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Ten books to inspire

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  • 'Years ago, when I was a very young mother with a toddler in diapers, I found myself in an apartment without running water. I called a friend and asked if I could crash at her place until the water was turned back on. I couldn't believe what she told me. She hadn't finished putting her make-up on, her house was a mess and she had to go shopping. It wasn't convenient for her.
    I was stunned and hurt, but I said I understood and hung up. I did find a place for the day with someone who was only an acquaintance, but she opened her home and her heart to me.
    The fact that I had just read the book Open Heart, Open Home : The Hospitable... by Karen Burton Mains really made me think about my friend. She put her pride before her hospitality and it hurt our friendship. From that day on, I gave up the idea that my home had to be spotless before anyone could visit and I don't look at other people's messy homes quite the way I had before. I have listened to apologies galore and I always say, "I came to visit you, not your house."'

  • 'At the brink of a breakdown, Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood was given to me as "suggested reading". My life was in such turmoil, my very being was raw and broken, and this book touched every one of the raw nerves I had. I had to put it down at times just to take a breather.
    I read it three times back to back. It was the foundation and the springboard for me to be able to take control of my life and begin to live it well. Every now and then I need a "booster shot" and I break it out and read it again! Ms Norwood has NO idea how much I appreciate her book. Besides, it was MUCH cheaper than my therapist was and worked twice as well!'

  • East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a book that has always inspired me. It's a long book, but the message that each person can make whatever she wants to out of life, regardless of where she comes from, really hits home. Plus it's a great story.'

  • 'Many, many books have changed my life. But one that's had a lasting and abiding impact is A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. If I ever want to turn on my creativity instantly, I can daydream about the feeling I get reading this book and it sets something free in me.'
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