Life changing books

If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ll know I love reading. Every phase of my life has had a “deep dive” into books, and the ones I’m sharing today have truly shaped me in profound ways.

👉 You can also watch the full video where I talk through each of these books here: Books That Changed My Life on YouTube.

Before we dive in, a little disclaimer: when I say life-changing, it doesn’t mean I agreed with every single sentence. Some of these books I return to again and again, others I pulled just one or two powerful insights from. But even those single takeaways stayed with me and shifted how I live, relate, and make choices.

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Here’s my list of books that changed my life:

1. Nonviolent Communication — Marshall Rosenberg

I originally picked this up to improve my negotiation skills as an Employment Relations practitioner, but instead it changed how I understood empathy. For the first time, I learned how to listen deeply — to myself and others — and to see the feelings and needs beneath words. This book taught me that what others do can stimulate my feelings, but they aren’t the cause of them. It gave me tools to make real requests (not disguised demands) and helped me show up more fully with my husband, parents, child, and even myself. I’ve read it many times, and it’s still number one on my list.

2. How to Heal Your Metabolism — Kate Deering

I’ve been health-conscious for a few years and read many health books, but I am not necessarily interested in reading nutrition facts. This book gave me a clear, plain-language summary of ways to be healthier. It pulled together so much of what I’d read before in one accessible, practical book. Out of all the health books I’ve read, this is the one I recommend most often.

3. Die Wise — Stephen Jenkinson

This is not light reading — but it’s unforgettable. Jenkinson worked with people who were dying, and this book is about what it means to die well. It pushed me to confront our death-phobic culture, the rituals we’ve lost, and the ways we trade quality of life for more time without asking what we’ll do with that time. It’s not a “feel-good” book, but it has shaped how I think about grief, life, and choices. I recommend the audiobook to hear him narrate it.

4. In the Flo — Alisa Vitti

While I don’t agree with everything in this book, it was the first time I really understood how profoundly hormones shape our energy, focus, cravings, and moods throughout the cycle. Living in sync with my cycle transformed my productivity and well-being — to the point where I was able to come off medication I thought I’d need for the rest of my life.

5. Taking Charge of Your Fertility — Toni Weschler

This is the textbook of cycle tracking. I used it to avoid pregnancy, then to conceive, then to avoid again, and then to conceive again — all very intentionally. If you want to understand your cycle in depth, this is an invaluable resource.

6. Mating in Captivity — Esther Perel

On the surface, this is about the erotic life of monogamous couples, but really it’s a book about relationships. I took lessons not just for marriage, but for work and friendships too. It helped me rethink expectations of my spouse (and others), patterns in relationships, and the importance of autonomy. One of the big takeaways for me: when we avoid difficult conversations, we trade short-term discomfort for long-term dysfunction.

7. The Art of Living — Thich Nhat Hanh

This book came to me at the right time — during immigration limbo and recurrent miscarriages. It reminded me that peace and happiness aren’t things we wait for; they’re practices. If we want peace, we have to practice peace. A deeply grounding book for moments of suffering.

8. Man’s Search for Meaning & Yes to Life in Spite of Everything — Viktor Frankl

Frankl’s work is famous for a reason. His message that we cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response, has stayed with me for years. These books are short but powerful reminders that meaning can be found in the darkest situations.

9. When the Body Says No — Gabor Maté & The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk

Both books explore how trauma and stress manifest in the body. Gabor Maté’s book raised my awareness of how physical illness can be the body’s way of saying “no,” while The Body Keeps the Score dives into trauma healing. It’s heavy at times, but incredibly important reading.

10. The Alchemist — Paulo Coelho

I read this after I quit my job with no plan, but then life beautifully unfolded in ways I could not have imaged - my own Alchemist story (as I call it). This short, poetic story is one I return to again and again, and it always offers me something new.

11. Who Moved My Cheese? & Out of the Maze — Spencer Johnson

These classics are about change — why it’s hard, why we resist it, and how letting go of old beliefs can open up new paths. They’re short, simple reads, but worth revisiting often.

Final Thoughts

These books cover everything from communication, relationships, and health to grief, meaning, and change. Some are light, some are heavy, but all of them shaped the way I live today.

If you’d like to hear me talk more personally about what I took from each one, check out my video here: Books That Changed My Life on YouTube.

📖 On my blog, you’ll also find book lists on parenting, relationships, pregnancy, women’s health, and more — and I keep adding as I read.

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Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend books and products I truly love and have personally found valuable.