Like anyone else, I’m a sucker for a good book. I love an enthralling page turner that I can’t help but race to finish, while simultaneously wishing it’ll never end. And I always feel that tinge of sadness when I finish them. You know those books that give you little chills of inspiration and excitement? The types of books where you can’t resist but highlight up and down the page? That’s what I’m talking about.
Of course it would be selfish of me to keep this feeling to myself. So here are 6 of my favourite books to be inspired by.
1. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I ploughed through this book in a couple of days. Big Magic is about inspiration and creativity, about how to persevere in your craft and do what you love – without suffering. It’s about the fear of rejection and how it holds us back in our creativity, and how to let that fear go. It’s what you need to read if you’re in any kind of creative field or want to be (and you likely are; we’re all creative in our work in some way or another). I absolutely love Elizabeth Gilbert’s style of writing and wish I could read books written exclusively in her voice.
2. I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones
This is a book that I think is so important for young girls and women to read. We live in a world that is cluttered with messages from various media channels on what we should do, what we should look like, and who we should be. I Am That Girl is your friend in finding your purpose, discovering your truth, and understanding that you can – and should – dream big!
3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
I’ll come right out and say it: I didn’t love this book. But I didn’t hate it either. The Power of Now has been on my reading list for years and I finally got around to reading it this year. I think it’s a good thing I read it after becoming more seasoned in mindfulness, because that’s what this book is all about. The Power of Now is about living in the present moment and letting go of whatever thoughts and worries you have about the future and past. It’s a good book for becoming aware of where you are letting your thoughts and energy go, and how and why you should work to constantly bring your focus back to the present moment.
4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
A colleague of mine read a review of this book and then sent me a link to it with the subject line “Don’t ask me why but this made me think of you”. Yes Please is comedian Amy Poehler’s memoir – so naturally it’s full of witty stories from Poehler’s life. But it’s also a book about confidence and doing what you want and realizing your worth, which is why I really liked it.
5. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
You might have read this one, or seen the movie starring Reese Witherspoon. Wild is a memoir recounting Cheryl Strayed’s lengthly trek through the Pacific Crest Trail. She sets out on this quest at the age of 26, in an attempt to reclaim her life following her mother’s death. Wild is an encouraging reminder that straying from our comfort zone is often exactly what we need. Although I can’t see myself wandering across the United States alone anytime soon, this book did give me that excited feeling of wanting to drop everything and go out and do something completely out of my element, just to feel… alive!
6. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Yes, I am totally mentioning two books by Elizabeth Gilbert within the span of this arguably short list. And I’m not even going to apologize for it, because Eat, Pray, Love is still one of my favorite books of all time (and I’ve read a lot of books since reading this one years and years ago!). For the select few who have not yet had the pleasure of reading Eat, Pray, Love (promise me you’ll start reading it today!) – it’s about soul-searching and self-discovery. Which, I know, might sound a little “blaha blaha”, but I promise you it isn’t. Gilbert’s magnificent way with words tells the story of her year-long journey through Italy, India, and Bali in a way that will inspire you to chills, and then make you want to go out and do that exact same trip yourself!
What is the most inspiring book you have ever read?
6 Comments
This is a great list. Here is my reading list.
http://www.jamesphu.com/reading
The only one that overlaps was the Power of now!
Thanks for your list James, I checked it out and it looks amazing! There’s so many titles on there that got me curious and sound like just my type of book. I’ll definitely be going back to it next time I need a new book to read.
Always looking for new book ideas! Currently reading Atlas Shrugged which with it’s 1000 pages will take me forever to finish but adding these to my reading list once that’s done!
So glad you liked the list! And happy to hear you’ll be pinning it. I’ve been ploughing through books lately. After finishing “Big Magic” (loved it so much) I am now started on Rising Strong by Brené Brown. Not read enough of it to make a judgement yet though. :)
I always wondered if ‘Yes Please’ would be worth reading! Will definitely have to check these ones out!
Hey Candis! Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad my list was inspiring to you. Have you read any of the other books on my list?