# Is there a book that inspired you to keep going in a tough time in your life?



## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I have been inspired many times in my life to keep going after reading a story where a character faces adversity, heartbreak, or grieving and realized they must go on and somehow found the strength to do so.

I have suffered through life's upheavals with Scarlett as she returns home to find her mother dead, her father out of his mind, and her family on the brink of starvation in Gone With the Wind. At first she wanted to give up, but somehow found the courage to go on and pull her family through it. 

I have faced the death of loved ones long before I wanted to let go of them just as Jo did in Little Women, and like Jo realized that grieving is part of loving and only time will lessen the ache of bereavement.

What about you? Was there a time in your life when a literary character inspired you to go on when you thought you couldn't? 

Share your inspirations with the rest of us!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Not really specific books, but books in general are my escape and have gotten me through many a bad/tight time.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

MariaESchneider said:


> Not really specific books, but books in general are my escape and have gotten me through many a bad/tight time.


As is often the case, I'm kind of on Maria's wavelength. However, when I need an emotional boost, the City Watch story arc of Pratchett's "Discworld" books is one of my go-tos, along with Zelazny's "Amber" series.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Nogdog reminded me of one of my friends who swears that Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light" is a huge pickmeup for him when he is down.

As for me any "comfort book" that is beloved and familiar and not too complicated is good when I'm down, more as pleasant escape than as inspiration. The Horatio Hornblower books are good for that in my case.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Nogdog reminded me of one of my friends who swears that Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light" is a huge pickmeup for him when he is down.
> 
> As for me any "comfort book" that is beloved and familiar and not too complicated is good when I'm down, more as pleasant escape than as inspiration. The Horatio Hornblower books are good for that in my case.


I will have to try Lord of Light. Haven't read any Zelazny but always looking for a new author to try.

And "comfort" books can be an incredible boost as we see that the hero/heroine always comes through no matter what trials they endure or what obstacles stand in their path. As Samwise said in The Two Towers, "Folks in those stories could have given up but they didn't. They were holding onto something; that there's good in this world, and it's worth fighting for." Not in the book but inspirational nevertheless.


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## dfmnola (Sep 21, 2012)

YES! I've been singing the praises on here about a book called The Nephew Letters by Nathan D. My friend in AA turned me on to it and I could not put it down. I'm still reeling from finishing it. It's about a guy who writes letters to his nephew for a year about what a mess he is and how he doesn't think he's ever going to be able to be around him while he's growing up. Powerful stuff! 
http://www.amazon.com/Nephew-Letters-Notes-Failed-Sobriety/dp/1494499134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438209747&sr=8-1&keywords=the+nephew+letters


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

dfmnola said:


> YES! I've been singing the praises on here about a book called The Nephew Letters by Nathan D. My friend in AA turned me on to it and I could not put it down. I'm still reeling from finishing it. It's about a guy who writes letters to his nephew for a year about what a mess he is and how he doesn't think he's ever going to be able to be around him while he's growing up. Powerful stuff!
> http://www.amazon.com/Nephew-Letters-Notes-Failed-Sobriety/dp/1494499134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438209747&sr=8-1&keywords=the+nephew+letters


May I ask what inspires you about this book? Is it the uncle's honesty with his nephew? It doesn't sound like a book with a happy resolution at this point so I am just curious as you are giving the impression that the uncle doesn't work through his problems. Please correct me if have the wrong impression from your post.


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## ET (Oct 23, 2014)

Probably_ Watership Down_. A classic hero's journey tale. The ending is simultaneously sad and uplifting.


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## Chris Northern (Jan 20, 2011)

Stardance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson used to be one of my main comfort reads. There is a lot to like.


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## bohemianedu (Jul 24, 2014)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

This is almost a cliche answer, but ... _Man's Search for Meaning_, by Viktor Frankl. I read it when I was an unhappy 18-year-old, and its message really resonated with me. Frankl's point is, basically, that people often have very little control over the things that happen to them. What they can control is their attitude toward what happens to them. He says, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Frankl uses his own experiences as a victim of the Holocaust to explore and support this idea. It's profound and very moving. I'm not sure I entirely buy it, anymore, now that psychology has come to understand mental states as at least partially biochemical and not under conscious control, but it had a powerful and positive effect on me at the time. Here's an excerpt:



> This young woman knew that she would die in the next few days. But when I talked to her she was cheerful in spite of this knowledge. 'I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard,' she told me. 'In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously.' Pointing through the window of the hut, she said, 'This tree here is the only friend I have in my loneliness.' Through that window she could see just one branch of a chestnut tree, and on the branch were two blossoms. 'I often talk to this tree,' she said to me. I was startled and didn't quite know how to take her words. Was she delirious? Did she have occasional hallucinations? Anxiously I asked her if the tree replied. 'Yes.' What did it say to her? She answered, 'It said to me, "I am here--I am here--I am life, eternal life."'


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Becca Mills said:


> This is almost a cliche answer, but ... _Man's Search for Meaning_, by Viktor Frankl. I read it when I was an unhappy 18-year-old, and its message really resonated with me. Frankl's point is, basically, that people often have very little control over the things that happen to them. What they can control is their attitude toward what happens to them. He says, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Frankl uses his own experiences as a victim of the Holocaust to explore and support this idea. It's profound and very moving. I'm not sure I entirely buy it, anymore, now that psychology has come to understand mental states as at least partially biochemical and not under conscious control, but it had a powerful and positive effect on me at the time. Here's an excerpt:


Fascinating. Reminds me of The Hiding Place and Betsi telling her sister Corrie ten Boom that they needed to be grateful for the small mercies they received in the concentration camp. It was Betsi's unfailing kindness and cheerfulness to even the guards that softened the heart of one of the worst of them to the extent that the guard returned that kindness to both sisters as Betsi was dying. Another guard later turned his back on all the evil he did, again largely because of Betsi. So her attitude impacted not just her life but those around her.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

For me it's comfort book series. I've been going through a mild depression this year and what's helped me a lot are series I adore. I've recently reread the entire 1_632 Ring of Fire series, The Emberverse, The Parasols Protectorate_ and I'm currently rereading _The Iron Druid_ series.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Geoffrey said:


> For me it's comfort book series. I've been going through a mild depression this year and what's helped me a lot are series I adore. I've recently reread the entire 1_632 Ring of Fire series, The Emberverse, The Parasols Protectorate_ and I'm currently rereading _The Iron Druid_ series.


Sorry to hear about your depression, Geoffrey. I think a lot of people had some rough times this year. I lost a family member and a friend within 5 days of each other just a couple of months ago. I hope things improve for you.

The books sound intriguing; I will have to check them out!


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## loriann (Jun 20, 2014)

Primo Levi's memoirs. I loved Man's Search for Meaning, too, as well as Gerda Weismann's memoir, the title of which eludes me.

In fiction, Jane Eyre and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.


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## Liam Davies (Aug 25, 2015)

I recently read Reasons to Stay Alive my Matt Haig during a bout of very severe depression and that was a real crutch for me. In terms of fiction, The Outsider by Albert Camus always does it for me.


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## David Bolton (Aug 26, 2015)

Yes, several...

1) The Nature of Personal Reality (Jane Roberts/Seth)
2) Stockdale on Stoicism (James Stockdale)
3) Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl)


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## DGS (Sep 25, 2013)

Yes.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Millionaire-Fastlane-Wealth-Lifetime/dp/0984358102


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

Not exactly a tough time, but when I was a teenager Dune by Frank Herbert helped me through a protracted course of painful dental treatment ("Fear is the mind killer" and all that. )


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

After my Dad died, one of the books I started reading was a very long Fantasy novel called "The Stone and The Flute." It was a very gentle fantasy and the perfect way to lose myself at a very difficult time.

I'd recommend it to anyone, just because I feel it's one of those truly great and massively underrated books.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

lmroth12 said:


> Fascinating. Reminds me of The Hiding Place and Betsi telling her sister Corrie ten Boom that they needed to be grateful for the small mercies they received in the concentration camp. It was Betsi's unfailing kindness and cheerfulness to even the guards that softened the heart of one of the worst of them to the extent that the guard returned that kindness to both sisters as Betsi was dying. Another guard later turned his back on all the evil he did, again largely because of Betsi. So her attitude impacted not just her life but those around her.


Ah, I read _The Hiding Place _as a child! I don't remember it as clearly as I should, though snippets of it stick with me. Wonderful book.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Geoffrey said:


> For me it's comfort book series. I've been going through a mild depression this year and what's helped me a lot are series I adore. I've recently reread the entire 1_632 Ring of Fire series, The Emberverse, The Parasols Protectorate_ and I'm currently rereading _The Iron Druid_ series.


Have the Iron Druid books held up as the series continued, Geoffrey? I read the first few and liked them, but haven't continued with it for reasons I can't put my finger on.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Becca Mills said:


> Have the Iron Druid books held up as the series continued, Geoffrey? I read the first few and liked them, but haven't continued with it for reasons I can't put my finger on.


The series continuously adds baggage in each book until it all comes to a head in book six. I almost gave up on it, but Hearnes finishes off all his loose ends (finally) and book seven goes back to simply being the the fun that the first couple books were. I'm glad I stuck through them but I can see where many wouldn't.


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## Goulburn (May 21, 2014)

Does sneaking your mother's copy of The Complete Encyclopedia of Sex Practice and reading it under the bed covers at night by torch light at the age of ten count as inspirational reading?  It was unforgettable .

All my childhood was tough times. Books generally helped get me through.
The positive attitudes and making the best of what you have or get up, get out and make a new life heroines in books got me to age fourteen when I too got up and got out.
Little Women, Pollyanna, What Katy Did, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Anne Frank's Diary all inspired me. 

Early teen years, alone, trying to work, house, feed and educate myself while staying safe. Again, books were my inspiration at that stage. After I left home for good at fourteen, it was the library and historical fiction, family saga epics spanning decades (they still inspire me) The Keys of the Kingdom, a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin, The Good Earth, a novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931, and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1932. In contrast, I found The Haunting of Toby Jugg a 1948 psychological thriller novel on occult themes by Dennis Wheatley, with its satanic possession and madness and a young disabled British airman recovering from his experiences in the last stages of World War II, totally inspirational when I read it as a young teenager.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Ryn Shell said:


> Does sneaking your mother's copy of The Complete Encyclopedia of Sex Practice and reading it under the bed covers at night by torch light at the age of ten count as inspirational reading?  It was unforgettable .
> 
> All my childhood was tough times. Books generally helped get me through.
> The positive attitudes and making the best of what you have or get up, get out and make a new life heroines in books got me to age fourteen when I too got up and got out.
> ...


Probably not. 

But your other choices are definitely inspiring. And I am happy that you were able to come through such a difficult childhood!


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## ancaiovita (Feb 13, 2016)

I second Viktor Frakl's book 'Man's search for meaning' - that was one of the best books I ever read. And getting inspired is the main reason for which I read books in general. 

I'd like to add two Buddhist authors:
-the Vietnamese monk Thích Nhất Hạnh - I read so many of his books, but I still can't pronounce his name
-the Dalai lama himself - or at least the 14th one  I liked his autobiography a lot


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## ShellPresto (Mar 1, 2016)

This may seem a bit warped, but Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" helped me in a way that only a book could during high school.

I had a good friend who I talked to often in high school, and he was moving on to college, getting a girlfriend, etc. All those things you do as you start a more independent life outside of high school.

Despite being a book filled with violence and complex questions about punishment and justice, the book is also a coming of age story. The 21st chapter ends with the main character, now reformed, deciding that violence is a side effect of an unproductive youth, and that creation was a much more worthy pursuit. In short, he grows up. And it made me realize that my friend was growing up, and that he'd move away, and find new friends, and so, eventually, would I. I remember putting my head down on my desk and crying a little, finally understanding that. It made losing touch in the coming months much easier to accept, and made me start to value friendships the way one would flowers, as short, transitory encounters. Which is not to say that I don't have longtime friends, I do, but I realize that not every friendship has to be a longtime one to be valued. 

I can't imagine Anthony Burgess would ever intend that to be someone's reaction to such a book, but there it is.

I also added a bunch of "nadsat," the invented language in the book, to my vocabulary for a while, because who doesn't love faux-Russian invented languages? That was probably much less life-changing.


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## joyjennings (Jan 20, 2016)

I found solace in Wayne Dyer books. I know they aren't fiction but they were full of life stories and examples of overcoming adversity and struggles. During all my darkness, these books were the light I could turn to and the inspiration for me to try and create a better life for myself  He is sadly missed now however.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

joyjennings said:


> I found solace in Wayne Dyer books. I know they aren't fiction but they were full of life stories and examples of overcoming adversity and struggles. During all my darkness, these books were the light I could turn to and the inspiration for me to try and create a better life for myself  He is sadly missed now however.


The books don't need to be fiction. There are many powerful true stories of people who overcame incredible hardships, adversity, and tragedies that inspire others to keep going. Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, Corrie ten Boom, etc., have all filled me with admiration for their courage and a determination to overcome whatever life may bring just as they did.


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## ancaiovita (Feb 13, 2016)

ShellPresto said:


> This may seem a bit warped, but Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" helped me in a way that only a book could during high school.
> 
> I had a good friend who I talked to often in high school, and he was moving on to college, getting a girlfriend, etc. All those things you do as you start a more independent life outside of high school.
> 
> ...


I heard about this book again and again - I guess I have to read it now. And yes, it is easy to be aggressive if energy is wasted on non-creative pursuits.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

ShellPresto said:


> This may seem a bit warped, but Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" helped me in a way that only a book could during high school.
> 
> I had a good friend who I talked to often in high school, and he was moving on to college, getting a girlfriend, etc. All those things you do as you start a more independent life outside of high school.
> 
> ...


Helter-Skelter was also a violent book, the story of the Manson Family and the Tate-Labianca murders. I read it as a teenager and to this day consider it the most frightening book I have ever read; because the villains are not zombies, vampires, or witches, but mortals, and they walked among us. In the intervening years, however, all of the murderers except Charles Manson have expressed their remorse for what they did. Most of them did not excuse those 2 nights of violence and mayhem for being on a drug trip while under the influence of a charismatic madman who persuaded them to kill for him. Nope; they took full responsibility for it and basically said, "I did it, I'm guilty, I'm sorry, and I wish I could undo what I did." Their ages at the time ranged from 19 to 24 and most of them were rebellious runaways who broke free from society's conventions and moral codes. So I agree that people CAN regret violence, and I would add that they can come to an understanding that we have our codes and laws in place precisely for the purpose of protecting us from one another. And I find that very inspiring.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Steven Hardesty said:


> At a tough time in my life, Livy's The War with Hannibal: The History of Rome from its Foundation made a big difference. I know Livy is as much a storyteller as historian, but one scene struck me when I really needed it: Hannibal arrives with his army ready to crush Rome. He's on a hilltop and looks into the city. He sees a Roman army forming up. Assumes it's coming out to fight him. Instead, the legions march west, toward their Spanish colonies. Hannibal, surprised, realizes the Romans have made a moral choice to defend those in Spain who depend on them to fight off another of Hannibal's armies, at the risk of losing Rome. They've shown an unbreakable moral core. Hannibal says, We can't beat these guys, and folds his tents (at least for that year).


I love those kind of incidents from history. One that has always inspired me is Saladin sending fresh fruit to Richard the Lionheart when he was ill with a fever. His enemy expressed his respect for his skills as a warrior and leader and showed his own calibre as he sent this gift. You will find it in just about any biography of Richard. Such incidents give me hope that we can befriend our enemies if only we would choose to do so.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

lmroth12 said:


> I love those kind of incidents from history. One that has always inspired me is Saladin sending fresh fruit to Richard the Lionheart when he was ill with a fever. His enemy expressed his respect for his skills as a warrior and leader and showed his own calibre as he sent this gift. You will find it in just about any biography of Richard. Such incidents give me hope that we can befriend our enemies if only we would choose to do so.


Although cynic that I am, I can't help think how "nice" it is that the two leaders could exchange gifts and commiserations, and then send their underlings against each other to be maimed and killed. To quote Pink Floyd, "'Forward!' he cried from the rear, and the front ranks died. The generals sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side."


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## ShellPresto (Mar 1, 2016)

ancaiovita said:


> I heard about this book again and again - I guess I have to read it now. And yes, it is easy to be aggressive if energy is wasted on non-creative pursuits.


Parts of it can be disturbing (although it's tamer than a lot of other books that tout their violent content). The author actually created the faux Russian dialogue to help distance the reader from the violence. But the questions it raises on free will and growth are worth the ride. It's also a pretty quick read. I'm guilty of liking shorter books -- relatively fast readers will plow right through it.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

ShellPresto said:


> ...It's also a pretty quick read. I'm guilty of liking shorter books -- relatively fast readers will plow right through it.


I actually miss the days when you could buy paperbacks that were barely a half inch thick and read a satisfying story with a beginning, middle, and _end_ (instead of a cliffhanger) while not requiring a half-dozen points of view to tell the story.


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## ShellPresto (Mar 1, 2016)

NogDog said:


> I actually miss the days when you could buy paperbacks that were barely a half inch thick and read a satisfying story with a beginning, middle, and _end_ (instead of a cliffhanger) while not requiring a half-dozen points of view to tell the story.


I'm also a big fan of Richard Matheson. Some of the editions of his novellas "I Am Legend" or "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (short in and of themselves), also come packed with his short stories in the back. They were great for those odd wait times, be it at the hairdresser, before a friend shows up for lunch, appointments, etc. Manly Wade Wellman short story collections are similarly handy.


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## EvanPickering (Mar 8, 2016)

ShellPresto said:


> I'm also a big fan of Richard Matheson. Some of the editions of his novellas "I Am Legend" or "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (short in and of themselves), also come packed with his short stories in the back. They were great for those odd wait times, be it at the hairdresser, before a friend shows up for lunch, appointments, etc. Manly Wade Wellman short story collections are similarly handy.


Ohhhh man I Am Legend is the best! It might well be my favorite book. So epic.

As to the OP question...
I've thought about it, and only one book really qualifies for me:

The Catcher in the Rye.

I know this is one of those books that every guy (and some girls) say as such, but I think there's a reason for that. It truly reaches out and grabs you on a personal level that not many books do (especially when you're 13). I had been moved away from my home in NY to FL and didn't really get along with anyone. I hated living there and felt like people were disconnected from everything.

I remember feeling alone at that age. (Lol, being a teenager and trying to navigate adolescence) I was very sensitive, loved girls but scared to death of them (and dating in general), competitive but faaaar from an alpha male. I was always worried about other people and how they felt. I just didn't see myself at all like the way society deemed men to be. I remember thinking how similar I felt to Holden Caulfield in the story, and I started to think that maybe many guys were like me, maybe even most guys were like me.

Regardless, it was an incredibly freeing experience, and catapulted me into having a great teenage years where I just didn't worry about anything teenagers worry about. I just had fun and just was myself and didn't worry about anyone's expectations.

In that regard, it really is an incredible book, and I'm sure it has helped many young people have a better life. In that sense, you know why it is such a legendary book. I can't imagine giving a book a better compliment than saying it helped people live happier lives.

So yeah, /rant

Evan


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## Hans Cummings (May 16, 2011)

Recently I had a particularly difficult trip to visit my wife's family out East. It was bad enough that to properly describe how awful it was, I'd have to use enough profanity to earn a lifetime ban from this community. Seriously. We're talking emotional-abuse levels of vitriol directed toward my wife.

Anyway, when I wasn't playing chauffeur to my wife, I escaped into Chuck Wendig's Heartland Trilogy. I freely admit Wendig's writing isn't for everyone, and the cornpunk dystopic setting takes some getting used to, but danged if it didn't get me through that trip.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Not any particular book. Just having books to read or even re-read gets me through both the daily grind and the hard times. Now that you brought this up, I realize that I read very little if any at all during the good times.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

HansCummings said:


> Recently I had a particularly difficult trip to visit my wife's family out East. It was bad enough that to properly describe how awful it was, I'd have to use enough profanity to earn a lifetime ban from this community. Seriously. We're talking emotional-abuse levels of vitriol directed toward my wife.
> 
> Anyway, when I wasn't playing chauffeur to my wife, I escaped into Chuck Wendig's Heartland Trilogy. I freely admit Wendig's writing isn't for everyone, and the cornpunk dystopic setting takes some getting used to, but danged if it didn't get me through that trip.


Those are difficult situations, indeed. And a good book can be just the thing to relax with, enough so that you don't lose your cool, that is!


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

The last Fablehaven book healed my broken heart after the last Harry Potter book crushed it into disappointed smithereens.  I actually burst into tears because it was so perfect and it *didn't betray me.*


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## DGS (Sep 25, 2013)

When you're hungry, motivated, experienced, and down, read this book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UNZYWKG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1


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## ancaiovita (Feb 13, 2016)

In line with the topic, especially if you have no idea what to do with your life, check out this short book:

http://www.amazon.com/What-your-legacy-getting-started-ebook/dp/B01A5T4I7G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460998730&sr=8-2&keywords=what+is+your+legacy


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## AndrewSweetapple (May 15, 2016)

Honestly books in general helped me out. The Edge Chronicles helped me out in my teen years. Really creative fantasty/steampunk series, some interesting detailed illustrations of the world. It was a great series.


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## treadmikeway (Apr 23, 2016)

This book called Das Energi by Paul Williams really picked me up during a low phase during high school.

Das Energi


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