Here are 100 books that Existential Kink fans have personally recommended if you like
Existential Kink.
Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.
As a teenager, I âdiscoveredâ the poetry of Emily Dickinson and put her verse to music. Later, at Yale University I delved deeper into the power of rhythms, the beauty of images, the clarity of insightsâhow they combine to create a genuine poetic voice that reveals an interior world. Politics, of course, define our interactions in the exterior world, and great novels meld these two elementsâpoetry and politicsâinto a seamless union. Iâve been inspired to write novels about two poetsâEmily Dickinson and John Keatsâto bring the reader into the intense, poetic world of their blazing interiors and their unique outward politics.
Happinessis a gentle, insightful, poetic depiction of the politics of nature in London, Englandâspecifically, the treatment of urban foxes in the midst of human activity. The layers of life (children, adults, foxes, falcons, street cleaners, psychiatrists, immigrants, landowners) interact here in ways deeply moving and insightful, reminding me of the central question in much of my writing: the boundaries between our private, poetic perceptions and the politics of survival.
'Forna's voice is relentlessly compelling, her ability to summon atmosphere extraordinary ... A thing of lasting beauty' OBSERVER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019
A breathtaking novel from Orange Prize-shortlisted and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-winning author Aminatta Forna
Waterloo Bridge, London. Two strangers collide. Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist, and Jean, an American studying the habits of urban foxes. From this chance encounter in the midst of the rush of a great city, numerous moments of connections span out and interweave, bringing disparate lives together.
Attila has arrived in London with two tasks: to deliverâŚ
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.
The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.
Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn theâŚ
After living in Europe for nearly 10 years, Iâve spent more time in planes, trains, and cars than I could ever count. I was able to travel more in that time than I ever dreamed possible, making trips ranging from Gibraltar to Romania to the Isle of Skye. Most of my time was spent all around Ireland where I took tour groups around to help them get beyond Blarney and experience the real Ireland.
This is one of my top favorite books of all time. It ticks all the boxes: travel, drama, romance, friendship, books, tea. In this time-slip womenâs fiction read, we get to experience the magic of Cornwall in both modern-day and more than 150 years ago. The rich characters provide depth and intrigue, with just enough touch of romance to keep you turning pages. But the real start of the show is the Cornish countryside, cuisine, and culture. If youâre looking to escape in your armchair to an enchanting land, this story is for you.
Brought together across time by a love of story, three women in England fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives.
As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn't dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favoriteâŚ
Iâve been on a quest of healing my childhood trauma for decades. Now Iâm living with gratitude and a zest for life. Let my research help you on your own unique journey. Since youâre reading this, it may be the exact time for you to move forward on your self-actualization trip! Hereâs a tip: You donât need âimprovement.â Youâre already good â you just need help to find it inside and believe it. Here are 5 books that helped me accept myself, made me think differently about others, and opened new possibilities for happiness and peace.Â
I love the way the author uses honest stories to impart valuable life lessons. He humbly shares what a jerk he had been and how he learned to be more tolerant and loving in relationships.
As a hospital chaplain he hears intimate life stories and often, dying wishes. This is where such profound wisdom comes from, I believe. God is mentioned a few times but there is no judgment or preaching from this guy.
I highlighted so much in this book I almost ran out of ink! I will be going back whenever I need inspiration.
Reclaim Your Headspace and Find Your One True Voice
As a hospital chaplain, J.S. Park encountered hundreds of patients at the edge of life and death, listening as they urgently shared their stories, confessions, and final words. J.S. began to identify patterns in his patientsâ livesâpatterns he also saw in his own life. He began to see that the events and traumas we experience throughout life become deafening voices that remain within us, even when the events are far in the past. He was surprised to find that in hearing the voices of his patients, he began to identify hisâŚ
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa storiesâall reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argueâŚ
I am a woman and so like all of us who have lived long enough, I have been pushed to the edge. Iâm fascinated with what society tells us we are and are not meant to feel or express. In part this is because I teach emotional intelligence and empathy, also because I am the mother of four and the more emotional literacy I have, the richer my life is. Iâm not interested in having any emotions disavowed for anyone of any gender. I teach wholehearted leadership with my company Pilot Light and also speak to school students and other groups about feminism, gratitude, courage, pornography, creativity, overwhelm, and vulnerability.Â
This mesmerised me and I still think about it often.
A daughter has taken her mother to Spain to see a doctor who they hope will be able to cure her from a mysterious physical paralysis.Â
This is a throbbing sun-bleached, Mediterranean world, explorations of troubled familial bonds, of the nature of sexuality, an examination of exile, reminding me at times of Virginia Woolf in its interiority â and the writing is masterly: âMy love for my mother is like an axe. It cuts very deep.â
A constellation of symbols scattered throughout with such a deft touch that it left me in love with Levy and wishing she was my friend in real life not just in the magic world of the written page.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2016 SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2016
Plunge into this hypnotic tale of female sexuality and power - from the author of Swimming Home and The Man Who Saw Everything
'Propulsive, uncanny, dreamlike. A feverish coming-of-age novel' Daily Telegraph
'A triumph of storytelling' Literary Review _________________________________
'Today I dropped my laptop on the concrete floor of a bar built on the beach. My laptop has all my life in it and knows more about me than anyone else. So what I am saying is that if it is broken, so am I . . .'âŚ
In the past, I had written a few books about running ultramarathons. After being diagnosed with a chronic health condition, the sport I felt so much passion about began to slip away. I noticed myself falling into depression. Even though Iâve worked as a social worker for nearly 20 years, there was so much about depression that I didnât completely understand until I experienced it myself. My path toward healing became the storyline for my book Stronger Than the Dark, and increased my desire to advocate for the importance of mental health.
Haig pulls back the curtain and paints a powerful picture of what depression looks like and feels like. His writing is infused with raw vulnerability, and gives voice to what so many people all around us are experiencing. He shows that even when weâre feeling lost in the darkness of depression, we can make it back to the light.
Aged 24, Matt Haig's world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again.
A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how to live better, love better and feel more alive, Reasons to Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth.
I am the former Enterprise Editor of The Sunday Times and author of eight books about entrepreneurship, personal development and smart thinking. I first became interested in the idea of people taking control of their own destiny when I was a foreign correspondent and met many people who had decided to turn their back on the traditional 9-to-5 and seek a life of adventure and excitement instead, even though they didnât have much money. I discovered people earning a living by making wine and running cafes and realised that we all have the ability to take control of our own destiny if we really want to.
I love this book partly because my publisher decided to take on one of my other books because he missed out on this one. If you compare the original cover of my book to Timâs book you will see they have a very similar palm tree vibe!
But more than that, this book shows clearly how technology has made it possible to totally rethink the way we work and live, and free us up to have much greater control over bothâand thatâs very exciting.
A new, updated and expanded edition of this New York Times bestseller on how to reconstruct your life so it's not all about work
Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan - there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, this book is the blueprint.
This step-by step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches:
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother hadâŚ
My name is Susan Blumberg-Kason and I write books about strong women who have a strong sense of place. I think we are all partly defined by where we live and I enjoy examining how our environment informs our choices. My first book centers around someone I know very wellâme! My memoir, Good Chinese Wife, takes place in my favorite cityâHong Kongâthe place where I came of age and married for the first time, as well as China and a few cities in the US. Iâm also a sucker for a good cover and I absolutely love my Good Chinese Wife cover!
Marc Chagall is a household name to arts aficionados, but
his daughter Ida was also renowned in the Paris art world before World War II.
This lovely novel tells of the overbearing way Chagall treated Ida and how he
viewed her more as an assistant than a daughter. And when she married, he
painted âThe Wedding Chairâ as a gift to her, which represented his anger at
her leaving. This novel helped bring about a new trend to recount the untold
stories of women alongsideâor even in front ofâfamous men.
"In prose as painterly and evocative as Chagall's own dazzling brushstrokes, Gloria Goldreich finely evokes one of the most significant masters of modern art through the discerning eyes of [his] loyally protective daughter."âCynthia Ozick, award-winning author of Foreign Bodies
An exquisite, haunting exploration of the complex mind of Marc Chagall, and the artist's famous chair, through the eyes of his daughter during World War IIâperfect for fans of Mrs. Poe and The Paris Wife
Beautiful Ida Chagall, the only daughter of Marc Chagall, is blossoming in the Paris art world beyond her father's controlling gaze. But, her newfound independence isâŚ
Iâm Mariah Avery, a clinic owner, adjunct professor, and Board Certified Behavior AnalystÂŽ (BCBAÂŽ). When I was a new BCBA I felt like I had been thrown out of the frying pan into the fire. Even worse, the fire kept judging me for not knowing things and telling me I didnât work quickly enough. These books are, in part, what got me through that time and helped me back on my feetâI hope they do the same for you.
Sometimes, you need someone to yell at you (lovingly) through a book. Knight's no-nonsense guide is like a friend who calls you out and then hands you a to-do list, making life's chaos a lot more manageableâwith a side of sass.
This book doesn't teach you how to be a behavior analyst, but it will teach you how to live a little better. I recommend it because it can help you manage your time and tasks effectively, which is crucial in the field of ABA. Please note that, as the title suggests, there is explicit language, and it may not be suitable for everyone.Â
A New York Times bestseller from the author of the bestselling book everyone is talking about, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k.
How to stop worrying about what you should do, so you can finish what you need to do and start doing what you want to do.
Ever find yourself snowed under at the office - or even just glued to the sofa - when you really want to get out (for once), get to the gym (at last), and get started on that daunting dream project you're always putting off? Or if you are confined toâŚ
As the co-author of Broken But Healing, I know firsthand what it means to survive emotional, physical, and psychological traumaâand to slowly piece yourself back together. Books were a lifeline during my healing journey. They offered comfort, clarity, and the reminder that I wasnât alone. These five books helped shape my own recovery and inspired me to share my story so others could find the strength to rebuild, too.
Wiestâs book explores how self-sabotage is often rooted in unprocessed emotional pain, fear of vulnerability, and unresolved trauma.Â
She explains why people repeat destructive patterns and how to break them with self-compassion, accountability, and emotional clarity.
Men who carry quiet stress or who have difficulty opening up may connect with the bookâs clear explanations of emotional cycles and its gentle approach to personal transformation. It gives readers tools to understand their inner world and begin managing emotions in healthier, more intentional ways.
- Amazon Best Seller - An international best seller translated into 40+ languages - Selected by Inc. as one of the top 5 books to improve leadership mindset - Listed on Entrepreneur's âThese 10 Bestselling Books Will Help Improve Your Self-Esteemâ - Ranked #1 on the Associated Press "US Audiobooks Top 10"
This is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it, when we do it, and how to stop doing itâfor good. Coexisting but conflicting needs create self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why we resist efforts to change, often until they feel completely futile. But by extracting crucial insight fromâŚ
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to runâŚ
I am a neuroscientist and author who wants to help people break the mold and become the best possible versions of themselves. While working with people, I noticed that many repeated things like "I could never," "I am just wired this way," and âI am not good enough.â Even worse, they're holding onto a statement that was said to them in their formative years, which has dictated their trajectory as people. I want you to know that your brains can changeâŚat any age! You can exhume your best traits and break the cycle of the habits and behaviors holding you back.
I believe that we should all be able to tell a story about who we are that isnât dictated by the programming that was unwillingly given to us by others in our formative years. Many people are stuck in the confines of a box they were put in. This book helps you break out of that box and reach for everything you want. You are a magnet!
What if you could change your life, simply by changing the way you see it? Ignite your inner magnetism and attract the successful, vibrant life you deserve with this powerful guide to becoming your most magnetic self.
We each hold the power to attract the life we want, the one we deserve, the one we dream of. Yet so many of us get stuck in a cycle of self-doubt, insecurities, and old patterns of behavior that hold us back. Through simple guiding principles and practical exercises, Amber Lyon shows you how to embrace your true worth, surrender the doubts thatâŚ
