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In an effort to inject some positivity into my daily mindset and the online world I have created a Daily Gratitude Challenge and I am inviting everyone to participate. If you have missed my introductory post that explains the challenge and maps out the daily post schedule, visit here.

Day 8 of the Daily Gratitude Challenge is all about the books that you are grateful to have read. I used to be a prolific reader, working my way through at least one book a week. However, blogging and social media management means that, while I spend a lot my of my time reading, none of it is actually within a book format.

The books that have inspired me generally don’t often appear in round-ups of the greatest books ever written lists. I have indeed read many of the classics, but most I wouldn’t choose to read again. My preferences are usually based around non-fiction – biographies, autobiographies, diaries – but there are a few fiction that have always remained with me because of the way that they made me feel. Here are just a few examples.

Books I Am Grateful to Have Read

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I first discovered Maya Angelou during an A Level English lesson when my tutor decided that we were going to take a short break from Shakespeare and do something a little different, handing me an A4 sheet of paper that contained two long paragraphs from the book. The next two hours turned out to be some of the most interesting analysis sessions that I had ever participated in – the words were so inspiring and beautifully written that I made a note of the book that the text was taken from so that I could purchase it on my way home. Over the next few months I bought and read everything that I could possibly find that was associated with her. I read all seven books in her memoirs, collections of her poetry and articles and essays that she had written. Growing up as a white girl in a working class town in the north of England couldn’t have been more different from her own life experiences, but her words not only enthralled me, they taught me about life, love and the power of knowledge. I read and re-read it to the point where my copy became worn, and still remains one my favourites.

The Diary of Anne Frank. My mother introduced me to the diary when I was about 9 years old, and I read it from cover to cover. For someone so young, and to be living in such terrifying conditions, Anne Frank’s diary is incredibly moving.

How To Be a Woman by Caitlyn Moran. Witty, sharp intelligent and insightful – she opened my eyes to a completely different thought process about what it means to be a woman.

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand. Regardless of your opinion of Brand himself, I thought that My Booky Wook was incredibly honest, giving a real insight as to what rock bottom actually is and that recovery is indeed possible.

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. One of the few fiction items in my list, this was the first book I ever read where I felt connected with the characters. It was also the first book to ever make me cry.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ (The Originals) by Sue Townsend. I first started reading the Adrian Mole series when I was about 15, and followed every book from The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 to the final volume, Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years, feeling like I knew these characters as friends.

Rose Madder by Stephen King. I read it at an age that I was far too young to truly appreciate the subject matter. This was a book that made me feel uneasy, and yet I couldn’t put it down.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 1: It’s the Little Things task, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 2: It’s All About You task, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 3: Moments and Memories, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 4: The Greatest Advice I’ve Ever Received, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 5: Who Are You Most Grateful For, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 6: Challenges You Have Overcome, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 7: Travel Experiences

Want to participate in the Daily Gratitude Challenge?

There are lots of ways in which you can participate in the Daily Gratitude Challenge:

• Write a blog post about the advice that you are most grateful for and share it in the comment section below.
• Share your posts in my daily link-ups on my Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #DailyGratitudeChallenge.
• Share your images for the topic of the day on Instagram, tag my Instagram account (@suzie81speaks) and use the hashtag #DailyGratitudeChallenge and I will share as many as I can on my Instagram stories.
• Join my Pinterest Group Board and share your Daily Gratitude posts.

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