Elizabeth Gilbert has carved out a unique literary space with her blend of memoir, travel writing, creative inspiration and fiction. Her writing resonates with anyone seeking self-discovery, creative fulfillment, or simply a deeper understanding of what it means to live courageously. If you’re drawn to Gilbert’s distinctive voice—equal parts wise and whimsical—these books will feed that same hunger for transformation and wonder.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
After her mother’s death and her marriage’s collapse, Cheryl Strayed embarks on a solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail with no hiking experience and a backpack. What follows is a raw, unflinching journey through grief, self-destruction, and ultimately, healing. Strayed’s prose is both brutal and beautiful as she navigates dangerous terrain both external and internal. Like Gilbert’s spiritual quest in Eat, Pray, Love, this memoir proves that sometimes the most profound growth happens when we’re stripped down to our most vulnerable selves. The wilderness becomes both mirror and teacher in this transformative tale of finding yourself when you’re completely lost.
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Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
When Frances Mayes impulsively buys a crumbling villa in Tuscany, she begins a love affair with Italian culture that transforms both her property and her soul. Through lyrical descriptions of renovations, local festivals, and glorious meals, Mayes captures the sensual pleasures of immersing yourself in a foreign culture. Like Gilbert’s Italian sojourn, this memoir celebrates the transformative power of saying yes to unexpected adventures. Mayes writes with infectious enthusiasm about everything from fig trees to village politics, making readers want to book the next flight to Italy. It’s a slower-paced but equally intoxicating journey of reinvention through place.
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Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Doyle’s memoir chronicles her journey from living according to others’ expectations to embracing her authentic self after falling in love with soccer star Abby Wambach. Written in short, punchy chapters, Untamed challenges readers to question the cages they’ve built around themselves—whether those are relationships, careers, or internalized beliefs about who they should be. Like Gilbert’s spiritual awakening, Doyle’s story is about learning to trust your inner voice over external validation. Her fierce honesty about marriage, motherhood, and sexuality makes this a rallying cry for anyone ready to live boldly and unapologetically.
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The Yellow Envelope by Kim Dinan
When Kim and her husband Brian quit their jobs to travel the world, they’re given a yellow envelope containing a check with three simple rules: don’t overthink it, share your experiences, and don’t feel pressured to give it all away. From Ecuador to Nepal, Kim discovers that giving money away is just the beginning—the real transformation comes from giving of yourself. This travel memoir transcends typical adventure narratives by exploring how acts of generosity reshape both giver and receiver. Dinan writes honestly about relationship challenges, cultural encounters, and the profound lesson that our capacity to give has nothing to do with wealth and everything to do with openness.
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The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Four women united only by their dissatisfaction with ordinary life discover each other through a London newspaper ad and rent a medieval Italian castle in Portofino for a month. What begins as a simple holiday becomes a profound transformation as each woman rediscovers her true nature amid wisteria and Mediterranean beauty. Von Arnim’s sparkling prose captures how a change of scenery can catalyze deep inner change, much like Gilbert’s Italian awakening. This gentle, luminous novel celebrates the transformative power of beauty, solitude, and stepping away from life’s demands. It’s a timeless story about choosing joy and possibility over resignation.
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What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
TV writer Kristin Newman spent her twenties and thirties traveling solo while her friends settled down, collecting adventures and romantic misadventures across six continents. Her memoir is both hilarious and poignant as she navigates the gap between the life she’s living and the one she’s “supposed” to want. Newman’s wit and self-awareness make even her most questionable decisions feel relatable, and her ultimate message about creating your own definition of fulfillment echoes Gilbert’s philosophy. This book perfectly captures the specific loneliness and exhilaration of choosing an unconventional path.
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A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson
When Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian Trail, he embarks on an adventure that’s equal parts nature writing and comedy of errors. His witty observations about American wilderness, fellow hikers, and his own limitations make this both entertaining and enlightening. Like Gilbert’s journey, Bryson’s quest begins with a desire for change and self-discovery, though his approach is more humorous than spiritual. His curiosity about the natural world and honest assessment of his own shortcomings create a warm, engaging narrative about finding wonder in unexpected places.
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The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This dazzling novel follows reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo as she finally decides to tell her life story to an unknown young journalist. Through seven marriages and decades of carefully constructed public image, Evelyn reveals the sacrifices she made for love, ambition, and survival in a ruthless industry. Reid’s storytelling sparkles with old Hollywood glamour while exploring themes of authentic identity, the price of fame, and living truthfully in a world that demands performance. Like Gilbert’s celebration of complex women, this novel asks what it means to be true to yourself when society expects you to be someone else entirely.
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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Between life and death lies the Midnight Library, where Nora Seed gets the chance to explore all the different lives she might have lived. Each book represents an alternate reality—what if she’d become a glaciologist, a rock star, a mother? Haig’s philosophical novel explores regret, possibility, and the courage to embrace an imperfect but authentic life. Like Gilbert’s journey toward self-acceptance, Nora must learn that there’s no perfect life, only the one you choose to live fully. This hopeful, thought-provoking story will resonate with anyone who’s ever wondered “what if” while learning to appreciate what is.
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The Ten Thousand Doors Of January by Alix E. Harrow
When January finds a mysterious book that tells the story of doors to other worlds, she discovers that her own life is more magical than she ever imagined. Set in early 1900s Vermont, this portal fantasy follows January’s journey from sheltered ward to a powerful young woman who must choose between safety and adventure. Harrow’s lyrical prose celebrates the transformative power of stories, travel, and finding where you truly belong. Like Gilbert’s exploration of following your curiosity, this novel asks what happens when you’re brave enough to walk through the doors that call to you, even when others insist they don’t exist.
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