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Joyce

Can’t Hurt Me

David Goggins found the inner strength to overcome an unhappy and abusive childhood. He transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man into a U.S. Armed Forces icon. In Can't hurt me : master your mind and defy the odds (2018), he explains how he achieved his goals, and how applying perseverance, motivation, self-control, and his "The 40% Rule" will help you to succeed in life.

His book will inspire you to apply those principles to your own life. He will motivate you to believe in yourself and to realize that you are capable of overcoming the obstacles in front of you. After reading this book, you may find that not only can you reach your goals, but you might surpass them.

Read Can't Hurt Me on Hoopla or Overdrive today.



Tags:
self help inspirational nonfiction
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Greg

The Alchemist

This wonderful story combines adventure and love and seeking our desires. Much like Treasure Island, The Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter, it's a story for all ages to enjoy and not difficult to read. And like the lead characters in those other classic novels, Santiago sets out on a great journey but will have to learn some things about himself before he can find his Personal Legend.

In a way, we are all seeking the same things that Santiago and Dorothy, Jim, and Harry seek. I want to believe we will all find it someday because we are all connected to that great Soul of the Universe.

Check out The Alchemist (1988) by Paulo Coehlo: read the ebook or listen to the audiobook via Hoopla today.



Tags:
inspirational literary fiction fiction
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Patty

This Is Me

Chrissy Metz writes in a relatable way. This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today (2018) is an inspiring and heartwarming read. Through her story, you learn that you can change and achieve what you desire in life, simply by being your best self.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the woman behind the character Kate on This Is Us. It was heartbreaking to read of her abuse and uplifting how she treated those who bullied her.

Chrissy Metz writes in a way that makes you feel like you're sitting and talking with a good friend. She does a wonderful job of inspiring others to be themselves.

Read the ebook or listen to the audiobook on Overdrive today.



Tags:
inspirational memoir nonfiction
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Joyce

Make Your Bed

This book will motivate you to demand more from yourself. Admiral William H. McRaven will show you how the ten principles he learned during Navy SEAL training helped him overcome challenges throughout his life. He talks about never giving up, dealing with bullies, and realizing that life isn't fair. He helps us to understand that we must accept both success and failure, because we learn valuable lessons from both. He will also inspire you to apply these principles to your own life.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World (2017) is available to borrow on Overdrive—start reading or listening today.



Tags:
inspirational self help nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today by Joel Osteen (2015)

powerofiamI listened to Joel Osteen’s The Power of I Am on audio. It is a motivational CD that builds up your character and how God is in the center of your being.

Want to learn more? Watch Pastor Osteen on Oprah’s Lifeclass.
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audio inspirational nonfiction
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Joe

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)

Unbroken, read by Edward Hermann, is the bestselling story of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who became a bombardier in World War II, was stranded on a life boat adrift in the Pacific Ocean, and eventually captured by the Japanese. Hillenbrand, author of the bestseller Seabiscuit, is a gifted story teller who meticulously details this almost unbelievable ordeal of pain and suffering. Yes, this is truly a book about resilience, and you will find yourself riveted to your seat as you listen to this well narrated, well told, true tale.

 
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audio history inspirational nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)
Laura Hillenbrand, the author of this book and the earlier book Seabiscuit, has written another winner. This book hooks you in from page one. It’s a great story of an American POW held by the Japanese during World War II. I learned a lot from this book, too.

By the way, did you know the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor was yesterday?
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history inspirational nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (2011)
This book is a quick read and is a very gripping, sweet story and true. A 4-year old minister’s son has a near death experience in surgery. In the weeks and months to come, Colson reveals things that make you realize he’s seen God and glimpses of Heaven.

Read an excerpt of the book here.
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inspirational nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)
Let me just say up front that I loved Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit. It is probably my favorite nonfiction book. Well, I think, she’s done it again with Unbroken, the biography of an extraordinary U.S. Army Air Force officer, Louie Zamperini, who was shot down over the Pacific. Laura Hillenbrand has presented a remarkable story of human endurance. Zamperini’s story, like Seabiscuit’s, is eternal and inspirational.

On a mission over the South Pacific, Zamperini was the bombardier on a B-24. When the plane crashes, he finds himself floating on a raft with little provision for survival. After more than a month on the raft, starving, thirsty and chased by sharks, the ordeal ends with the survivors being captured by the Japanese and imprisoned in a hellish Japanese POW camp.

Hillenbrand is an historian and biographer who places herself at the service of her subjects; this makes her books a rare combination of writer and story. Though her prose is short and straightforward, her books are written with a rich and vivid narrative voice that keeps you involved through even the worst of Zamperini’s ordeal.

Read an excerpt of the book here.
Tags:
adventure inspirational nonfiction sports
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Elizabeth

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans (2010)
This book is the first in a series by Evans. It explores what happens to a man when he literally loses everything that is precious to him. It gives you a lot to think about.

Preview the book before visiting the library and visit the author's website.
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fiction inspirational
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Elizabeth

Grace by Richard Paul Evans

Grace by Richard Paul Evans (2008)
As is his usual style, Richard Paul Evans makes you really feel like you know the characters. In this bittersweet tale, a young man tries his best to rescue a girl in her time of need. It hooks you in from the very first page.

Watch a video of the author discussing his books and read reviews at Amazon.com.
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fiction inspirational
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IPPL Staff

Small Miracles by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum


Small Miracles by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum (1997)
With its moving, heartwarming, and inspirational stories of serendipity and coincidence, this book leaves you with the feeling that just maybe someone is looking over our lives and “making things happen.” There is a second edition, which I also enjoyed: Small Miracles II.

Read an excerpt from another title in the "Small Miracles" series (Small Miracles of Love and Friendship).  Discover more about the author in a New York Times article.
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inspirational nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (2008)
Inspirational in a common sense, real life kind of a way. Though battling terminal cancer, Pausch doesn't write about dying - he writes about living in a way that stresses the small things we can do to make our lives joyful. Tigger vs. Eeyore. 61 little chapters in 206 little pages - no preaching, no grand "what is the meaning of life" ramblings. I was reluctant to pick this book up and have already recommended it to several people, including my niece who is about to embark on her career as a teacher. Great life lessons for teachers in this book, for parents, for anyone.

Visit The Last Lecture website to find out more about Randy Pausch (who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008) and more about the book. You can also watch the lecture that inspired the book, listen to Pausch read an excerpt, and discover online extras.

Tags:
inspirational nonfiction
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IPPL Staff

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom


The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (2003)


At first I thought this book would be a bit depressing. However, I found it to be a quick, easy read that also gave me a “feel good” feeling! I truly enjoyed this book.

Visit Mitch Albom's website for everything you need to know about him or his books. You can read a synopsis or an excerpt, find a reading group guide or a teacher's guide, and learn more about the background of the author and the book.

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fiction inspirational
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