Here are 100 books that Rooms fans have personally recommended if you like
Rooms.
Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.
I’m a writer, a storyteller, and a dreamer of absurdly ridiculous dreams. I’m an empath who feels big feelings and trusts my intuition as I make my way in this world. I know full well the power and importance of encouraging words, of being a friend, of looking for hope when nothing seems to be going your way.
These are the books I turn to when my soul, the truest part of what makes me “me,” needs a reminder of why I write, why I tell stories, and what it means to be human.
These are the books that dance across my synapses whenever I sit down to write and tell my own stories.
I am a storyteller. I believe in the power of stories to bring people together, to teach us about who we are and how we are to live on this beautiful ball of dirt. Stories give meaning to our struggles and inspire us to push on when we want to give up. Miller’s book is all about living a good story.
This book has one of my favorite definitions of story, “A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it." Miller uses that definition as the structure of his memoir in which he goes through the hard work of overcoming conflict to truly live an epic adventure. I read this book when I want to remember whose story I’m living.
After the publication of his wildly successful memoir, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller's life began to stall. During what should have been the height of his success, he found himself avoiding responsibility and even questioning the meaning of life. But when two producers proposed turning his memoir into a movie, Miller found himself launched into a new story filled with risk, possibility, beauty, and meaning.
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years chronicles Miller's rare opportunity to edit his life into a great story and to reinvent himself so nobody shrugs their shoulders when the credits roll. When his producers…
I have been interested in purpose and meaning since I snuck into a high school philosophy class when I was 10 years old. Since then, I have not only worked on my own quest for meaning in my life but also helped dozens of others through these types of questions as an executive coach and business leader. I believe that having an answer to the question “why am I here?” is the crucial ingredient to living a happy and fulfilled life, and I’ve been working for years to distill all that I have learned on the subject into a useable and accessible collection of insights.
What amazes me about A Confession is that here is Tolstoy, one of the giants of world literature, at the top of his game, lamenting that there is no meaning to his life. This made me realize that there is no one immune from this feeling of purposelessness and that there are no prizes, accolades, awards, or other external things that will prevent you from feeling existential angst.
The book also shows how Tolstoy worked through his crisis, and although I do not agree with his conclusions, the path that he takes in the book was very useful for me in my own journey to meaning.
Despite having written War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy, at the age of 51, looked back on his life and considered it a meaningless, regrettable failure. A Confession provides insight into the great Russian writer's movement from the pursuit of aesthetic ideals toward matters of religious and philosophical consequence. Authentic and genuinely moving, this memoir of midlife spiritual crisis was first distributed in 1872 and marked a turning point in the author's career as a writer: in subsequent years, Tolstoy would write almost exclusively about religious life, especially devotion among the peasantry. Generations of readers have been inspired…
My passion for studying religion started decades ago, now culminating in a master's degree from Harvard in religion. My main interest is religious literacy, and my master's thesis is on religious literacy among healthcare providers, which is not surprising since I myself work in healthcare. I am particularly interested in interfaith approaches that unite people of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds in a common goal of doing some good in the world.
This book packs a lot into <100 pages and does so very comfortably. Although there are other books better focused on the key issue of religious literacy, I particularly like that this book specifically includes several aspects of religious literacy, such as the fact that religions are all internally diverse, not monolithic, and that we all have a perspective, a situatedness, from which we see and interpret the world around us. In addition to familiarizing readers with common features of common religions like many books do, this one goes further and includes sections on philosophy of religion, on religion and violence in our world, and on religion and science, all of which encourage valuable thinking and reflection. The book does a relatively good job of meeting the stated goal of promoting understanding and respect of different people and different types of belief and nonbelief.
What was the first religion and where did it start? What is atheism? Why do some people wear turbans? Made for kids who ask the hard questions, this book gives answers to these and many more questions about religion.
What Do You Believe? is a perfect introduction to all the main faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The book traces the history of different religions and faiths around the world and deconstructs complex topics into easy-to-consume sections.
From the oldest beliefs to new religious movements and modern spirituality, What Do You Believe? presents the facts in an unbiased…
Looking for clean romantic suspense with spiritual undertones?
Look no further than the Acts of Valor series by Rebecca Hartt. With thousands of reviews and 4.7-5.0 stars per book, this 6-book series is a must-read for readers searching for memorable, well-told stories by an award-winning author.
Despite a successful editorial career and thriving beauty business, in my 30s I remained plagued by a depression and crippling perfectionism. What began as a self-help bender and journalistic endeavor to explore every holistic experience I could get my hands on became a way of life—and saved my life. When my spiritual mentor Monica Lawson introduced me to the Other Side and how to work with them to find clarity and purpose, it clicked: we could teach others to do the same. Our mission is to take the weird out of the woo and make spirituality accessible for everyone. It’s your birthright to chase you. We’re simply here to show you the way.
Easily the book I gift most often (besides my own!) to people starting out on the spiritual path because Gabby has a way of making you think anything is possible when you trust the Universe. Her personal stories are compelling without being cliche, her voice is no-nonsense, and the guidance she offers is both practical and immediate. You will underline and dog ear the sh*t out of this book, and return to those passages again and again when you need a reminder that you are not alone and the Universe does, indeed, have your back.
Through acceptance, surrender, and a commitment to her continually evolving spiritual path, New York Times best-selling author and international speaker Gabrielle Bernstein has been transforming her fear into faith. Her stories and universal lessons provide a framework for releasing the blocks to what everyone most longs for: happiness, security, and clear direction. These lessons can help us relinquish the need to control in order to relax into a sense of certainty and freedom - to stop chasing life and truly live. Ride the swell of your energy and true power to find strength when you are down, synchronicity and support…
These books are all by or about comic geniuses. I have always expressed myself through humor. I never felt I was pretty, so making people laugh was another way of seducing people. I started out by doing improvisational theater on the streets of New York, went on to have a recurring role on Seinfeld, and performed my solo shows on three continents. One of my greatest thrills has been to share the stage with other storytellers while touring with The Moth. When I used my storytelling skills on TikTok, I was amazed at the response. Eleven million Likes is a lot of love. I hope I deserve it.
I am a secular Jew and Anne Lamott is a church-going Christian, but I feel she is my soulmate.
She is so honest, and vulnerable, and hysterically funny that reading her work feels like listening to a good friend sharing her innermost thoughts. I gave this book to someone whose mother was dying, and she claimed that reading it helped get through that dark period.
I would love to have that kind of power as a writer: the power to change people’s lives for the better. I have secretly always wanted to run the world. After all, I couldn’t do a worse job than the jerks that are running things now.
From the bestselling author of Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird comes a chronicle of faith and spirituality that is at once tough, personal, affectionate, wise and very funny.
With an exuberant mix of passion, insight, and humor, Anne Lamott takes us on a journey through her often troubled past to illuminate her devout but quirky walk of faith. In a narrative spiced with stories and scripture, with diatribes, laughter, and tears, Lamott tells how, against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. She shows us the myriad ways in which this…
Raised in a fearful and toxic environment where love was completely absent and terror was always at home, I had to learn to let go of my many programs, fears, and traumas so that I could avoid making the mistake of thinking and believing that the story of my past was going to become the story of my life. Through a long journey of letting go, getting lost in order to be found, I realized that who I Am, and who we all are, is far greater and far nobler than what we are programmed to believe. And now my mission is to teach people from all over the world how to let go so they can thrive.
Our confidence in ourselves, says Neville Goddard, is determined by our faith in the God-power present within each and every one of us. If we happen to fail in life, it’s only because of a lack of faith - in ourselves. But faith can be taught. And all throughout this book, you are taught how to strengthen your faith so that, through the power of your faith, you can create the life of your dreams with ease, love, and grace.
"Your Faith is Your Fortune" is the powerful and inspiring work by Neville Goddard, a mystic, philosopher, and believer in the Law of Attraction. Goddard was a prolific author and wrote many works on his theory of manifestation through feeling. Goddard's theories have had a profound influence on generations of mystics and students of metaphysics and have guided the work of such authors as Wayne Dyer. In "Your Faith is Your Fortune", Goddard presents a new and modern interpretation of the Bible through the philosophies of metaphysics and mysticism. Goddard argued that the Bible is a great human drama, full…
It's 1943, and World War II has gripped the nation, including the Stilwell family in Jacksonville, Alabama. Rationing, bomb drills, patriotism, and a changing South barrage their way of life. Neighboring Fort McClellan has brought the world to their doorstep in the form of young soldiers from all over the…
I was close to Jesus when I was young, speaking with Him nightly. I walked away from Him. The troubles and some of these books got me back on the spiritual path for healing, love, heart, meaning, understanding, and warmth. All the things my soul craves. It also craves partnership, but this always seems to fail or be missed. Much of my life has been about healing when I was the age 18-25, and going to school for Child Care Work and Social Work. Eventually, learning Reiki, Spiritual healing, Christian Spiritual Healing, and prayer work. Many teachings from Buddhist classes, Native-American circles and classes, Meditations, Kabbalah, dowsing, Mediumship, Past-life regressions, then back to Jesus and Mother Mary.
Yes, this book stuck with me. I had it sitting there for a year and turned to it after a terrible breakup. Many of the quotes I read were so meaningful that I began my own book of quotes that I copied down so I could return to them when I needed healing or to be reminded of certain understandings that struck home.
One that I really liked was when he said you shouldn't blame anyone else for their actions. Instead, they see things as follows: "Their soul required them to act that way." It takes away blame and makes you think of the soul, its development, the unfolding of the soul, and its purpose and mystery.
I think it takes away the feeling of ownership of another person. No one owns anyone else. In that sense, allowing and understanding they are free is very free. In that thinking, no…
#1 New York Times Bestseller With a new introduction by the author and additional material, this 25th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller by Thomas Moore provides a powerful spiritual message for our troubled times. In this special 25th anniversary edition of Thomas Moore's bestselling book Care of the Soul readers are presented with a revolutionary approach to thinking about daily life-everyday activities, events, problems and creative opportunities-and a therapeutic lifestyle is proposed that focuses on looking more deeply into emotional problems and learning how to sense sacredness in even ordinary things. Basing his writing on the…
Back in New York, while struggling to be a screenwriter, I was spiritually questing. My friends and I read “books that change lives”. New age books, self-help, mystical, spiritual. We meditated with crystals. We dabbled in tofu. And our lives did change. Some moved to Santa Fe. Some took up Reiki. I found my way to LA to write for TV and film. Throughout my time there, I was working on my own story to tell, like the ones I had loved in New York. That story eventually morphed into The Man Who Came and Went. For me and my friends at least, these books really did change lives.
This is a work of fiction written by Jane Roberts, famous as the writer of the Seth books. Through the novel form, Roberts gets across a plausible way to look at life, the fluid nature of time and some possible meaning and purpose to be found in reincarnation. It’s also pretty entertaining. Yay novels! There are three books in the Oversoul series. This, the second, is my favorite.
The ageless, timeless entity Oversoul Seven must deal with the problems of an unusual assortment of mortals that includes a young man reluctant to be a father, a student contemplating suicide, and a woman unhappy with her reincarnation
Belden Lane is a wilderness backpacker and storyteller who has written extensively on the connections between human spiritual experience and the power of place. As Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University he taught theology and spirituality for thirty-five years with the Jesuits. Drawing on backpacking trips in the canyonlands of Utah, the Wind River Range of Wyoming, and the Australian outback, his books include Landscapes of the Sacred, Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice, and The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul.
A depth psychologist and wilderness guide, Plotkin is director of the Animas Valley Institute in Durango, CO. Building on the work of Joseph Campbell and others, he proposes various exercises, rituals, and disciplines to use in nature wandering as a soulful practice. These include dream-work and drumming, vision quests, and cross-species dialogue. His later book,Nature and the Human Soul(2007), offers a nature-based pattern for understanding stages of human development.
Since 1980, depth psychologist Bill Plotkin has been guiding women and men into the wilderness—the redrock canyons and snow-crested mountains of the American West—but also into the wilds of the soul. He calls this work soulcraft.
There’s a great longing in all people to uncover the secrets and mysteries of our individual lives, to find the unique gift we were born to bring to our communities, and to experience our full membership in the more-than-human world. This journey to soul is a descent into layers of the self much deeper than personality, a journey meant for each one of us,…
My book is fantastical historical fiction about two characters who're wrestling with the monstrosity of their grief.
It takes you into London high society, where Ambrose tries to forget about how much he misses Bennett and how much he dreads becoming as cold as their Grandfather. It takes you to…
I feel strongly that large segments of the population—young and old alike—have thrown out the baby of spirituality with the bathwater of organized religion. Given the current level of interreligious hatred and misunderstanding in today’s world, two things have to change. First, we need to know the basics of the world’s major religious traditions and how they evolved so that we are not making value judgments based on erroneous information and lack of understanding. Then, we have to look through the external dogmas and rituals to the spiritual principles and experiences that are of most value and that may not be reliant on any one institutional religion.
You may know Rainn Wilson as the actor who played goofy Dwight Schrute on The Office. But he’s also a gifted writer with much spiritual wisdom to share. In this book, he brings his loopy comic appeal to the serious business of explaining why most institutional religions fail to scratch the spiritual itch. And why one putative answer to the anomie and mounting depression sweeping younger generations around the world is to undertake a “spiritual revolution.”
While effortlessly invoking the universal appeal of genuine spirituality, Wilson makes you laugh out loud along the way. Who else could convince you that their own spiritual growth was spurred not by the universalist Bahai Faith in which he was raised but by those linchpins of ‘70s TV culture, Kung Fu (starring David Carradine as “Grasshopper”) and the original Star Trek (in syndication, with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy)?
Comedic actor, producer, and writer Rainn Wilson, cofounder of the media company SoulPancake, explores the problem-solving benefits that spirituality gives us to create solutions for an increasingly challenging world.
The trauma that our struggling species has experienced in recent years-because of both the pandemic and societal tensions that threaten to overwhelm us-is not going away anytime soon. Existing political and economic systems are not enough to bring the change that the world needs. In this book, Rainn Wilson explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a "Soul Boom," to find a healing transformation on…
