This question comes via the WordPress Bloganuary challenge for January 10th.
I’m just a day late and a dollar short, but I’m here now.
I’ve read many books, but to be honest, I read to be entertained. If it contains sex, scandal, or humor, I’m hooked, and I occasionally come across a biography or memoir that, if juicy enough, will grab me.
However, one book that is a constant in my home is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. A pearl of wisdom if there ever was one.
It changed the way I think and act in my daily life. Not every day, but I do my best.
It’s a reminder that life can be simple, but like anything else, you must be willing to do the work. Hence the fact that this book sits on a table in clear view. Too bad it doesn’t scream because I’ll admit, I don’t always look in that direction.
Enjoy the Ride!
Life With The Top Down 
Good book. A couple of books did for me as well.
– “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
– “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn
– “Street Lawyer” by John Grisham
– “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
Two of these are fiction and two are non-fiction.
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I’ve read three of these. I was a huge John Grisham fan for a period of time. I may have to read Half the Sky. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Lisa. I am glad you read most of them. I am also a John Grisham fan. I think I have read at least a dozen of his books. Within a week of reading “Street Lawyer,” I was asked by a friend if I knew someone who might want to join a Board of Directors for an agency helping homeless working families. “What about me?” I asked. Kismet. Keith
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Interesting question Lisa – something l have often asked myself over the years – has there ever been one book, two, 3 or more that have influenced me or inspired me or even both? It is hard to answer realistically given how we can interchage our emotions each and every day.
Smokey Joe the Fish Eater, Bimbo and Topsy and The Magic Faraway Tree are books from my childhood that inspired me to love reading – they were the books l thoroughly enjoyed the most at the start to my reading journey.
Of the many thousands of books l have read since then, no others have inspired me to read like these three did.
The next book that struck me dead and inspired me to look very deeply into our connection to the world was Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey 1983. This book probably bit me the deepest. The film in 1988 hurt me the most, l have never been able to watch it again and then the next book that bit was The Death and Life of Dith Pran by Sydney Schanberg 1985 – the film was The Killing Fields and finally. Another book that made me think was Catch 22 – by Joseph Heller 1961.
These three books significantly made me think profoundly about everything in life.
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Wow! This is quite a list. I agree, the childhood books stick like glue. Oh, but the ones that grab hearts and influence minds, those are true gems. I can feel the passion in your words regarding Gorillas in the Mist.
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Yes, the books that impoacted our childhood start our journey forwards and then there are those that if they successfully stop us in our tracks and start to really think about everything, these are the ones that change us.
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I guess you could say Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton changed my life. It was the first book that I read because I wanted to read it and wasn’t forced on me by school. The book was, and still is, better than the movie and its greatness is the reason I’m still reading to this day.
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Yes, those forced books were a turn off for me. Glad you were introduced to something that hooked you. My daughter had a teacher who said “I don’t care if you read the cereal box every day, just read until you find something you love.”
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I’ve said something similar to my daughter. It’s all about finding books or authors that speak to you.
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Sorry for my delay in emailing you the questions Lisa, my time has been eaten up over the last few days in many ways. However, l have emailed you now 🙂
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I did not get an email
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Do you have a spam folder in your email Lisa? I emailed you GMT 8.21pm 15th. It was attached to response of your own email to me. I will resend separately.
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Just sent one totled Evening Chat Interview Lisa 🙂
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[…] Life With The Top DownI had to revisit the early days of my blog. It all began on March 4, 2012, an eternity ago, but here we are. It all started when my husband came home with a convertible. To say this shocked me would be an understatement. Looking back, we were both growing into ourselves. The kids were off in their direction, and so were we. My blog was a way to express my feelings, tell stories, and try something new. My style is not formal; it’s words on a page that hopefully resonate. My favorite genre is humor and storytelling.The photo is from a trail in Cape Henlopen State Park that I took on New Year’s Day.Lisa […]
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Sure
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