Here are 100 books that The Road Less Traveled fans have personally recommended if you like The Road Less Traveled. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Carmen Vlasceanu Author Of Dare to C.A.R.E.

From my list on guiding you towards a more meaningful life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Carmen F. Vlasceanu, PhD, FIH, hospitality executive, mentor, and author who believes in leading with a good heart and living with purpose. Through my book Dare to C.A.R.E. and the life coaching I offer, I help people reconnect with their inner power, serve others authentically, and grow in every area of life. As a single mom, global citizen, and lifelong learner, I’ve walked through burnout, reinvention, and bold dreaming. These books have helped me rediscover my voice, redefine my mission, and remember what really matters. They helped ground me in faith, encouraged my evolution, and reminded me why meaningful connection always comes first.

Carmen's book list on guiding you towards a more meaningful life

Carmen Vlasceanu Why Carmen loves this book

This book helped me shift my mindset, and I first picked it up during a stressful phase of my life. I gave myself some time to simply breathe and take it in. It reminded me that the “now” is not just a passing second, but a sacred space where peace and clarity live.

I love how it helped me stop living in the echo of yesterday or the fear of tomorrow. I remember closing my eyes and whispering, “This moment is enough,” and feeling my shoulders relax for the first time in weeks. It helped me feel more connected with myself, my son, my clients, and in doing so, intentionally live every moment with more compassion, stillness, and supremacy.

By Eckhart Tolle ,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked The Power of Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**CHOSEN BY OPRAH AS ONE OF HER 'BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH'**

The international bestselling spiritual book, now with a new look for its 20th anniversary. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier, happier, mindful life by living in the present moment.

************

'I keep Eckhart's book at my bedside. I think it's essential spiritual teaching. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read.' Oprah Winfrey

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart…


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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 Vanishing Half

Heidi Reimer Author Of The Mother Act

From my list on immersing yourself in multiple perspectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

One of the things I love most about fiction is the way it allows you to “be” different people—to experience, think, feel, and behave from inside a particular temperament, worldview, or experience. My very favorite is adding the complexity of multiple perspectives to that magic trick so that you get to live inside two or more people who may be at complete odds with each other. Reading good fiction is an exercise in empathy, and reading good fiction from multiple viewpoints is empathy supercharged. I’ve loved that immersion since I was a little kid who believed there was nothing better than a novel.

Heidi's book list on immersing yourself in multiple perspectives

Heidi Reimer Why Heidi loves this book

This novel is an immersive read with heaps of empathy for all its characters but especially for the two sisters whose perspectives are at the center of the story: the twin who disappears to live a secret life, passing as white, and the twin left behind.

We don’t get the perspective of Stella, the vanished twin, until 14 years after her disappearance, 150 pages into the book. By then, I was fully absorbed in the grief and unanswered questions of the people she’d abandoned, eager to finally know where she’d been all this time and to understand her complex motivations and the emotional and mental toll of relinquishing—and hiding—her racial identity, her community, her sister, and her past. I picked this book up and didn’t put it down until it was done.

By Brit Bennett ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Vanishing Half as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP BESTSELLER
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE

'An utterly mesmerising novel..I absolutely loved this book' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the Booker Prize 2019

'Epic' Kiley Reid, O, The Oprah Magazine

'Favourite book [of the] year' Issa Rae

The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years…


Book cover of The Known World

Debra Bruno Author Of A Hudson Valley Reckoning: Discovering the Forgotten History of Slaveholding in My Dutch American Family

From my list on slavery that will surprise you.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was growing up, I had no idea that New York State had 200 years of slavery. And when I realized that my Dutch American ancestors had been some of the most fervent enslavers, I knew I had to know more. It wasn’t until I met Eleanor Mire, a woman who is descended from the very people that my family enslaved, that my story became fuller. We realized that, through rape, we shared ancestors, which makes us “linked descendants.” Rather than turning away from the upsetting history, we became friends who knew we needed to keep learning and tell the stories of those who had been lost. 

Debra's book list on slavery that will surprise you

Debra Bruno Why Debra loves this book

What does it mean to enslave another human being? Sometimes a novel is the only way for me to get at the emotional heart of a horrible truth. That’s why I loved this book–an imaginary region of Virginia before the Civil War introduced me to Henry Townsend, a freed Black man who owned an entire plantation of other Black men, women, and children.

I couldn’t stop thinking of Moses, Augustus, Celeste, and all of the people who fought their way through to, finally, emancipation. Some people compare Edward P. Jones’ work to Faulkner's in the way he creates a complete and completely convincing world.

By Edward P. Jones ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Known World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Masterful, Pulitzer-prize winning literary epic about the painful and complex realities of slave life on a Southern plantation. An utterly original exploration of race, trust and the cruel truths of human nature, this is a landmark in modern American literature.

Henry Townsend, a black farmer, boot maker, and former slave, becomes proprietor of his own plantation - as well as his own slaves. When he dies, his widow, Caldonia, succumbs to profound grief, and things begin to fall apart: slaves take to escaping under the cover of night, and families who had once found love beneath the weight of slavery…


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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 New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Andy Tomlinson and Reena Kumarasingham Author Of Between Lives

From my list on how to move to a new consciousness and new earth.

Why are we passionate about this?

The world as we know it is coming to an end, so humanity can take a quantum leap into a new consciousness. The books we recommend offer information on why this is happening and how to become part of the change to a New Earth. Humanity is living in an amazing time. We feel we have something to say on this based on our combined experiences as psychologists, therapists, trainers, and authors, and giving new consciousness workshops internationally since 2012.

Andy and Reena's book list on how to move to a new consciousness and new earth

Andy Tomlinson and Reena Kumarasingham Why Andy and Reena loves this book

Eckart Tolle is well known for offering inspirational and simple ways of helping people. This is perhaps his most enlightening book and defines the ego's games better than anyone.

One of his main messages is that emotional issues like anxiety and depression are not our natural states and are reflective of too much identification with the ego. And letting go of our ego is needed for a new consciousness.

What we value is that his writing is powerful and really drives home his points.

By Eckhart Tolle ,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked A New Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

LOVED THE POWER OF NOW? DISCOVER THE LIFE-CHANGING FOLLOW-UP FROM THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER

'A wake-up call for the entire planet. A New Earth helps us to stop creating our own suffering and obsessing over the past and what the future might be and to put ourselves in the now' OPRAH WINFREY

'My No. 1 guru will always be Eckhart Tolle' CHRIS EVANS

THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE CHART-TOPPING PODCAST OPRAH & ECKHART TOLLE: A NEW EARTH
_________

Are you ready to change your life?

In Eckhart Tolle's ground-breaking book, he gives you the spiritual framework to:
- Understand yourself…


Book cover of Opening to Channel: How to Connect with Your Guide

Barbara Wainwright Author Of Awakening to Divine Purpose: A Guide Through the Six Stages of Spiritual Transformation

From my list on your journey to spiritual enlightenment.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a spiritual seeker, and I have been pursuing enlightenment for decades. In 1989, I learned to channel my spirit guides, and I have been on a spiritual quest ever since. These books I’ve recommended are books that helped me transform from a single-parent “life happens to me” victim to an empowered “life happens for me” spiritual being.

Barbara's book list on your journey to spiritual enlightenment

Barbara Wainwright Why Barbara loves this book

As part of my spiritual journey, I desperately wanted to connect with my spirit guides. I wanted to be guided as to my next best step.

Our next best step may lead to another “growth opportunity,” which mine did. The information in this book helped me to make that connection, to clearly receive messages from my spirit guides.

To this day, I am able to ask and receive guidance. I am grateful that I came across this book. 

By Sanaya Roman , Duane Packer ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Opening to Channel: How to Connect with Your Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Note: The revised eBook edition has the addition of several color illustrations and has been updated, however the processes and information in both the printed and eBook editions are essentially the same.

Opening to Channel is a book with a startling message for the millions of curious Americans who are eager to learn more about this fascinating experience.

The authors, Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, with their guides Orin and DaBen, have demonstrated that anyone can become a channel, connect at will with a spirit guide or their higher self, and achieve remarkable and life-changing results. This book takes the…


Book cover of The Nature of Personal Reality: A Seth Book

Barbara Wainwright Author Of Awakening to Divine Purpose: A Guide Through the Six Stages of Spiritual Transformation

From my list on your journey to spiritual enlightenment.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a spiritual seeker, and I have been pursuing enlightenment for decades. In 1989, I learned to channel my spirit guides, and I have been on a spiritual quest ever since. These books I’ve recommended are books that helped me transform from a single-parent “life happens to me” victim to an empowered “life happens for me” spiritual being.

Barbara's book list on your journey to spiritual enlightenment

Barbara Wainwright Why Barbara loves this book

This book was the beginning of my spiritual journey. 

Accepting that we are responsible for every aspect of our lives was a hard pill to swallow. Life happens for us, not to us. What is the purpose? The purpose (I believe) is to learn unconditional love and acceptance. 

Does that mean we have to be around people who hurt us? No. It means to accept people for who they are and move on.  

This book challenged me and my way of thinking. “Your thoughts create your reality” is explained in detail in this book. I’m grateful that this book was written.

By Jane Roberts ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Nature of Personal Reality as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Late in 1963, Jane Roberts and her husband were experimenting with a Ouija board when a personality calling himself 'Seth' began forming messages. Soon, Miss Roberts began passing easily into trance - her gestures, her eyes, her voice 'borrowed' by Seth himself. Now for those who want to put his theories to use, Seth has dictated this new book, The Nature of Personal Reality explains how unquestioned belief structure your experience - and how simply listing them can help remove barriers you have uknowingly thrown in your way. Along with other specific exercises for transforming your personal reality, Seth spells…


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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 Pulling Your Own Strings: Dynamic Techniques for Dealing with Other People and Living Your Life As You Choose

Xolani Kacela Author Of Stop Anxiety In Its Tracks

From my list on a deep understanding of human nature.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for helping people realize they are only limited by their imagination. By dreaming wildly and acting on one’s dreams, a person can achieve highly unlikely outcomes. People are born to be free and pursue the things in life that make them happy and fulfilled. However, people need education, training, and mentoring. I am driven to do each of these to help others live fulfilling and purposeful lives. My expertise arises from my formal training and applied life lessons acquired from modeling highly-gifted teachers and friends.

Xolani's book list on a deep understanding of human nature

Xolani Kacela Why Xolani loves this book

I read this book when I was a teenager and it set me on a path of assertiveness and self-determination.

He had memorable content, such as “A clerk is a jerk,” that helped me put life in a different perspective. After reading the book, I was empowered and free to do as I felt was right in the world. The book taught me not to put up with other people’s BS.

By Wayne Dyer ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pulling Your Own Strings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER, WITH OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD

From the #1 bestselling author of Your Erroneous Zones, a directed and practical book that shows you how to stop being manipulated by others and start taking charge of your own life.

Wayne Dyer reveals how we all can prevent ourselves from being victimized by others and begin to operate from a position of power at the center of our own lives. Asserting that we alone are responsible for how much we will be controlled by others, Dyer offers his practical plan for developing new attitudes toward the most common sources…


Book cover of Jazz

Joe Wenderoth Author Of Letters to Wendy's

From my list on readers who violently eschew skimming.

Why am I passionate about this?

I worked for the last 25 years teaching literature classes and creative writing workshops—most of that time at the University of California at Davis. The students in my classes were mainly English majors and/or young writers. They tended to be serious about the potential of a text. To be serious, today, in America, about the potential of a text is to dwell in an inherently counter-cultural position. It is to conceive of the value of a text as something surpassing entertainment, i.e., use. Such a surpassing is a blasphemous notion… still tolerated in the context of the University. Its proliferation beyond those boundaries seems unworkable.  

Joe's book list on readers who violently eschew skimming

Joe Wenderoth Why Joe loves this book

Like a spell, a book has the power to alter someone, conjuring (incredibly) whole worlds in—literally inside—him or her.

A great book is dangerous; if you chance to respect it and spend time with it alone, it might just blossom into an affair that changes you profoundly.

By Toni Morrison ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Jazz as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, middle-aged door-to-door salesman of Cleopatra beauty products, shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe's wife, Violet, attacks the girl's corpse. This passionate, profound story of love and obsession brings us back and forth in time, as a narrative is assembled from the emotions, hopes, fears, and deep realities of black urban life.


Book cover of Double Blind

Rupert Sheldrake Author Of The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry

From my list on science, consciousness, and spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a biologist and I am also interested in spiritual explorations and sacred places. These books discuss some of the most interesting issues in science, and the nature of ultimate consciousness - the primary subject of theology, consciousness. I am also very interested in spiritual practices that have measurable effects, as discussed in my books Science and Spiritual Practices and Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work.

Rupert's book list on science, consciousness, and spirituality

Rupert Sheldrake Why Rupert loves this book

I read very few novels, but Edward St Aubyn is my favourite contemporary novelist. His writing is brilliant, funny and always intelligent. Of all his books, this new novel is my favourite because it not only tells a good story but also explores the very frontiers of contemporary science and of the paradigm shift going on within it. And it is amazingly well informed scientifically. In some cases it may be anticipating scientific advances that will occur in coming years; it does not simply describe what has already happened.

By Edward St. Aubyn ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'I was gripped by it' IAN McEWAN

Three lives collide, not one of them will emerge unchanged - the exhilarating new novel from the author of the Patrick Melrose series.

When Olivia meets a new lover, Francis, just as she is welcoming her dearest friend Lucy back from New York, her life expands dramatically. Her connection to Francis, a committed naturalist living off-grid, is immediate and startling. Eager to involve Lucy in her joy, Olivia introduces the two - but Lucy has news of her own that binds the trio unusually close.

Over the months that follow, Lucy's boss Hunter,…


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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 Presence Process: A Journey into Present Moment Awareness

Why am I passionate about this?

Fascinated with consciousness, spirituality, and the power of mind, I started reading books by Thich Nhat Hahn, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Alan Watts as early as 5th grade. But I was also infatuated with math and logic, which led to a degree in mathematics at UC Berkeley. Knowing there was more to understanding truth beyond logic, I balanced out my worldview with an M.A. in transpersonal psychology. For more than twenty years, I have passionately devoted myself to the study and practice of transformation. As a certified coach using expertise in interpersonal neurobiology, design thinking, and Conversational Intelligence®, I have provided thousands of transformative experiences for individuals, executives, teams, and organizations. 

Amy's book list on personal growth books that use more logic and science than New Age thinking to overcome self-imposed limitations and flourish

Amy Wong Why Amy loves this book

This is one of those books you don’t find–it finds you. At least, that’s what happened to me. When my friend first recommended it, I remember reading part of the first chapter captivated. But for whatever reason, I failed to continue reading it.

Years later, it fell off the shelf while I was trying to decide which of the books on my bookshelf was the one to read. Boy, did it catapult me into a wildly evolved level of consciousness. It ripped me open (in a gentle and inviting way) cleared me of fears and beliefs I didn’t even know I had and transformed me from being a human being reaching for spirituality to a spiritual being reaching out to humanity. 

By Michael Brown ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Why is it so difficult to simply be present? The reason is that our deeply suppressed emotional imprints from childhood -- which Eckhart Tolle calls "the pain-body" -- distract from an awareness of the present moment. We're not broken and don't need to be healed but rather, our discomfort needs to be integrated. The Presence Process is a journey that guides readers into taking responsibility for our emotional integration. It is a way to consciously grow up and become responsible for determining the quality of our personal experience. The book teaches readers how to exercise authentic personal responsibility in a…


Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Book cover of The Vanishing Half
Book cover of The Known World

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in spirituality, personal values, and self-actualization?

Spirituality 340 books
Personal Values 17 books
Self-Actualization 249 books