Last year I read a book about relationships and love cover to cover that made me so excited I wanted to share what I had learned with everyone. I was calling my family members, sharing with coworkers and thinking about previous relationships or situations that could have had a better outcome had I read it sooner.

Although it was hard for me to avoid skipping to the end or researching an outline online, I was glad I resisted the urge. With each chapter, I was assigning people in my life to different categories based on what I had read. Dr. Gary Chapman's New York Times Best Seller, The Five Love Languages, outlines five types of love and explains the primary language a person needs to keep their "love tank" full including:

Words of Affirmation
Acts of Service
Receiving Gifts
Quality Time
Physical Touch

After I read one chapter and finished the book I knew that my primary love language was "Quality Time," but the accompanying test proved me right. It was interesting to me that "Physical Touch" was a close second, with one point shy of a tie to QT. The other three languages were all equal.

Although I would highly recommend reading the book, you can also take the test to discover your true love language at 5lovelanguages.com. While it's beneficial to know your love language, it's more helpful to understand the others. Knowing how to share love with those you care about in ways most meaningful to them can have a longterm impact on your relationships. It can also help you communicate your needs and ensure that your love tank is never empty.

Filled with real-life examples, humor and lots of love, The 5 love languages is a must read, and it won't take long to finish.

Dr. Chapman is a pastor, marriage counselor, speaker and author with more than 35 years of experience. In addition to the expansion of the five love languages into reads for singles, teens, men and parents, Chapman has written numerous other books. Visit 5lovelanguages.com to take the love language quiz, learn more about Chapman, explore other resources, purchase books and more.

Have you read The Five Love Languages? What were your thoughts on the book? Are there any others you would recommend? Share below.

XX,

Jasmine C. Tate