Here are 100 books that One Day My Soul Just Opened Up fans have personally recommended if you like One Day My Soul Just Opened Up. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Stolen Time: One Woman's Inspiring Story as an Innocent Condemned to Death

Karen Slater Author Of My Journey Through Hell: Finding My True Worth

From my list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Karen Slater the author of My Journey Through Hell. It’s a memoir of addiction and generational abuse. A story about my dysfunctional childhood and the negative consequences that took me to hell and back. The books I love the most are the stories that inspire me. The true stories of real people overcoming tragedy and adversity give me such hope and motivation to keep on doing what I do and reach other people still struggling. I like to think these are the books that radiate courage and optimism and let others know that we all have our crosses to bear but we can bear them nonetheless.

Karen's book list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity

Karen Slater Why Karen loves this book

This is my all-time favourite book. I heard the author tell her story and her resilience over a zoom conference and I immediately knew that my life would never be the same. I didn’t know how but I knew I would be different.

Stolen Time is about a woman wrongly convicted for murder who spent 17 years incarcerated, five of those years were spent in solitary confinement on death row. Her partner was also sentenced and in fact executed two years before Sunny was exonerated. It's the beautiful way Sunny speaks that made this my all-time favourite read. It’s a love story with real tragedy but told in the most resilient and forgiving way. I found it totally inspiring. Sunny taught me that no matter what the circumstances we have a duty to love and forgive no matter what if we want to live free. No one can steal our…

By Sunny Jacobs ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stolen Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'In a world of one, I am alone, more alone than I have ever been in my life.Locked up in a box within a box where no one can enter and I cannot leave. I am to await my death.' In 1976 a twenty-eight-year-old mother of two and her partner were wrongfully sentenced to death by the Florida courts for the murder of two police officers. Sunny Jacobs would not taste freedom again for seventeen years, by which time her two children were estranged, her parents were dead and her beloved partner, Jesse Tafero, had been executed. Sunny spent five…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

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 run…

Book cover of The Monster I Loved: The true story of a young girl and her father's betrayal.

Karen Slater Author Of My Journey Through Hell: Finding My True Worth

From my list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Karen Slater the author of My Journey Through Hell. It’s a memoir of addiction and generational abuse. A story about my dysfunctional childhood and the negative consequences that took me to hell and back. The books I love the most are the stories that inspire me. The true stories of real people overcoming tragedy and adversity give me such hope and motivation to keep on doing what I do and reach other people still struggling. I like to think these are the books that radiate courage and optimism and let others know that we all have our crosses to bear but we can bear them nonetheless.

Karen's book list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity

Karen Slater Why Karen loves this book

The Monster I Love is written by Shannon Clifton by the same publisher as myself Fortis Publisher and it is the true story of this beautiful young woman who was subjected to the worst abuse from the very person that should have been looking after her the most, her father. 

He stole her innocence and childhood and even took her on the run with him whilst heavily pregnant with his child. She paid the ultimate price for loving her dad who became the ultimate monster in her life. This young woman is the strongest woman with the most resilience I’ve ever come across. To go through such abuse at such a young age and yet empower herself to be the best version of herself today made me incredibly proud to be a woman. After her father got sentenced Shannon took back her power and has become a fabulous champion for…

By Shannon Clifton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Monster I Loved as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Shannon Clifton has waived her right to anonymity in this highly acclaimed, dark but deeply inspiring book. Raped by her father from age six and pregnant at eleven and again at thirteen, he kidnapped her and went on the run as the net eventually closed in around him.Shannon's story is not an easy read; she goes into graphic detail about her sexual, physical and mental abuse, which included being burned with an iron, hit with a hammer and even stabbed. Her father told her "it was something all fathers do with their daughters," and for a time she believed him.…


Book cover of Behind the Mask

Karen Slater Author Of My Journey Through Hell: Finding My True Worth

From my list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Karen Slater the author of My Journey Through Hell. It’s a memoir of addiction and generational abuse. A story about my dysfunctional childhood and the negative consequences that took me to hell and back. The books I love the most are the stories that inspire me. The true stories of real people overcoming tragedy and adversity give me such hope and motivation to keep on doing what I do and reach other people still struggling. I like to think these are the books that radiate courage and optimism and let others know that we all have our crosses to bear but we can bear them nonetheless.

Karen's book list on real life stories of people overcoming adversity

Karen Slater Why Karen loves this book

The thing I love about Tyson's story is he makes it so relatable to ask questions that others are too afraid to answer. He talks about his triumphs but especially his tribulations. He single handily put mental health on the horizon up for discussion and this man being a giant and talented boxer showed men in particular that it was alright to hurt at times to get lost and to fall apart. Up to then, most celebrities were too proud to go deep and talk about their struggles. Not Tyson, this is the greatest gift you can give.

Honesty and integrity. Not being afraid of being shamed or judged but allowing the world to know that it's ok to talk about this. Not only OK but necessary. I admired the man and his family even more from that very read. It was fabulous looking into the mind of the best…

By Tyson Fury ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Behind the Mask as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, IN HIS OWN WORDS
________________________________
The UK's bestselling boxing book since records began. WINNER of the Telegraph Sports Book of the Year.
________________________________
'One of sport's most heart-warming stories' SUNDAY TIMES, SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR
'A must-read for any boxing fan.' WORLD BOXING NEWS
'If you know someone who's a fan of the People's Champion, then they'll love this.' TALKSPORT

The extraordinary story of the rise and fall and rise again of Tyson Fury...

THE GYPSY KING.

A Manchester lad from Irish Traveller stock, born three months premature and weighing just a pound at birth,…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

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 had…

Book cover of A Piece of Cake: A Memoir

Nichola K. Johnson Author Of Sounds of Diamonds

From my list on real-life stories about struggles in life.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a quiet and very shy child, I found myself sitting alone reading books rather than playing with other kids. My love for reading at the time was restricted to children’s books like The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe or Roald Dhal stories until I upgraded to Enid Blyton Books and Mills & Boon romances as a teen. It wasn’t until I reached my twenties when I actually found the genre I loved. It was through my love of these stories I came to realise I didn’t have to hide anymore, and my love for these stories planted a small seed in my mind that I would have the courage to write my own.

Nichola's book list on real-life stories about struggles in life

Nichola K. Johnson Why Nichola loves this book

After learning that ‘memoirs’ were a thing and since I’d grown up with a troubled background myself, I wanted to find out if there were stories written by black women who had struggles in life, neglect, or abuse. After intense research I came across this and was not disappointed. Not only does Cupcake experience abuse from a very young age, she becomes an orphan, ends up as an addict and a member of a notorious gang before turning her life around. The emotions of her story are so real and raw, I felt her journey in my heart as the reader.

By Cupcake Brown ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Piece of Cake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Phenomenal woman' The Oprah Magazine
'Dazzles you with the amazing change that is possible in one lifetime.' Washington Post

-

This is the heart-wrenching true story of a girl named Cupcake Brown.

Orphan, runaway, addict, all before she was twenty. That's when things got really interesting...

Cupcake was just eleven years old when, orphaned, she entered the child welfare system. Moved from one disastrous placement to the next, like so many, she was neglected and sexually abused.

She fed her appetite for drink and drugs by selling the only thing she had. Her body. Before long she had stumbled head…


Book cover of Holy Sweat

Pamela Christian Author Of Examine Your Faith! Finding Truth in a World of Lies

From my list on intellectual understanding with spiritual realities.

Why am I passionate about this?

Realizing I had made a complete mess of my life—being the farthest from my life’s hopes and dreams ever, I cried out to the God I learned about as a little girl. On that very dark night, with complete abandon, I sought God, desperately hoping He was real. I learned He, in fact, is real and everything and more, the Sunday School teacher explained. I was transformed in an instant. I have never come close to the despair and hopelessness of that night ever since. Now, I live my life helping others discover and live in the same life-giving Truth, leading people to balance rational thought with spiritual realities.

Pamela's book list on intellectual understanding with spiritual realities

Pamela Christian Why Pamela loves this book

After making it through the difficult extended season of life, I needed to regroup.

The “Ten Keys” the author presents are to unlock the Kingdom of God within each one of us to embrace our God-given purpose. “Start, vision, goals, courage, teamwork, excellence, the ability to fail, perseverance, joy, and giving it all away” provided not only ten keys to success, but a path forward.

Anyone who leads and works closely with others will benefit from this book which helps us capture God’s vision, know our mission, and helps others replicate the process. Any person who is struggling to stretch an area of his or her life in a positive direction is a peak performer if we simply stay engaged in the process.

By Tim Hansel ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Holy Sweat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Suggests ten keys to reaching one's peak performance, tells how to develop one's inner, spiritual life, and argues that faith is the foundation of a successful life


Book cover of Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit

Yvette Montoya Author Of Brujeria: A Little Introduction

From my list on tap into your inner bruja.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a healer and a bruja who is also a journalist who has covered stories about anything from politics and entertainment to wellness and traditional healing modalities—I enjoy educating people about the different ways they can approach their own healing journey. I’m the founder of The Bratty Brujita Botánica, a metaphysical shop offering products and services that are dedicated to helping folks discover their own magic. I’ve been featured in Freeform, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, and Allure, for my work. I’ve also written on the topic of brujeria, spiritual cleansing, and ancestral veneration for outlets like Refinery29 and Popsugar.

Yvette's book list on tap into your inner bruja

Yvette Montoya Why Yvette loves this book

I have used this book to make self-assessments and as a tool for self-reflection. This Queen Afuja gives many entry points into different healing modalities and the various ailments that we might be feeling physically, spiritually, and energetically.

I love the way this book approaches healing because it’s very holistic and takes our entire selves into account when choosing where to begin our spiritual wellness journey. 

By Queen Afua ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sacred Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The twentieth anniversary edition of a transformative blueprint for ancestral healing—featuring new material and gateways, from the renowned herbalist, natural health expert, and healer of women’s bodies and souls

“This book was one of the first that helped me start practices as a young woman that focused on my body and spirit as one.”—Jada Pinkett Smith

Through extraordinary meditations, affirmations, holistic healing plant-based medicine, KMT temple teachings, and The Rites of Passage guidance, Queen Afua teaches us how to love and rejoice in our bodies by spiritualizing the words we speak, the foods we eat, the relationships we attract, the…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of A Nation of Unwell: What's Gone Wrong?

Anthea Durand Author Of Illumination of the Shadow: Ancestral Wisdom from the Past for the Future

From my list on for spirituality and health.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have expertise in the area of spirituality and alternative health from working for over 20 years as a shamanic practitioner, spiritual teacher, and healer. I have travelled extensively and trained with many renowned teachers all over the world. I also provide ancestral healing and train students to be ancestral healers. Through my own healing journey, I have studied many healing and alternative approaches to wellness. I have studied extensively with plants and herbs. In 2020 I wrote my award-winning book Illumination of the Shadow, which explores ancestral healing. I have always had an interest in books in the mind, body, and spirit area, and read extensively in this area.

Anthea's book list on for spirituality and health

Anthea Durand Why Anthea loves this book

I was inspired by this book which was written by a medical doctor, now working as an integrative doctor due to her own journey of healing a personal illness. Her knowledge of medicine is evident in this book, and she shows how integrative medicine can make a difference to help heal illness. I love that she shares real-life stories of client work and her integrative practices, and the success stories of people getting better.

From reading this book, I understood more why people in modern society are getting more unwell and the importance of more awareness of the integrative practices that are available. I found it valuable that the author also shares individual practices in the book that everyone can do to improve their health.

By Kristine L. Gedroic , Valerie A. Latona ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Nation of Unwell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do you want to maintain optimal wellness at any age? A NATION OF UNWELL: WHAT'S GONE WRONG? describes in easy-to-understand detail how to maintain your health and how to recover your wellness if you have a chronic illness or disease.A NATION OF UNWELL describes how the health of most patients today can be recovered, without a lifetime of medication.More than 117 million Americans, including children, are struggling with chronic health problems—and the numbers keep rising. In A NATION OF UNWELL, Dr. Gedroic—a Harvard-trained doctor in Morristown, New Jersey—explains how to stem the tide of rising chronic disease and illnesses today…


Book cover of The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, and Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine

Yvette Montoya Author Of Brujeria: A Little Introduction

From my list on tap into your inner bruja.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a healer and a bruja who is also a journalist who has covered stories about anything from politics and entertainment to wellness and traditional healing modalities—I enjoy educating people about the different ways they can approach their own healing journey. I’m the founder of The Bratty Brujita Botánica, a metaphysical shop offering products and services that are dedicated to helping folks discover their own magic. I’ve been featured in Freeform, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, and Allure, for my work. I’ve also written on the topic of brujeria, spiritual cleansing, and ancestral veneration for outlets like Refinery29 and Popsugar.

Yvette's book list on tap into your inner bruja

Yvette Montoya Why Yvette loves this book

I really enjoyed the way Karen Rose connected herbs, the body’s systems, and the Orisha pantheon. I was very interested in learning about herbalism through the lens of non-Western spirituality, and it sent me on an inward journey I’m still riding out today.

This book has been a great resource for me in terms of getting my feet wet, making at-home remedies, and learning the body systems. I also loved the beautiful anecdotes and ancestral wisdom. This is a textbook that makes herbal healing and plant magic accessible.

By Karen M. Rose ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover how to utilize the magic of plants and diasporic ancestral practices in remedies and ritual.

What if plants could be used to guide the process of transformation? What if you knew which rituals and plants could be partnered to alleviate physical symptoms or heal emotional and spiritual imbalances? How can plants help you stand in your power, strengthen your intuition, and provide protection? In The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism, leading Black herbalist Karen Rose provides the answers you seek.

This guide to harnessing the power of plants is a practical tool for working through the symptoms of…


Book cover of The Song of the Bird

Joan Budilovsky Author Of Sages of Young Ages

From my list on new moms to listen and laugh with their children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve taught yoga and meditation for decades to children from ages 3 to 93. My Doctorate is in Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I love to experience personal development and child development has a very special place in my heart. I learn so much from them! It is particularly fun to watch children discover and explore life. Everything old is new again! Sages of Young Ages can open our eyes if we simply open our ears to each child’s unique spoken truths.

Joan's book list on new moms to listen and laugh with their children

Joan Budilovsky Why Joan loves this book

Short interesting titles to profound short stories. Each story offers a lesson to clearer soulful understandings. Humor, insights, simplicity – all the things I treasure and hope to be as a writer. Anthony deMello has influenced my world with new ways of looking at old things. I find this in children too – their new eyes looking at old things reminds me of how important fresh perspectives are to enjoying and appreciating life.

By Anthony De Mello ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Song of the Bird as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Every one of these stories is about YOU." --Anthony de Mello

Everyone loves stories; and in this book the bestselling author of Sadhana: A Way to God shares 124 stories and parables from a variety of traditions both ancient and modern. Each story resonates with life lessons that can teach us inescapable truths about ourselves and our world.

De Mello's international acclaim rests on his unique approach to contemplation and ability to heighten self-awareness and self-discovery. His is a holistic approach, and in the words of one reviewer: "his mysticism cuts across all times and peoples and is truly a…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life

Thomas R. Cole Author Of Old Man Country

From my list on spirituality and finding hope in troubled times.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an academic humanist, I spent many years teaching medical students, helping resolve ethical problems in clinical care, and writing about individuals living with mental illness and those growing older. Recently, my own chronic illness, physical pain, and surgeries have somehow opened me to multiple mystical moments of beauty and feelings of oneness with all that exists. I have become a Spiritual Director and am constantly looking for perspectives, practices, and advice about cultivating spiritual growth in myself and others. I am inspired by an ancient Talmudic story:  “When each of us is born, an angel swoops down and whispers, ‘Grow.’ 

Thomas' book list on spirituality and finding hope in troubled times

Thomas R. Cole Why Thomas loves this book

I love this book because it helps break down the false dichotomy between science and spirituality. I also love it because Ivy League scientist and professional psychologist Lisa Miller is not afraid to talk about her own spiritual experiences, which many of her colleagues might dismiss as fantasy. I teach humanities in medicine.

I am thrilled to learn from and share her findings that spirituality helps protect against mental suffering and can help bring healing. Miller’s view that our brains are hard-wired for spiritual awareness strengthens my own view that we are fundamentally spiritual beings but live in an era desperately in need of cultural and spiritual renewal.          

By Lisa Miller ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Awakened Brain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience

'Lisa Miller is the leading psychologist of her generation' Martin Seligman

'We can live chasing goals and rewards, lost in worries and regrets. Or we can awaken to the true fabric of the world, an evolving tapestry that we both behold and help to create, in which every thread matters and no strand stands alone'

Whether it's meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of…


Book cover of Stolen Time: One Woman's Inspiring Story as an Innocent Condemned to Death
Book cover of The Monster I Loved: The true story of a young girl and her father's betrayal.
Book cover of Behind the Mask

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Interested in spirituality, alternative medicine, and the supernatural?

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