April 17, 2018

Heather Harpham’s Top 5 Inspirational Stories

Heather Harpham, the author of our April Book Pick, has some amazing suggestions for inspirational stories from extraordinary women.

Story By: Heather Harpham

Heather Harpham’s Top 5 Inspirational Stories

Heather Harpham, the author of our April Book Pick, has some amazing suggestions for inspirational stories from extraordinary women. Story By: Heather Harpham

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou

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This memoir reverberates with the exuberance Angelou brought to her young adult life as a performer and single mother, defying expectations and refusing to accept rejection. Her determination to see herself as both fallible and powerfully female is an enduring narrative gift.

Light Can Be Both Wave and Particle by Ellen Gilchrist

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One of the first authors I read compulsively, with razor sharp wit and abundant charm, Gilchrist weaves scientific theory through the personal dilemmas of her characters. In her hands, physics is alive with metaphor and meaning, an unbiased phenomenon that affects everyone equally.”

Strength to Your Sword Arm by Brenda Ueland

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Ueland was born in 1891; her world would be unrecognizable to us, and vice versa. In this collection of writing, she describes her life as an early feminist, devoted journalist and all-around firebrand. Her advice, 127 years after her birth, remains essential and fresh.

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

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Fuller’s depiction of a Rhodesian childhood is astonishing for its total lack of recrimination towards the adults in her world, especially her unstoppable mother. This book is an act of bravery and a testament to one woman’s willingness to look back with an unswerving eye and say what she saw.

The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander

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Alexander spins beauty out of her husband’s sudden death. Left to console their two young sons, she honors their Eritrean father, Ficre, by re-animating her husband’s life. This book is proof that even the most excruciating experience, told with heart and craft, can transform into grace that lingers in the imagination.

Savoring every chapter and sip ✨ Tell us, what’s the perfect book to finish in one weekend? 

📷: @shelfworthywords
“A novel that pulses with love — for community, for family, for the spaces that make us — and sings with every stanza. UNDER THE NEON LIGHTS is a stunning ode to community that I already know I’ll be returning to again and again.” — @byleahjohnson, bestselling author of Stonewall Honor book, You Should See Me in a Crown.

Pre-order a copy now from our incredible LitUp author, @arriwrites at the link in bio.
"I’ve read (and watched) Pride and Prejudice more times than I could count, so I went into this with high expectations. Fans of the original will delight in this one which essentially takes the story and updates it with celebrities, influencers, Hollywood and a tiny town in Australia." ✨

📷+💬: @picturebookplaydate
Turning the page on a new week with some great reads 📚 What's on your TBR this week?
The readers have spoken and Great Big Beautiful Life is a favorite!
Taking notes on exclusive writing tips from the Romance Queen herself, @emilyhenrywrites.
"I always had the sensation of being very small in a world that was humming with life and filled with mysteries... This idea of parallel or mirror worlds — servants and masters, locals and foreigners, the living jungle and the civilized houses — filled me with curiosity."

Escape into The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo for a taste of adventure this morning ✨
"There’s just something so comforting about picking up a favourite book. And somehow, even though you know it so well, it can still captivate you and move you to tears." 💙

📷+💬: @books_onmymind
"It’s not a love story in the traditional sense. It’s an ode: to growth, to grief, to longing, to resilience. To the versions of ourselves we leave behind and the ones we fight to become."

📷+💬: @whatalexreadss
Because some stories never go out of style ✨📖 @ednahi shares some of her all time favorite reads. What is your go-to classic novel?