“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ~ Oscar Wilde
I’ve always loved to read, and over the years I’ve found solace in the pages of a good book. Taking you on a journey of discovery and magic, books can enrich your world in ways you never dreamed of.
The best ones never quite leave you.
Several years ago we flew south to celebrate my in-laws anniversary. We planned to stay with them a few nights and then meet the rest of our extended family at a nearby resort. But our son suddenly became ill. I coaxed my husband to attend the celebration as I stayed behind to care for our son.
He slept around the clock.
I became anxious, bored and a little lonely. Fortunately, I remembered to pack the new book I wanted to read for my next book club. It was titled, “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd. I devoured it, immediately becoming lost in the story and falling in love with the Boatwright sisters who seemed like dear friends keeping me company for a few days.
I still miss those characters. That is the power of a good book.
Books are to be passed on, and over the years I’ve given many away to family and friends with the proviso that they, too, pass them along. But some books I will never part with. They are like old friends, with their tethered pages and scribbled notes I’ve jotted into the text. I read and re-read them because they’ve become important to me, imparting their own unique brands of wisdom.
They are my teachers.
Here are a few inspirational books that will always be on my bookshelf. Old and new, they have one common denominator: the ability to inspire, teach, move and empower us.
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran - My brother gave me this book for my grade school graduation. In his inscription he wrote, “I’ve yet to meet a person who has read this and was not inspired by it; I wish someone had given it to me six years ago. Much of its philosophy can be applied to your everyday experiences.” He was quite right. Gibran’s masterpiece resonated with me as much then as it still does today. So when my nephew, my brother’s oldest son, graduated from grade school, I gave him his own copy of “The Prophet.” I hope he treasures it.
Ascending with Both Feet on the Ground: Words to Awaken Your Heart, by Jeff Brown - My best friend sent me this little treasure trove filled with short “soul bytes” that the author gleans from his social media commentary. As Elizabeth Lesser says, “I love learning about life and truth and love and purpose through the wizardry of Jeff’s words.”
Tao Flashes: A Woman’s Way to Navigating the Midlife Journey with Integrity Harmony and Grace, by Lisa G. Froman– My friend Lisa is a spiritually grounded lady who uses the Tao Te Ching as the basis for her book that helps us navigate the often-treacherous waters of midlife. Inspiring us with her passages of wisdom, grace and integrity, she empowers us by allowing us to believe that all things are possible.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz – This is my go-to book, mostly because Ruiz is extraordinary at illustrating a path toward enlightenment and impeccability, creating philosophies to use as guides toward living a more peaceful and joy-filled existence.
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron – My friend, Lorena, recommended this book to me a few years ago when I was at a crossroads. I soon discovered that The Artist’s Way is an invaluable guide that inspires us to take a closer look at the creative process, while showing us how to discover the creativity that lies within all of us.
A Short Guide to a Happy Life, by Anna Quindlen – I admit that I’ve always been in love with Anna Quindlen. She writes like I think, always providing us with pearly gems of wisdom about life. After losing her mother at a young age, she writes about her realization that instead of merely existing we all need to “get a life” and live it fully.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow, by Elizabeth Lesser – The author offers us tools to help us make better choices during the challenges we face in life. Through stories and insights, she supports us by helping us learn to “break open and blossom into who we were meant to be.”
Over It: How to Live Above Your Circumstances and Beyond Yourself, by Mary Buchan – The newest member of my bookshelf, Ms. Buchan bares her soul about the challenges she’s faced in her own life, and then she combines her stories with ancient wisdom to help us transform our own lives for the better. With thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, she coaches us to move away from the darkness and into the light. Her soft touch and engaging personality helps us feel as if we’re talking with a dear and loving friend.
What books will always remain on your bookshelf?
Cathy - What a great reading list. I've only ready two, so I'm excited about reading the others. A book that really changed my life was Paulo Coehlo's "The Alchemist." Perhaps I read it at a time when I really needed it, but I remember sitting on the beach crying so loudly people gathered up their children and went inside. Thanks for this wonderful blog! Donna
Hi Cathy! I too have, 1) The Artist's Way; 2) The Prophet; 3) The Four Agreements; 4) A Short Guide to A Happy Life; and a book by Elizabeth Lesser--"A Seekers Guide, Making Your Life A Spiritual Adventure. All of these are on my shelf. Now I'll be taking a look at the rest you recommend. I have so many "companions" that I can't list them all...but as you say, they are all "old friends" that I don't wish to part with. ~Kathy
I also loved The Secret Life of Bees. What a great book. And I would take advice from Anna Quindlen anytime. I can read her nonfiction over and over again.
Love love love this post, Cathy! Books do have the power to soothe our souls. I also have some books that I can never part with that changed me in one way or another.
Cathy, I am speechless. And humbled, too. I literally have the hair on my arms standing up from the goosebumps.
To have my book included with a list such as The Prophet, The Four Agreements, and the work of Anna Quindlen...is beyond words.
But more importantly, to know my book has offered you comfort or inspiration...well, this is the best compliment of all. Hugs x 10.
I love The Secret Life of Bees! Such a great book. There's a few more books on your list I also love, some I've been meaning to read but haven't, and some I haven't heard of. But from those I do know, I'm guessing I'd also like your other recommendations.
Now, if I only had more time to read…
What a great selection of books. Some of my favorites are here, like Anna Quindlen and Julia Cameron. Sometimes, just looking at the books on my shelves makes me feel better!
Some of these are well-worn on my shelf as well. Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
I have some of yours on my shelf as well. Also, as I've written before, Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. And Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor.
Great books and I am putting the ones I have not read on my list!!
I love how books can help us change how we think. My favorite book-related experience is when a line stops me dead in my tracks and makes me think. Although I do read inspirational books, that happens to me more often when I am reading fiction. For example, I just finished The Bookman's Tale (I won it on http://www.booksiswonderful.com) and there is line that I can't get out of my head. "There are days when, without prior notice, your life changes in some fundamental way." That, for me, embodies the power of the written word to change a perspective and allow a change in behavior -- all because of one line in a book that was not even part of the central theme.... Crazy!
Oh boy. Let's see... A Christmas Carol by Dickens, The Giver, Seven Daughters of Eve, Blink, Botany of Desire, The Stranger & the Statesman, Devil in the White City, The Professor & the Madman, Views From Thornhill.... to name a few.
This is a great list Cathy. I was thrilled to see Broken Open on your list. Not many people I know reference this one. But I wept aloud reading that book. Oh to write like that. There are a few new ones I will have to check out.
Hi Cathy, I love to read, as well and have read 3 from your list (The Prophet, The 4 Agreements and the Anna Quindlen). I'll have to pick up the others, as I value your recommendations.
None of your books strike me as what I would keep although I have heard of at least 5 of them. Mine include the Bible, BiIly Grahams Angels, M. Beatty's Codependent no more, my Julia Child collection and Freakonomics!
Great post, Cathy. I have books by John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver and Margaret Atwood that I'll keep forever.
Books? Did you say books? These are such great recommendations, Cathy - thank you! A few are familiar to me and a few are new and I look forward to checking them out. I agree with Lois Alter Mark's observation that sometimes just looking at favorite books can make us feel better - like a good friend - we know what's inside. The War of Art is a tiny book with big wisdom on creativity and is a fave of mine too.
Thanks, Cathy, for this comprehensive reading list. These all sound extremely worthwhile.
The Secret Life of Bees is right up there on my five favorites. I read it for the first time about eight years ago. It absolutely spoke to my soul as my "jar was open" and I was feeling free for the first time in my life. I read it, I cried and then I read it again!
Just finished UNBROKEN... I loved all 500 pages. Its a book that changes ones perspective.
I'm really enjoing your blog. Have a good day.
Suzanne
chapter-two.net
Books can be life companions. I've known The Prophet since I was 17 and have re-read it over the decades many times, usually at a transition point, or when my eyes land on it on my bookshelf. I intend to read his passage on Marriage at my daughter's wedding later this year.
Thank you, Cathy, for following Beauty Along the Road.
I've only read (and I'm abbreviating to one key word): "Bees" and "Agreements." I've heard of "Prophet" "Flashes" and "Way." Thanks for the post. They all look great. Now I have some homework.