Book Recommendations


Last Updated • Apr 22, 2024

bistrip-reading-mushroomAs a lifelong learner, I read and implement a book a week. Through fine discernment and lived wisdom, I recommend these "Top 10" books to free your genius, so it frees the world.

As always, trust your own Knowing. Many authors are very male, very white and/or very US/UK minded. Take what resonates and leave the rest. xo Ella


Categories   •   GRACE   •   IDENTITY   •   Spiritual Intelligence​   •   CREATIVITY   •   Emotional Intelligence​​​   •   STORYTELLING   •   JOY + Peace   •   PURPOSE + Leadership   •   FREEDOMPRENEURSHIP + Business   •   WEALTH + Money   •   Self-worth   •   VITALITY​​​   •   Trauma​​​   •   HEALING​​​   •   PARTNERSHIP   •   ROMANtic​​​   •   MEMOIRS

Top 10 • All Categories

By Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

By Mary-Elaine Jacobsen  

The Gifted Adult: A Revolutionary Guide for Liberating Everyday Genius

By Caroline Myss

Advanced Energy Anatomy: The Science of Co-Creation and Your Power of Choice

By Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

By Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

By David R. Hawkins

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

By Pete Walker

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma

By James Clear

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

By Marianne Williamson

Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment

Top 10 • Grace + Surrender

By David R. Hawkins

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

By Marianne Williamson

Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment

By Michael Singer

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection

By Kristen Neff

Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive

By Greg McKeown

Effortless: Make it Easier to Do What Matters Most

By Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness

By Brené Brown

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

By Tara Brach

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha

By Kristen Neff

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

By Caroline Myss

Intimate Conversations with the Divine: Prayer, Guidance, and Grace

Top 10 • IDENTITY + Neurodiversity

By Caroline Myss

Archetypes: A Beginner's Guide to Your Inner-net

By Mary-Elaine Jacobsen  

The Gifted Adult: A Revolutionary Guide for Liberating Everyday Genius

By Karen Curry

Understanding Human Design: Discover Who You Really Are

By Paula Prober

Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth

By Daneil H. Pink

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
(Six traits: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, Meaning)

By Barbara Sher

Refuse to Choose!: A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything That You Love

By Susan Cain

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

By Elaine Aron

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

By Devon Price

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

By David Epstein

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

TOP 10 • Spiritual Intelligence

By Caroline Myss

Advanced Energy Anatomy: The Science of Co-Creation and Your Power of Choice

By Amoda Maa Javen

Embodied Enlightenment: Living Your Awakening in Every Moment

By Caroline Myss

Entering the Castle: Exploring Your Mystical Experience of God

By Caroline Myss

Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential

By Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

By Joe Dispenza

Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon


By Deepak Chopra

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams

By Andrew Holecek

Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming

By Joanna Martine Woolfold

The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need

By Michael Newton

Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives

TOP 10 • CREATIVITY + Play

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

By Julia Cameron

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

By Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

By Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

By Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

By Adam Grant

Originals: How Non-conformists Move the World

By Stuart Brown, Christopher Vaughan

Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

By Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories on the Cycles of Creativity

By Catherine Price

The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again

By Alan Watts

Just So: An Odyssey into the Cosmic Web of Connection, Play, and True Pleasure

TOP 10 • Emotional Intelligence

By Brené Brown

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

By Susan Cain

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole

By Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

By Shirzad Chamine

Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential

By Daniel H. Pink

The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

By Soraya Chemaly

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger

By Daniel Goleman

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

By Harriet Lerner

The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships

TOP 10 • STORYTELLING + Writing

By Natalie Goldberg

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

By Anne Lamott

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By Natalie Goldberg

Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir

By Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

By Mary Karr

The Art of Memoir

By Steven Pressfield

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

By Elizabeth Lesser

Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes

By Lisa Cron

Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First

By Sandra Marinella

The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss

TOP 10 • Joy + INNER PEACE

By Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

By Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell

Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

By Alan Watts

The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety

By Rick Hanson

Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness

By Thich Nhat Hanh

The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation

By Gabrielle Bernstein

May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness

By Johann Hari

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again

By Brené Brown

The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connection, and Courage

By Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

By Marie Kondō

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

TOP 10 • Purpose + Leadership

By Simon Sinek

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

By Brené Brown

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

By Angela Duckworth

GritThe Power of Passion and Perseverance

By Simon Sinek

Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team 

By James Clear

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

By Brené Brown

Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution

By Amy Cuddy

Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges

By Liz Wiseman, Greg McKeown

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

By Brené Brown

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

By Tim Ferris

Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

TOP 10 • Freedompreneurship + Business

By Ryan Holiday

Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts

By Jean-Noël Kapferer, Vincent Bastien

The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands

By Daniel Priestley

Oversubscribed: How To Get People Lining Up To Do Business With You

By Denise Duffield-Thomas

Chill and Prosper: The New Way to Grow Your Business, Make Millions, and Change the World

By Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

By Adam Grant

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

By Paul Jarvis

Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business

By Greg McKeown

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

By Natalie Sisson

The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life

By Dale Carnegie & Associates

How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age

TOP 10 • WEALTH + Money

By Marianne Williamson

The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles

By Amanda Frances 

Rich As F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With

 

By Rachel Rodgers

We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power

By Bari Tessler

The Art of Money: A Life-Changing GUide to Financial Happiness

By Robert Kiyosaki

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

By Jen Sincero

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth Kindle

By Geneen Roth

Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations About Food and Money

By Denise Duffield-Thomas

Get Rich, Lucky Bitch!: Release Your Money Blocks and Live a First Class Life

By Robert Kiyosaki

Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom


By T. Harv Eker

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

Top 10 • Self-worth + Womanhood

By Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Women Who Run With the Wolves:  Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

By Maureen Murdock

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness

By Glennon Doyle

Untamed 

By Marianne Williamson

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

By Marianne Williamson

A Woman's Worth

By Regena Thomashauer

Pussy: A Reclamation

By Louann Brizendine

The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond

By Jules Blaine Davis

The Kitchen Healer: The Journey to Becoming You

By Sue Monk Kidd

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine

TOP 10 • Vitality + HEALTH

By Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

By Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

By Gabor Maté

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress

By Emily Nagoski

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

By Judith Orloff

Thriving as an Empath: 365 Days of Self-Care for Sensitive People

By Mark Hyman M.D.

Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life (The Dr. Hyman Library Book 11)

By David Perlmutter

Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life

By Ann Louise Gittleman

Radical Longevity: The Powerful Plan to Sharpen Your Brain, Strengthen Your Body, and Reverse the Symptoms of Aging

By Bruce H. Lipton

The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles

By Andrew Holecek

Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming

TOP 10 • Trauma Recovery

By Pete Walker

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma

By Mari Silva

Chiron in Astrology: The Ultimate Guide to the Wounded Healer (Planets in Astrology Collection)

By Gabor Maté MD, Daniel Maté

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

By Melanie Reinhart

Chiron and the Healing Journey

By Peter A. Levine

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

By Robert Schwartz

Your Soul's Gift: The Healing Power of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born

By Melody Beattie

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself

By Peter A. Levine

Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory

By Rachael Maddox

Rebloom: Archetypal Trauma Resolution for Personal & Collective Healing

By Oprah Winfrey + Bruce D. Perry

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

TOP 10 • Healing + Inner Child

By Kelly McDaniel

Mother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance

By Lindsay C. Gibson

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents

By Alice Miller

The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self

By Susan Forward

Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters

By Amy Elizabeth Olrick, Jeffrey Olrick

The 6 Needs of Every Child: Empowering Parents and Kids Through the Science of Connection

By Brianna Wiest

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery

By Deirdre Fay

Becoming Safely Embodied: A Guide to Organize Your Mind, Body and Heart to Feel Secure in the World

By Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity

TOP 10 • PARTNERSHIP + Attachment

By Amir Levine, Rachel Heller

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - And Keep - Love

By Marianne Williamson

The Enchanted Love Workshop: Building the Inner Temple of the Sacred and the Romantic

By Alison Armstrong

In Sync with the Opposite Sex

By Alison Armstrong

Celebrating Partnership

By Esther Perel

Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic & the Domestic

By Katherine Woodward Thomas

Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After

By John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman

Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love

By Marshall Rosenberg

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships

By Bell Hooks

All About Love: New Visions (Love Song to the Nation Book 1)

TOP 10 • Romantic Relationships

By Elaine Aron

The Highly Sensitive Person in Love: Understanding and Managing Relationships When the World Overwhelms You

By Emily Nagoski

Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life

By Katherine Woodward Thomas

Calling in "The One": 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life

By David Deida

Dear Lover: A Woman's Guide To Men, Sex, And Love's Deepest Bliss

By David Deida

Enlightened Sex

By David Deida

The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire

By Alison Armstrong

The Amazing Development of Men: Every Man's Journey from Knight to Prince to King

By Helen Fisher

Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love

By David Deida

Intimate Communion: Awakening Your Sexual Essence

By John Gray

Mars and Venus on a Date: A Guide for Navigating the 5 Stages of Dating to Create a Loving and Lasting Relationship

Top 10 • Memoirs

By Hannah Gadsby

Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation

By Trevor Noah

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

By Jenny Lawson

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

By Yeonmi Park

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

By Hayao Miyazaki

Turning Point: 1997-2008

By Tara Westover

Educated: A Memoir

By Michelle Obama

Becoming

By Anita Moorjani

Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing

By Brian Jay Jones

Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination

By Walter Isaacson

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