Wear the Old Coat and Buy the New Book

I love that quote - it's by Austin Phelps (of course, I tend to buy the new coat and the new book....)

Sorry for my absence. I was quite ill at the beginning of the week, when I meant to post and then have been catching up on things.

Anyhoo, today I wanted to share about my bookshelf. I have found such joy in reading over the last few years. In school, I read because I had to but only rarely actually enjoyed the books picked for me. After I had children, I felt I didn't have time. I now know that it is vitally important for me to make time to read. It is one of the ways I grow as a person. Fiction and non-fiction alike have shaped me into the person I am. So I wanted to share some of my favorites! I have been in and out of book clubs over the last several years and always feel like I am missing something when I am not a part of one. I don't know if it's a time-of-life thing but it seems to be a hard thing to get people to commit to for any length of time. Still, I am thankful for the times I have been in them as they have introduced me to some of my favorite books that I might not have discovered otherwise.

Fiction:
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
This was the first book club book I read (it was my pick). Wow - what a great book. I remember being about 30 or 40 pages from the end thinking to myself that there was no way he could end the book that would satisfy me. There was a big fork in the story and I didn't like any of the possible directions. But what a wonderful surprise!

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingfisher
This was such a riveting story and taught me so much about how we react to circumstances in our lives. I can't say enough good things about this book. Highly recommend it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseinni
I also loved The Kite Runner (if you saw the movie, you missed out. You've got to read the book) but what I loved about this book in particular was his ability to make you feel how real the characters are. At one point while reading, I set the book down and looked at Troy and said "Did you ever wish a character in a book was real just so you could beat the shit out of him?" Incredibly powerful writing!

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Again, you might remember they made a movie out of this - try to forget that. I have never been so disappointed in a book-interpretation of a movie... This is an incredibly moving story and there is so much more depth to the characters. It will inspire you!

Non-Fiction:
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
I have already read this book twice and will read it many more times. It is just such a practical book on how to get what you want. I am very much about figuring out what you want and then putting a plan in place to get it! If you are new to non-fiction, this is a great place to start. The chapters are short and each day gives you a new principle. It is from this book that I learned the term "inverse paranoid" which I now consider myself: I believe that everyone out there is here to help me!

Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn
This was my first "law of attraction" book and I admit, I put off reading it for a long time because there are parts of it that just don't line up with my beliefs. I have learned something though and that is that there are many things I can learn without compromising my beliefs. For example, much of the law of attraction literature says to "put it out to the universe". Well, for me, when I read that, it means to me to pray. When I read it in that context, it makes a whole lot more sense!

Dare to Dream, Work To Win by Tom Barrett
This is written specifically from a network marketing standpoint and is by far the best book I have read on the subject. If you are in network marketing, this is a must read! He puts forth a very simple plan for success: plan your work; work your plan. Did I mention this is a must read??


Well, I could go on all day. But I would love to hear from you what have been some of the most influential books for you. What books have stayed with you and influenced the person you've become. What books were just so good that you stayed up until 4 in the morning even though you had to get up the next morning but you just couldn't put it down? Which authors have been able to draw you into their worlds so much that you could feel the wind in your hair and smell the dew on the grass? Which books have caused you to go through an entire box of tissue in one sitting?