Books like Light Is the New Black — picked by fans

I would have thought to list another book here, and for sure, there are truly many books to be read that could easily be listed here, and despite that, this is listing Tolkien’s works for a third time; the truth simply stands in my library that his works are simply that great. 

So far be it that the renowned book of The Lord of the Rings be not included. I had been introduced to Tolkien and fantasy’s more serious nature by my dad and grandfather with readings of The Hobbit, and by it, I was already enamored with the world of Middle-earth, as Bilbo was my hero.

I loved the classic animated cartoon adaptations back then by Rankin and Bass, and Bakshi, which at the time was my main exposure to The Lord of the Rings, along with commentaries from my dad, until I finally read it at the time… show more.

At age 15, I was captivated by Ernest Hemingway and his depiction of Paris in the 1920s. This book today reignites the enchantment of those years. Hemingway's profound influence shaped my aspirations as a writer. Through his eyes, I can vividly see Paris's cafés, salons, and vibrant social scenes, which ultimately became the backdrop of my dreams.

This book, rich with lovemaking, drinking, writing, betting at the track, and the bohemian lifestyle of so many young artists in Paris, reawakens my desire to immerse myself in that world. Hemingway's narrative voice and his novels continue to speak to me in a language that feels intimately mine, reminding me of the undying impact of his work on my life and aspirations.

This is a lovely book with a clear message.

I often give it as a gift to those of all ages. My favorite line is “Goodbye,” said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The story of the little prince poignantly reminds us that on the path to self-discovery, we must stay open to the question, look beyond what is visible, and remain inquisitive; in other words, we must remember to live in the mystery. This is a great message for adults and children alike.

The Little Prince is a timeless tale and a classic metaphorical story about the pilgrimage to find one’s true self. 

I found this book to be extremely helpful in turning fear into a sense of faith.

I loved the idea of tapping into spiritual guidance, and I found this really powerful. I found tools within this book to maximise my ability to manifest in a very powerful way. I absolutely loved the idea of seeing obstacles as simply detours in the right direction.

This book made me feel safe, indeed, knowing and trusting that the universe has my back – always – even when it doesn’t feel like it.

It’s been over a decade since I’ve read The Lightworker’s Source but it still resonates with me on a soul level.

It was one of the first books that found me on my spiritual journey and Awakening. Lightworkers or those seeking to connect with their spiritual purpose will find that this book offers practical tools, insights, and exercises to assist in understanding and developing your spiritual gifts. 

This book empowered me to embrace my unique spiritual path and connect with my inner wisdom, and it wholeheartedly sparked my personal transformation, spiritual self-discovery, and deepened my Awakening journey. It made me feel empowered as a Healer and helped me start contributing positively to the world by embracing my role as a Lightworker.

This book is a powerful guide to manifestation.

It really did help me to acquire an unwavering faith in the universe – a realisation that the universe truly does have my back – at all times. The book also falls into alignment with the other books mentioned in this list, in that it speaks of how we can connect with spiritual guidance – especially through tough times.

I have had a rigorous manifestation practice since reading this book for the first time in 2020 – and I have been able to manifest almost all of my deepest desires. I 100% believe in manifestation, and this book is a solid stepping stone towards such.

When my dad sadly passed away, I had a keen sense that he was still with me. And reading this book, did indeed, confirm that.

It helped me to find the signs that he is still there and guiding me in every sense of the word. It also helped me to find inner strength, even through difficult times. This book helped me to recognise and see miracles, every single day – and helped me to believe even more in angelic assistance and guidance.

This book helped me to heal – 100%.

This book helped me re-ignite a sense of passion in the way I live my life daily.

It helped me to see that we do, in fact, have access to spiritual guidance – through angels and spiritual guides – in every moment of every day, and it helped me to see how powerful, how reassuring, and how healing this can be. We just need to know how to reconnect with our angels and guides – with a little bit of effort and cooperation – our lives naturally fall into a pattern of ease and flow.

The book helped me to see a way forward in relation to fulfilling my life’s purpose. A must-read for spiritual growth and development.

This is a poetic masterwork with the potter’s wheel as a metaphor for creating our lives as “an ongoing process” in which every act integrates all of life. In our current era there is a tendency to cry cultural appropriation when we look beyond our immediate context and study art healing principles within the whole human community and find ourselves in others. Mary Caroline Richards offers good art medicine for this myopia in demonstrating how ideas are not the property of persons “but live in the world” as people and all of nature do. “The deeper we go” in the contemplative process of centering, the more separations “dissolve.”

When I started channeling, I was overwhelmed.

I had talked to Pat Roderquest, and she said that the Pathwork information saved her and gave her guidance. She didn’t give me the whole name; she just said, “Pathwork.” I looked for this book for 2 damn years. Everywhere. Then, at a used bookstore, the angels would leave me a stack of books on the corner of the check-out counter. To my delight, The Pathwork to Self-Transformation was there!

This book isn’t an “easy” read. I have worked with it for over 20 years. In the beginning, I could hardly register the information. Now, I can comprehend most of it. This is channeled material. I would recommend this over A Course in Miracles. If there is a concept in the book I don’t understand, I just sit with it awhile until something shifts and I see it.