Blog #6: Books, A Love Language

If I have an extra $40, I buy books.
If I have free time, I buy books at Barnes and Noble.
If my son is tired of being home, we leave the house to buy books.
If I'm in a bad mood, I'm leaving to buy books.
If I'm happy, I'm celebrating by buying books.
Want some coffee? Barnes and Noble has Starbucks, and I'm buying books.

Buying books is a love language, and I am deeply, passionately in love. 

 I have a specific taste in books and authors that I support. 8 out of 10 times, I put the book back on the shelf and continue the hunt. I'm going to give some book recommendations. Please remember that these books are MY favorite. You might feel different, and you are entitled to your opinion. 

Spiritual Awakening Books

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Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

I find myself constantly buying books and returning to this one to reread time and time again. Women Who Run with Wolves is a retelling of stories that have been engraved in our souls and forgotten over time. These stories are a reminder that women are the beginning of creation. We breathe life into the world. We are wild, beautiful, dangerous, and, beyond all, powerful. Reading this book simultaneously brings peace, understanding, and an overwhelming feeling of loss. One of my favorite passages reads as follows, "...She is the Life/Death/Life force, she is the incubator. She is intuition, she is a far-seer, she is deep listener, she is loyal heart... She is the source, the light, the night, the dark, and daybreak. She is the one we leave home to look for. She is the one we come home to."

Pinkola Estes, Clarissa. Women Who Run With The Wolves. Ney York, The Random House Publishing Group, June 1992. 

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The Altar Within: A Radical Devotional Guide to Liberate the Divine Self
by Juliet Diaz

This is THE book. Words cannot begin to explain how much I love this book. The first time I picked it up off the shelf, I sat on the floor and read a few passages like I do most books. My husband calls for my attention, and I look up at him, tears in my eyes. This book reignites a fire within that has been suppressed for far too long. This book is far more than self-help; this book promotes self-activism and self-discovery. I highly recommend this book to people of color, as it decolonizes the self-help movement and dismantles the wellness industry. You will close this book feeling empowered by your ancestors and with a new view on spiritual awakenings. 

Books That MUST Be Read With A Tissue Box

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The Nature of Witches

by Rachel Griffin

How much do I love this book? So much that it inspired my chest tattoo. I tend to avoid fictional fantasy books because they don't pique my interest; I want to attach myself to a character, and our main character, Clara, is astonishing. She is a powerful witch, far more potent than most, and she hates it. Witches in this book are viewed as noble people who aid in the protection and sustainability of our earth. They aid in weather crises after humans have damaged the earth. We see Cara, a stubborn and angry witch, fall in love and learn to use her power for good. This book is heartbreaking, and I couldn't help but sob at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Also, the fact that our main character is QUEER? WOW. 

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Beautiful Boy

by David Sheff 

A single tissue box will not do. Get a pack of four before you start. Just a few days ago I achieved 1,000 days of being sober. At the beginning of my journey, I picked this book straight off the shelf, which has aided me profoundly. The author writes from his life experiences. The words of this book come straight from his life. A father mourning his son who is very much still alive, struggling with a meth addiction. The father falls apart as he tries to pick up his son and aid him in recovery. Please read the trigger warnings before reading this book. 

WTF Did I Just Read Books

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Local Woman Missing
by Mary Kubica

I will be completely transparent here: my husband showed me this book, and I told him, "No, thank you." Fast forward a couple days later, and he can't get his nose out of the book. This is the same man whose attention span lasts for 10-minute intervals. I became immediately interested. I started the book and finished it together. After reading the ending of this book, we looked at each other, looked back at the book, and sat in SILENCE. WTF DID WE JUST READ. The plot twist yanks your heart out of your chest and steps on it.

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Tender Is The Flesh
by Agustina Bazterrica

This has become one of my favorite books. It is one of my top 3, and I will never stop recommending this book to everyone and anyone. This book is a dystopian horror masterpiece. Read along as our main character, Marcos, works at a slaughterhouse. Pigs? Cows? Maybe chicken? No. HUMANS. Humans are bred as "special meat" and found worldwide following a virus that has made all living animals toxic and deadly if consumed. What could possibly go wrong?

SPLATTERPUNK

PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON WHAT THE SPLATTERPUNK GENRE IS. THIS GENRE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. THIS GENRE IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS HYPERINTENSIVE HORROR WITH NO LIMITS. READ ALL THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE PICKING UP ONE OF THESE BOOKS. 

RESEARCH AGAIN AND AGAIN. 

PLAYGROUND
Aron Beauregard

This is the first book that I read in the Splatterpunk genre. I felt sick reading it but couldn't stop. I got attached to so many characters and had them ripped horrifically from me. I consider myself a creepy alternative kind of soul, so I enjoyed the read but understood the triggers entirely. 

OFF SEASON

Jack Ketchum

A classic in the Splatterpunk community. How classic? This book was first released in 1980 and is now privately sold. This book mixes a lonely cabin in the woods and a cannibalistic family. It's a great read just in time for spooky season.