ReadersMagnet recommends these five inspirational books to start your year right.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Becoming is a memoir by former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama. It was published in 2018. Michelle Obama is one of the most iconic female figures in the world in recent decades. Her role as First Lady and advocate for women and children around the world has enabled her to touch many lives. In this heartwarming book, Michelle Obama shares the experiences and encounters that have shaped the empowered woman and leader that we see today. Becoming features Michelle’s childhood on the South Side of Chicago to becoming a mother while working and her years spent in the White House. Honest, witty, and passionate, Michelle tells her readers of her achievements, disappointments, and the things that really matter to her. Here we get to know more of Obama as a woman of soul and substance. Becoming is a must-read and inspiring book, to say the least.
Bread from Heaven by Barbara Lyons Slade
Bread from Heaven: Prophetic Affirmations is one of three inspirational books by Christian author Barbara Lyons Slade. It was published in 2019. This book is proof that practicality and spirituality do work wonders together. In Bread from Heaven, Barabara Lyons Slade discussed proper diet and aligned this discussion with the scriptures. She invites readers to look deeper into the inspirational readings, testimonies, prayers, and prophetic affirmations to empower ourselves and overcome challenges. These challenges may come in the form of negative thinking, self-doubt, self-indulgent behaviors, and food addiction. Food addiction is defined as the dependency on the “good” feelings obtained from eating certain foods, which often perpetuates a continued need to eat, even when one is not hungry. In order to start the year right, we must do away with bad habits of any kind, and Bread From Heaven by Slade provides us with the necessary tool to do so.
The New Possible foreword by Kim Stanley Robinson
Everyone is desperately hoping this year would be a better year and that we could all go back to what was once normal. But there is no going back to the old normal. What we have is a new normal and the opportunities that lie ahead. And the recently released book The New Possible is all about that, and more. With a foreword from sci-fi great Kim Stanley Robinson, The New Possible gathers twenty-eight possibilities from twenty-eight brilliant minds from six continents. One common theme here is that we do not go back to the old normal; we create our own future and a better planet. The New Possible is not just a bunch of speculative essays. These are dreams, aspirations, and more importantly, a roadmap to a better, healthier, and more progressive future. This is one of the most significant books you should read this year.
The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
Marina Keegan graduated magna cum laude from Yale in May 2012. Her family was very excited for her. With a play that was to be produced at the New York International Fringe Festival and a job waiting for her at the New Yorker, it seems Marina is destined to achieve great things for many years to come. But a terrible car crash took her life just five days after graduation. While her family and friends grieved, Marina’s last essay, The Opposite of Loneliness captured the attention of netizens and went viral. Despite losing her life at the tender age of 22, Marina Keegan left behind a legacy not only for her generation but also for future generations to come. The Opposite of Loneliness was published post-humously in 2014. The book’s title is named after Keegan’s last essay. It is a collection of Marina’s essays and stories that somehow captures our universal struggle, hope, and dreams. It is a truly inspiring gem that answers many of our life’s personal questions. Marina Keegan’s thoughts and wisdom live forever in this book.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
For many years now, Elizabeth Gilbert’s body of works has inspired thousands of readers. Her works include Eat Pray Love, The Signature of All Things, and City Girls. If there’s one book that we recommend for the start of the year, especially during this great pandemic, it’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. This 2016 book by Gilbert is a timely read. In this book, she offers timely and profound insights on how inspiration works. She invites readers to embrace curiosity and to discover and re-discover what we most love and how to face down what we most fear in our lives. This book tackles habits, attitudes, outlooks, and approaches that determine our journey in life. Big Magic is a balance between spirituality, pragmatism, and creativity. The lessons featured in this masterpiece are relevant, especially today. Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic is a truly inspirational work of, well, magic.