Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert - 304 pages

Elizabeth Gilbert offers her own insight about how to be a person who lives a more creative and productive life.  She tells readers to embrace their curiosities and tackle what they love most in life.  She gives insight on how to not be afraid to make mistakes and produce better habits to form more spiritual and creative lifestyles.  Gilbert helps readers to find their "strange jewels" hidden within.

 

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks - 429 pages

When Gwen Marcey’s dog comes home with a human skull and then leads her to a cabin in the woods near her Montana home, she realizes there’s a serial killer in her community. And when she finds a tortured young girl clinging to life on the cabin floor, she knows this killer is a lunatic.

Yet what unsettles Gwen most is that the victim looks uncannily like her daughter.

Well-written book that will make you care about the characters and keep you on the edge of your seat.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future...by Michael J. Fox

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future...by Michael J. Fox, 100 pages

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future is a very entertaining and quick read that was heartfelt and inspirational.  Michael J. Fox has gone through a lot in the public eye with his battle with Parkinson's Disease and his very successful acting career.  But, what this book is about is how a high school dropout becomes a Hollywood success story.  The opening of the book contains an inspirational snippet:  "Take a jar and fill it with stones (these represent the most important things in your life, i.e. family, job, and marriage; Is there room in the jar?  Fill it with sand.  The sand represents what seems like important things, but not your first priority.  Now fill the jar with beer. Now the jar is full.  The beer means you always can find time to have a beer with friends." This book would make a great graduation gift, despite the irony that he was a high school dropout.

Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling

Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure & The Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling, 69 pages

I came across this very inspirational book on our bestseller shelf.  I have never read anything by J.K. Rowling, including Harry Potter.  Very Good Lives is the graduation speech she gave to the 2008 graduating class at Harvard University.  If you have a chance, give this a quick read.  It will only take 10 minutes, but it will deliver to you a message you will never forget. J.K. Rowling was a struggling single mother when she wrote Harry Potter. Her message is so simple.  Sometimes you have to fail so badly in order to reach your greatest dreams.  If you don't fail in life, you may never discover all you truly can achieve.

A Gift of Hope, Helping the Homeless by Danielle Steel

A Gift of Hope, Helping the Homeless by Danielle Steel,  128 pages

I have not read a Danielle Steel book in about 20 years.  This is the first nonfiction book I have read by her.  This was truly a very eye opening book.  This book not only gives insight into the life of Danielle Steel, but also into the plight of the homeless in San Francisco.  Danielle Steel shares the tragic death of her son Nick Traina who committed suicide by overdosing.  She talks about how after his death she went to church almost daily to pray.  It hit her that she needed to do something.  That something was helping the homeless anyway she could.  She began by handing out gloves, coats, and sleeping bags.  It started with just her, a van, and a few friends.  The effort grew to two vans and many friends, even former police officers.  She details many of the interesting people she met on the streets.  Her efforts increased to include packing all the items into duffel bags for each individual.  She kept giving by including toiletries and food.  She continued doing this until she could no longer fund it.  What Danielle Steel showed the homeless was there are people out there who care.  The bags she distributed gave hope to many desperate people on the streets.  At Christmas time, she even included teddy bears!!

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Desiderata A Poem for a way of Life by Max Ehrmann, 42 pages

Desiderata means desired things in Latin.  This poem is inspiration to live a good life.  Desiderata is just good common sense to live your life through. We should all live by the final three lines:  "With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."  Now, if we all could live by these words.  I recommend this poem to everyone or look it up online.  It surely is inspirational.