Reading Is Fundamental

Every year I vow to read a book a month. How hard can it be? I don’t have an 8-5 job and I love to read; the goal is certainly attainable. And every July, I evaluate my progress. For once, I’m actually ahead of the game!

I love books and my reading list is eclectic. I enjoy historical fiction, biographies, and memoirs. I especially like books that challenge me to think outside the box, expand my professional knowledge, and inspire. If I visit your home, please know I will be perusing your bookshelves for hints as to your favorites. I think books speak volumes about a person.

There are books I read once a year as primers:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and the late Desmond Tutu.

I have meditations I circulate depending upon each day’s intention:
The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh
Everyday Gratitude – Inspiration For Living Life As A Gift
Good Enough – 40ish Devotionals For A Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie.

Best-loved books are reserved in a place of honor on my bookshelf. When asked, I will always recommend any or all of them to someone looking for a good read:
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings both by Sue Monk Kidd
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Anatomy of Hope by Jerome Groopman
Parenting Teens With Love and Logic by Foster Cline & Jim Fay.

Thus far this year, I’ve read:
What Happened to You by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams
A Collection of Life Stories by my mother
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Everything Happens For a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley
Wintering – The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May.

What are you reading?