Another passionate reader!

Christina is passionate about her books.  Thanks, Christina, for sharing some of your favourites:

"Trixie Belden" and "Nancy Drew" series

I can't say how many times I read every book in both series, between the ages of 10 and 14.  What I love about these books was that the protagonist was a feisty, clever young lady.  I think these books helped me through adolescence, providing me with excellent role models: females who were intrigued by mysterious happenings; could solve their own (and other's) problems; faced adversity with great bravery, and were generally wholesome.

"On The Road" by Jack Kerouac
This book undid my conformist thinking (cultivated from three years of studying business and economics) in about 3 days flat!  It woke me up, caused me to crave adventure, invited me to think deeply and stunned me with the beauty of language in a way that no other book ever had.  It gave me insight into my own parent's nomadic existence prior to my birth and in my formative years.  It reminded me that relationships with everyone we meet contain magic, but also that the smallest thing, when noticed intimately, also possesses magic.  This book made me want to live, really live, at a time when I had forgotten that life was for living.

 "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston 
This book had a huge impact on my life.  It caused me to reflect on why I held on to things, and how to let them go.  I spent the better part of a year clearing out our house, throwing out junk and things I did not use or love.  This book has had a far-reaching impact - not only on my spending and acquiring habits, but also in the realm of my behaviour.  Because of this book, I began observing my own habits of holding onto mental clutter, in the form of thoughts and habits that did not serve me, and I embarked on a journey of 'letting go' of that which did not serve me conceptually.


Honourable mentions:

"The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay
"The Places that Scare You" by Pema Chodron
"The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz
"Why People Don't Heal and How They Can" by Caroline Myss