5 of my Favourite Books that will Renew your Soul.

I am an avid reader and as a burnt-out gifted kid, I feel like I have some authority on the matter (I definitely don't but bear with me).

Books transport us to other worlds, and, if used correctly, have the power to alter our perceptions for the better.

So without further ado, here are some books that I recommend if you want to view the world in all its beauty and understand complexities within human nature, overall just preparing you to see the beauty within the shit show that is life!

Normal People - Sally Rooney

"He seemed to think Marianne had access to a range of different identities, between which she slipped effortlessly. This surprised her, because she usually felt confined inside one single personality, which was always the same regardless of what she did or said. She had tried to be different in the past, as a kind of experiment, but it had never worked. If she was different with Connell, the difference was not happening inside herself, in her personhood, but in between them, in the dynamic. Sometimes she made him laugh, but other days he was taciturn, inscrutable, and after he left she would feel high, nervous, at once energetic and terribly drained."

Normal people is one of my favourite novels, and possibly the only book where I think the Tv show is equally as good!

Sally Rooney through Marianne and Connel's lives both together and apart, explores the complexities of relationships and the difficulties of finding yourself in College/University. Her beautiful characterisation is bound to tear your heart to pieces but helps you find the beauty and destruction that accompanies love, and what also hides behind that name.

Link to Goodreads for more info :)

Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman

“There are so many fragile things, after all. People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts.”

Fragile Things is a collection of Gaiman's Short stories and poems, most of which are sourced from different magazines or anthologies where they were previously published.

The stories whilst not connected in a central theme or idea, all explore the intricacies of what makes us human in a way I can't even begin to describe. Gaiman's mind is a wonderland of technicolour imagination and this is divinely reflected within his work.

The charm of this collection is that each piece takes you to a new world, some even bouncing off worlds already created such as that of Sherlock Holmes, or HP. Lovecraft!

This fantastical collection will ask you to find magic in everything around you, keeping the innocence of your inner child alive whilst acknowledging the darkness that lurks within mankind.

Link to Goodreads for more info :)

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

The Alchemist beautifully explores the powers of having an aspiration or dream. Santiago's journey across fields and deserts ask you to introspect on what is truly most important to you, telling you that if you truly desire this, the world will conspire to help you achieve your ends.

Whilst Santiago may sometimes lose his way, these are truly still stepping stones on the way to his goal. In ultimately achieving his goals this book contains a message of hope and perseverance that almost everyone needs, particularly in COVID times. Whilst you may get major travel envy like I do every time I revisit Coelho's world, you ultimately come out with a newfound fondness for your aspirations and a drive to help you achieve them.

Link to Goodreads for more info :)

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

“So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

Whilst the movie adaptation is fantastic, there is something so much more heartwrenching about the novel. Charlie's Letters act as a portal into an outcast's mind, delving into loneliness, heartbreak, and trauma.

The novel explores all the intricacies of being a teenager so well; family expectations, childhood trauma, and the power of friendship - All of which are undertoned through the beautifully painful story of Charlie learning to find himself and discovering things he had long buried away.

The novel is bound to make you feel a spectrum of emotions and calls for a bit of a reflection on your own healing process.

Link to Goodreads for more info :)

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”

Inspiring novels such as The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (which also give a read because it's incredible!), Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius' series of writings explores everything from spiritual reflections to seeking an understanding of the universe.

Whilst some of the writing may be difficult to understand as it's a little 'old school' the reflections within have remained relevant over a thousand and a bit years. The reflections on self, power, love, and spirituality can all be applied to modern life; from motivation to workplace stress to relationships.

My favourite bit about the collection is, that like doing a F.r.i.e.n.d.s re-run, you can open to any page and the story still makes sense and is of value. Whilst it is split into 12 'books' that document Aurelius' life, it doesn't need to be read in order, although I do quite like to (My big 3 are all Capricorn, structure is a thing!).

Link to Goodreads for more info :)

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Well hopefully there is something in there for everyone! I love each suggestion with all my heart and I hope you enjoy them also if you give them a try :)

Lots of Love

M xx

Ps. Trying to pick just 5 books almost killed me so there will probably be more of these to come!