I’ve found books to be a very important part of my life. They continually influence me and indeed feel like a companion.
Robertson Davies says “the book will find you” – i.e., the book you’re “meant” to read will somehow find its’ way into your hands. I agree. I mean, it may not be true every waking moment but there have been significant times in which I’ve found this to be true.
When I read Robertson Davies’ books many years ago I was struck by how full of life his stories were. I just felt so engrossed and alive when reading them.
Fiction and non-fiction alike I’ve found books are always taking me somewhere. The book journey is a real and significant part of my life.
And you? What’s your book journey?
~Jim
My book journey is helping me to write a new story for my life. I’m in recovery from severe childhood trauma, and each author I read helps me to find answers, face my past, move towards forgiveness and write myself a new story from here on in. Pete Walker calls is “Bibliotherapy” in his books. My life is being reshaped, one author at a time. :0)
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Do you want to share the titles of some of the books that you’ve found most helpful?
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Mmm, where to start?! Eugene Gendlin’s “Focusing” has to come near the top of the list, because it introduced me a to skill I can apply to everything I felt reading every other book. :0) “Invisible Heroes” by Belleruth Naparstek normalised much of what I experience and helped me understand why talk alone isn’t enough for healing trauma. David Berceli’s “The Revolutionary Trauma Releasing Exercises” helped me teach my body to release masses of trauma. Peter Levine’s writing helped me understand the somatic nature of trauma more, most notably his “In an Unspoken Voice” and helped me trust my own reactions more. Most recently, Desmond Tutu and his daughter’s wonderful “The Book of Forgiving” has helped me understand why the anger and grief work are so important. Serge Kahili King’s “Mastering Your Hidden Self” gave me an understanding of how to interact in a helpful way with my subconscious, particularly in remembering dreams, working with which is proving very important for my journey. Harriet Lerner’s “The Dance of Anger” helped me understand how much I need to learn to stand up for myself and stop my codependent responses to unacceptable behaviour. Jasmin Lee Cori’s “The Emotionally Absent Mother” made my cry and cry, and face things that need to be faced and then learn to meet the needs for myself that my mother couldn’t. I’d better stop now!
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Quite a list! I have recently read Eugene Genlin’s focusing myself and am in the process of learning more about it.
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