A Beautiful Fix Bookshelf
Every week on the A Beautiful Fix podcast, books find their way into the conversation. Some are written by my guests. Others are the books they say cracked them open or stayed with them long after the last page. This is where I’m gathering them all.
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Currently Reading Together
Perfect Unfolding by Kristy Halvorsen
This fall, we’re exploring Kristy’s story of leaving the life she thought she was supposed to live and creating one of her own. On November 12, we’re getting together with Kristy herself to talk about her adventures, her book, and what it really means to live life on your own terms. Come join us!
Speed Round Gems
Books That Cracked Us Open
Every guest leaves me with a book recommendation, and usually a story about why it stayed with them. Explore every Speed Round book pick, with the newest recommendations first.
East of Eden
Chosen by Erika Coleman
Erika points to East of Eden and its reminder that once perfection is no longer required, goodness becomes possible.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Chosen by Samantha Norman
Samantha first read the book while she was still living from fear. She is now putting it into practice.
The Lovely Bones
Chosen by Becca Francis
She returned to this book again and again during a time when she'd stepped away from psychic and mediumship work. She feels it helped keep her connection to spirit alive.
Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East
Chosen by Daniel Zavrel
Daniel calls this a classic for spiritually curious readers. He was fascinated by its stories of Himalayan masters and what they suggest about human potential.
Hostage
Chosen by Dr. Michael Brandt
Michael says this story of survival, unimaginable loss, courage, and humanity impacted him profoundly.
The Measure
Chosen by Kristy Halvorsen
Kristy says this book asks you to wrestle with existential questions about life and who we are, and opened her eyes in ways she didn’t expect.
The Nightingale
Chosen by Susan Miele
Susan read this one years ago, but it’s one of those stories that never quite left her.
The River Is Waiting
Chosen by Susan Miele
Susan’s more recent pick. She read it last year and says, simply, “I think about it all the time.”
Outlander series
Chosen by Karen Richter
Karen returned to Outlander in her second appearance on the podcast, confirming that its sweeping history, time travel, and Scottish setting continue to captivate her.
The Alchemist
Chosen by Kim Waller
Kim loves this book’s message about inner knowing and discovering that what you seek is already within you. She says it is worth rereading at least once a decade.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Chosen by Angela Burke
For Angela, To Kill a Mockingbird earns a hands-down place among her all-time favorite books.
The Outsiders
Chosen by Angela Burke
Angela names The Outsiders as one of her two all-time favorite books and says Ponyboy is her favorite character.
Relationship Magic by Susan Bratton
Chosen by Susan Bratton
Susan says writing this relationship-values workbook changed her life and has helped many others understand how they and their partners want to be treated.
The Woman Warrior
Chosen by Lynn Harris
Lynn calls its first line subversive and revolutionary—her favorite opening line of any book—and says the rest of the book delivers on it.
Parable of the Sower
Chosen by Elana Auerbach
Elana says Parable of the Sower feels extraordinarily prescient and that its early-1990s vision resembles the present day.
Kindred
Chosen by Elana Auerbach
Elana recommends Kindred, Octavia Butler’s gripping time-travel novel that brings the brutality of slavery into intimate, unforgettable focus. She distinguishes it from Butler’s eerily prescient Parable books, which can feel especially unsettling in the present moment.
A Return to Love
Chosen by Lori Montry
Lori discovered A Return to Love during one of her darkest periods and treasures its reminder of who we really are and the permission to fully embody that truth.
Finding Your Own North Star
Chosen by Lori Montry
Lori says Martha Beck’s work found her before she fully knew herself, and Finding Your Own North Star helped her reconnect with her direction.
The Gene Keys
Chosen by Dr. Karyn Shanks
Karyn reads The Gene Keys slowly, often after meditation, allowing its language and frequency to wash over her even when she does not immediately understand every passage.
Letting Go
Chosen by Carrie Fabris
Carrie revisits Letting Go often and names it as the book that continues to stay with her.
The War of Art
Chosen by Kim Costa
The War of Art helped Kim move through resistance and finally complete the book she had been writing for seven years.
The Power of Now
Chosen by Pam Sandrock
The book changed how Pam lives by teaching her that the present moment is the only place she can truly act and find joy.
The Untethered Soul
Chosen by Lyndsey Kampen
Lyndsey names The Untethered Soul among the books that continue to shape her thinking and personal growth.
The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity
Chosen by Lyndsey Kampen
Lyndsey calls it “so good” and full of wisdom
Greenlights
Chosen by Lyndsey Kampen
Lyndsey said she could listen to Matthew McConaughey every day and wished he would narrate all her books.
Do Less
Chosen by Lyndsey Kampen
Lyndsey points to Kate Northrup’s work as one of the influences that continues to shape her thinking.
May Cause Miracles
Chosen by Laura Rotter
The book’s journaling practice, including writing love letters to herself, introduced Laura to self-love and changed her relationship with herself.
The Shining
Chosen by Lauren Vacey
Lauren read The Shining when she was younger and still remembers it vividly. Its fear and intensity stayed with her long after the final page.
Big Panda and Tiny Dragon
Chosen by Khinya Wade
Khinya returns to this deceptively simple book every year for its memorable wisdom for children and adults.
The Big Leap
Chosen by Bela Gandhi
The book helped Bela recognize upper-limit behavior and return to joy instead of sabotaging good moments with worry or criticism.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Chosen by Shani Leatham
Norman Vincent Peale’s practical approach to optimism has stayed with Shani, reminding her how powerfully our thoughts can shape the way we experience life.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Chosen by Shani Leatham
Shani loves Harry Potter’s enduring reminder that light can still be found, even in the darkest times.
Die With Zero
Chosen by Diane Flores
The book shifted Diane’s view of legacy, encouraging her to invest in her children while the resources can change their lives now.
The Surrender Experiment
Chosen by Kenna Brooke
The book inspired Kenna to say yes to Peru and ayahuasca and helped launch her present practice of surrendering to life.
Matchmaking for Beginners
Chosen by Monica Stein
Monica loves the novel’s subtle magic and its reminders to notice the universe and listen to intuition.
The Prophet
Chosen by Pamela DeRose & Julie Fedeli
The Prophet opened a new spiritual path for Pam and Julie, offering wisdom that shifted how they understood life, love, and the human experience.
Hands of Light
Chosen by Pamela DeRose & Julie Fedeli
Hands of Light opened the door to a deeper understanding of energy and healing, ultimately helping inspire a major career change.
Untamed
Chosen by Alex Simms
Alex connected deeply with the book’s movement away from being the good girl and toward an authentic life.
Ask and It Is Given
Chosen by Dana Hunter Fradella
Dana calls Ask and It Is Given life-changing and recommends it as guidance for creating a life you truly love.
The Artist’s Way
Chosen by Kristina Paider
Kristina names this creativity classic as the book that cracked her open.
The Artist's Way
Chosen by Siri Baruc Thornton
Siri began The Artist’s Way at nineteen, owns several copies, gives it to others, and has created multiple breathwork series inspired by it.
The Success Principles
Chosen by Sairan Aqrawi
Sairan considers it a university in a book and especially values its lesson about focusing on one’s core genius.
The Untethered Soul
Chosen by Kena Siu
The book’s practice of keeping her heart open taught Kena to continue loving and receiving love through difficulty and joy.
Octavia Butler Patternist Series
Chosen by Jeanne Sparrow
Jeanne loves Octavia Butler’s expansive storytelling and the way the Patternist series imagines different futures while exploring power, identity, and human connection.
Devil in a Blue Dress
Chosen by Jeanne Sparrow
Representing Jeanne’s love of Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series, Devil in a Blue Dress introduces the richly drawn characters, mysteries, and explorations of power and survival that make the series a favorite.
One Day My Soul Just Opened Up
Chosen by Kenya McGuire Johnson
Kenya returns to this daily devotional for its deep lessons and reflections for the soul.
Women Who Run With the Wolves
Chosen by Dr. Kathia Roberts
Kathia describes it as a bible that reveals new insights every time she returns to it.
Tao Te Ching
Chosen by Sue Crites
This foundational Taoist text is Sue’s clear favorite and connects directly to the wisdom underlying her Qigong practice.
The Thorn Birds
Chosen by Karen Richter
Karen fondly remembers The Thorn Birds as a book that made a lasting impression on her.
Outlander
Chosen by Karen Richter
At the time of her first conversation with Tracy, Karen was immersed in the sweeping, time-traveling world of Outlander.
The Seat of the Soul
Chosen by Deborah Liverett
The Seat of the Soul supports Deborah’s ongoing journey of self-understanding and spiritual growth.
The Four Agreements
Chosen by Deborah Liverett
Deborah returns to the practical wisdom of The Four Agreements when she needs to ground herself and come back to center.
A Course in Miracles
Chosen by Deborah Liverett
Deborah returns to A Course in Miracles for spiritual perspective and guidance that helps her reconnect with herself.
Books Written by My Guests
Perfect Unfolding
Kristy Halvorsen’s memoir follows seven years of solo adventure and the year that broke her open, exploring what happens when you leave the life you thought you were supposed to want and follow the one calling you.
Paused.: Redefining Identity When Our Story No Longer Holds Us
Blending memoir, research, and storytelling, Susan explores what happens when the roles and achievements that once defined us fall away, and how we can begin rebuilding identity with greater meaning and self-understanding.
Real Girls Guide to Midlife: Hot Takes, True Stories, and Fearless Advice from Women Who’ve Lived It & Experts Who Get It
A bold, funny, and candid guide for women ready to stop shrinking, question the rules they have inherited, and navigate the identity, relationship, body, and life changes of midlife on their own terms.
Relationship Magic
Susan guides readers through a simple, practical exercise to identify their core relationship values, communicate what helps them feel loved and respected, and better understand how to create a deeply fulfilling partnership.
The Sure Thing: A Pleasure Practice to Revive the Spark
Drawing from the weekly ritual that transformed her own relationship, Elana offers a playful, practical guide to releasing shame, reconnecting with desire, and creating more intimacy, pleasure, and emotional connection.
You’re Not the Problem: End the Overwhelm, Restore Energy, and Make Progress That Lasts
Lori offers a compassionate, nervous-system-based approach to understanding overwhelm, self-sabotage, and the survival patterns that keep us stuck, showing how safety, capacity, and restored energy create the foundation for lasting change.
UnBroken: Reclaim Your Wholeness: A Manifesto for Healing in a World That Keeps Us Sick, Suffering, and Stuck
Dr. Karyn Shanks offers a whole-person approach to healing that looks beyond symptoms and diagnoses, helping readers understand the stories, experiences, and patterns that shape their health and reclaim their innate capacity for wholeness.
All In: A Working Mom’s Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life
Carrie shares a candid and energizing guide to pursuing ambition, motherhood, and a deeply fulfilling life without sacrificing yourself in the process, inviting women to redefine success and go all in on what matters most.
Live in Your Wheel House: An Empowering Guide to Stay, Go, or Reno
Kim offers an empowering guide to creating a home that reflects who you are and supports the life you want to live, helping readers decide whether it is time to stay, renovate, or begin somewhere new.
Midlife Upgrade: A Girlfriend’s Guide to Finding Your Power in the Pause
Julie and Pamela offer a candid girlfriend-to-girlfriend guide to navigating menopause and midlife, combining personal stories, expert insight, and practical encouragement to help women reclaim their health, identity, confidence, and power.
The Hollywood Approach: Script Your Life Like a Hit Movie and Live Your Wildest Dream
Kristina Paider turns the storytelling principles behind memorable movies into a practical framework for becoming the main character in your own life, taking courageous risks, and moving toward your wildest dreams.
Fearless Authenticity
Drawing on three decades in media and communication, Jeanne Sparrow offers practical tools for recognizing your unique value, expressing it with confidence, and leading, selling, and speaking with greater authenticity.
Hey Me, Where Have You Been?: An Introspective Path to Self-Awareness, Empowerment, and Your True Self
Deborah Liverett invites readers to reconnect with the parts of themselves buried beneath stress, expectations, and self-protection, offering reflection and encouragement for returning to an authentic, empowered life.