I've loved reading since I was a child. If I had the choice to go play outside or find myself a hiding spot and read a book you would find me with a book every time. I remember reading my first chapter book in first grade and after I had kids I went out of my way to find that same book for my kids who have shown zero interest in it (of course it was a kid's horror book, I like what I like). There is a joy in reading that I don't find anywhere else. The ability to step into someone else's shoes for a while is an escape that's hard to find any other way.
As an adult I've continued to love to read and books have helped me through some of the roughest parts of my life. I'm pretty sure I survived pregnancy on fiction alone. All the other women in the waiting room were reading What to Expect When You're Expecting or magazines and there I sat with a Chuck Palahniuk or the newest Harry Potter book. I know nurses totally judge you and your pain level by your ability to focus but through my worst pain and stays in the hospital the only thing that kept me from crying the whole time was distracting myself by reading. It's also one of the only thing that quiets my mind enough when my anxiety is raging so that I can sleep.
For the past several years I've basically used my Kindle as a security blanket. It goes where I go and I'm on my third one because I'm a klutz who breaks things. I have way more books on there than I can ever read but I'm certainly going to try. I wanted to list some books today that have made a difference in my life. Things that have calmed or comforted me when I needed it. Things that have helped me learn to cope or at least made me not feel alone.
Funny things from crazy people:
Hyperbole and Half by Allie Brosh If you've ever been to her super popular blog of the same name you'll know a lot of this material. There are however some new and hilarious stories included in the book and I'm super excited that there is another book coming out later this year. Allie Brosh has a way of telling a story like no one else.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson The Bloggess (Jenny Lawson) is one of the funniest women alive in my opinion. She's just so unabashedly her and she is just so weird. In this book we get more insights into what created this beautifully warped woman. You really should read it. But not in public because people will think you're crazy when you start laughing out loud uncontrollably.
Self-Help and the like that I've actually found useful:
Absolutely anything by Brene Brown. I'm currently reading Rising Strong after watching Brene Brown's first TedTalk on vulnerability. Basically everything she says is life changing. It makes you look at yourself, really look at yourself, and see what's hold you back instead of building you up. You will see yourself somewhere in her writing, there's no way around it, and you will want to change. You will want to be better and feel better and let people in and you will start trying to find ways to do all of those things. And you will be grateful.
Exercise for Mood and Anxiety by Michael Otto I know I don't talk about exercise much because it's not one of my favorite things but I do go through spells where it's useful and I enjoy it. I do find that my moods and outlook do improve when I exercise consistently but trying to exercise when you are at the bottom of a depression cycle is nearly impossible. You're exhausted and everything hurts and you don't see the point. However, I find exercise to be extremely helpful when anxious. It helps get out some of that extra energy that can lead to panic attacks (that's right, not every panic attack starts in your brain with active worrying, some are very much a physical response).
The Goddess Path by Patricia Monaghan Although nowadays I identify more as an atheist than anything, I was a pentacle wearing, nature worshipping, Tarot reading pagan for a very long time. I still love nature and reading Tarot and I still love this book. It tells the stories of ancient goddess from different pantheons and then asks introspective questions at the end of each section. There are rites and rituals included that I never really got into but I love that workbook aspect of this book. Reflection is often the key to self improvement and the questions raised ask you to reflect on yourself and experiences in uncommon ways.
Fiction that changed my life:
*It should be said that I read a LOT of horror so I don't stumble onto this sort of stuff very often or easily. I don't read a lot of literary fiction or romances or coming of age stories because those things don't usually hold my interest terribly long. If it's fiction and I like it there is probably something weird going on or an element of fantasy or science fiction interwoven into the narrative.*
The Frugality Trilogy by Stuart Ayris I can't really articulate what these books and this writer means to me. Seriously. It was like I picked up each book in this trilogy at exactly the right time in my life. I'm not really sure that anyone else has had that connection to it but each book does have extremely good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. It is a bit of a hidden gem though. And Mr. Ayris, being an independent writer and self-published, is fantastic about reader interaction. After I reviewed the last book in the trilogy on Goodreads he contacted me and offered to answer any of my questions that were still present at the end and he really did mean it. I asked some extremely personal and difficult questions and he was very forthcoming and kind. I have several other books by him on my Kindle that I cannot wait to get to because he just gets it. He writes depressed and anxious characters, flawed characters, and just real people like no one I have seen.
The Sterile Cuckoo by John Nichols I read this book while I was in high school, I think. I don't remember what drew me to it but I remember that I loved it and it was unlike anything else I would usually read. It still holds a special place in my heart.
I'm sure there are more and I hope to do more posts like this in the future as I remember other books or read new ones. I'm currently reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs which I am thoroughly enjoying so far. If you have Goodreads, add me there, I love to see what other people are reading, too.
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