Dear Dylan ~ Blog Tour
Day Three ~ The Overflowing Library
My Top Ten Inspirational Books
It’s Not the End of the World by Judy Blume
I love all of Judy Blume’s books, but this one really helped me when I was a teenager and my parents were getting divorced. I could really relate to the main character Karen, and the emotions she experienced during her own parents’ break-up.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
I’ve read this book many times at many different ages and I always get so much from it. What I think moves me the most is the fact that, despite the terrible hardship Anne Frank was enduring, she managed to stay so feisty and full of hope. It is so beautifully written too.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
This was the first book to make me cry – when I thought Aslan was dead. I’ll never forget the sense of elation I experienced when he came back to life. And the descriptions of Narnia, and the characters, and the Turkish delight (!) are so vivid they seem to be etched upon my brain forever.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I used to want to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. The pioneer life sounded so tough, and yet so exciting. And who wouldn’t want a twinkly-eyed Pa who played the fiddle and called you ‘half pint’?! I had a massive crush on Almanzo too…
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
This was another book that moved me to tears. I loved the friendship between the young boy and the gruff old man and how they both got so much from it. It’s a fascinating insight into the life of a Second World War evacuee also.
The L-Shaped Room by Lynn Reid Banks
When I first read this book as a teenager I was shocked at how badly unmarried mothers were treated back in the 1960s, when the book is set. I found the way in which the main character, Jane, deals with her life in the L-shaped room really inspiring.
The Catcher in the Rye by J D Sallinger
This was the book that really made me want to be a writer when I first read it at thirteen. The main character’s voice, and the way in which he addresses the reader, literally took my breath away.
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Every now and again I read a book that makes me want to go and re-write everything I’ve ever written to try and be just half as good. This is one of those books. It is the story of a teenage girl called Lennie who is grieving the death of her older sister, but ironically, it couldn’t be a more life-affirming read. The description is beautiful and the characters are the kind you wished you knew in real life.
Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach
This is a lovely book I came across when my marriage had just ended. It is all about appreciating the simple pleasures in life and it is great for those times when life feels coloured only in shades of grey.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is the true story of a woman’s search for happiness after the break-up of her marriage. I found it really uplifting, and often dip into it when I feel in need of a happiness top-up.
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