"An ocean can fall on your head, but if your pipes are only as large as a drinking straw, you might get a teacup full. Grace is constantly raining on you, so ask not for more Grace, but for larger pipes. Divine Openings expands your pipes." Lola Jones
Book Suggestions
You won't see many spiritual books, for several reasons:
The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs. This is his funniest one. A. J. takes on various experiments, each for one month, like Radical Honesty, living strictly rationally, impersonating a movie star, oursourcing everything to India including fights with his wife, then, last, to thank his wife for putting up with all this--doing everything his wife wants for a month. It's surprisingly wise as well as outrageously funny, and he learns unexpected things. He has a real desire to live a better life that comes out here.
The Year Of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Having grown up as a Secular Jew, he realizes he has a God shaped hole in his heart, so he decides to explore religion, and it turns out to be hilariously entertaining. What better way than to live the Bible literally for one entire year. He lives it to the letter, from don't eat fruit from a tree planted less than five years ago, to "not shaving the edges of his beard" to stoning adulterers (with a pebble). He grows his beard and wears robes. He stops at the ones that are illegal, like kill magicians, destroy idols, and sacrifice oxen. I laughed right out loud at this book.
Anything by humorist Dave Barry - hilarious. My favorites are Dave Barry Slept Here, Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up, and Dave Barry Talks Back.
Nora Roberts novels. Anything from the late eighties onward is good. My favorites are the supernaturally fun and exciting Circle trilogy, The Three Fates, the Brides Quartet, and the ones set in Ireland. I don't like her murder mysteries - too dark. Read the liner notes.
All Janet Evanovich's novels. If you like to laugh out loud and can handle some raunchy language at times, here's your girl. Her numbered Stephanie Plum series has kept me up late many a night, and made airline flights fun. People do wonder why I am laughing uncontrollably in public places. But is that due to Janet or Divine Openings?
Seabiscuit - Fiction could not be any more amazing than this historically accurate book.
It's even better than the movie, and the movie was great. You don't have to be into horses to love this.
Bob Newhart - I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This. Real life stories from his experience as a comedian.
Betty White - The comedienne and actress shares stories from her long and full life in show biz. She loves her work.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Brilliant work of psychological fiction that will have you thinking about all the things we talk about in Divine Openings from a new perspective. What if aliens took over the bodies of all humans, except a few who had evaded them? What if the aliens created a peaceful society, with no war, crime, or disease, but no individuality or free will? Would that be "good"? You won't want it to end. Her Twilight book series is also full of addictive page-turners, although the movies have sucked. I read all four books, but will now skip the movies.
The Gift, the work of Hafiz, the Great Sufi Master, translated by Daniel Ladinsky. A must have book for your coffee table or night stand. Hafiz was enlightened, funny, wise, and irreverent. He was a 13th century mystic, poet, teacher, and drunk-on-God lover of The Divine. Any of Hafiz's other works is good, but this is the best, and Daniel's translations make it very accessible to us with modern language.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. My favorite epic story and movie of all time. Dead-on insight into people, set in the old west, with the most believable and beloved set of characters ever. I've watched the movie 7 times.
Journey Into Nature and Journey Into Oneness by Michael Raods (he's an Aussie). I read them about 8 times over 12 years. They're the only books I can say that about. Animal lovers will absolutely freak out over Journey Into Nature. Those who like the more cosmic experiences will delight in Oneness. He's the real deal. I know another famous teacher who knows him. But don't expect to have his experiences. Each of us has unique ones.
The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell
This man is very awake, and is now married to Byron Katie. He confirms what many of us have always known: that the Bible has gone through too many translations and political/religious distortions. He pares all that away, leaving only Jesus's most authentic teachings and a wealth of commentary from other ancient traditions.
Ask And It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks
This couple and their channeling of Abraham were some of my most important teachers. Divine Openings adds an element of Grace to it that means we don't have to do it all ourselves, but their work really is fabulous. It's some of the most accurate, high vibration, and clear stuff out there.
Pronoia Is The Antidote To Paranoia by Rob Breszny
Funny, smart, genius Rob is wildy wise, and completely original. It's a bit racy and raunchy, so this is not for the conservative.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
A classic handbook to understand how your feelings and thoughts affect your body. But then you want to move beyond using someone else's dictionary and learn to "read" your own body intuitively. (I don't like the term "heal" for anything except physical healing. Your LIFE doesn't need healing, it just needs you to remember who you are. But maybe your body does need your help in allowing it to relax and heal.)
The Field, by Lynn McTaggart. We use this one in Jumping The Matrix. When you read it without taking Jumping The Matrix, you'll get a flavor for what is possible, but the book alone won't tell you how to DO those things. Read it, then come Jump The Matrix with us after you've done L1 and L2.
The Holographic Universe, by Michael Talbot
Also recommended in Jumping The Matrix. Read at your leisure, lightly. You don't have to "learn it". Just be inspired and expand your sense of what is possible. Then come Jump The Matrix with us.
My Stroke of Insight, by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She had a stroke and became enlightened. This is fabulous. She contacted me to trade books right before she got really famous and busy and appeared on Oprah.
Russell Martin's books. I love all of my soul mate's writings. Some are out of print but you may find them used on Amazon. The Sorrow of Archeology, Boxing For Cuba, Beethoven's Hair, Picasso's War, and Beautiful Islands are the ones I've read so far.
- If you read the books I read, you'll be reading for entertainment and enjoyment, or just a little inspiration.
- I rarely read spiritual books anymore, because I'm not seeking, so I find most of them boring. There are a few exceptions, which you'll see below. Once you're free, such writings are pleasantly confirming rather than something to grasp at.
The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs. This is his funniest one. A. J. takes on various experiments, each for one month, like Radical Honesty, living strictly rationally, impersonating a movie star, oursourcing everything to India including fights with his wife, then, last, to thank his wife for putting up with all this--doing everything his wife wants for a month. It's surprisingly wise as well as outrageously funny, and he learns unexpected things. He has a real desire to live a better life that comes out here.
The Year Of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Having grown up as a Secular Jew, he realizes he has a God shaped hole in his heart, so he decides to explore religion, and it turns out to be hilariously entertaining. What better way than to live the Bible literally for one entire year. He lives it to the letter, from don't eat fruit from a tree planted less than five years ago, to "not shaving the edges of his beard" to stoning adulterers (with a pebble). He grows his beard and wears robes. He stops at the ones that are illegal, like kill magicians, destroy idols, and sacrifice oxen. I laughed right out loud at this book.
Anything by humorist Dave Barry - hilarious. My favorites are Dave Barry Slept Here, Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up, and Dave Barry Talks Back.
Nora Roberts novels. Anything from the late eighties onward is good. My favorites are the supernaturally fun and exciting Circle trilogy, The Three Fates, the Brides Quartet, and the ones set in Ireland. I don't like her murder mysteries - too dark. Read the liner notes.
All Janet Evanovich's novels. If you like to laugh out loud and can handle some raunchy language at times, here's your girl. Her numbered Stephanie Plum series has kept me up late many a night, and made airline flights fun. People do wonder why I am laughing uncontrollably in public places. But is that due to Janet or Divine Openings?
Seabiscuit - Fiction could not be any more amazing than this historically accurate book.
It's even better than the movie, and the movie was great. You don't have to be into horses to love this.
Bob Newhart - I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This. Real life stories from his experience as a comedian.
Betty White - The comedienne and actress shares stories from her long and full life in show biz. She loves her work.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Brilliant work of psychological fiction that will have you thinking about all the things we talk about in Divine Openings from a new perspective. What if aliens took over the bodies of all humans, except a few who had evaded them? What if the aliens created a peaceful society, with no war, crime, or disease, but no individuality or free will? Would that be "good"? You won't want it to end. Her Twilight book series is also full of addictive page-turners, although the movies have sucked. I read all four books, but will now skip the movies.
The Gift, the work of Hafiz, the Great Sufi Master, translated by Daniel Ladinsky. A must have book for your coffee table or night stand. Hafiz was enlightened, funny, wise, and irreverent. He was a 13th century mystic, poet, teacher, and drunk-on-God lover of The Divine. Any of Hafiz's other works is good, but this is the best, and Daniel's translations make it very accessible to us with modern language.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. My favorite epic story and movie of all time. Dead-on insight into people, set in the old west, with the most believable and beloved set of characters ever. I've watched the movie 7 times.
Journey Into Nature and Journey Into Oneness by Michael Raods (he's an Aussie). I read them about 8 times over 12 years. They're the only books I can say that about. Animal lovers will absolutely freak out over Journey Into Nature. Those who like the more cosmic experiences will delight in Oneness. He's the real deal. I know another famous teacher who knows him. But don't expect to have his experiences. Each of us has unique ones.
The Gospel According to Jesus by Stephen Mitchell
This man is very awake, and is now married to Byron Katie. He confirms what many of us have always known: that the Bible has gone through too many translations and political/religious distortions. He pares all that away, leaving only Jesus's most authentic teachings and a wealth of commentary from other ancient traditions.
Ask And It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks
This couple and their channeling of Abraham were some of my most important teachers. Divine Openings adds an element of Grace to it that means we don't have to do it all ourselves, but their work really is fabulous. It's some of the most accurate, high vibration, and clear stuff out there.
Pronoia Is The Antidote To Paranoia by Rob Breszny
Funny, smart, genius Rob is wildy wise, and completely original. It's a bit racy and raunchy, so this is not for the conservative.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
A classic handbook to understand how your feelings and thoughts affect your body. But then you want to move beyond using someone else's dictionary and learn to "read" your own body intuitively. (I don't like the term "heal" for anything except physical healing. Your LIFE doesn't need healing, it just needs you to remember who you are. But maybe your body does need your help in allowing it to relax and heal.)
The Field, by Lynn McTaggart. We use this one in Jumping The Matrix. When you read it without taking Jumping The Matrix, you'll get a flavor for what is possible, but the book alone won't tell you how to DO those things. Read it, then come Jump The Matrix with us after you've done L1 and L2.
The Holographic Universe, by Michael Talbot
Also recommended in Jumping The Matrix. Read at your leisure, lightly. You don't have to "learn it". Just be inspired and expand your sense of what is possible. Then come Jump The Matrix with us.
My Stroke of Insight, by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She had a stroke and became enlightened. This is fabulous. She contacted me to trade books right before she got really famous and busy and appeared on Oprah.
Russell Martin's books. I love all of my soul mate's writings. Some are out of print but you may find them used on Amazon. The Sorrow of Archeology, Boxing For Cuba, Beethoven's Hair, Picasso's War, and Beautiful Islands are the ones I've read so far.
That's about all I've read in the last ten years. I reread my book a lot.
Enjoy!
