Books I've Read
It took me a long time after Hector died before I could read a book. Reading seemed like an impossible task for so long. I remember trying to find a book that might help me. I'd open books and be overwhelmed by the text - "too hard, too hard...". In the early days, my choices were based on the amount of white space and the length of each bit I had to read. Everything had to be short and succinct. Wading through lots of words, no matter how good or relevant they may have been, was just not possible.
As time went by, I slowly became able to read "normal" books again, without being overwhelmed by the amount of text presented on the page. Novels were limited - when I read one, I was looking for an escape from the pain. There were so many I couldn't read, and even then, when I thought I'd found a "safe" one, there would be something that would remind me, and it would always sneak up unexpectedly. Suddenly every book inexplicably had "Boca Raton" in it. One book, had Hector in it. Not just "Hector", but "Hector Maldonado". No matter how much I wanted to escape from reality, I could never do it for long.
On the flip-side, were the books I read to try an help me try and understand. I now know that losing Hector is not something that I will ever understand, but the reading I have done has helped me know that I wasn't going crazy when I thought I was, and also made me realise that there was a massive amount of information out there that when taken collectively with my own experiences shows that life goes on. Below is a list of the books I read. Some are good, some not so good, and with time, I will add my thoughts on each. I will say that the first two are probably the best. The first is actually aimed at children, but in those early stages of grief, it was perfect. The second is excellent, but not for the early days.
The Grief Book by Elizabeth Vercoe with Kerry Abramowski
On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Old Souls: The Scientific Evidence For Past Lives by Tom Shroder
Living When a Loved One Has Died by Earl A. Grollman
Induced After-death Communication: A New Therapy for Healing Grief And Trauma by Allan L Botkin
Beyond Death: Conditions in the Afterlife by Philip Solomon and Hans Holzer
Afterlife Encounters: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Experiences by Dianne Arcangel
Never Say Goodbye: A Medium's Stories of Connecting With Your Loved Ones by Patrick Matthews
After Life by John Edward
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Afterlife: An Investigation by Colin Wilson
Coming Back by Ann Kaiser Stearns
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Death of a Loved One by Brook Noel and Pamela D Blair
On Life After Death by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Grieving the Loss of Someone You Love by Raymond R. Mitsch and Lynn Brookside
Questions from Earth, Answers from Heaven by Char Margolis
Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul: Stories About Life, Death and Overcoming the Loss of a Loved One by Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen
The Light Beyond by Raymond A. Moody
Sorrows Journey: Words of Comfort to Heal the Grieving Heart by Twyla Fisher
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Afterlife Experiments : Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death by Gary E. Schwartz
A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
As Much Time as it Takes: A Guide for the Bereaved, Their Family And Friends by Martin J. Keogh
Talking to Heaven: A Medium's Message of Life After Death by James Van Praagh
DEATH The Ultimate Orgasm? by Mike Agostini
What Happens After Death: Scientific & Personal Evidence for Survival by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler
Children of the Light by Cherie Sutherland
Spirit Of Love: A Medium's Message of Life Beyond Death by Jenny Crawford
Give Sorrow Words: A Father's Passage Through Grief by Tom Crider