Five on Friday: Inspirational Books

Continuing the “Five on Friday” series I started last week, I’m doing a list of inspirational fiction that are I keep on remembering and re–reading no matter what other books I come across. In this installment of the series, we’re talking happier thoughts instead, just as Karla, Aileen, and Amanda suggested. Drama is so over–rated.

  1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

    Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.

  2. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.

  3. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

    If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then when we finally overcome space and time, we’ve destroyed our own brotherhood! But overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don’t you think that we might see each other once or twice?

  4. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

    One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it.

  5. The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane

    Within him, as he hurled himself forward, was born a love, a despairing fondness for this flag which was near him. It was a creation of beauty and invulnerability.

So that’s my list of books that somehow managed to inspire me through the years. Of course it doesn’t include those I haven’t read yet, and I refrained from listing two books from the same author for my top 5, where certainly another Coelho would’ve made the list.

What are your favorite inspirational works?

11 Responses

  1. 1. Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen
    2. Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
    3. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
    4. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
    5. Utopia, Thomas More (I’m loving it so far)

    Interesting list you got there. I reckon I should look up some of the books you listed. I like The Alchemist, must’ve read it a couple of times, at least.:)

  2. I was gonna say “The Bible” but I don’t wanna seem too corny, but that is the truth. LOL.

    I love The Little Prince too! And (from Sasha’s list) Memoirs of a Geisha. Have you read “The Devil and Miss Prym” by Paulo Coelho? It’s also really inspiring, in a spiritual sense. 🙂

  3. kung musika ang pinag-uusapan, emo ka na markku. hehe

    read tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom. sob/tear-fest to pare!

  4. Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. — yeah, because people also suffer when they’re afraid…it’s better to know the reason you’re suffering in the first place

    AJ, yeah, binasa ko sa jeep yung last few chapters ng tuesdays with morrie, hindi ko napigilan umiyak…buti walang tao, si manong driver lang 🙂

  5. I’ve read only the first two on your list. The Alchemist is nice, but it wasn’t as inspiring as I thought it would be. The Little Prince is much nicer, on the other hand.

  6. Well..I love Vita Brevis by Jostein Gaardner the most. It’s the “untold” story of Saint Augustine with his lover, and it was painfully passionate. Inspired me to just do whatever I have to do to live life without regrets.

    Other inspirational books I am into – The Art of Seduction and 48 Laws of Power, not spiritually inspirational, but mentally inspiration al 🙂

  7. hmmm…kahit mainstream na ‘to, I have to say
    Lord of the Rings trilogy is still on the top of my list.

    When Frodo and Sam were continually encountering hell-borne misery while they were climbing up the mountain, it reminded me of the sometimes sheer exhaustion of living, with only a belief to drive you forwards.

    And of course, Gollum’s story — fate can be seemingly cruel to you, but this is all for a greater good. Pain and faith is character building after all. 🙂

  8. So Markku, bakit naman hindi kasama sa list mo yung The Illustrated Kama Sutra? Sa bagay hindi naman yun fiction pero inspirational pa rin. Hehe. Anyway, your list is very nice specially for those looking for books in time for their summer reading.

  9. @Sasha: Wow, that’s a totally different list. Parang pang-ibang income bracket. Hehehe.

    The Alchemist gets better every time you read it again. 🙂

    @Joni: I think the Bible shouldn’t be on the list considering it is really a huge compilation, aside from the fact that everyone actually likes reading it. I still haven’t read that Coelho title, it should be next on my upcoming list.

    @AJ: Emo? Hindi naman, konti lang. Haha. Sige babasahin ko nga din yang “Tuesday with Morrie,” dami nagsasabing maganda.

    @Hana: You really have a way with things, hehehe. Bawal ang iyakan sa jeep! :p

    @Eugene: I think “The Little Prince” has a more universal appeal, and more enjoyable especially for young readers.

    @Julianna: I think that’s a controversial book and should be an interesting read. The other two title you’ve mentioned are quite different, I’d love to fully understand the first of the two. Hahaha! 🙂

    @nanet: Hmm, I never tried reading the LOTR trilogy believing it was too much of a fantasy, and the number of pages involved was overwhelming! But yes, after seeing the movie, I can see how beautiful the whole story was. 🙂

    @mike: Hindi naman kasi binabasa yung book na yun eh! Hahaha.

  10. Would you believe I still haven’t read The Alchemist? I never got around to buying myself a copy or borrowing it from someone? Anyone want to let me borrow? 😀

    Anyway, here’s my list:

    1. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
    2. By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
    3. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
    4. Flashbang by Mark Steele (still reading this, but I love how it makes me laugh AND think)
    5. The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews

    Hmmm, most of that are nonfiction books, except #3 and 5. I also like The Little Prince and I think we’ve used that book numerous times in our YFC gatherings.

    Tuesdays with Morrie is great; it made me cry, but not as much as Five People. Mitch Albom has a new one out, entitled For One More Day and it looks promising too.

    Can you tell I’m a book addict?

  11. Tina, you still haven’t read the Alchemist? You should! I love Coelho books, soothes the soul. 😉

    I intend to go through Mitch Albom’s works soon, when I find the time. He just released another title, I saw it at National Bookstore just a few days ago. I think the title was For One More Day. Yata.

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