Have you read books that invoked a powerful feeling within or made you go ‘whoa’ in your head or gave you that Aha! moment or made you see things from a different perspective or reconfigured your understanding of reality or pushed you to take some action? If the answer is even a single yes, you have read some inspirational books.
We read for pleasure but we also read to learn and open our minds to new thoughts and a world of endless possibilities. I have read quite a few books that have had a positive impact on me and gave me some food for thought too. Here are 3 inspirational books everyone should read.
1. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
This book will stay with me for a long time. It is a memoir and has conversations between Mitch Albom and his professor, Morrie Schwarz, who later succumbs to his illness, ALS. Every Tuesday, Mitch learns life lessons from his old teacher. He calls them “classes” saying, “The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week, in his home, by a window in his study…The class met on Tuesdays. No books were required. The subject was the meaning of life. It was taught from experience.” The fourteen Tuesdays spent with Morrie are a magical chronicle that teach Mitch about death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness and a meaningful life
Notable Quotes
- Death ends a life, not a relationship.
- There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike.
2. Wonder by RJ Palacio
This is a moving and beautiful story of August Pullman who was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. As he showed people that he wasn’t a “freak” or a “zombie”, more and more people wanted to be his friend. At the end of the book, August achieved two of his dreams. First, he started his summer break with loads of friends. And second, he got a standing ovation. The wondrous life lessons from Wonder are about inner strength, acceptance, resilience, kindness and respect for each other.
Notable Quotes
- Now that I look back, I don’t know why I was so stressed about it all this time. Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.
- When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind
3. When Breath becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
This book left me in tears. The memoir of Paul Kalanithi, a 36 year old neurosurgeon at Stanford University, who is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Kalanithi uses the pages in this book to not only tell his story, but also share his ideas on how to approach death with grace and what it means to be fully alive.
Notable Quotes
- Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.
- Life wasn’t about avoiding suffering.
There are times in life when we need a spark of inspiration, hope, or encouragement. Inspirational books like these make us realize that we are not alone and that we can learn from other people’s lives.
PS: As I finished writing this post, I realized that in all the three books that I have chosen today, the protagonist had an illness. It’s not that only stories with some suffering are inspirational. I find Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Jonathan Livingstone by Richard Bach, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah inspiring too. More about them, perhaps some other time.
Do you have more recommendations for Inspiring Books? I know you do! Please share in the comments below.
30 Responses
I have read Tuesdays with Morrie. I literally loved the book. Shall read the other 2 as well. Thanks for sharing!
All three sound like amazing books. I’ll have to check them out. I do love inspirational books although they usually make me cry a lot. Weekends In Maine
All 3 sounds interesting. I will look them up.
Wow loved the post Shilpa and the books you had re condemned here. Tuesday with morie..and when breath becomes air..both sounds really inspirational to me. will check both books for sure.
Books make one to aspire as they inspire. I was influenced by “Shyam Chi Aai”, by a renowned Marathi writer Sane Guruji, while growing up.
When I came across the short stories by Sudha Murthi which were based on real-life incidences, I was moved and touched. To date these stories remain my inspiration so does the work done by Sudha Murthy.
Of the three books mentioned by you, I have read Wonder and it has deeply influenced me. The positivity and resilience of Auggie rubs on to the reader without fail. The story made me cry and witness the sunshine with moist eyes.
All these books are in my wishlist. I hope I get to read them soon.
Very wonderfully written.
I like your recommendations here. I haven’t read any of these though!
All the books you have mentioned is inspiring shilpa. I found The story of my life by Helen Keller touching my heart. Love, Miracles and Medicine by Bernie seigal who shares his experiences working with cancer patients who refuse to accept defeat.
After all the discussion on our chat I was intrigued about your I post. I must say I wasn’t inspired by the first and last books . I haven’t read the second . Actually for me inspiring books are more about positive things happening , overcoming crises etc . Fighting a disease is brave ( I’ve had many minor illnesses that I’ve dealt with so I do know what it is like to lead a less than normal life ) but I feel autobiographies or biographies of people who’ve achieved something or done something life changing are more inspirational .
Good suggestions. Books are for inspiration, after all. Some do it better than others.
I love Tuesdays with Morrie! Will look up the others too.
Tuesdays with Morrie has been on my TBR for long. And now the other two will go there too!
Thanks for the suggestions, adding to TBR list!
I have When Breathe Becomes Air in my reading list. Inspirational books are always my genre. They have always dragged me towards them. Liked your recommendations Shilpa.
I have When Breathe Becomes Air in my reading list. Inspirational books are always my genre. They have always dragged me towards them. Liked your recommendations Shilpa..
Haven’t read any of these but Tuesday’s with Morrie sounds like a good read. Thanks for sharing.
I have not read any of three, will surely read them on your recommendation. The inspirational book that stayed with me for longer time was Monk who sold his Ferrari hy Robin Sharma
I loved When Breath Becomes Air and it was something that helped me cope with losing my father…. understanding how a doctor dealt with his own mortality. Tuesdays with Morrie has been on my TBR for a while now.
I need to read all three!!
I didn’t have the courage to read When Breathe Becomes Air to be frank… something about a person dying and recollecting memoirs always gets to me.
I am currently reading Tuesdays with Morrie and enjoying the read so much. Once I finish this book, I will check out the other 2 books that you mentioned.
Reading inspirational books is the need of the hour and your recommendations come at a perfect time buddy. These 3 will be on my tbr.
I haven’t read a single book from these three, good motivational books are tough to find. As most of these books get preachy. But, now that you have recommended, would like to try these.
Thank you for the recommendation I’ve read only Tuesdays with Morrie will read the rest
All great books. When Breath Becomes Air also made me cry. It was a beautiful reminder of the power of love, and of what is important in life.
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I have read Wonder and Tuesday with Morrie and later watched the movie too. Books are a great source of inspiration. Growing up, I have read a couple of Marathi books which I still remember. And later I have read How to Win Friends and Influence People and I was so much into that book.
Hello. I’ve read the first and last, and am excited to read the middle book. There are so many ways we can raise our level of spiritual highs. Glad to meet up with you!
i haven’t read any of the featured 3 books but on the sidelines, I’ve read the Alchemist & Eat Pray Love. they’re really great books but they’re not my preferred genre of reading.
i think I’ll give them a try this time & I want to start with: When Breath becomes Air”
Jonathon Livingston! Now that takes me back! I remember the shirts with the seagulls back in the day that everyone wore. Just showed my age lol
Three excellent picks, Shilpa. I started reading motivational/self-help books when I was 25-ish and fell in love right away. I couldn’t imagine why I hadn’t read more of them. Of course, my first ever self-help book was by Dr. Wayne Dyer – Your Erroneous Zones.
I love how books can influence us and change our perspective.