Ever since I was about 10 and climbed upon a chair to dig into my grandparents’ bookshelves I am a passionate reader. Rarely there is a day in which I don’t carry a book in my bag. I have gotten quite a few weird looks from security guards at clubs – sadly none of them asked what the book is about and if I recommend it…

But for real – each of the books below really made a difference and has a role in who I am today. Of course, I can list a lot more than just 5, but this is a carefully made selection.

Here we go.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing | Marie Kondo

When I was growing up and shared a room with my sister, we had an extra bed in our room. The constant guest who settled there was actually “the mountain” and no, not the guy from Game of Thrones, but a huge pile of stuff. At that point, I blamed it on my sister (sorry, sis) – in front of my parents and myself. Although it was a lot of fun to gather the clothes on top of “the mountain” and jump in them, I actually didn’t like our third roomie.

But when I finally got a room of my own my lies shined through – my room was just as messy as the shared one. I was very disappointed with myself and struggled for years to be a tidy person, but my messiness won every time. Until one day I really had enough, bought Marie Kondo’s book and rolled up my sleeves.

Mrs Kondo promises and delivers. Three 100L bags of clothes for donating and three more for the trash later I was a new person. More importantly, my old habits never returned and now I proudly call myself a tidy person. Marie Kondo’s method just works and that’s that.

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ | Giulia Enders

Did you know that gut bacteria is linked to depression? And that some scientists call the gut our “second brain”? It was all new to me when reading Giulia Enders’ book. Besides the absolutely groundbreaking (to me) insight on the functions of our gut the book taught me much about health in general. One quote I will always remember is about holding in farts and goes something like: “Are social norms and image more important than your health?”. I am not saying now I fart on every occasion, but it really got me thinking.

On top of all the immensely valuable information the book contains also adorable illustrations! I didn’t expect to enjoy them as much as I did, but there I was smiling ear to ear at silly drawings of human intestines.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment | Eckhart Tolle

If I asked you what happened last time you rode the bus home, would you be able to tell me? You could blame it on the passage of time or your bad memory, but honestly – were you even there? We actually spend an awful lot of time physically present but actually in our heads. No one explains better why you should be present in the now and how to achieve it than Eckhart Tolle.

To be honest I had trouble with this book. It was the first that introduced me to the idea of the ego and boy did I not like it. I literally closed the book only to pick it up agian months after having realized he was absolutely right.

The Life of Hunger | Amélie Nothomb

I have always been a very ambitious and goal-oriented person. So at one point, I started asking myself if it is a good investment of time for me to read as much fiction novels as I do. I was feeling guilty that I could have been reading non-fiction books and acquiring new skills, instead of consuming made up stories for fun. Then the brilliant Amélie Nothomb entered my life with her incredible novels which are all masterpieces. This book was like a slap in the face by a goddess in whose realm I dared not to believe.

My love for all things she has written is so deep that I will say just one more thing here: Words were invented so that one day Amélie can use them to tell stories.

How to Win Friends & Influence People | Dale Carnegie

For sure you have heard of this book or saw it on numerous bestseller lists. If you are thinking – “well this title is a turn-off” – you are not alone. But if you get over it and dig in you will very soon get it why this book is such a bestseller for like a whole decade.

The structure of the content of the book is great, Dale Carnegie gives many great examples to illustrate his premises so you can’t miss his point. And most of his insights are actually really REALLY simple – they are a matter of basic understanding of human nature and well, a lot of patience and ability to calm your temper. But it is sooo worth it. I have personally tested techniques from the book and integrated them in my life

Have you read these books? I would love to hear your opinion on them and get some recommendations about books that changed you! Leave a comment below or contact me via email or social media.

Featured photo by Photo by Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash.