The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Kim Edwards The Memory Keeper's Daughter ..story of a father, a doctor who in an emergency had to assist his wife's delivery and gives away his daughter because she was a Downs Syndrome baby and lies to his wife that the baby was born dead and only the boy baby one of the twin survived.

A heart rending story so non judgement in it's narrative that your sympathies are with all the characters.Each of them from their perspective did what they did for the sake of other's .I was torn between the characters.Emotionally draining yet gripping . It haunts you long after having read it. Brings out the different shades of grey in human character not just the black and white.

Who Will Cry When You Die

101 simple truths of life each hardly two pages ,each one of them actually expanding on the concept in the Authors words: " All too often we believe that in order to live a truly fulfilling life we must achieve some great act or grand feat that will put us on the front covers of magazines or newspapers.Nothing could be further from the truth . A meaningful life is made up of series of daily acts of decency and kindness, which, ironically, add up to something truly great over the course of a lifetime."

Some more words from the Author that left a deep impact on me:
" If you don't act on life, life has a habit of acting on you.The days slip into weeks ,the weeks slip into months and months slip into years.Pretty soon its all over and you are left with nothing more than a heart filled with regret over a life half lived."

"We walk this planet for such a short time. In the overall scheme of things , our lives are mere blips on the canvas of eternity.So have the wisdom to enjoy the journey and savor the process."

"The quality of your life is ultimately shaped by the quality of your choices and decisions"

" If you have suffered more than your share of difficulties in life, perhaps you are being prepared to serve some greater purpose that will require you to be equipped with  wisdom you have acquired through your trials."

Man's Search For Meaning

It is partly auto biographical, Dr Frankl's Experiences in a concentration camp, partly psychological- logotherapy. Nietzsche's words "He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how" is the essence of this book.The first thought that comes to my mind as one reads of the horrors that Viktor Frankl went through and survived without losing the spirit to survive is to wonder why I I do not persevere against lesser odds. 

The Monk who sold his Ferrari

Master your Mind
Follow your Purpose
Practise Kaizen
Live with Discipline
Respect Your Time
Selflessly serve Others
Embrace the Present

Simple truths told by so many masters but how many would really plod through these worthwhile truths if narrated as a theory or philosophy. Robin Sharma succeeds in book after book to spin a an interesting story round these universal truths that you enjoy reading.

The Power of Authenticity 

Embrace Your Fears

Live with Kindness

Make Small Daily Progress

To lead your best life do your best work

Choose Your Influences well

Life's Simplest pleasures are life's Greatest Joys

The Purpose of Life is to Love

Stand for Something Bigger Than Yourself

A great sequel. The first one was about a high powered courtroom lawyer Julian Mantle who crisis ridden life forces him to pursue spirituality,the next is his relative Jonathan who is conned into travel across the planet to collect  some life saving secrets left behind by Julian before he disappeared.

Eat, Pray, Love -Elizabeth Gilbert

A marriage , a bitter divorce , a turbulent affair ,and Elizabeth battered and bewildered pursues a journey in search of pleasure , devotion and balance.A book about self discovery and acceptance.
 All too familiar a topic, but the style is so conversational at the same time so intense, that I found myself recommending it to all my women friends.Yet to meet someone who did not love it.

Normally sequels are a disappointment but I enjoyed reading Committed too.

The Celestine Prophesy

Narrated in the form of a very gripping fiction ,woven into it deep philosophical ,spiritual and psychological idea,
The main idea being coincidences are not just random happenings but have a purpose.The main character undertakes a journey seeking the 9 spiritual insights found in ancient manuscripts in Peru.The story revolves round his travel to unearth these manuscripts before he gets to read them he actually experiences them all the while being pursued by powerful lobbies within the Govt, and Church.
Could not keep the book down till I completed it cover to cover.I guess it sort of matched my thinking that things happen in one's life for a particular purpose and that it not just a chance that you meet particular people or live in a particular place. In retrospect I feel every person I have been associated with, was there in my life because i had to experience certain things which however painful at that point in time has always been for my growth and has helped me evolve...