Books have had the most profound effect on the trajectory of my life, and I know that this is true for many others. What fascinates me about the truly impactful reading journey is that it generally begins with a single book. Just one. But the possibilities presented in that solitary book can open your eyes, or cause them to refocus, in ways previously unimagined. While this could be just a bump in the road, it might be a jarring so significant that you’re thrown out of alignment and find yourself facing in a new direction. That first book leads to a second, and then a third, and so on. A word or a phrase triggers the search for more depth or breadth of knowledge and may send you down a different path altogether. And the discussions that follow! The conversations I have with other readers are as enjoyable and enlightening as the books themselves. I hope that those discussions have helped others, particularly with regard to their knowledge and interpretation of things metaphysical. I know that those chats have led me to books I might not otherwise have found. For those of you searching for something new, I share here some of the books that have significantly influenced my spiritual journey. Where should you start? With the title you find most intriguing, of course!

DEEEPER PERSPECTIVE:

• The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

• The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

• Reading Water: Lessons from the River by Rebecca Lawton

REINCARNATION and LIFE PURPOSE:

• Many Lives, Many Masters and also Same Soul, Many Bodies by Brian Weiss

• Your Soul’s Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born by Robert Schwartz

SELF-DISCOVERY and SELF-CARE:

• 365 Ways to Raise Your Frequency: Simple Tools to Increase Your Spiritual Energy for Balance, Purpose, and Joy by Melissa Alvarez

• Discover Your Psychic Type: Developing and Using Your Natural Intuition by Sherrie Dillard

• The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People by Judith Orloff

• Archetypes: A Beginner’s Guide to Your Inner-net by Caroline Myss

REFERENCE:

• The Chakra Bible: The Definitive Guide to Working with Chakras by Patricia Mercier

• Animal Spirit Guides: An Easy-to-Use Handbook for Identifying and Understanding Your Power Animals and Animal Spirit Helpers by Steven Farmer

• The Encyclopedia of Crystals by Judy Hall

LIGHTER FARE, aka NOVELS WITH A MESSAGE:

• Breakfast with Buddha, Lunch with Buddha, and Dinner with Buddha, a series by Roland Merullo