Lifestyle

In my library: Gloria Gaynor

It’s the disco anthem that just keeps going — an inspiration to anyone who’s even been mocked, hurt or dumped.

But when Gloria Gaynor recorded “I Will Survive,” the No. 1 hit of 1979, she wasn’t thinking of a love affair gone wrong: She was mourning the loss of her mother, “my best friend, my confidente.” She was also wearing a neck brace after a near paralyzing fall the day she was handed the song’s lyrics — on a piece of brown paper.

It was supposed to be the “B” side to “Substitute” (remember that?), but Gaynor says she knew a hit when she sang one.

She’ll be at the 92nd Street Y July 7 at 8:15 p.m. talking about her book, “We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song.”

Here’s what’s in this singer’s library:

More Than a Carpenter
by Josh McDowell

I’m a devout Christian. McDowell had been an atheist at college who made fun of Christians and engaged in debates with them — and he ended up converting to Christianity himself. This book shows you that Jesus wasn’t just a human being. You walk away from it either believing in Him or with questions you can’t answer.

This Present Darkness
by Frank Peretti

This is a fictional book I love, because it’s a real page turner. Everyone I’ve given it to says you can’t put it down. It’s about a town where evil spirits are trying to take over — and if you don’t know God, you’re subject to whatever they do. You need to be constantly in conversation with God. Not on your knees, just little conversations through the day.

Boundaries
by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

I bought this book because of my [late] marriage — my husband had all kinds of boundaries and I had none. You need to set them at the very beginning. If you don’t, it’s unfair to both of you, because it builds resentment. It’s just setting a standard of where I end and you begin.

Why You Say It
by Webb Garrison

I was in a book store looking for something else and I found this. It tells us why we have the expressions we have, and it’s fascinating! I love the one about the needle in the haystack. Pilgrim neighbors shared one needle and the boy [delivering] it wanted to play in the hay, so he stuck the needle in a tree and forgot where he put it. It wasn’t in a haystack!