16 Beautiful Books That Changed My Life

Recently, a couple of girls I’ve worked with asked about the books that changed my life (not counting the Bible). It got me thinking: we’re all collectors, carrying bits of people and experiences and stories inside. And stories are important – we make sense of the world and shape ourselves through the books we read.

I started young, reading more than I played. Books were my most faithful companions. I devoured anything I could get my sticky little hands on. My wanderlust was born as the wide world opened in musty paperbacks. I learned love and loss, wonder and adventure.

My reading ventures were never censored, though occasionally my parents threatened to ground me from books. My heart ripped wide when I read about the Holocaust, slavery and racism. Hatred for injustice and desire to change the world grew up from text on pages.

In fact, I can trace many of my core beliefs and values to books I’ve read over the years. There are far more pieces of text rattling in my soul than I could include in this list. Even so, here are a few (16, to be exact) of the books that changed my life.

1. One Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp. This book may have saved me and has certainly shaped me, more than any other on this list. Practicing gratitude has anchored my soul in a very tangible way.
2. The Dark Night of the Soul – St. John of the Cross. This spoke to me through many of my own dark nights. It’s super old, but I return to it time and again.
3. The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint Exupery. I reread this often. It’s a children’s story for adults about  friendship, love and questioning the status quo.
4. The Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning. I simultaneously laughed and cried reading this, realizing the beauty of grace for my messy and ragged life. It’s simply wonderful.
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain. I loved everything Twain as a kid, but this book taught me about racism and things that make people uncomfortable. As a bonus, check out The War Prayer, a short story about the madness of war.
6. Shakespeare – He taught me a love of language, of wit and wisdom and rhythm. Hamlet is one of my all-time favorite works.
7. Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis. Actually, I’ve loved everything I’ve read of his. Two other favorites are Til We Have Faces (“The gods used my own words to probe my wound.”) and Surprised by Joy (a beautiful memoir of faith and longing).
8. Boundaries – Henry Cloud & John Townshend. I thought the authors pulled Scripture out of context to make their points, which was totally unnecessary. If you look past that, the principles are gold.
9. A Tale of Three Kings – Gene Edwards. A beautiful allegory of betrayal, forgiveness and healing. If you’ve ever been hurt by other believers, this is for you.
10. Blue Like Jazz – Donald Miller. Reading this in college made my questions okay and hit a chord in my heart. It was also the book that made me want to write my stories.
11. The Irresistible Revolution – Shane Claiborne. Social justice and love-in-action are a BIG DEAL to God. This book gave voice to my questions about how we do church and faith in the United States.
12. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes – E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien. This book exposes western cultural biases that cause us to misunderstand the truth of Scripture. It will challenge your perception of “Christian” values and expose many of them as simply western. It also may offend you if you think God is white, middle-class, conservative or gun-toting.
13. Do Over – Jon Acuff. Best career book I’ve ever read! It was KEY in helping me navigate my transition last year. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny.
14. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain. A must-read for introverts everywhere!
15. The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg. This shifted my mindset on the path to success in life: it’s in habits, not goals. Duhigg is also a master storyteller. I couldn’t put it down!
16. The War of Art – Steven Pressfield. Not just for artists. This one will kick your butt. PG-13 for language, but worth it for the mindset shift of “going pro” in whatever dream you’re chasing.

What books have shaped your soul and impacted your life? What stories have you collected and carried inside? I’d love to hear in the comments!