RMRT (Retired Members Round Table)

RMRT March 2025 Fifth Sunday Prompt

The prompt for the RMRT March Fifth Sunday Book discussion is to read a book that has inspired or inspires you. The term "inspire" is defined as "to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on" and "to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration" (INSPIRE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster ). Words synonymous with "inspire" include exciting, motivational, vitalizing, touching, stimulating, poignant, explosive, stirring, instigative, instigating, piquing, galvanizing, triggering, impressive, provocative, motivating, emotional, provoking, inducing, impactful, moving, edgy, charged, inciting, affecting, energizing, activating, inflammatory, incendiary, quickening, fiery, and many more.

This month's prompt can lead to various responses. Inspiration is a very personal matter, and it may be difficult to identify what exactly inspires you. However, when inspiration occurs, you recognize it. What books do you read for inspiration? Or, a more relevant question might be, after reading a book, did you feel inspired? Additionally, what type of book provides inspiration for you?

There are many lists of inspirational books available online. Some books are tagged as "inspirational" on Goodreads. It raises the question of whether these books truly inspire readers, and if so, why.

My personal list includes The Alchemist, The Midnight Library, Outlander, The Kite Runner, and The Tipping Point, along with classics like The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Beloved, and The Catcher in the Rye. I usually choose books by writers who inspire me, such as Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, Malcolm Gladwell, and Michelle Obama.

Please join us on Zoom on March 30th to share the book that inspires you.