10 books that will change your life in 2023
I am a struggling bibliophile, but I still consider myself a person who garnered all her knowledge from books. At the end of the day, it is not about the number of books I’ve read but what I have learned from them.
I’ve not read a lot of books this year, but I’ve read a lot of books that changed my life.
Below are a few you should read:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab: This book will be my first time reading a novel, and all I want to do is see the main character in real life. I enjoyed every single moment of reading this book. The story follows protagonist Addie LaRue, a young lady in early eighteenth-century France who makes a Faustian pact with a strange god in order to escape her marriage. Addie is granted immortality in exchange for everyone she meets forgetting about her. Books like this will make you question Déjà vu, Déjà su, and Déjà vécu, i.e., the already seen, already known, and already lived. This book further expounds on my reasoning about how life is a trifecta.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson: This book contradicts self-help norms by encouraging the reader to embrace negative thinking, say no frequently, and NOT attempt. Being at ease with one’s differences and caring about something more significant than hardship are two characteristics of not giving a f*ck. I gave less f*cks after reading this book.
Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This book explores the multifaceted emotions surrounding pregnancy, particularly for a professional woman who decides to raise her child alone. Zikora is a Nigerian lawyer in Washington, D.C., who discovers she is pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, Kwame.
A Broken People’s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks: I don’t think I can remember ever crying because of a book. But this book made me cry so much. I felt so broken that I didn’t want the feeling to disappear. It felt so surreal. I related to every single character and song. I cannot imagine not knowing this book existed. I’m glad I found it. This book is a collection of narratives of people who are hurting, loving, and coping with their pain using very familiar noises and sounds but also finding solace in unexpected places. The stories are also a love letter and a tribute to Port Harcourt, the city in which the majority of them are set.
The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho: Even if you are not an avid reader, I’m sure you must have heard or seen this book somewhere, both online and offline. This book is a timeless classic that teaches valuable life lessons about following your dreams, listening to your heart, and finding the true purpose of your life. It is a self-help book that one should read. I haven’t read it (I really don’t know why), but I will. Hopefully.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell: This book made me realize that love is all that is. Love for oneself and love for one another. This book is about a mother who begins a new relationship ten years after her teenage daughter goes missing, only to learn she can’t completely go on until she answers lingering concerns about the past. The day her 15-year-old daughter, Ellie, left the house to study at the library and never returned, Laurel Mack’s life came to a halt in many ways.
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde: I have read this book more than once, but the second was when I read it with less frivolity. And I had a great time doing it. I’m going to reread it. It’s a short book, so it’s pretty easy. Marriage, class, social expectations, and the lifestyles of the English upper class are all discussed in this book. The play follows Algernon and Jack, two men who are both living double lives. The drama was first produced on February 14, 1895, at London’s St. James’s Theatre. This book taught me not to take life too seriously. Just live life.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: If you didn’t know that the past, present, and future start now, now you do. Tomorrow will become yesterday. Yesterday used to be now. And now will become yesterday. This book teaches the importance of living in the present moment and how to let go of negative thoughts and emotions that can hold you back in life.
Don’t believe everything you think by Joseph Nguyen: Knowing that your thinking is the beginning and ending of your suffering is all you need to know. When I read this book, I started to realize why I encountered some adversities in life and why I actually didn’t at a certain point. This instructive book addresses how to spot flawed reasoning and acquire the abilities needed to handle problems more skillfully.
Conversation with God: An Uncommon Dialogue by Neale Donald Walsch: If you are an avid reader of my posts, you should know that I must mention this book. This book changed my life. Literally. It changed the way I think. This book proves that God is the Creator and Observer of Life. Life is full of choices, so for everything you experience, you have allowed. It proves that life is not a teacher. We are not trying to know anything here. What we need to know, we already know; we just need to Remember (Re-member). We are life itself. We are magnificent and powerful. We become whatever we think and say! This book helps its reader find inner peace and happiness. Money can’t buy that feeling.
I have not read #5 and #8 yet, but I have heard a lot about them, and I hope to read them soon. So, why am I recommending them? Because every book has the ability to change your life in 2023, or any year. Books are naturally profound.
