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If you are convinced that serious reading should be part of your life plan, you need a strategy to make it happen, just as you need a plan to keep your body in shape. In our busy fast-paced culture that encourages us to take the easy route in both areas – to eat unhealthy fast food and to spend most of our leisure time watching television – either physical or mental fitness must be a conscious decision. Here are some examples of books to share with your significant other:

Read Together, Grow Together: 10 Books for Couples

A Journal

A blank journal is a great book to share with a significant other. Start a journal together and both people will write entries about what they are grateful for about their partner. When I read Marianne Pearl’s book “A Mighty Heart” about her husband Danny Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered in Pakistan, and saw that he had kept a list of things he loved about her on his computer it seemed so sweet. So why not share the activity so your beloved has frequent reminders of why you find him or her so special.

The Bible

The Bible is wonderful to share as a relationship deepens. I find passages from the Song of Songs from the Book of Solomon in the Hebrew Bible very romantic and erotic. Reading the Bible to each other helps you share spirituality and delve into the deeper issues in life.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

“Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman is, of course, the preeminent poetry book to give to or read with a lover. Bill Clinton gave it to his mistress. For eternity, the romantic will be giving “Leaves of Grass” to their beloveds and their mistresses as well.

A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

The novel “A Year of Pleasures” by Elizabeth Berg is a look at what one’s life is like after losing a spouse. It is a lesson is learning of the pain of loss and the necessity to find the courage to start life anew. I found this novel very moving and very beautiful in its exploration of inner strength.

Out of Africa by Karen Blixen

“Out of Africa” is a book I keep going back to. From the first page it transports me to a world apart from my reality. I love the imagery of this novel. I love the complexity of the characters and the lessons this book teaches about the foibles of humanity. This book has a bit of sensuality too it in the lush descriptions of the land and the species of Africa. It is a joy to read, I find it a blissful experience every time I start it anew.

Walden by Thoreau

Walden by Thoreau is timeless. It takes the reader back to the woods when America was a more simple country. It helps us think about what it would be like to give up material goods and the ties to humanity and spend time in isolation. It is rejuvenating to read about someone who lived life according to his own choices. This book is great for couples to read together to revere nature and to think about life from a different perspective.

Brain Droppings by George Carlin

The book “Brain Droppings” by George Carlin is so funny it will serve as a bonding tool for a couple. This humour is so unique and cutting it is memorable forever. So find time to share some laughs and some introspection about life; it will be time well spent.

EE Cummings: 100 Selected Poems

I love the imagery and the whimsy of the poems of EE Cummings. His writing has entranced me ever since high school. I love to read his poems aloud and wonder how he says so much with so few words. Sharing this writer’s poems with a significant other will be a joyful and moving experience.

Feeling Good Together: The Secret to Making Troubled Relationships Work

Every relationship needs a tune-up now and then. The book, “Feeling Good Together: The Secret to Making Troubled Relationships Work“, by psychiatrist David Burns, MD), is full of wisdom based on his 2.5 decades of clinical practice. Dr Burns suggests how to analyse the way you communicate with your significant other to ensure it helps you bond rather than push the other person away.

Art & Wonder: An Illustrated Anthology of Visionary Poetry

The book: “Art & Wonder” from the Metropolitan Museum is full of wonderful poems and beautiful art. There is a timeless feel to this book. It is full of art with lush colours and poems full of beautiful imagery. I lose myself very quickly in this book. It always feels like a little treat to just relax into the beauty of its pages.

Photo Credit: depositphotos.com

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