At this time of year the shops fill with every type of cook book imaginable, along with celebrity autobiographies and the latest block busters. But if for yourself or for a Christmas gift you want a more inspiring read, then sometimes it helps to turn back in time. Here are some fantastic reads that you might just have missed the first time around:
The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom
Eddie was a war veteran who fixed amusement park rides for a living. From his early optimistic years, he now felt lonely, full of regret and as if his life had no meaning. On his 83rd birthday he dies trying to save a girl on one of the rides. He awakens in the afterlife, not to the Garden of Eden but to a place where five people from Eddie’s life would explain how their relationships changed his life path forever. The answer Eddie seeks is was his life a success or a failure and did his last act become his redemption. The answer comes from an unlikely source and is as inspiring as you imagine heaven to be.
Late Fragments, by Kate Goss
At first glance this book sounds like a depressing tale, and certainly the ending is sad, as Kate Goss is diagnosed with colon cancer and she dies on Christmas morning two years later. But this is a timely reminder of the things that should matter most to us, but that sometimes only come in to sharp focus when time is short. Kate filled her life with hope and joy in the face of tragedy. This book was a gift to herself, cancer could take a lot – but not her creativity. But in the end she left a gift for her husband, her children and all of us. She offers us thoughts on how to live a great life full of friendships and love and most importantly how to find the wonder in every day.
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
For many people seeking a spiritual message, The Alchemist is one of the first places they will start and for good reason. This story is simple and yet powerful with inspiring wisdom. In the book Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd who travels from his home in Spain to Egypt in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. On his quest he meets several people: a Gypsy woman, an alchemist and a man who calls himself King. They do not know if the treasure exists or if Santiago will be able to overcome all of the obstacles in his way to find it, but as it happens the journey turns more in to the power of listening to what’s in our hearts and following our dreams than it does about discovering worldly goods.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach
The website that accompanies this book states “This is a story for those who follow their highest love, who follow their hearts, who yearn to fly their own way, who are the pilots of their own lives and live brightly for themselves.” The book is a fable based around the premise that the path we should follow is written within. Each of us must find our own passions, loves and live a life of our choosing. The one freedom we have is to choose exactly how our lives should be, every day and to ensure that it is a life that we want to lead. Surprisingly these points are made by a special seagull, who wants to fly higher and faster than any other, but he is banished from his flock for wanting to be different!
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