With many of us still recovering from 2020, we could all use some inspiration right about now.
For me, I find a lot of inspiration from books. From tales of overcoming great struggles to powerful quotes, they can provide some motivation.
So here are a few books that have inspired me. Hopefully, they can do the same for you!
Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide
Part memoir, part True Crime and part self-help. Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide has it all.
This book was written by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The duo behind the popular podcast, My Favourite Murder. They share stories, advice and even a few laughs.
Since reading Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered I have taken the advice I read to heart. The main one for me is “f*ck politeness”. I have in the past let people get away with saying hurtful or demeaning things to me.
I let them because I didn’t want to seem rude. So I bit my tongue. Not anymore.
Thank you, Karen and Georgia for teaching me that I am under no obligation to be nice to those who don’t show me the same courtesy.
The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective: Secrets and Lies in the Golden Age of Crime
Reading about incredible people is inspirational for me.
The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective: Secrets and Lies in the Golden Age of Crime by Susannah Stapleton is a biography about, well Maud West.
This book doesn’t get talked about a lot, nor Maud herself which is a crying shame. Maud was an amazing woman who lived a pretty intriguing life during the Golden Age of Crime.
Dare I say, she is a forgotten icon.
This book also talks about other amazing women who paved the way for us today. It isn’t just inspirational, but I found myself feeling grateful for all I benefit from today thanks to women like Maud.
Watership Down
Bet you didn’t expect a book about bunnies dying on this list.
But I do find Watership Down by Richard Adams oddly motivating. It’s a beautiful bittersweet book that deserves all the praise it gets. It isn’t just about the struggle of survival and death, but of working together for the greater good. A lesson we should keep in our hearts this year.
I keep a list of quotes that stick with me, nothing on that list (so far, prove me wrong 2021) hits as hard as this quote from the book.
“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”
“But first they much catch you”. It’s become a bit of a mantra for me. It seems that this phase has the same power for others too.
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius, known as “the wise and considered one of the “Five Good Emperors” of Rome wrote personal thinking exercises back in his time.
Centuries later his philosophy, challenging spiritual reflections and exercises are read by thousands.
His thoughts continue to inspire modern readers and philosophers to this day. In fact, quite a few of his pearls of wisdom can be applied to 21st Century life.
It is more than worth a read!
Nerd Rambles 
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