I love books and am constantly reading, but I thought it’d be fun to share five of the books that have absolutely shaped the way I live, work, and see the world. I think about them often and will always consider them signals of key moments or learnings in my life.
Falling Upward — Richard Rohr
My friend and counselor Doug (who’s shown up in many past posts) recommended Falling Upward during one of the most pivotal and tender moments of my life. I had just experienced public humiliation at work, was struggling in my marriage, and questioning how I’d ended up here…and what to do next.
Rohr’s Franciscan perspective offered a gentler, more expansive take on Christianity that resonated with me. But his core message applies to everyone: failure and embarrassment aren’t just inevitable; they’re essential to becoming who we’re meant to be. His both/and way of thinking helped me to see beyond my black-and-white beliefs and settle into a more compassionate relationship with myself.
The Way of Integrity — Martha Beck
I first found Martha Beck through Glennon Doyle’s We Can Do Hard Things podcast, and her grounded, funny take on living pulled me right in. After hearing her talk about The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, I bought the book and flew through it.
Near the end, Beck writes that people who follow the path to integrity often feel called to helping professions. My brain shouted, Yes, yes! Minutes later, I was Googling her life coach training program. With my husband’s encouragement, I enrolled. And that decision launched the career path I’m on today.
Auschwitz and After — Charlotte Delbo
From a young age (maybe too young), I’ve been drawn to Holocaust memoirs. In college, a literature course introduced me to Charlotte Delbo’s Auschwitz and After, and it’s stayed with me ever since.
Delbo weaves first-person narrative with poetry, capturing the brutality of Auschwitz and the lifelong impact of survival. Her writing deepened my understanding of both the extremes of human cruelty and the resilience of the human spirit. Now, as the mother of a daughter who is half-Jewish, I feel an even deeper connection to preserving these stories.
The Great Believers — Rebecca Makkai
I read a lot of fiction, but The Great Believers is the only one on this list. When I finished it, I immediately burst into tears. Not just because of the heartbreak, but because I didn’t want it to end.
Set during the early AIDS epidemic in Chicago, the novel follows a group of friends as they navigate love, loss, and the devastating impact of the disease. It’s one of those books that works on every level: emotional, intellectual, and soulful.
Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl
This is the most “heady” book here, but certain sections have shaped my worldview forever.
Based on his time in concentration camps and later research, in Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl distills how humans find meaning into three pathways:
Experience beauty.
Create something.
Suffer (and transform through it).
That’s it. Simple. Not easy.
I asked ChatGPT “If these books were a personality test, what would they say about me?” Here are the results:
I’m a meaning-seeker with a high tolerance for emotional depth.
I’ll stare hardship in the face if it teaches me something worth knowing.
I value truth over comfort (even when it’s inconvenient).
I’m spiritually curious but allergic to dogma.
I collect stories that stretch my empathy and help me see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Sounds about right to me. 😊
If you’re interested in sharing, what books have left their mark on you???
I think you and I have similar taste in books, Allison. I’ve just added all of these to my TBR.
The Great Believers was my favorite book of the year so far! Truly a masterpiece