Why am I passionate about this?

Having studied what people believe (and why we believe what we do), it’s important to question the origin of our opinions, who gave them to us, and most importantly, why we are still carrying them today. I’m drawn to books that make you think rather than telling you what to think. 


I wrote

Buddhist Boot Camp

By Timber Hawkeye,

Book cover of Buddhist Boot Camp

What is my book about?

A collection of journal entries on a journey to living a simple and uncomplicated life. Each chapter is only a…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Timber Hawkeye Why did I love this book?

If Buddhist Boot Camp answers the question why it’s beneficial to live a mindful life, then Atomic Habits more specifically tells us how to start. This book offers practical, applicable, and easy ways to implement changes in our lives in order to get the most out of every moment with one small change at a time.

By James Clear,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked Atomic Habits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the…


Book cover of Meditation: A Simple Eight-Point Program for Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life

Timber Hawkeye Why did I love this book?

This is the very first book that started my personal journey into meditation and mindfulness back in high school. Every page in this wonderful book reads like gentle guidance from an old, wise, and sometimes funny man, sharing stories and practical tools to end the suffering we cause to ourselves.

By Eknath Easwaran,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Meditation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the (second) Out of Print edition. The newest edition is the fourth edition titled "Passage Meditation - A Complete Spiritual Practice"

This handbook of meditation practice is a complete guide to a unique approach to tapping inner resources by training concentration on inspirational passages. Meditation and the Eight-Point Program that compliments and supports it can be used by anyone who wanst sity of California, Berkeley, in 1960 on the Fulbright exchange program and established the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Northern California in 1961. His 1968 Berkeley class is believed to be the first accredited course in…


Book cover of The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

Timber Hawkeye Why did I love this book?

I tend to be literal, logical, and cerebral. The Untethered Soul explains spirituality in a way that resonates with me in a way that traditional scripture does not. If you are open to it, this book will shift the way you think, and it will turn your world upside-down (in a good way). It offers plenty of food for thought in each paragraph. 

By Michael A. Singer,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked The Untethered Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. Are you a physical body? A collection of experiences and memories? A partner to relationships? Each time you consider aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. In this book, spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves and the world around us. By tapping into…


Book cover of Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Timber Hawkeye Why did I love this book?

I wish I had read this book when I was younger, back when I was foolishly trying desperately to “fit in”. So, now I recommend everyone read Jonathan Livingston Seagull (especially teenagers) because we all need reminders not to follow the masses (because the “m” is sometimes silent). This book is a celebration of trailblazing, living your own truth without excuses, and experiencing true liberation.

By Richard Bach,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Jonathan Livingston Seagull as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This classic work is now available for the first time in paperback. Since 1951, when the last of the Witchcraft Acts was repealed, many books have been written about the reappearance of witchcraft and the development of a pagan theology. Churchmen have denounced it. Sociologists have wondered at it. Journalists have penned sensational stories about it. But until the publication of this book, no one had told the real story of it from the inside as frankly as it is told here.

Doreen Valiente, one of witchcraft's most widely known figures, was a close friend of the late Gerald Gardner,…


Book cover of Living Buddha, Living Christ

Timber Hawkeye Why did I love this book?

There is a misconception that reading Buddhist scripture would somehow steer the reader away from God, but given the chance, it does exactly the opposite, actually strengthening the reader's existing faith (whatever it may be). Many of the people who attend my public talks, discussions, and Q&A’s, jokingly refer to themselves as “Recovering Catholics” in search of deeper meaning, and this book beautifully bridges the gap between traditions, highlighting how compatible the two practices can be with one another.  

By Thich Nhat Hanh,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Living Buddha, Living Christ as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. He is a scholar of immense intellectual capacity. His ideas for peace if applied, would build a monument of ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.' Martin Luther King, Jr.

Budda and Jesus Christ, perhaps the two most pivotal figures in the history of humankind, each left behind a legacy of teachings and practices that have shaped the lives of billions of people over the course of two millennia. If they were to meet on the road today, what would each think of the other's spiritual views and…


Explore my book 😀

Buddhist Boot Camp

By Timber Hawkeye,

Book cover of Buddhist Boot Camp

What is my book about?

A collection of journal entries on a journey to living a simple and uncomplicated life. Each chapter is only a page long and can be read in any order. While the book is not about Buddhism in the scholarly sense, it is an invitation to mindfully live at peace with the world (both within and around us), with the intention to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire. As the Dalai Lama says, "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."

Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Book cover of Meditation: A Simple Eight-Point Program for Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life
Book cover of The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

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My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

Book cover of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

Ruth F. Stevens Author Of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list. 

Ruth's book list on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles

What is my book about?

When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?

Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…

My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

What is this book about?

"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author

When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.

With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…


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Interested in meditation, seagulls, and Christianity?

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Seagulls 13 books
Christianity 679 books