i’m super excited about today’s post and before i jump in, just want to say that i would love to know what books have changed or influenced your life - please drop a comment below or reach out to me here - we can have a little mini book club :)

anyways.. when i was sitting in a park a week or so ago, my mind started wandering, and i ended up thinking about the books that have had a strong impact on me - books that i still go back to and re-read from time to time. i shared a little bit about this on instagram stories and it started a cool discussion with some of you, so i decided to expand it into a blog post here

8 books that changed my life

fearless by eric blehm

probably my favorite book of all time. this is the testimony of Adam Brown, a Navy Seal who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. his story is SO inspiring i cannot even put it into words - Adam Brown is a true hero and exemplifies the notion that not only is life what you make it, but that it’s never too late and you can do anything you set your mind to (while being a good person in the process). i give a copy of this book to at least one person ever graduation season/ christmas, and i feel like i find a new lesson in it every time i go back and re-read it. just.. the best.

shop here.

too soon old, too late smart by gordon livingston, m.d.

so much to learn from such a small book. i do read a lot of books on personal development, but they’re usually skewed towards more of a business perspective; this is one of the few universal “self-help” books that i think you can get something out of regardless of where you are in life or what you’re looking to get advice on. i’ve read it a few times now and still find new takeaways. most recently: “authenticity is a prized ideal.”

shop here.

the rules of inheritance by claire bidwell smith

i’ve only read this once, but it really hit home and changed everything for me. i was 20 (aka when you think you know absolutely everything about everything) when i read it and am so glad i read it when i did because it definitely put things in perspective. i think eventually we all hit a point where we realize that our parents aren’t invincible, and for me, that was more difficult to accept than the fact that i myself am not invincible. this book served as a major wake-up call/ reminder to appreciate your parents and the other people in your life while you have them with you.

shop here.

all the bright places by jennifer niven

cannot say enough about this book. i first read it a few years ago, when mental health was becoming more of a talked-about topic. to be really honest with you, i am generally a happy person and didn’t fully grasp the idea of depression and how deeply and widely it can affect someone until i read this book. it’s so eye-opening and raw, and you really feel it when you read it (aka don’t read the second half in public). this book really helped open a window into what it’s like living with depression and how no matter what happens, sometimes you’re just not happy.

shop here.

SERVICE by Marcus Luttrell

not your typical military book. it’s like a patchwork quilt of small anecdotes of servicemen and servicewomen who have served their country, and shows how widespread and varied service is, while also being universally selfless at the same time. i pick it up and read a chapter anytime i want to be reminded of all i have to be grateful for.

shop here.

GIRL IN PIECES by Kathleen Glasgow

i read this not too long after a wierd road trip and was instantly captivated by it. like up all night, can’t put it down kind of captivated. the main character’s life story is so different from mine, yet there’s just enough similarities for it to be one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments where i feel like i was meant to read this book at that specific time. so it’s always going o be special to me.

shop here.

THE GREATEST GENERATION by Tom Brokaw

confession: this was required reading for a history class, and i’ve never gone into required reading feeling all that excited about it. but this book is just so special and really captures what life was like for so many during WW2. it brings history to life in a unique way, and i wish they would do it for some of generations that follow it, although i’m not sure it would be quite the same.

shop here.