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A book to take your mind off things

Discussion in 'Sobriety Tips and Inspiration' started by imperivm1, Mar 15, 2015.

  1. imperivm1

    imperivm1 Community Champion

    Do you guys know any books that are really addictive? I want to immerse myself in a good read and forget the troubles of my everyday life. I'm having a hard time getting hooked on a book, though. I hope I can find answers in here.
  2. tckc

    tckc Member

    This is kind of an old thread, but I love reading so I think I can help. What kind of books do you like? Are you looking for something funny and entertaining, like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich? Or something more educational but still interesting, like Freakanomics, by Dubner & Levitt?
  3. Merricat

    Merricat Member

    It really depends on your interests, but one book that I have been recommending to just about everyone is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It is a novel set in occupied France during World War 2, and is about a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths cross.
  4. kassie1234

    kassie1234 Community Champion

    I try to read books that are inspiring in some way - for instance people that have overcome some struggle in their life. A book that I love is called "Life without Limits" by Nick Vujicic. It's about an Australian man who was born without arms or legs, and overcoming the struggles that went hand in hand with that. He's honestly one of the most positive and inspiring people I've ever heard of. It would be really easy in a situation like that to be all "why me??" but his outlook on life is so uplifting.
    tckc likes this.
  5. tckc

    tckc Member

    That sounds like a great book, I'll definitely have to check it out. Nothing puts me in my place faster than encountering people who are taking their struggles with grace and positivity. It really reminds me that we are all given our circumstances as a challenge for this life, and we can chose to defeat them or be defeated by them.

    Thanks for the suggestion!
  6. kassie1234

    kassie1234 Community Champion

    You're 100% right - and that's why I really appreciated his book! It's all about mindset for him - and I think especially for many people here that's something that we have to consider. If we let our demons or challenges take a hold of us, then yes - life is going to suck! But if we're open to looking at things positively and wanting to be the best we can be, then things definitely look up!

    I hope you enjoy his book. It definitely inspired me and is one that I recommend to a lot of people who are looking for a motivational read!
  7. imperivm1

    imperivm1 Community Champion

    I really have no preferences, to be honest. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions! I haven't had the chance the read any of those but I'll sure try and change that shortly. I appreciate all the other suggestions, too. I'll definitely look into them as well.
  8. dyanmarie25

    dyanmarie25 Community Champion

    I love reading books a lot. :) Here is a list of some of my favorite novels:

    1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
    2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    4. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
    5. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  9. Charli

    Charli Community Champion

    I know it's for kids but I think it's also still a very good read even for adults, and what I'm talking about here are the Narnia books, particularly the first one. I remember reading this book at a time when I didn't even know how much enjoyment I could get out of reading, and after the first few pages I was immediately hooked and to my surprise even though it was the first book I ever read I finished it in just a matter of days because I just could to put it down.
    IrishHeather likes this.
  10. FuZyOn

    FuZyOn Community Champion

    I really enjoyed "To Kill a Mockingbird". Great recommendations, I'll check them out!
  11. dyanmarie25

    dyanmarie25 Community Champion

    Yes. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest books of all time. :) I've heard that Harper Lee is going to publish a sequel to this novel.
  12. JoshPosh

    JoshPosh Community Champion

    That is a book that I had to read in my English class in college. It is a good book.
    dyanmarie25 likes this.
  13. Rainman

    Rainman Community Champion

    I'd recommend the Chicken Soup For The Soul Series of books. They have some really good inspirational stories.

    Another book I would recommend is Real Miracles, Divine Interventions and Feats of Incredible Survival by Brad Steiger. A great non-fiction book that would give an addict some hope that maybe there is Someone watching over us whose help we could seek.
  14. kylerlittle

    kylerlittle Community Champion

    The bible. That's the most occupying book I've ever seen. It's really interesting, comforting and full of truth. I hope you actually get hold of a bible, because once you open it up and read the first few pages, you won't be able to close it.
    IrishHeather likes this.
  15. juno

    juno Community Champion

    It really depends on what your interest is. For me, a good romance novel or anything by Jane Austen can keep me reading all night long. A good idea is to pick up a book that has many parts or comes in a serries, so you are forced to keep reading one book after the other to find out what happens next. I hear that the Harry Potter serries has that effect, if you are into that kind of thing. Self help books are also good because they give you something to go do after you have finished reading the book.
  16. Nick W.

    Nick W. Community Listener Community Listener

    Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a very engaging book. I also really did Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I think it depends on what you're in the mood for too. Anything by Karl Pilkington makes me laugh for days, so that's always a plus too!
  17. adfnio

    adfnio Community Champion

    Great selection!! My top two would be #1 and #3. Great books to read and grow on. Excellent list.
    dyanmarie25 likes this.
  18. dyanmarie25

    dyanmarie25 Community Champion

    Yay! Thank you. I am a huge fan J.D Salinger and F. Scott Fitzgerald's works. :)
  19. IrishHeather

    IrishHeather Active Contributor

    The Earthsea Cycle series a classic fantasy tale about the rise of a village boy the most famous wizard of an age, The Earthsea Cycle is a series that transcends the genre. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and this series is sure to take your mind out of the real world and immerse into the fantasy and imagination realm. My family and I found this series to be quite engrossing and so very easy to get into!