Today David Seah mentioned in an almost aside to a post about learning to network (a shared weakness) that he had read a couple of books by Paulo Coelho and that these were, for him, the right books at the right time.
For me the right book was Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore. I’ve read and loved a ton of CM’s books since then but only Coyote Blue came by at the right moment with the right message: You are what you are, and any and all attempts to pretend otherwise are bound to result in the old man biting you in the ass.
What was your right book at the right time?
Hi magpie,
Found your blog via your comment on David Seah’s blog. Thought it was a great question to ask!
My “right book at the right time” was the novel “Open House” by Elizabeth Berg. I was going through a sudden divorce and trying to stay sane by not stopping, moving forward all the time and not giving myself time to deal with any emotion.
Funnily enough “Open House” is about a woman also called Samantha going through a sudden divorce. It follows her through all the emotional upheaval and the steps she takes to rebuild her life. It was exactly what I needed.
Of the many things I took away from the book, the two biggest were:
- It’s okay to get angry about it.
— I, and only I, am in charge of my future.
Two very different lessons but at the time they were perfectly right for me.
Despite the heavy subject matter, the book is fairly lightly written. If not for the timing I don’t think it would have come across as powerfully. My own life was mirroring so much of the other Sam’s that every line seemed charged.
I have a giggle sometimes that of all the expensive self-help books I read, it was a cheap paperback novel that pulled me through that rough time ;-)
Sammie
hey sammie,
odd isn’t it how the timing has to be right?