Books for book lovers: recommendations for entertainment, transformation, and wellness

In recent years there has been a lot of hullabaloos about reading. Research has demonstrated the benefits of reading, even for entertainment purposes. If reading for only 30 minutes a day is beneficial, imagine if you could lose yourself in a book for more time! It lowers stress levels, helps you learn something new each day, and promotes the health of your brain. Physical, mental and emotional wellness in a small package.

As a lover of all-things-books, I offer here a partial, limited and super short list of amazing books that have helped me live a happier life. Hope you can find some treasure (or treasures) in here.

• We are all creative, but think that creativity is only a gift from the Gods. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, will dispel that notion. For me the greatest book about creativity. Although Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is pretty good too.

• The best time travel romance novel is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Sure, the TV series is great, but the book is superb.

• Bad love in your life? Love Life: How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily (No Matter What) by Matthew Hussey. Enough said.

• If you are looking to live like a Toltec shaman, The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz is a good starting point. In conjunction with the rest of his books, you’ll be poised to look transformed in less than a year.

• Lately, Stoicism is all the rage. Start with Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. If it’s too dense, Ryan Holiday’s reinterpretations of the Stoics in his series of the 4 stoic virtues may be an alternative for you. Three of these books are out now: Courage is Calling; Discipline is Destiny; and Right Thing, Right Now. I am eagerly awaiting the 4^th.

• Are you a dreamer? Is there a higher calling that you are avoiding? The classic Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach may be all the inspiration you need. Personally, I prefer Illusions. Any of those books will help you remember your life’s purpose.

• If you have a stressful job and are looking for destressing ways to deal with your clients, employees or bosses, meditation may be the right tool for you. A great starting book about it is Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield. Another one How to Meditate by Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön. Which I haven’t read. I just meditate.

• Feeling ungrateful? Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl will help you change your outlook in life. A short and powerful book.

• Are you into vulnerability, and how to communicate your feelings and thoughts a better way? All Brené Brown books are good for that. It’s difficult to name one! She is in a category all by herself.

• The best Latin-American novel, oh well the best novel in the world, Crónica de una muerte anunciada by Gabriel García Márquez. (He said that the English translation by Gregory Rabassa is better than his version. Doubt it.) It starts with the end. The book is so good that you expect the ending to change even when you already know it!

And if you are from Puerto Rico and prefer to read local, here 4 suggestions:

               El abraso by my writing teacher Mary Ely Marrero Pérez. Strange and creepy novel that reads like a movie. Poetic and profound. Conquista tu grandeza by my friend Martiña Reyes. A book of stories to help you reclaim your greatness. Todo lo malo es bueno by Tere Beard the queen of Cero estrés. Finally, ArboreSer by my friend Yesenia Rodríguez. (The illustrations by Madian Porrata-Doria make this book a work of art.) The book shows you how to design your best life – healthy and joyful, one day at a time.

Happy reading!