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Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow on The Sopranos, co-hosts the popular podcast MeSsy with Christina Applegate. In her new memoir, And So It Is…, Sigler opens up about her disastrous first marriage, her eating disorder, and living with MS. Below, Sigler shares six books that help ground her.
‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho (1988)
If I had to pick one book, this would be it. It quietly rearranged how I move through the world. It taught me that purpose isn’t something you chase at the expense of your life; it’s something revealed through paying attention to your life. Buy it here.
‘War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield (2002)
This is the book I return to when I can feel myself slipping into hesitation, distraction, or self-doubt. It tells us that showing up consistently, imperfectly, is the work. It reframed creativity from something precious and intimidating into something sturdy, almost blue-collar. You don’t wait for the muse—you just clock in. Buy it here.
‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael A. Singer (2007)
This one really changed my life when I learned how to step back from the voice in my head and realize that I am not my thoughts. It gave me a sense of internal space I didn’t know was possible—that peace isn’t something you earn but rather something you just stop interrupting. It changes how you relate to anxiety, fear, even joy—less resisting, more allowing. Buy it here.
‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl (1946)
This is one of those rare books that doesn’t just change how you think; it changes what you believe you can endure. It strips life down to the (in my opinion) most essential life question: not “Why is this happening to me” but “What is being asked of me now?” Buy it here.
‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz (1997)
I have a mini version of this book in my purse at all times as a reminder. It’s deceptively simple, but it hits hard. The “agreements” aren’t just nice ideas—they’re practices that quietly remove so much unnecessary suffering from your life. It’s like a mental detox. Buy it here.
‘Inside Out’ by Demi Moore (2019)
As I prepared to write my memoir, I began to read others, searching for a tone that felt gripping, and raw and relatable. This was just that. It isn’t just a celebrity memoir; it’s a brutally honest excavation of identity, self-worth, and the cost of trying to be who you think you are supposed to be. She is admirably unguarded about the patterns that shaped her. Buy it here.
The actress and podcaster recommends works by Viktor Frankl, Demi Moore and Michael A. Singer