Books That Healed Me
- Megan Noel Opava
- Jun 29, 2024
- 5 min read
1. The Secrets We Carry by Megan Noel Opava (psychological thriller)
This is the book I wrote about my time in a church turned cult in high school. All these memories and feelings I had forgotten about were dredged up. People messaged me from that ‘church’ with their stories. I worked through a lot of trauma. At the same time I got to turn it into this speculative nightmare fictional story for how it felt to be there.
2. Prey Without Ceasing by Andrew Franks (religious horror)
5 stars
How it feels growing up in religiously. Trauma brought to life with biblical monsters and nightmares turned into reality. Good vs. Evil
3. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (dark literature)
5+ stars
A girl is sent to a psychiatric hospital. Her struggles to acclimate to the world. A growth story. Heart breaking. I cried. Authentic. Raw. Beautiful.
4. Where the Crawdad’s Sing by Delia Owens (literature)
5 stars
A little girl raising herself in the swamps of North Carolina. Her family abandons her. Solace in the birds and the dirt beneath her feet. Beautiful. Romantic. Tragedy. Hopefulness.
5. Cultish by Amanda Montell (nonfiction journalism)
5 stars
Validating. Written by the daughter of a former cult member. Dives into cults from religious ones to multilevel marketing to workouts and more. The highest risk factor for someone joining is being a dreamer.
6. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga (nonfiction philosophy)
5++ stars
It’s no one’s responsibility to live up to other people’s expectations of them. A nonfiction dive into the philosophical thought behind Adlerian Psychology. Marked a huge change in many perspectives for me.
7. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (nonfiction memoir)
5+ stars
We’ve all been manipulated and lied to from the media. Her time being imprisoned and controlled underneath her court ordered conservator. Empowering. Enraging. Moving. Her innocence and believing people are ultimately good only to get hurt. Excellent audiobook.
8. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
How our lives and what we believe we can do, our worth, and how we should behave is built from agreements we made with the world around us. Reevaluating those. Being truthful not just to others, but yourself. Don’t take anything personally. Everyone’s reactions are only going by what they know. Don’t make assumptions. Life’s a lot easier when you take everything at face value. Always do your best. This book is short, accessible, and could change the world. This is a book you can easily find at any thrift store.
9. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
Being in the now, being mindful. Eastern, mostly western philosophy. How do you forgive the unforgivable? How do you rid yourself of anxiety? How do you feel inner peace? For forgiveness it’s when you have peace within yourself and you have no animosity or wish any ill will even if you couldn’t ever morally agree and don’t want to be around the persons. We energize people’s positions by opposing them. Must lead through example. Stand up for what’s right, but also be aware of the outcome if you use your voice. Anything bad that happens in your life use it as a tool for enlightenment.
10. Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
Finding inner peace and happiness. The best thing you can do for others and the world as a whole is radiating peace and staying calm even when storms are raging. Question your knowledge with great fervor. Until you hammer it, squish it, bend it, drill it, slam it apart then can you be mostly sure. If we hold onto knowledge too intensely then we won’t see the truth when it’s literally knocking on our door. If we believe we’re on the last rung of a ladder then we can climb no further. Nothing is personal. People, often peaceful people, can serve as a mirror to other people. Take this and apply it to everyone. Non-duality. When we feel anger we are also anger. We must not say or do anything while angry, but acknowledge it, feel it, and let it go. We cannot be gentle with others until we’re gentle with ourselves. We must look at others with compassion. This doesn’t mean your better than nor are you saying what they do is okay. You go into it with nonviolence and compassion.
11. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa (nonfiction philosophy)
5+ stars
It can be egotistical to try to rid ourselves of our ego if we’re not careful. Spirituality and meditation isn’t something to ‘get’ or achieve. Often we’re so concerned with what we’ll get out of an operation that we forget to notice the doctor. Only once our knowledge has been beaten, pressed, hammered, chiseled, and carved away then can we wear it as jewelry. Don’t put people on pedestals. People come to seeking spiritualism with preconceived notions. We must rid ourselves of these. Whatever your feeling towards your guru is your own feelings. I can apply this to others as well. All things can become the guru. We can learn something from everything. View the lure of temptation as sacred. A time to test yourself and transcend. Don’t try to recreate a past experience or you’ll miss out on life. Have them as they come. Unmasking. It’s easy to undress ourselves in a private room, but difficult in front of people. You must make a friendship with yourself. You’re not open when you try to prove something. Have a sense of humor. Notice the absurdity in the world and chuckle. Simplicity and purpose fullness is important to live everyday.
12. Taming the Tiger Within by Thich Nhat Hanh (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
If every single person read this book the book would be a better place. Where anger comes from, how to deal with it properly, the toxicity and manipulation of expressing your anger towards others, how not to suppress it, and finding peace. When your house is burning down you don’t run after the arsonist to prove something or tell them they did wrong. No, you put the fire out in your own house. Apply this to your anger.
13. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh (nonfiction philosophy)
The best thing we can do for the world is to be at peace within ourselves. Interruptions and annoyance like sirens and red lights can be helpful reminders to return to the breath and center ourselves. Full of helpful exercises in ridding anxiety and finding inner calm. The art of transformation instead of just throwing the parts we don’t like about ourselves away.
14. The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People by Shahida Arabi, MA (nonfiction psychology)
5+ stars
Eye opening, terrifying, nerve wracking, disbelief, empowering, confidence, and love. The different levels from benign to narcissists to full on sociopaths. What to look out for and how to safely exit from their lives. How toxic people retaliate and spread smear campaigns, abandon loved ones during important life moments, silencing their victims, stalking, and sabotaging. Teaches you how to use your sensitivity as a strength and light in the world instead of a weakness. You’ll end the book feeling confident and well equipped.
With all my book recommendations, please check any trigger warnings if you need to. Some of these books are extreme! Even the books that aren’t marked extreme can still contain material some readers wouldn’t want to experience. Thank you so much for reading my blog! If you enjoy my work please consider using one of the links on my website next time you make a purchase on Amazon as I make a tiny commission each time. Subscribe on the home page to be notified when I write new blogs.
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