by Ginger Earle

Created on: October 02, 2009   Last Updated: October 03, 2009

After the wedding and honeymoon bliss wears off, many couples are left feeling lost, unsure what it means to be married, dreading the horror stories they've heard about the first year being difficult, and marriage being something you must work hard at. If you're like many people today, you may not even have healthy role models in your parents as examples of how to have a successful marriage.

One of the most down-to-earth, funniest books on being a newlywed is I Do. I Did. Now What?! : Life After the Wedding Dress. Jenny Lee offers her experience and advice on this tumultuous time and offers a modern look at dividing up chores and housework, fighting, and financial problems. This isn't a book written by a therapist so the advice sounds like it's coming from a girlfriend, not someone who pretends to know more than you do about your relationship. It's a quick, easy read, and you'll want to pass it along to all of your married friends as soon as you finish laughing through it.

For a similarly humorous book written from the male perspective, check out There's a Spouse in My House: A Humorous Journey Through the First Years of Marriage by Peter Scott. For inspiration from couples who have made it through the long haul, the sentimental but honest Project Everlasting: Two Bachelors Discover the Secrets of America's Greatest Marriages by Matthew Boggs and Jason Miller. The authors interview couples who have been married 40 years or more. With the prevalence of divorce, these couples have become a rarity, and there's something we can learn from analyzing their relationships. It's hopeful, funny, at times brutally honest. If your own parents divorced, or unhappy, this book offers you examples of couples who were happy and why.

An indispensible book that all women should read is The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbandsby Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I know Dr. Laura is controversial, and the title may make some women cringe, but in reality, the book gives women power by enlightening us to how simple it actually is to keep your husband happy. The advice, despite the title, is extremely empowering. Her follow up The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage, is meant to be read by both husband and wife and is equally helpful. Both of these books are written in a simple, straightforward voice, offering anecdotes from real relationships and advice that will make a difference.

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