If I could convince anyone to pick and stick to one habit in the upcoming year, I would suggest reading (or audio-books if you are not a fan of reading).
Not only are you constantly yet subtly learning new things each day, unlike bombarding your brain with an overwhelming number of content by constant scrolling, it also helps you disconnect from the digital world and relax your mind (could be fiction too).
Reading, podcasts, and audiobooks are great for switching all sorts of negativity we are surrounded by through reels, movies, etc. by choosing a positive, self-improvement genre. It is also great to improve your vocabulary and so much more.
Not that I had to convince you of the benefits of reading, as your click on this type of blog itself says a lot about you, so without wasting much more of your time, letâs start.
Hi you,
Today is about the books that have impacted my life in a positive way.
For the sake of this blog, I have divided these books into two categories: spiritual and self-development. (although both are connected in one way or the other, as one canât truly happen without the other.)
As per my yearly goal for 2024, I wanted to read more this year and therefore decided to read 1 book per month (any genre apart from my studies) since January. Yes, Iâm close to finishing my 11th book for the year right now, and I feel amazing to complete such a goal.
_SPIRITUAL BOOKS_
Out of many books that I read this year, most revolved around various facets of spirituality. And out of the 7 books on this topic that I read, I can confidently say that these 5 books had the most impact on me. Other books were great as well, but these were most impactful, so letâs dive deeper:
I have mentioned these books in the order of my love and their impact on my life, starting from the most loved and recommended:
- The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer Â
This book is very close to my heart. If you have read any of my blog posts from 2023, you know how much I love âPower of Nowâ by Eckart Tolley. That was the book that got me started on my spiritual journey. This book gives a similar vibe.
The concepts are really deep yet simple, fun, and captive to read. Power of Now was in Q&A form, Untethered soul is not. It explains the concepts in a very simple manner and provides a few but effective actions that can be taken asap. Itâs a great read if you are interested in this genre. A soft, heartwarming book.
In simple terms, this book focuses on exploring your inner selfâyour emotions, thoughts, and consciousness. Drawing from various spiritual practices, it guides you on how to understand and master your mind, fostering a deeper connection with yourself, with the ultimate goal of achieving enlightenment.
- Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
This book was recommended by one of my favorite Youtubers, âLeeor Alexandraâ. She had mentioned this book many times on her channel, and I wanted to read it ever since. I couldnât get it in 2023 for several reasons. And I found it when I stopped looking for it consciously. I guess such books find you at the right time (divine timing).
The Seat of the Soul offers a profound examination of the human experience and our capacity for growth and transformation. It encourages us to move beyond the material world and connect with the deeper layers of our existence, guiding us toward a life filled with greater meaning and purpose.
This book was a bit of a slow read for me; it wasnât particularly my favorite form of writing, but it has some very deep concepts like reverence, soul, detachment, etc. to understand.
If I had to define it in one simple sentence, it is a timeless book, i.e., the concepts mentioned here can simply be revered and studied multiple times throughout one’s life. I loved its impact on my life. The beautiful part was that I felt it was in sync with my life (divine timing). I coincidentally read the chapters or pages on the days I needed that wisdom, and it would always shock me. Definitely recommended.
- Seven types of spirit guides by Yamile Yemoonyah & Know your psychic type by Sherrie Dillard
I have put these two books together, for a simple reason that they are kind of identical. With almost the same style of writing, direct to the point, fun to read, and easy to move through, these books are put under the same heading.
The content of both can be understood from their titles itself. With fun quizzes to know your psychic type, which spirit guide you are currently guided by, and more, these books were my favorite type to read this year. I know they arenât very famous, but I can assure you they are worth every penny.
As a matter of fact, I gifted myself the second one on my birthday, and by far itâs the best gift I have ever given myself! I wasnât even looking for it, when it found me. I went to a book store on my solo date, and with a very tight budget in mind, I was looking for a spiritual book. After hours of trying to find a book that resonated with my vibe and interest back then, I saw the title âKnow your psychic typeâ kept at the bottom of the shelf and hidden behind loads of other books. When I flipped it to see the price, it was exactly the amount I had in mind, not less or more, but exact! Talk about being guided to pick it up! Naturally then, I found myself near the counter.
The moment when I found it was magical; it felt like my soul was waiting for me to stumble and find this exact one. I love shopping, but this moment was truly divine. I tried going to other book stores later to have the same experience, but despite finding great books, I miss that excitement and love I held, when I found âKnow your psychic type.â.
I adore these books; apart from being fun, they are very informative too. With a deeper understanding of what spirit guides are, how to connect to them, or knowing what a psychic type is and how to hone that, these books provide great value to add on to your routines as well.
They still made number 3 on this list, because the other books are much deeper than these, in terms of the esoteric concepts, and if you are into spirituality, I think it’s more fun to read the deeper concepts. However, if you are in the mood for some lighthearted spiritual reads, pick any of these up. Both are direct and easy to read.
I personally loved this type of book under the umbrella of spirituality.
- The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein
This book almost didnât make this list for two reasons: one that, it is sort of repetitive of the most basic concepts of spirituality, and anyone who has read many books on this topic would find it obvious; secondly, it focuses a lot on praying (which, as a person who is more spiritual than religious, was thrown off by).
I wish I read this book at the start of my journey. Itâs a perfect read for a person who has just started exploring this genre. And I thought maybe some of you would be interested in that. It’s a very simple readânot much depth but still informative and a fast read. It is filled with exercises to take those steps immediately. Itâs also filled with great affirmations and can shift your mindset and mood in just a few pages. Overall, a good read.
Personally, this book got me into praying. I never liked the concept of praying and always substituted praying with meditation. But like we know, âMeditation is when the universe talks to you, and praying is when you talk to the universe,â so it was an important read for me!
To share a personal story: I always look at this book as a book that helped me manifest a luxurious home that I currently reside at! I followed one of the exercises mentioned in the book and was open to receiving, and within a day, not even 24 hours, I found a perfect place to shift to, when I was struggling to find the same for a long, long time!
I know you might be thinking how I am so emotionally attached or involved with all these books, and if you are, you are right. Books I read this year feel like a blessing to me from the Universe, who found me at the right time and left me more whole than ever, and in that sense, âThe Universe always has my back.â.
_SELF DEVELOPMENT_
I didnât read as many self-development books as I wanted this year. I read only 2 books in this genre, the reason being that I had read enough Self Help last year and was more inclined towards spiritual books this year.
Self-help books are very repetitive sometimes; hence, I am very picky when it comes to this genre and try to have the best books to cater to my requirements on this subject.
What I look for in a self-help book mostly are these 4 things: non-repetitive, a bit fast-paced, actionable steps, a unique way of writing that is captive and fun.
I do have a list of books in this genre that I am yet to read, but in this blog, letâs stick to the one that was my absolute favorite.
- Buy yourself the damn flowers by Tam Kaur
This book is so dear to my heart. It launched this year, and itâs the first book that I ever pre-ordered (I normally never do).
It’s written by a person I religiously and obsessively follow on Youtube. She is a living example of what she preaches, and hence, when you read the book, you know that, whatâs written is a hundred percent possible.
This book is on the topic of âself-help,” again a right time to find it, i.e., post a heartbreak! Her YouTube videos and this book together have completely changed me as a person for the best! I canât stress enough; pick this up today!
From self-esteem, confidence, toxic relationships, shadow work, and true healing, this book covers all there is or can be on the topic of âself-love.â I personally canât keep this book down; I am so inspired and attached to it. I loved the writing styleâsimple and easy to grasp. And the best part is the chapter summaries at the end of each chapter along with actionable steps (chapter homework). Truly the best read on this topic.
With this, I have come to the end of this blog. I hope you liked my list. Though there were so many books I have read this year and previous years (I love my book collection), I wanted to stick to the books that had a very noticeable impact on my life, despite not following them to the âTâ. I read these books and moved on, but they stuck with me, and I followed them without even being aware.
After reading almost 11 books on spirituality, self-help, and fiction combined, I already feel like a totally new person than I was at the start of this year, and I am proud of that. I hope these books inspire these positive changes in you as well!
Thank you so much for reading!
Catch you soon…