10 books like Women Who Run with the Wolves

By Clarissa Pinkola Estés,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like Women Who Run with the Wolves. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho,

Book cover of The Alchemist

Athena Author Of Murder of Crows: Book One of the Pillars of Dawn

From the list on when destiny calls, and love answers.

Who am I?

I have a passion for the topic because it’s so unlimited. We’re all called to destiny inner/outer in so many ways. We see a lot of stories about those calls being massive adventures with global impact—but sometimes the small stories, those inner calls with inner love answers are just as epic, just as magnificent. Love of family, community, country, lovers, nature… truly, it can be anything. These are just a few books off the older shelves to illustrate the many ways love answers the call. My challenge is to go back and re-read them with this list in mind. Re-visit books from a decade ago, reframe the story with love.

Athena's book list on when destiny calls, and love answers

Discover why each book is one of Athena's favorite books.

Why did Athena love this book?

Again, not a book someone might expect to be on my list, which is why it really should be.

One of the most beautiful layers in this book is that destiny can come from within. It speaks to us. It feeds us with dreams, ignites our passion.

Love is answered by the deepest yearnings of self toward the manifestation of those passions. A little love of our dreams, and ourselves and the destiny they embody goes miles toward a more fulfilling and collaborative life with our world and those who share this experience with us.

I dare you to re-read The Alchemist with this tilt on the work. When Santiago sets out on his adventure to chase his dream—you won’t be able to see the story for anything other than a call from destiny answered by the very love of being alive.

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho,

Why should I read it?

20 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…


Circe

By Madeline Miller,

Book cover of Circe

Margaret McNellis Author Of The Red Fletch

From the list on a female protagonist claiming her agency.

Who am I?

Identity, agency, belonging, and transformation…these are the themes which drive me to write. I love historical fiction and historical fantasy because for female characters, the past was rife with oppression, which creates an even greater barrier to self-actualization and personal alchemy. There are still barriers for females in our present world, but setting a story in the past can more clearly call out those barriers and the ways females bust through them. We finally live in a world where historians and storytellers are unearthing the untold tales of the past. No longer are the narratives in the sole control of the victors and oppressors. 

Margaret's book list on a female protagonist claiming her agency

Discover why each book is one of Margaret's favorite books.

Why did Margaret love this book?

A family friend recommended this book at a party and then I saw it in a bookstore window and had to have it. I love retellings, and Miller’s retelling of Circe, the sorceress of Homer’s Odyssey, is smart, heart-wrenching, and wonderfully executed. Circe’s voice is what captivated me most, but the story is likewise engaging. Miller builds a vibrant world retelling a character who has long been vilified and perhaps misunderstood. Readers who enjoy female characters striving to achieve agency will cheer for Circe throughout.

Circe

By Madeline Miller,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked Circe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child - not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens…


Tao Te Ching

By Lao Tzu, Gia-fu Geng (translator), Jane English (translator), Toinette Lippe (translator)

Book cover of Tao Te Ching

Chet Richards Author Of Certain to Win

From the list on upsetting your orientation.

Who am I?

I never had a real career. Closest I came was the Air Force Reserve for 27 years. Along the way, I built fighter-vs-fighter computer models for the Defense Department, served as an advisor to a Saudi Air Force prince, led a team that designed a replacement for the Air Force’s A-10 tankbuster (which was never built, unfortunately), sold C-130 transport aircraft in Saudi Arabia, taught statistics in business school, became a yoga instructor, and did PR work in Atlanta. Starting in 1975, I collaborated a little with a retired Air Force colonel, John Boyd, creator of the infamous “OODA loop.” I was never a published author in the US, although I am in India, Portugal, and Japan. 

Chet's book list on upsetting your orientation

Discover why each book is one of Chet's favorite books.

Why did Chet love this book?

There’s a class of books sometimes called “ancient texts” or “accumulated wisdom.” The idea is that they represent distilled knowledge that was passed down orally for hundreds or thousands of years before the invention of writing froze them in their present forms. To represent this collection, I’ve chosen the Tao Te Ching. It’s short — 81 brief chapters — and talks about things that concern us today, like how to handle anxiety and how to lead groups of people. But a word of caution: These texts will repay serious study and contemplation, but don’t take them too seriously. For one thing, compare two translations and you’ll wonder if they’re working from the same ancient manuscript. And for another, embrace the notion that once you think “this is it,” then it isn’t it (another ancient idea to ponder). 

Tao Te Ching

By Lao Tzu, Gia-fu Geng (translator), Jane English (translator), Toinette Lippe (translator)

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Tao Te Ching as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For nearly two generations, this bestselling translation of the Tao Te Ching has been the standard for those seeking access to the wisdom of Taoist thought. Now Jane English and her long-time editor, Toinette Lippe, have refreshed and revised the translation, so that it more faithfully reflects the Classical Chinese in which it was first written, while taking into account changes in our own language and eliminating any lingering infelicities. This beautiful oversized edition features over a hundred new photographs by Jane English that help express the vast spirit of the Tao. Also included is an introduction by the well-known…


Man and His Symbols

By Carl Jung,

Book cover of Man and His Symbols

Vanessa Decort Author Of Sun and Moon Tarot

From the list on tarot and its many facets.

Who am I?

Since I was a teenager, I have been attracted to astrology, Jungian psychology, synchronicity, symbolism, alchemy, and Jewish esotery. Someone gave me my first Tarot deck as a present. Since then I collect old and new decks from the entire world and created my own Sun and Moon TarotI continue to deepen my knowledge of tarot and all the systems associated with it. At times I focus more on the Sefiroth and Kabbalah. Sometimes I’m more interested in different ways of interpreting tarot. I've been illustrating Astrological Learning Cards for a while now, trying to better understand the different astrological archetypes and to make art.

Vanessa's book list on tarot and its many facets

Discover why each book is one of Vanessa's favorite books.

Why did Vanessa love this book?

As a visual artist, I adore symbols, it’s unbelievable how a symbol can evoke emotions through its associations and meanings. Each Tarot card has its own character and many symbols. These reveal more than their immediate meaning and they visualise human experiences, behavioural patterns and developmental patterns. These archetypal images, as Jung calls them, are stored in our collective unconscious and can be found all over the world in our fantasy, dreams, mythology, religion, literature, fairy tales and other forms of art.

In Tarot and other oracle systems, the concept of synchronicity would explain how they "work" as a kind of mirror of the psyche. The symbols and illustrations are thus the language with which the tarot can make the unconscious in our psyche conscious. They mirror what happens from the inside to the outside. So the cards would reflect your inner state at that time. 

In this book, CG…

Man and His Symbols

By Carl Jung,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Man and His Symbols as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses—featuring more than a hundred images that break down Carl Jung’s revolutionary ideas

“What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian
  
“Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.”
 
Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can…


Book cover of Dreaming the Soul Back Home: Shamanic Dreaming for Healing and Becoming Whole

Ora North Author Of I Don't Want to Be an Empath Anymore: How to Reclaim Your Power Over Emotional Overload, Maintain Boundaries, and Live Your Best Life

From the list on using your imagination to heal emotional trauma.

Who am I?

Ora North is the author of I Don’t Want To Be An Empath Anymore: How to Reclaim Your Power Over Emotional Overload, Maintain Boundaries, and Live Your Best Life, and the upcoming book Mood Magick: Wellness Spells and Rituals to Find Balance in an Uncertain World. A seasoned spiritual teacher and healer, she helps people unpack their emotional trauma and work with it in a creative and regenerative way. 

Ora's book list on using your imagination to heal emotional trauma

Discover why each book is one of Ora's favorite books.

Why did Ora love this book?

An expert in approaching your dream life with beautiful and imaginative consciousness, Robert Moss shows you how to use your dreams, both figurative and literal, as the backdrop for immense personal discovery and growth, and as a powerful tool in reclaiming yourself after trauma. 


Dreaming the Soul Back Home

By Robert Moss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dreaming the Soul Back Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this extraordinary book, shamanic dream teacher Robert Moss shows us how to become shamans of our own souls and healers of our own lives.

The greatest contribution of the ancient shamans to modern healing is the understanding that in the course of any life we are liable to suffer soul loss — the loss of parts of our vital energy and identity — and that to be whole and well, we must find the means of soul recovery. Moss teaches that our dreams give us maps we can use to find and bring home our lost or stolen soul…


Untamed

By Glennon Doyle,

Book cover of Untamed

Kathryn Curzon Author Of No Damage: An adventure in courage, survival and the pursuit of dreams

From the list on helping you ditch the 9 to 5 & create your dream life.

Who am I?

I’ve been fascinated with living life on my own terms since I was a child and drew pictures with inspirational quotes such as ‘go your own way!’ and ‘aim for the moon!’ Fast forward to my thirties and I quit my 9-5 career to embrace what it means to live out my wildest dreams. I was terrified but, aren’t we all? I can’t get enough of inspiring books that teach me how to live big, believe in myself, and push far beyond what society tells us we should do. All of which helped me to build my dream life and live it. Now get out there and make your dream life happen!

Kathryn's book list on helping you ditch the 9 to 5 & create your dream life

Discover why each book is one of Kathryn's favorite books.

Why did Kathryn love this book?

This book has zero to do with quitting the 9-5 and creating your dream life, but don’t let that put you off.

With more sass and sparkle than most books out there, Untamed is an unmissable addition to your future dream life.

From the get-go, I couldn’t put this book down and came away from it thoroughly inspired to shake off society’s expectations, wake up to what I really want, and live big. It gave me the shove I needed to realign my dreams and keep on working towards them.

This is a fabulous confident-boosting book; teeming with vulnerability, laughter, and uplifting moments you will carry long after you finish the final page.

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Untamed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD! “Packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today.”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club Pick)

In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker, bestselling author, and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People) explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others’ expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • The Washington Post • Cosmopolitan • Marie Claire • Bloomberg • Parade •…


The Body Is Not an Apology

By Sonya Renee Taylor,

Book cover of The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love

Jenna Hollenstein Author Of Intuitive Eating for Life: How Mindfulness Can Deepen and Sustain Your Intuitive Eating Practice

From the list on reality-check your relationship with food and body.

Who am I?

I’m obsessed with the connections between Buddhist philosophy, meditation, Intuitive Eating, eating disorder and addiction recovery, body liberation, and intersectional social justice work. These connections are everywhere! It may not seem like it, but how we relate to food and our bodies reflects how we feel about all bodies. How we speak to ourselves reflects how we feel about difference, difficulty, and interdependence. Challenging our entrenched beliefs about health, eating, food, and body helps us to ultimately recognize the inherent worthiness of all bodies. This is how we both come to know ourselves authentically and how we change the world for the better. 

Jenna's book list on reality-check your relationship with food and body

Discover why each book is one of Jenna's favorite books.

Why did Jenna love this book?

I love how Sonya Renee Taylor positions radical self love as the only reasonable (and compassionate) response to having a body, no matter how difficult that body feels to be in at times.

Her unique take on body image breaks through the entrenched, systemic nature of body hatred and self-improvement to reveal how the diet culture distracts us from reality and our purpose in life: to love and be loved. 

The Body Is Not an Apology

By Sonya Renee Taylor,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Body Is Not an Apology as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves...'The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all embrace." 
--Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum 

"Taylor invites us to break up with shame, to deepen our literacy, and to liberate our practice of celebrating every body and never apologizing for this body that is mine and takes care of me so well."
--Alicia Garza, cocreator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Strategy + Partnerships Director, National Domestic…


Wild

By Cheryl Strayed,

Book cover of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Susan Pohlman Author Of Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home

From the list on travel memoir for women on women (and men) who travel.

Who am I?

I’ve been fascinated by the transformational power of travel ever since my husband and I unexpectedly signed a lease to an apartment on the Italian Riviera instead of divorce papers. The power of that year abroad saved our marriage, united our family of four in a sacred way, and introduced us to the many cultures of Europe. I learned the crucial difference between taking a trip and embarking on a journey. Capturing a travel experience on the page for those who can’t journey to a destination themselves is a joy and a privilege I don’t take lightly. Publishing this memoir allowed me to pivot in my career to a full-time writer and writing coach/editor.

Susan's book list on travel memoir for women on women (and men) who travel

Discover why each book is one of Susan's favorite books.

Why did Susan love this book?

A classic journey memoir, I could not create a list that did not include Wild

I loved this book for two reasons. First, it is an account of a young woman dealing with the profound grief of losing her mother too soon. With literally nothing to lose, she sets out to solo hike the 1000-mile Pacific Crest Trail though she has never hiked before.

The second reason is Strayed’s writing. This is a pro at work weaving a difficult tale with expertise and vulnerability.

Wild

By Cheryl Strayed,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Wild as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the…


Exodus

By Leon Uris,

Book cover of Exodus: A Novel of Israel

Brenda Ricotta Author Of The Midwife's Heart: Hebrew Midwives Trilogy Book 2

From the list on changing my way of viewing the world.

Who am I?

I love to read. A life-changing event in 1997, started my journey into writing and eventually into my conversion to Judaism. Many years later, I’ve come to realize that there are grains of truth in every faith tradition and I search for those truths in my own life. Currently, I have four books in print, writing under the pen names of Brenda Ray (The Hebrew Midwives Trilogy) and B. K. Ricotta (Two of a Kind and A Love So Sweet). Two other novels (Book 1 and 2 of the Econfina Creek Series) are in the works.

Brenda's book list on changing my way of viewing the world

Discover why each book is one of Brenda's favorite books.

Why did Brenda love this book?

Leon Uris is an accomplished researcher and expert in the history of the Holocaust and the Jewish people. Woven into a fictional story, this book explains clearly how the people of Israel came to inhabit the land of their forefathers after World War II. Anyone wanting a better understanding of the Middle East should read this story of present-day Israel’s birth.

Exodus

By Leon Uris,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Passionate summary of the inhuman treatment of the Jewish people in Europe, of the exodus in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to Palestine, and of the triumphant founding of the new Israel.”—The New York Times

Exodus is an international publishing phenomenon—the towering novel of the twentieth century's most dramatic geopolitical event.  Leon Uris magnificently portrays the birth of a new nation in the midst of enemies—the beginning of an earthshaking struggle for power.  Here is the tale that swept the world with its fury: the story of an American nurse, an Israeli freedom fighter caught up in a glorious, heartbreaking,…


Women's Ways of Knowing

By Mary Field Belenky, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Nancy Rule Goldberger, Jill Mattuck Tarule

Book cover of Women's Ways of Knowing: The Development of Self, Voice, and Mind

Brenda Ricotta Author Of The Midwife's Heart: Hebrew Midwives Trilogy Book 2

From the list on changing my way of viewing the world.

Who am I?

I love to read. A life-changing event in 1997, started my journey into writing and eventually into my conversion to Judaism. Many years later, I’ve come to realize that there are grains of truth in every faith tradition and I search for those truths in my own life. Currently, I have four books in print, writing under the pen names of Brenda Ray (The Hebrew Midwives Trilogy) and B. K. Ricotta (Two of a Kind and A Love So Sweet). Two other novels (Book 1 and 2 of the Econfina Creek Series) are in the works.

Brenda's book list on changing my way of viewing the world

Discover why each book is one of Brenda's favorite books.

Why did Brenda love this book?

This book was part of my women’s studies in nurse-midwifery school at the University of Florida. It affirmed what I already knew on a soul level about how women’s senses hold unique sub-strata. We “know” but have been unable to define the “why” over the centuries.  As an empath, this book resonated with me and helped me understand how my gift brought to the bedside when caring for women at the most primal moments of their lives, was innate. It taught me how to trust my instincts.

Women's Ways of Knowing

By Mary Field Belenky, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Nancy Rule Goldberger, Jill Mattuck Tarule

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Women's Ways of Knowing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Despite the progress of the women's movement, many women still feel silenced in their families and schools. This moving and insightful bestseller, based on in-depth interviews with 135 women, explains why they feel this way. Updated with a new preface exploring how the authors' collaboration and research developed, this tenth anniversary edition addresses many of the questions that the authors have been asked repeatedly in the years since Women's Ways of Knowing was originally published.


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