Brilliant Books

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Brilliant Books

Reading a good book is one of my favorite ways to relax. I find that books help me in my quest for self-renewal and self-improvement. Books can inspire, make you laugh, provide suggestions on how to live a more creative life…books can open your mind and revive your spirit. Here are some of my favorites…but there are literally MILLIONS of books out there to be discovered. Get a library card and dive in to your local library. Pick up a few bargain books at a used book store, borrow a book from a friend…or splurge and buy a new fat paperback at Barnes and Noble or Borders. Whatever you do, take time to read!

Book recommendations submitted by you!

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Author: Barbara Ehrenreich
"Please read the Nickel and Dimed book and see the real working class and the jobs in which most of our female population are in. I was changed by this book!"

Black and Blue
Author: Anna Quinlen

Living History
Author: Hillary Clinton

The Drama of the Gifted Child
Thou Shalt not Be Aware
Author: Alice Miller

Tending Roses
Author: Lisa Wingate
"It is a story that inspires us to slow down, take time for what really matters and learn lessons from those before us. I could not put this book down. I actually got up one hour early for work so I could read (too tired at night..can you relate!?). "

The Christmas Box
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Reasoning: This is Mr. Evan's first novel and was written as a gift for his daughter. It is a heart warming tale of love, loss, and amazing strength through the healing process. This novel was made into a Hallmark t.v. program and was aired this past season. The Christmas Box also was the spring-board to The Christmas Box Foundation, an organization to aid families who have lost children. There are several other books by Richard Paul Evans that include the same characters, which are equally fabulous reads.

A Short Guide To A Happy Life
Author: Anna Quindlen
Synopsis: This book teaches us how to live, really live and
how to love the journey, not the destination.

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute To His White Mother
Author: James McBride
It is about the triumph of motherhood and of racial acceptance and of success by sheer perseverance.

A Year of Living Consciously: 365 Daily Inspirationsfor Creating a Life of Passion and Purpose
Author: Gay Hendricks

Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life
Author: Queen Noor

Sweet Potatoe Queens’ Book of Love
Author: Jill Conner Browne
It is a funny book, not very “deep” but definitely laugh OUT LOUD funny. It is about some Southern women, funny perspectives on men, children, getting older, etc. It’s a light read and a good laugh—Check it out!

A Fine Balance
Author: Rohinton Mistry
This book takes place in India and is about four people from different backgrounds whose lives come together. It is a great book because it teaches you not only about a different country and culture, but opens your eyes to another life.

In the Time of the Butterflies
Author: Julia Alvarez
This is a true story about four amazing women who struggle against the dictator in the Dominican Republic. These four sisters face so many challenges, but they are strong and don’t let anything stop them.

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR FERTILITY by Toni Weschler
“I wanted to share a VERY good book with you.. it's about fertility mostly, but has such great information about how a woman's body really works and I highly
recommend it..”

THE FIVE LANGUAGES OF LOVE by Gary Chapman
“This one is a great marriage Self-Help book. The premise of his book: Just like students have different learning styles, couples give and receive love in a different way as well. Once you discover your spouse's "love language," avoding needless communication problems becomes much easier! (He also has one for parents called "The Five Love Languages of Children".”

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST by Anne Tyler
“A great story with lots of surprising laughs. Great plot.....great message.....lots of fun laughs! (But don't bother with the movie -- it was terrible.)”

FORTUNE'S ROCKS by Anita Shreve
“A great love story. Grab the kleenex! Shreve's characters are so real and well thought out, I still think about the main character as if she were a real person!”