I’m the type of person who walks into our guest bedroom, where our biggest bookshelf hangs on the wall, just to spend time with my novels. I like to walk along and read each title for fun, reminiscing the adventure inside. Did I like this one? How did it end again? Was it a tearjerker or did I go to bed anxious at the end of each chapter? Oh man, there’s one I need to read again. And so on it goes…
My aunt, who is the sole reason I ever put my nose in a book so deeply, used to have books tucked away in every closet of her home, stacked as high as the ceiling. There’s no doubt in my mind she read every single one. Each time I visited, I’d stare at her bookshelf imagining the adventures she’d been on. How much she’d learned and all the people she’d met.
That’s the thing about books. I don’t care if it’s a self-help book or the finale of an action trilogy, each and every one teaches us something. Widens our minds in ways we may not even realize. Forces us to relate to characters who may be completely different from ourselves. Transports us to foreign worlds and imaginary destinations. To escape & learn – the sole purpose of reading for anyone… right? Well, it is for me. And out of all I’ve read since graduating to chapter books (big milestone in my elementary eyes), a few influential books still tend to linger.
Not linger like Harry Potter, because nothing will ever compare. Not like Dan Brown and his mysteries that still spark excitement even though I know the ending. And not like Gillian Flynn’s novels that will forever haunt my inner peace. I’m talking about books that have shifted something inside me. Changed my life in one way or another. That I still visit to pull inspiration or perspective from. Here’s my list.
Big Magic
“Creativity is a crushing chore and a glorious mystery. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.”
Elizabeth Gilbert
After I finished Eat, Pray, Love (about a decade late), I longed for more from Gilbert. Along came Big Magic which delivers more for me than any book I’ve ever read. Something lit up inside me as I clung to every word she wrote about living a creative life beyond fear. In the best way possible, my creative side has not been the same since.
The Kite Runner
“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime…”
Khaled Housseini
At a loss for words with this beautiful novel. The life lessons alongside a glimpse into the tumultuous scene of the Middle East have stuck with me for years. Everyone should read The Kite Runner (and Housseini’s two other novels) at least once.
A Million Little Pieces
“The afternoon and the early evening slide by in a lidded daze where the ability to think in any identifiable way disappears and where every moment seems to be an eternity.”
James Frey
All controversy aside, I read A Million Little Pieces in high school and still feel the impact. Pretty heavy stuff for my 16 year old mind, but I think I soaked it in so much because it opened my eyes to a world I never realized existed. It truly shaped the way I view the struggle with addiction.
The Nightengale
“In love, we find out who we want to be; in war, we find out who we are.”
Kristin Hannah
I felt emotional for days after I finished The Nightengale. Recommended to me by multiple people, I went into the WWII story thinking it would be similar to my beloved Follett novels. Oh boy, was this something completely different and utterly beautiful. A portrait of war I never experienced before. With everything going on in the world right now, it felt timely to read about this tale of two brave sisters during one of humanity’s darkest times.
Untamed
“This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been.”
Glennon Doyle
The hype around Untamed does not lie. Glennon Doyle has written a masterpiece for women. Centered around the idea of never disappointing ourselves and “we can do hard things”, her perspective truly shifts my own. Half my book is highlighted because I took so much away from it – on life, on motherhood, on relationships. Empowering and engaging, you need to read it.
What are some of the most influential books you’ve ever read?
xoxo. B
