I am at a crossroads in life. I am not old, I have no major decisions to make. I am not financially comfortable but I am no longer impoverished. I have been sober from alcohol for over two years and now about a month sober from all substances.
This has resulted in me realizing: I’ve never known who or what I am. I’m 30, queer, and I’ve only ever enjoyed reading & writing. I am on a self discovery journey. It’s startling to realize I’m only 15 years younger than when one of parents died. Yet, I’ve never developed routines, coping mechanisms, discipline let alone hobbies. I want to learn who and what I am so I continue to grow, not just age. Then, once I know who & what I am, I can be me: fully and unapologetically.
The place I find myself is emotionally painful, yet it’s full of optimism. I am blessed with community yet feel very isolated.
So what books, fiction or nonfiction would you recommend to somebody at a crossroads in life or is seeking true self discovery?
Books I’ve read and loved within the last couple years:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Letters on the Shortness of Life by Seneca
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
Just Kids by Patti Smith
East of Eden & Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou
Nearly half of James Baldwin’s bibliography, favorites being Giovanni’s Room, Another Country, and The Fire Next Time.
Tl;DR: Books for self discovery or being at a crossroads, fiction or non fiction. See books above I’ve already read
by justathrowawayforth
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Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Think like a Monk
Let Them Theory
Into Thin Air
The Four Agreements
The Guncle
The House in the Cerulean Sea and sequel
The Midnight Library
Before the Coffee gets Cold
The Five People you Meet in Heaven
My Friends, Fredrik Backman
Tuesdays with Morrie
Flowers for Algernon
“Designing Your Life” is an excellent book about figuring out how to design the life you want. Some of the exercises may help you figure things out.
The Stranger – Camus
The Ambassadors, by Henry James. Perfectly captures the terror and freedom of finding yourself turning into a different person well into your adulthood.
Broken open