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I usually read several books each year but last year I didn’t. I stuck with only 5 books for the whole year. Which is what makes each of them the best books read in 2019. There are a few reasons for only reading a few books, which I’ll mention briefly.

2019 Completed A Vision & Restarted A New Life

First, I finally released the highly anticipated Be Solid: How To Go Through Hell & Come Out Whole. It was a 2.5 year journey from early drafts to indie publishing. Lots of revisions, proof-reading, early reader feedback and so forth. The purpose of Be Solid is to help people heal from personal loss and self-doubt.

My personal loss was the end of my 12 year marriage. It included rejection, abandonment, and betrayal. It was gut-wrenching. And the healing journey required me to work on my heart, mind, spirit, and body.

Be Solid is about that journey. It’s a guidebook to real, transformational healing. If you’ve lost a relationship or experienced a death, this book will give you peace and hope. It shows you practical steps to heal yourself and live as a whole person.

I learned in my heartbreak that I didn’t know how to love myself.  That’s my story. You can have peace, love, and happiness by reading this book.

You’re worth fighting for! Relationships are worth fighting for. Love is worth fighting for. This book will empower you to love yourself in ways you never have and heal you from deep emotional wounds. You’ll be able to overcome personal struggles and conquer any challenge you’ll face.

be solid is changing lives healing heartbreak emotional pain relationships divorce

It’s like having me coach you on paper. And if you want that personal connection to help you go through the Be Solid method, send an email to me now at [email protected]. I’d love to talk with you and be in your corner.

Jumping Into Real Change & Growth

Second, I’ve been doing a LOT of meditation over the past 6 months. Which means I’ve spent a lot of time by myself in a very quiet space doing nothing but breathing. And emptying my mind. It’s one of the reasons I have more peace now than ever before. There’s a very spiritual side to this and I’ll mention more of that below in the books section.

Lastly, I realized that while I was reading so much and taking notes, I wasn’t implementing all those tools into my life. The purpose of reading the books I read (nonfiction, self-help, personal transformation) is to grow.

You have to put things into place and work through a system for it to make changes. Change doesn’t often happen quickly. Consistency is key. If I jump from one self-help/growth book to the next, I don’t get myself the chance to fully utilize the tools I gained. Which is a self-defeating thing.

All of this is why there are so few books in my reading list from 2019. At the same time, each of these books profoundly impacted and changed my life.

Best Books Read In 2019

best books 2019 d grant reading list

The Beauty Of Powerful Storytelling

I do like fiction. But most novels are longer than self-help books. However, as a storyteller in my speaking, I take notes on great storytelling in books. In 2019 I read a little fiction from one of the best storytellers on earth, Paolo Coelho.

One of his books is now in my top 3 favorite books of all time. The Alchemist tells the journey we’re all on to find our personal success. I could easily put myself in the shepherd boy’s shoes. And  gave me a picture of how True Love comes into being. I’m a deeply romantic person (see the poetry books below) and this book has one of the best romantic narratives there is. I underlined and wrote in the margins of this one. It’s what I’m giving away to friends for gifts now. That’s how you know it’s one of my favorites (remember The Art Of Asking a few years ago?).

Connecting With God As Love

I’m a very spiritual person. I’m not a very religious person. God is Love. I call God by that name. Almighty Love talks with me daily. Much of my spiritual resurgence came from reading Conversations With God (book 1) by Neale Donald Walsch. I connected with LOVE in a more profound way than ever before after reading this. It reignited my relationship with God in powerful and profound ways.

It’s in our nature and how we are made to be spiritual. It’s a part of our DNA. Whether you go to church or not doesn’t matter. LOVE is the maker of all life and is constantly giving. Therefore, connecting with LOVE is how you live your best life.

Similarly if you’ve struggled with connecting with God from a sense of guilt or shame, read Conversations With God. If you’ve been struggling for years and think God is to blame, read this book.

For instance, I had some very tough and angry conversations with God while reading this book. I needed to let what was inside me out because I’d suppressed my pain for so long. Learn how God actually thinks of you with this book. Because God as LOVE does speak powerfully here. It’s transformational.

Overcoming Lifelong Shame & Guilt

Speaking of shame and guilt, Brene Brown is one of the best leaders in the world in healing from these two pains. Shame and guilt were lifelong struggles for me, exacerbated heavily after divorce. Shame causes silence. It makes you feel like you can’t speak. Shame brings self-judgement. We end up condemning ourselves.

I struggled with shame my whole life, in part due to my religious background. I love churches and am appreciative of the great leaders, pastors and teachers I’ve been blessed with. But church is one of the biggest sources of shame and guilt. Which is the opposite of the message of Jesus. The whole concept of sin as a separator from God put a mindset of “not good enough” in me from a young age. God is Love and Love doesn’t operate from judgement or condemnation. Love operates from acceptance, blessing, and peace.

Has shame or guilt been a struggle for you? It doesn’t have to be. Brene showed me a path towards healing from feelings of shame and self-rejection in The Gifts Of Imperfection. This is a self-help and relationship building book.

We carry shame with us into our relationships, impacting how we communicate and build trust. I didn’t realize all the ways that shame had negatively impacted me and my connections with people. This book gave me tools to heal and perspective to embrace my story more powerfully.

Creating The Life Of Your Dreams

In my journey of healing, I’ve read a lot of material on changing from unhealthy mindsets to loving mindsets. Spirituality is a part of this journey too. Neale Donald Walsh’s book helped here. So did Abraham Hick’s Ask And It Is Given.

I’ve gained powerful journaling tools to create the life of my dreams which includes new opportunities for growth and success every day. We create our reality. It’s the power of our minds and emotions.

If you haven’t heard Abraham (Esther) speak, go to her Youtube channel and spend some time there. It will change you.

Poetry Is The Language Of The Soul

Lastly, I’ve become a big fan of poetry. One other thing I did in 2019 was write creatively for myself and a few very special people. I wrote a lot of poems. And I wrote a few short stories. I gave the people I love the most original (unpublished) short stories for Christmas. It feels good to share the love of words and storytelling with the people you love the most.

One of my dear friends Rowen Bridler’s Love Poems For People Who Don’t Like Being In Love was one poetry book I read in 2019. It’s a very vulnerable and honest look at her relationships. Ultimately, Rowen is a romantic like I am. But not everything that happens in relationships is romantic. Especially when they end. Her book of poetry tells the heart story of the beginning and end of romance. It’s emotional and human. And beautiful. If you like real, honest poetry I highly recommend it.

Technically, this would be six books but it’s worth noting on the subject of poetry. I found Amid Thirsty Vines by Alfa at a book store and loved the love poems in it. It got me writing love poems again. Sometimes you just need a little inspiration and push to reignite a fire in you for creativity. And passion. This book and Rowen’s Love Poems did that for me.

Share Your Book List & Get More Out Of Mine

What about you? What books did you read in 2019 that changed your life? Please share. I am reading more this year and am focused on getting finished with 3 in January 2020. I’ve got 1 to go to reach that goal.

Comment and share what you’re reading and why you recommend it. I’m open to all genres. I want to diversify my book palette this year.

And if you haven’t read Be Solid yet, what are you waiting for? You’re already here where it’s at. I’ll send you an autographed copy with a personal note written just for you. Amazon can’t give you that (which is why there’s not an amazon link to my book here on this site).

But I can here. It’s on sale now only right here.

Looking forward to hearing from you!