Back when Melrose Place was big, I couldn't get a part on it if I jumped through fire. Or I'd go up for something like Doogie Howser, MD , and the casting people would say, "In a few years, you're gonna put your stamp on Hollywood."

I'd think, 'Well, what does that mean?' I felt like a square peg trying to fit myself into a round hole. One casting director used to say, "I know you think you're crazy right now. But all these little girls are gonna fall away, and you'll be one of the few women standing."

Some actors would think, 'If I can't get a job on Melrose , then I'm sunk.' And they'd get stuck there. But I was lucky—I'd come across books that helped me push through moments like that.

A lot of people I know read self-help books, though they don't admit it. I'm happy to recommend them because they've influenced the steps I've made in my own life and career and the process of becoming the person I want to be.

Kathryn Morris stars in Cold Case, on CBS.

What's on Kathryn Morris' Bookshelf? Read more!