3 Books that have made an impact

Was just scrolling down her feed @Former-Member , lots of nuggets of gold there! Lots about writers block too.

i haven't written anything for a whole, but feeling a little more inspired after this thread conversation. Maybe I'll do some more soon. May even look at getting that book 🙂

So glad it's providing the inspo you need to get back into it. You all are inspiring me too

I might need to purchase that book myself, hello personal Santa Claus

I think my New Years resolution will be to read more books and that will please my Psychologist as he’s been at me to set some goals.

Whem I caught public transport to work I’d read a book a week but my recent ECT hasn’t helped with reading, Interesting that @Bow has had similar experiences

Re last ..

Just reading on the abc website Stan Grant's recommendation of John Williams' "Stoner" (published 1965) which I feel will be right up my alley for 2022 (Chinese Year of the Water Tiger): once I get my hands on a copy from library.

From the 2014 New York Times review

“In his extreme youth Stoner had thought of love as an absolute state of being to which, if one were lucky, one might find access; in his maturity he had decided it was the heaven of a false religion, toward which one ought to gaze with an amused disbelief, a gently familiar contempt, and an embarrassed nostalgia. Now in his middle age he began to know that it was neither a state of grace nor an illusion; he saw it as a human act of becoming, a condition that was invented and modified moment by moment and day by day, by the will and the intelligence and the heart.”

Two slim novels I read when I was attending a college back in 1987 were quiet gentle stories that left an impression in ways I am still unfolding:

Tirral Lirra by the River - Jessica Anderson

A Month in the Country - J. L. Carr

Really love this thread @Former-Member

Some of the books others have mentioned I have also read & some have inspired me to keep in mind for future reading.

I am often drawn to autobiographies/memoirs or ones that would be categorised in self help section. I very rarely read actually b/c I find it hard to concentrate or have tired eyes but have found audible really suitable for me after trying it.

So these are 3 books that came to mind for me…

1. Into the Wild - by Jon Krakauer

“In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burnt all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself . . .”

Found this journey incredibly brave, inspiring and insightful at a time I myself went out to nature on a solo journey for my own healing purposes.

2.The Gifts of Imperfection - Your guide to a wholehearted life by Brene Brown

First time hearing of Brene Brown while I discovered Art Therapy & this book was a beautiful blend of embracing my inner creative while using strategies to help drop my perfectionistic tendencies that trip me up. Love every book Brene Brown has ever written!

3. Big Magic - Creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
A very easy and manageable read which I got through with delight. Continued my journey to embrace my innate creativity and enjoy the process. Reminded me why I need to create and how much it impacts my life.

Hi there @Eve7, that sounds like a great idea. Having achievable goals that you enjoy means you'll have a better chance of achieving them too.

Re. trouble reading after ect, have you tried audiobooks? I've heard some people swear by them, but then others who really enjoy the practice of page turning. Sometimes my concentration goes on a walkabout so I might try an audiobook myself

Hi @TAB, just did a little Google to discover that this book spans Australian short stories from 1859 to 1988, which sounds like a really clever compilation. I wonder what our collective national voice sounds like from first publication till now 🧐

@Jo-anneJoy these are some thoughtful and beautiful recommendations, thank you I've just spent the past little while down the Goodreads rabbit hole, which is much like purusing a bookshop, with the exception that its every book ever published from the comfort of your own home!

I hadn't heard of Tirra Lirra by the River, and felt remiss that I hadn't as it's referred to as an Australian classic. It sounds like a great take on selfhood, and A Month in the Country, again another classic unknown to me!

Really enjoying discovering not only new reads, but also the shared humanity in the enjoyment of reading, thank you @Jo-anneJoy