The Top Eleven Books [That Kept Me Moving Toward the Sunshine]

I am a reader.

A nerdy, book-loving, writing-obsessed, former-thesaurus-carrying, wannabe-author. 

Except then I became a mom to three precious, demanding, time-consuming little humans and people would say hey, you should read this book and I would basically laugh until I cried. WHEN?

I never found a minute or – rather – carved out a minute for myself.  And when I did, it was to actually use the bathroom with the door closed and without one of the formerly mentioned tiny humans sitting on my lap.

Fast-forward to when my life drastically changed. I became a distraught and heartbroken and eventually single mama to those little ones. And then reading became a necessity, because I was drowning and needed ALL of the life preservers and books were at the top of my survival strategies list.

I realized I needed to get lost in words and breathe in prose and hold onto the hope of turning pages in order to try to keep walking toward the sunshine.

So just in case you ever find yourself buried in the darkness — here, my friends, are the top eleven books (because why does it always have to be a top ten list?) that have helped to keep me afloat over the past year and a half:

  1.  Of Mess and Moxie – If you read my post The Divorce Cat, you know I named my newest family member after this book.  ‘Nuff said.  But really?  Jen Hatmaker is magical and meeting her is now on my bucket list.
  2. Girl, Wash Your Face – I’ve got a girl crush on Rachel Hollis.
  3. The Broken Way – Y’all, this book tore the most inner-parts of my heart wide open, and then put me back together again.
  4. Comparison Trap – In a social-media-driven world, this short little devotional is a true eye-opener!
  5. In My Heart – Don’t be fooled…this may look like a book for kids, but I think I got as much if not more out of it than my little trio!  
  6. Where Do I Go From Here? – Read it, breathe it, love it.
  7. 100 Days to Brave – Need I say more?
  8. To Kill a Mockingbird – Because sometimes getting lost in a classic from childhood is just good for the soul.
  9. It’s Ok to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too) – If we can’t find a space to laugh at the absurdity of it all, it’s just too unbearable.
  10. Bittersweet – Talk about learning the hard way…
  11. Uninvited – I so so SO wish I could have breakfast/coffee/lunch/several happy hour drinks with Lysa.

One final note – if you ever do find yourself buried in the darkness…remember this darkness is not your life. This darkness is just a moment in your life.  So grab your books, your survival strategies, your life preservers… and remember there are so many beautiful things that emerge after finding themselves in darkness. I truly believe like a buried seed, like a cocooned caterpillar — the best is yet to come.

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Jessie Peele
Jessie is a happy-hour-loving, cupcake-eating, running-obsessed, reality-tv-addicted single mama, currently living in Carrollton, GA. She was born and raised in Columbia, SC, attended Clemson University (Go Tigers!), and taught elementary school for about ten years in Winston Salem, NC. Life brought her to Carrollton in January of 2014, and after four years in Georgia she's still getting used to living in a small town. Jessie was a stay-at-home mama for 3.5 years, but when life took an unexpected turn, she became a divorced mama who found her way back to the classroom. With three kids in tow (Cameron Kate, 7, Everette, 4, and Brooks, 2), she is now a full-time elementary school teacher and a part-time skincare business owner via Rodan + Fields. In the nooks and crannies of her day, she loves running (bonus if it's WITHOUT the stroller!), binge-watching on Netflix, baking and eating anything sweet, drinking a good craft beer/vodka cocktail/cold margarita, and blogging about all things mama-hood on her blog Cupcakes & Running Shoes: http://cupcakesandrunningshoes.blogspot.com/.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Sitting on my trip midway through of Mess & Moxie based on your recommendation. Love it so much and love you more. You’re so right, no matter what causes the darkness it is just a MOMENT in our lives.

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