Sometimes we can feel very alone in our vocations, faith, and the full spectrum of emotions we experience during various seasons of life. Books and reading help soften the ache of our isolation and broaden our understanding of the things of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies.

I'm so thankful for all of the books and writers and artists who have mentored me and taught me through their words and work. It was a delight to include some of their writing in The Great Belonging.

This list includes six of the books I wrote about or quoted in The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.

Still by Lauren Winner
I wrote a bit about this book in the chapter titled “Linger and Listen” when exploring some of the ways loneliness shows up and asks us to listen.From the publisher: "Elegantly written and profound, Still offers reflections on how murky and gray the spiritual life can be while, at the same time, shows us how to see the light we do encounter more clearly."

Mourning Diary by Roland Barthes
I included several quotes from this book about grief in a chapter titled “When Your Mother’s Soul Has Left You.” From the publisher: "For nearly two years, the legendary French theorist wrote about a solitude new to him; about the ebb and flow of sadness; about the slow pace of mourning, and life reclaimed through writing."

A God in the House: Poets Talk About Faith edited by Ilya Kaminsky and Katherine Towler
I quoted one of the poets from this anthology in the chapter titled “Together but Separate” when I wrote about how God knows parts of me, parts of my story, in ways my husband never will. From the publisher: "Editors Ilya Kaminsky and Katherine Towler have gathered conversations with nineteen of America's leading poets, reflecting upon their diverse experiences with spirituality and the craft of writing."

Art of Travel by Alain De Botton
I quoted this book in the chapter titled “Drawing What’s in Front of Us” and how drawing helps us belong to our places. From the publisher: "With the same intelligence and insouciant charm he brought to How Proust Can Save Your Life, de Botton considers the pleasures of anticipation; the allure of the exotic, and the value of noticing everything from a seascape in Barbados to the takeoffs at Heathrow."

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
I wrote about how the main characters from these two novels help me feel less lonely in the chapter titled “When Stories Help.” From the publisher: "A masterful thrill ride and an exploration of motherhood itself—from its tender moments of grace to its savage power—Fierce Kingdom asks where the boundary is between our animal instinct to survive and our human duty to protect one another. For whom should a mother risk her life?"

The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
In the chapter titled “When Stories Help,” I wrote about how the main character from this novel helps me feel less lonely. From the publisher: "In Lydia Kiesling's razor-sharp debut novel, The Golden State, we accompany Daphne, a young mother on the edge of a breakdown, as she flees her sensible but strained life in San Francisco for the high desert of Altavista with her toddler, Honey."

Visit Charlotte at Bookshop.org. Charlotte’s Bookshop Book Lists feature books for people who are aware of the power of reading and stories. Her lists include books about the writing life, creativity, spiritual formation, how art intersects with faith, and more. And, buying from Bookshop.org supports writers and independent bookstores.

Charlotte At Bookshop.org

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Charlotte’s writing and work are rooted in noticing how art helps us belong to ourselves, others, God, and the world. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. You can subscribe to her newsletter and connect with her onTwitter and Instagram.