quiet paws.

So aside from a significant obsession with the full spectrum of ‘woodland creatures’, I also have an equally strong and similarly inexplicable fascination with horses (something which I’ve already reflected on). I therefore felt very fortunate indeed when I recently stumbled across the gorgeous Brown Button Trading store and spied myself a beautiful Pegasus statue.

Well what choice did I have? I simply had to buy it.
After all what could possibly be better than a winged horse?

I’ve been feeling a little flat and somewhat lacking in imaginative power and energy recently, so I’ve been looking for some way to bring a little extra ‘magic’ to my life.

I’m hoping that with Pegasus by my side at night while I sleep, my dream mind will be infiltrated with a surge of creative energy, which will then in turn influence my waking mind.

…speed forth with your poetic inspiration winged horse of the sky…

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books sixteen to twenty on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Pleasure by Nikki Gemmell - This is a beautiful book with a gorgeous layout, containing thought-provoking words and stories which are from the heart and yet bluntly delivered. There is much loveliness to enjoy here, and like a very close friend it is able to deliver that which you most need to hear, whether that is what you wanted to hear or not. 
2. Familiar Studies by RL Stevenson - I love the small presentation of this book, the fact that it is second-hand and holds such appeal in its knocked about hard cover and age-stained pages. Collections of essays take up quite a lot of space on my bookshelves as I find them the most interesting way to learn more about admired authors or to think more on a particular topic. Here Stevenson speaks of Victor Hugo’s romances, discusses Robert Burns and shares thoughts on Thoreau’s character and opinions.
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote - Probably the most recent addition to my ‘books of inspiration’, this was the first Truman Capote book I’ve read and it really opened my eyes to his talent (and has since led me to open more of his books). I love how he creates flawed characters which you can’t help but love, or at the very least, characters you want to know more of. Without this book I would not know of ‘the mean reds’ as opposed to suffering from ‘the blues’ and that would be a very great shame indeed. 
4. How To Be Idle  by Tom Hodgkinson - Contrary to the thoughts of many, being idle does not necessarily mean being lazy. This book describes itself as being a ‘manifesto for living’, and I wholeheartedly concur. Hodgkinson presents the ways in which we can reclaim our right to take control of our lives against the demands and busyness of  modern society. While this is at times a funny book, I resent the fact that it is often presented for sale in the ‘humour’ section of bookstores as it actually presents serious ideas and philosophies. 
5. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard - This was the first Elmore Leonard book that I read and I have to say that I’ve been hooked ever since. His writing is clipped and succinct and yet he still manages to say so much. This is the story of Deputy US Marshal Karen Sisco and her relationship with bank robber Jack Foley, and was later adapted for the screen in a film featuring Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney. Set against disturbing insights to the seedier, crime-filled side of the streets, I am in complete awe of Leonard’s ability to build chemistry between unlikely characters. Sexy, fascinating and completely absorbing, there is little more to ask for in a really great story.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books eleven to fifteen on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - I first encountered this book at high school for an English assignment, and have pretty much loved it and Fitzgerald ever since. Gatsby, Daisy and Nick illuminated the world of the ‘roaring twenties’ for me. Fitzgerald presents these characters in an ultimately tragic story which lurks beneath the surface of all the glitz and glamour. Forever more I have found myself believing in the green light.
2. The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton - Again this is another that I haven’t read through in completeness (yet), but it’s one that I read from on the odd occasion. I am a very big reader of Alain de Botton and I absolutely adore his friendly, conversational writing tone and the way he cleverly delivers philosophical ideas in an entertaining (and pop culture friendly) way. This book contains input from a range of famous ‘travellers’  such as Flaubert, Wordsworth, Van Gogh and Ruskin who were inspired by travel. While I haven’t travelled too much yet, I hope to soon and I find this book inspires just for being what it is.
3. Walden by Henry David Thoreau - I have spoken on the site about my love of this book, time and time again and probably at much length, but I really can’t help myself. This is a soulmate book. I connect with this book in so many different ways, and often reflect on Thoreau’s thoughtful words. If there was one book to carry with me always, this would be it. I love it so, and as we know, ‘true love lasts a lifetime’. 
4. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster - This is a strange, wonderful, completely fantastic book which I’m still thinking about a couple of years after I first read it. The characters are slightly ‘off’ and the situations they find themselves in are almost unbelievable, and yet Auster’s words make anything possible. 
5. Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer by Richard Holmes - As mentioned earlier in my book listing, I love a good outdoorsy walking adventure with a literary cast, and this book is no exception. Holmes retraces the steps of Robert Louis Stevenson’s journey through the Cevennes. Holmes is a wonderful biographer, he has an ear for an entertaining story and is adept at connecting the present with the past, bringing a cast of real-life characters expertly to life. This is wonderful, wonderful stuff and inspires as much with its words as with its content.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books six to ten on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Page after Page by Heather Sellers - There are countless writing guides available, but often they leave me feeling a little flat and more likely not to write than before I started reading them. Not this book though. I recognised much of myself amongst these pages and more importantly feel like I have actually gained something from reading it. A book to turn to from time to time for some positive feedback or a gentle push.
2. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes - This is a multi-layered book which has it turning from a literary biography, to an analysis of language, to a story of obsession, to a thrilling mystery and a thoughtful examination of the meaning of fiction. This is a real adventure of a read which had me moving from here to there, before I even had a chance to think about where I was going. A legendary storyteller.
3. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - This is a day-in-the-life-of tale to end all day-in-the-life-of tales. Woolf is elegant and perfectly balanced in her use of stream-of-consciousness storytelling technique. This story is warm and real. It feels like it was ever so simple to put down on paper the thoughts which run through a person’s head on any given day … when of course it is anything but.
4. After Dark by Haruki Murakami - This book drifts between and across reality and through to another dream world. I love the use of a ‘real-time’ timeline, with events unfolding from late one evening. As ever with any Murakami tale, there is an eclectic mix of strange and wonderful characters who each have a direct or indirect role to play in eachother’s lives. Like Auster, Murakami messes up my brain in a really, really good way. I never know whether I ever really understand where he’s taken me in his stories, but that seems strangely less important than going on the journey.
5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - Who can go past the tale of Buttercup and Westley? Well certainly not me. A classic book which is often described as having everything (and it’s probably true). Where else will you find fencing, fighting, kidnapping, romance, true love, giants, beautiful women, beautiful men, pain, death, resurrection, passion and revenge (to mention just a few of the themes)? Wonderfully funny and charming writing combined with an irresistible tale. 

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books one to five on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Possession by AS Byatt - I love the blending, contrast and overlap between historical and modern fiction. The story moves quickly and as it does the two main characters unravel clues and embark on a great literary adventure to unlock the mysteries of the past. The romance between the two modern characters grows, as the secret relationship between the two lovers of the past is brought to light. This book is a great demonstration of the successful intersection of plotlines across time. A lot of people hated the film adaptation of this book, but I thought it had its charms.
2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - Death and the nature of grief are topics that I often reflect on. We all love and unfortunately we all have to face the loss of those we love. Too often grief is treated as something people are expected to just ‘deal with’ and that they should ‘move on’ with their life. This is a powerful book which deals with the reality of life and the tragedy which is found within it. 
3. A Scandalous Life by Mary S Lovell - The story of Jane Digby in the hands of Mary Lovell had me completely absorbed and utterly enchanted. The book leaves me satisfied and yet hungry to know more of Jane and her entirely extraordinary and wondrous life. A heartbreaking, inspiring, romantic and fascinating tale.
4. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster - A master of building worlds within worlds and stories within stories, this volume clearly demonstrates his incredible talent. The stories collected here springboard from traditional detective stories into something more wonderful and more indefinable. He creates linkages and connections to people, places and plots which in theory should not be possible. What can I say? Paul Auster messes with my head and I love it.
5. An Inland Voyage by RL Stevenson - I haven’t actually read this book through in completeness (yet), but I often flick through the pages and read a passage here and there. Stevenson has a wonderfully ‘real’ way of writing that puts you in the moment along with him. I’m also a complete sucker for walking adventures with a literary bent, so this tale has me donning my metaphorical hiking shoes. Also something tickles me about the idea of undertaking ‘an inland voyage’ … going on a voyage of one’s self.

So I have a lot of books, probably too many. I’m currently in the process of trying to cull the collection of any unnecessary, never-turned-to books … a process which has been an interesting experience to say the least. As part of all this book sorting, I’ve been moving books around between bookcases and re-connecting with books which have some sort of significance.

In an effort to gain daily inspiration, I’ve cleaned off the shelf above my computer and put together a gathering of special books which I could never, would never … ever … ever, get rid of.

So here they are (in no particular order of relevance) … Over the coming days I’ll discuss the reasons why these particular books are important to me and why they have earned their place in my bookshelf ‘hall of fame’.

My life, and my career haven’t exactly gone according to plan. I’m not even sure what that ‘plan’ was ever supposed to be. I do know that where I’m at right now is not a reflection of where I want to be ultimately heading.

I take great comfort in the wise words of George Eliot, who said:

I need to believe in the truth of these words. I need to trust that they have a chance of applying to me.

I have seen many inspirational quotes written and heard many motivational words spoken, but out of all of those it is these particular words that have stayed with me. On those days when I need an extra nudge to remind me that anything is possible I simply look down on these words, and I remember.