclaimed dating coaches, consider diving into a good book about dating.
Why Should You Read Dating Books?
Books are power, including self-development ones about the relationships in your life. Dating topic books are often more nuanced and impartial than clickbait social media advice. The authors of dating books understand that a romantic relationship with another person is an extension of the relationship you already have with yourself. Plus, dating books offer a wider range of selections that can cater to your specific dating desires.
- Best Interactive Book: “Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” by John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman, Doug Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams
- Best How-To Book: “Boundaries in Dating: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Relationships” by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
- Best Conversational Book: “Thank You, More Please: A Feminist Guide to Breaking Dumb Dating Rules and Finding Love” by Lily Womble
- Best Self-Help Book: “In the Meantime Finding Yourself and the Love You Want” by Iyanla Vanzant
- Best Book Written By A Black Woman: “Sis, Don’t Settle: How to Stay Smart in Matters of the Heart” by Faith Jenkins
- Best Religious Book: “Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex” by Michael Todd
- Best Celebrity Dating Book: “ACT Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment” by Steve Harvey
- Best Scientific Book: “How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love” by Logan Ury
- Best Empowering Book: “How To Get Over A Boy” by Chidera Eggerue
- Best Controversial Book: “Why Men Love B*tches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl―A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship” by Sherry Argov
Best Interactive Book
“Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” is your wingman in book form. Written by a pair of doctors, this is your new workbook for your next string of dates. It features interactive components including prompts, activities and step-by-step guides on things you should be asking to your potential partner.
Best How-To Book
Some people yearn for a detailed blueprint on how to successfully date. While that’s not realistic, there are many books out there that simplify dating into detailed steps. “Boundaries in Dating: “How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Relationships” provides tangible tools on how to add boundaries to your romantic relationships.
Best Conversational Book
If you’re on the hunt for a dating book that isn’t so cut-and-dry, then “Thank You, More Please: A Feminist Guide to Breaking Dumb Dating Rules and Finding Love” is a good option. In the book, dating coach Lily Womble talks openly and humorously about embracing your dating preferences from the feminist lens. It reads more like a homegirl giving you a pep-talk than a stuffy self-help book.
Best Self-Help Book
The relationship you have with yourself determines the ones you have with others. For people looking to find answers on dating within, Iyanla Vanzant offers “In the Meantime Finding Yourself and the Love You Want.” This book, which is a #1 national bestseller, details the mental health work needed to attract romantic love.
Best Book Written By A Black Woman
“Sis, Don’t Settle: How to Stay Smart in Matters of the Heart” seems like it was written for Black women. Author Faith Jenkins shows women how to maintain their confidence, while pursuing romantic relationships. In the book, she also influences women to cling on to the idea that they can have it all.
Best Religious Book
Dating is personal and can especially vary based on your religious beliefs. “Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex” is a great faith-focused dating book for Christians. Black pastor Micheal Todd willfully opens up about all things that come with romance, including what exactly The Bible entails about intimacy.
Best Celebrity Dating Book
Steve Harvey made waves when he published “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” in 2011. The book continues to be in the starter pack of relationship advice books for good reason. This #1 New York Times bestseller gives an inside look on the way men think, and why women should think the same.
Best Scientific Book
“How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love” is a fit book for those who believe dating comes down to a science. The author Logan Ury is the director of relationship science at Hinge. The book showcases behavioral science and research to explain how the little decisions you make in life affect your dating.
Best Empowering Book
“How To Get Over A Boy,” by Chidera Eggerue is the heartfelt hug you crave from a longtime friend. In it, Eggerue reiterates the idea that men hold as much weight in romantic relationships as you allow them to. It focuses less on the coupled-up aspects of dating and instead on the breakups and bouts of singleness in dating.
Best Controversial Book
“Why Men Love B*tches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl―A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship” is a polarizing book just from its title. It offers a brutally honest perspective about why nice women essentially finish last. It instead encourages women to be strong and feisty when seeking out a romantic partner.
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