Nikki's Favorite Books of 2017

I have a love/hate relationship with reading. Growing up, I loved reading–I would fly through books like nobody's business. Then high school happened and I started feeling obligated to read therefore I never wanted to anymore. Also, with my slight social media addiction, I had no time to read.In the past few months, I have fallen in love with reading again. While these days I read more self-help/spiritual books instead of Junie B. Jones or Sarah Dessen novels, I have started to feel called to read more and I have been loving every second of it.For me, I use reading as an escape and as a way to challenge my thoughts and grow my mind. I truly do believe that the written word has the power to change lives (hence why I started this blog, haha just kidding–sorta). For me, books have opened my mind up to new ways to look at life, new ways to approach live, and they have gotten me to look deeper into myself and my mind.Below are some of my all time favorite books which I recommend to everyone looking to better know themselves, feel a deeper peace in life, or just want some new reads for 2018.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist was originally given to me for my 18th birthday—what a fitting gift. Coelho tells the story of a boy named Santiago who dreams that there is treasure hidden at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. He sets out on an adventure, encountering many obstacles and people that help guide him. Although this is a novel, Santiago's journey can be translated as a metaphor that applies to your own life.I read this book as a scared, unsure, high school senior with my future beginning right in front of me. The Alchemist taught me about listening to your heart and trusting that things will work out. As a big dreamer, I refer back to this book whenever I feel any self-doubt or fear creeping up.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

I bought this book on my impromptu solo day trip to Brooklyn for Spoon University's Brainfood. As I was walking around Brooklyn, I stumbled into this little bookstore and The Four Agreements was sitting in the front almost as if I was waiting to be found. Since this is a small book, I finished it in a day or two but needed a few more days to resonate with the messages within the book.The four agreements–be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, always do your best–are so deceptively simple. Don Miguel Ruiz guides you through the importance of each agreement and how they build upon each other. Still trying to figure out your intentions for the new year? Read this book and try to put into practice the agreements Ruiz sets forth–a lot easier said than done.

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

"How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead" is the subtitle to this book. Vulnerability is something I talk about often and is one thing that I am still uncomfortable with. To be vulnerable is hard and it is not intuitive. But I will say, it helps us to grow. Brene Brown talks about putting ourselves out there and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable actually strengthens the relationships around us leading us to a more fulfilling life. A must read for all parents, children, and basically anyone.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

I have recommended this book to so many of my friends in the past couple of weeks. It is light and witty with a powerful message. Mark Manson writes about how "once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek."If you're the type of person to overthink, care too much, or get walked all over...this book is for you. It was eyeopening to see how many little things in my life could have been avoided if I simply let it go.

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra

This book was probably one of the hardest book I have ever read. Half of the time, I felt like I was reading a foreign language. The overarching message of this book is that coincidences are not a thing but rather, every thing that happens in our life is connected. Chopra also writes about how becoming more aware of these "coincidences", will allow you to open and connect with the field of infinite possibilities. It's all about becoming aware of the power that we hold within us.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm going to be honest, this book took me about 6 months to read. Not because it was a particularly tough book to read, but because I took a 4 month break while reading it. Thankfully at the beginning of my sophomore year, something made me pick it back up and within a couple of weeks, I finished it. The next day...I published Naturally Nicoletta. The words and messages within Big Magic, about creative living beyond fear, resonated with me and made me realize that there is no better time than now. The book is all about courage and how we have to power to dream without limits. If you are feeling uninspired or scared to take the leap into the life you have been dreaming of, pick up Big Magic–you won't regret it.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Ah, this book is one that had always been recommended to me by my Dad but I never had the patience to read it. It's not the easiest read but it is powerful. As my last book of 2017, it left me with the reminder that the only thing we have is the present moment. The past and future are both not real and while we can acknowledge them, fixating on them is doing nothing. If you struggle with overthinking and anxiety/fear of the unknown, this book can be extremely helpful in helping you realize the importance of staying present.Reading has become an escape for me. I look to it for comfort and for guidance. One of the most beautiful things about reading is that you can always find a book that your soul in yearning for. In the past 6 months and today, I have been looking for guidance and comfort but maybe next month I will want a fairytale to feed my imagination. One day I hope to fill up an entire bookshelf with books that I have read–I need to read quite a few more books to get to that point.What's your favorite type of book to read? Let me know in the comments!