One of the best way you can celebrate International Quirkyalone Day (coming up on February 14) is to snuggle up with yourself and read a book.
You can throw a party, take a walk, buy yourself daisies (the symbolic flower of the quirkyalone movement) but definitely reading a book is an experience that takes you deep inside yourself.
So with this in mind, here are some suggestions for great books to read on Quirkyalone Day . . . Enjoy.
For starters, of course, there’s my first book Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics
Now, here’s a list of classics, new books that have inspired me lately with an authentic je ne sais quoi, as well as books that were written by quirkyalone readers!
For your reading pleasure . . .
The Unspeakable by Meghan Daum. . . they call her this generation’s Joan Didion. Her commitment to authenticity in her essays qualifies her for the Quirkyalone Writer Hall of Fame. You’ll love the whole book, but certainly the essay “The Best Possible Experience” is a quirkyalone classic where she debates the writer Lori Gottlieb who famously told women to settle for good enough (but wasn’t willing to do so herself). Read The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. . . a quirkyalone classic on living the questions and living patience for romantic love. Read Letters to a Young Poet
Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Charles Blow. . . Charles Blow is an editorial writer for the New York Times. This exquisite book is an extremely gutsy memoir about his experiences of growing up in the South. How experiences of secret sexual abuse by an older cousin shaped him, how his experiences of bisexuality shaped him, and how he rose from poverty to become a designer and columnist. The honesty and the writing will blow you away. Read Fire Shut Up in My Bones
Now for some books from our community . . .
From Your Vision Board to Your Bedroom: Using the Law of Attraction to Find True Love by Susan Vittner. . . Sue has been a friend of mine since seventh grade and we taught the Quirkytogether 101 course together, a class we designed specifically for quirkyalones who want to get over their fear of losing themselves in relationship. She has written a fun and inspirational guide about falling in love with ourselves so we can become a match to what we desire in a partnership. The book is based on Sue’s experience of using Law of Attraction principles to manifest her partner. You can download the first chapter of Sue’s book here.
Being Single, with Cancer by Tracy Maxwell . . . Tracy is a quirkyalone woman who came to see me when I spoke in Boulder at the University of Colorado earlier this year. We connected on the topic of “single shame,” and what a heavy weight this can be on our quirkyalone spirits. Not only has Tracy survived single shame, she has survived cancer. She interviewed 100 single cancer patients and wrote this guide to surviving cancer when you’re single. This book is a great resource for anyone who is facing major health challenges as a single person. Read Being Single, with Cancer
Do you have any books to recommend?
Add book suggestions here as a comment.
P.S. If you want to spread Quirkyalone Day, share the holiday with your friends on social media or via email. Here’s a page summarizing what IQD is all about.
There are also Quirkyalone (and Quirkytogether) cards here that you can send to friends.
Ms Cagan –
Perhaps another book for you to write in the future. What of us who do not have family or children? I lost my family (my inlaws) in the divorce.
It’s hard to go to church when all the talk is of family – while I have none. I’m 50 years old and have basically myself to rely on.