The best books to increase your well-being and happiness, and heal your life

Why am I passionate about this?

I had depression for many years and looked for healing everywhere I could. Bibliotherapy helped me a lot on my journey. I became a bookworm, reading a lot to better understand myself and how I could heal my mind. When I understood that the words we tell ourselves and the thoughts we constantly think matter, my life improved. Changing our mindset by changing our thoughts surely heals our minds, hearts, and lives. The five books I have picked, which are listed below, among others, brought me solace, gave me hope, and helped me see life from a better perspective.


I wrote...

Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival

By Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur,

Book cover of Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival

What is my book about?

I wrote many of the poems in this book while I was depressed. Writing had become an outlet for me. I wrote to encourage myself, to tell myself words I would like to hear from somebody who understands and cares. After writing a poem, I would often read it to remind myself of its encouraging message. The poems gave me solace and hope to carry on; they made me feel better and helped me go through stormy times. In 2021, I decided to publish some of them, thinking that just as they brought me hope, relief, and healing, they can have the same effect on other people. I believe poetry can be a powerful medium for expression and healing, providing a form of therapy and catharsis.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of You Can Heal Your Life

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur Why did I love this book?

I owe my life and sanity to Louise Hay. Her teachings, particularly in You Can Heal Your Life, taught me that everything in my mind “is only a thought and a thought can be changed”.

This book is a powerful tool for healing our mind and life. It teaches us that our thoughts and beliefs directly influence our physical health and well-being. In it, Louise Hay emphasizes positive thinking, self-love, forgiveness, and affirmation techniques as tools to heal our mind, body, and life.

This book has been a significant milestone in my life. I truly believe it can heal our lives.

By Louise Hay,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked You Can Heal Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Over 50 million lives transformed worldwide! This seminal classic explores how positive thought and affirmations can inspire your own healing, wellbeing and happiness.

Full of ideas and strategies that have worked for millions of people worldwide. You Can Heal Your Life, the definitive bestselling book on self-healing, has transformed the lives of millions of people. This is a book that people credit with profoundly altering their awareness of the impact that the mind has on our health and wellbeing.

In this inspirational work, world renowned teacher Louise L. Hay offers profound insight into the relationship between the mind and the…


Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur Why did I love this book?

I used to be severely depressed. In 2005, I stumbled upon The Power of Now in a bookstore.

This book literally worked miracles in my life. It taught me that by letting go of my debilitating thoughts and focusing on the present moment, I could find instant relief. During the peak of a painful emotion, I learned to shift my attention to the world around me, observing a flower, a tree… and I saw these objects in a new light, in their pristine identities. This eased my mind and body.

After my encounter with this book, my life and mind changed. I believe it can enhance your well-being and happiness, too.

By Eckhart Tolle,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked The Power of Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**CHOSEN BY OPRAH AS ONE OF HER 'BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH'**

The international bestselling spiritual book, now with a new look for its 20th anniversary. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier, happier, mindful life by living in the present moment.

************

'I keep Eckhart's book at my bedside. I think it's essential spiritual teaching. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read.' Oprah Winfrey

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart…


Book cover of The Alchemist

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur Why did I love this book?

This book profoundly taught me the importance of introspection and identifying what truly matters to me. I had been looking outside for peace and fulfillment, only to find fleeting satisfaction.

The Alchemist helped me understand that everything worthwhile begins within me; every individual possesses innate value and beauty. Our dreams are worthwhile and powerful forces. When we follow them, we make wonderful self-discoveries; we grow and attain self-fulfillment.

Our inward journey brings ease to our minds, peace to our souls, and healing to our lives. The book can truly uplift and empower us.

By Paulo Coelho,

Why should I read it?

26 authors picked The Alchemist as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this magical fable is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho will want to treasure forever.

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book - a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life's path and, above all, follow your dreams.

Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is…


Book cover of Living the Science of Mind

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur Why did I love this book?

Ernest Holmes' teachings have significantly influenced my personal journey. His books gave me hope and a greater understanding of how our mindset and thoughts shape our lives.

In Living the Science of Mind, he gives us powerful teachings that can open our minds and heal our hearts and lives. The book underscores the belief in a higher power that is within and around us, always available, working for our highest good; we can tap into this power for guidance, healing, and harmony in our lives.

This book is still a brilliant companion in my journey of spiritual growth and personal development. It is an invaluable resource that can positively affect our mental well-being, happiness, and overall life fulfillment.

By Ernest Holmes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Living the Science of Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is Holmes' own "commentary" on his masterpiece, The Science of Mind. As such, it may be his most important book besides the textbook. These short pieces abound in counsel and guidance in metaphysics, spirituality, and healing. Here too is the history of New Thought and Religious Science; insights into the mystics; pointers on treatment; and analysis of our fears and insecurities.


Book cover of Man’s Search for Meaning

Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur Why did I love this book?

This book helped me understand “the power of why” in my life: when we have a reason to keep going, nothing can stop us.

Despite the dreadful experiences in Nazi concentration camps, Viktor Frankl survived because he had found the importance of purpose and meaning in life, even in dire circumstances. We too can tap into resilience, find meaning in our lives, develop our capacity to endure suffering so we can be transformed and healed.

If we are seeking personal growth, wisdom, and a better understanding of ourselves and our place in the world, we should read Man's Search for Meaning. It can contribute to our sense of well-being, happiness, and personal healing.

By Viktor Frankl,

Why should I read it?

43 authors picked Man’s Search for Meaning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the outstanding classics to emerge from the Holocaust, Man's Search for Meaning is Viktor Frankl's story of his struggle for survival in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. Today, this remarkable tribute to hope offers us an avenue to finding greater meaning and purpose in our own lives.


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We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter

By Amy T. Waldman, Peter Jest,

Book cover of We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter

Amy T. Waldman

New book alert!

What is my book about?

This irreverent biography provides a rare window into the music industry from a promoter’s perspective. From a young age, Peter Jest was determined to make a career in live music, and despite naysayers and obstacles, he did just that, bringing national acts to his college campus atUW-Milwaukee, booking thousands of concerts across Wisconsin and the Midwest, and opening Shank Hall, the beloved Milwaukee venue named after a club in the cult film This Is Spinal Tap.

Jest established lasting friendships with John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, and others, but ultimately, this book tells a universal story of love and hope…

We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter

By Amy T. Waldman, Peter Jest,

What is this book about?

The entertaining and inspiring story of a stubbornly independent promoter and club owner 

This irreverent biography provides a rare window into the music industry from a promoter’s perspective. From a young age, Peter Jest was determined to make a career in live music, and despite naysayers and obstacles, he did just that, bringing national acts to his college campus at UW–Milwaukee, booking thousands of concerts across Wisconsin and the Midwest, and opening Shank Hall, the beloved Milwaukee venue named after a club in the cult film This Is Spinal Tap.

This funny, nostalgia-inducing book details the lasting friendships Jest established…


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