Those who know me best know that I love to gift books. I believe that a well-chosen book has the power to change someone’s life. And I love to share my great finds with the people I care about.
So this holiday season, why not give her the gift of learning something new, a fresh perspective – or maybe even a completely different life. Here are 15 books that have the power to do just that.
Big Magic
Elizabeth Gilbert tackles the challenges of living a creative life with humor and honesty, while examining the practices of great artists to help the reader find inspiration in the every day.
Daring Greatly
Brené Brown dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage. She argues that the level in which you allow yourself to be vulnerable is a direct correlation to living a rich and authentic life.
The War of Art
One of the all-time best books ever written on overcoming blocks and succeeding in the creative realm. A manifesto for dealing with resistance and doing your great work in the world.
Love Warrior
The story of one woman’s journey of self-discovery after the implosion of her marriage, and of the healing that is possible for any of us when we refuse to settle for good enough and begin to face pain and love head-on. It will speak to anyone who yearns for deeper, truer relationships and a more abundant, authentic life.
The Year of Yes
The poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir from Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away with Murder creator, Shonda Rhimes. This book chronicles her journey after she decided to say an emphatic “yes!” to her life and forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self.
Worthy
Nancy Levin makes an essential, eye-opening connection: the state of your net worth is a direct reflection of your self-worth. Through reflections and exercises, she will show you how to get to the root of the problem and do the internal work that’s needed to replace feelings of unworthiness with a stronger sense of your own value.
The Universe Has Your Back
Learn how to transform your fear into faith in order to live a divinely guided life. Based on the teachings of A Course in Miracles, each story in the book guides readers to release the blocks to what they most long for: happiness, security, and clear direction. Exercises and meditations help readers relinquish the need to control so they can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom.
The Obstacle is the Way
The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Ryan weaves in stories of famous historical figures to illustrate his point – Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger and tougher.
Steal Like an Artist
Author Austin Kleon’s message is that you don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. He suggests that nothing is original, so embrace influence, collect ideas, and remix and re-imagine to discover your own path. This is a hip and inspiring ten-step guide to tapping into your creativity.
The Untethered Soul
By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.
The Gifts of Imperfection
There’s a reason that two of Brene Brown’s books are on this list – she’s that good. As a leading expert on shame, authenticity, and belonging, in The Gifts of Imperfection, she shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living—a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.
Pussy: A Reclamation
Discover what no one taught you about the source of your feminine power and how to use it. Pussy: A Reclamation provides a pathway for women to step out of victimhood and into inherent radiance. Consider this book your roadmap to get unstuck, empowered, and turned on.
The Desire Map
One of my all-time favorites and a resource I turn to again and again, The Desire Map is a holistic life-planning tool that will revolutionize the way you go after what you want in life. Through soulful inquiry and meditation, Danielle will walk you though a process of discovering exactly how you want to feel in life so you can identify your core desired feelings and then create aligned goals with soul.
How to Live a Good Life
This is a practical and provocative modern-day manual for the pursuit of a life well lived. Drawn from the intersection of science, spirituality, and Jonathan’s years-long quest to learn at the feet of masters from nearly every tradition and walk of life, this book offers a simple yet powerful model, the “Good Life Buckets”— Vitality, Connection and Contribution. Learn and implement the tools for filling all three and you will know what it is to live a good life.
The Mastery of Love
Don Miguel Ruiz is best-known for The Four Agreements, but this is actually my favorite of his books. In this text, he explains the Toltec perspective on love and shares that it’s the misplaced expectations in our relationships that bring the most suffering. Happiness can only come from inside of you. When you are aware that no one else can make you happy, and that happiness is the result of your love, this becomes the greatest mastery of all.
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