By Joy Ehonwa
Engaged or thinking of getting married in the near or distant future? Here are 5 books you absolutely have to read to make sure you’re well equipped!
5. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Even before marriage- in dating and courtship- it is a wise person who takes the insights this book provides very seriously. Whether we accept it or not, people don’t receive love in the same way. In order to keep the love tank full, everyone should learn their spouse’s love language and use it to communicate love to them. What’s the point of loving someone when they can’t even feel it? You might as well not love them at all.
4. How to Choose a Life Partner by ‘Bimbo Odukoya
The beloved Pastor ‘Bimbo brings years of premarital and marriage counselling to bear in this masterpiece of a book. What makes it stand out is that it is tailored to suit African couples, bearing in mind our peculiar cultural values, and loaded with plentiful true-life stories to learn from. Every single should own a copy, and heed the advice contained therein.
3. What I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married by Kay Coles James
I’ve always said that if I had to choose only two books apart from the Bible to prepare me for marriage, this would definitely be one of them. From wedding planning and amazing married sex, to money secrets and work-life balance, Kay Coles James addresses issues about which most books are usually silent in the frank, straight-up, humorous way characteristic of Black American women.
2. The Act of Marriage by Tim and Beverly LaHaye
This book is all about sex in marriage- toe-curling, can’t-get-enough-of-this sex. It was unbelievably thrilling to read practical advice here- actual tricks and tips you thought you’d only find in Cosmo and definitely not in a book written by Christian ministers. God’s plan for married sex is beyond incredible. I learnt the most unlikely things, but I’ll tell you about them when I do a book review.
1. What No One Tells the Bride by Marg Stark
This is the other book I’d choose if I had to read only two books apart from the Bible to prepare for marriage. It is the modern woman’s ultimate guide to marriage. Having interviewed 50 brides from different walks of life, Marg Stark writes on surviving the wedding, sex after the honeymoon, second thoughts, becoming your mother, screaming about money, screaming about in-laws, maintaining your identity, and being blissfully happy despite it all. Book review coming soon!
