You're doing great, Pete. It's actually a great choice, added them on my list to read.
My year was about mindfulness and productivity. So, I've read a dozen books on mindfulness and happiness this year. One of the most insightful turned out to be "10% Happier" by Dan Harris".
Harris was a skeptic himself, cynical of the practice, and fully addresses the reservations he had before. There’s a lot of logical explanation in this book that will make you want to try it out too, since joining him on his journey from the lows of life before mindfulness and then seeing the positive impact it had on him makes for captivating reading. It also teaches certain meditation techniques to help you on your own personal journey, such as short breathing exercises that help you focus on the present.
I recommend you to take a look at Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk who has lots of books and he praises mindfulness all the time. At least some Youtube videos may help you.
