Currently Reading

Recently read or on my nightstand:

SoulSpace: Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life — Creating a Home That Is Free of Clutter, Full of Beauty, and Inspired by You by Xarin Balbes – SO GOOD! I’m sure I’ll be telling you all about it.

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting by Dr. Laura Markham.  I’ve been following Dr. Laura’s blog, Aha Parenting, for awhile now so I’m not surprised how packed full of wisdom this book is.
A Field Guide to Now: Notes on Mindfulness and Life in the Present Tense by Christina Rosalie.  This book is absolutely amazing! Please read what I have to say on it in this post.

 

 The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World by Sophia Dembling.  I totally agree with this: “You’re not shy; rather, you appreciate the joys of quiet. You’re not antisocial; instead, you enjoy recharging through time alone. You’re not unfriendly, but you do find more meaning in one-on-one connections than large gatherings.”  By honoring what makes them unique, this astute and inspiring book challenges introverts to “own” their introversion, igniting a quiet revolution that will change how they see themselves and how they engage with the world.

She Matters: A Life in Friendships by Susanna Sonnenberg.  ”With remarkable candor, wit, and wisdom, Susanna Sonnenberg fearlessly examines her female friendships since childhood, brilliantly articulating the ways each sustained, sometimes devastated and ultimately defined her. She Matters: A Life in Friendships is a dazzling, poetic love letter to what women share, an unforgettable memoir you’ll immediately want to pass along to friends.” ~ Kate Walbert, author of A Short History of Women )

Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer: Excuse me, but literary lovers MUST read this book.  It’s powerful and beautiful.  Highly recommend!

“Inspired by the lives of Flannery O’Connor and Robert Lowell, Frances and Bernard imagines, through new characters with charms entirely their own, what else might have happened. It explores the limits of faith, passion, sanity, what it means to be a true friend, and the nature of acceptable sacrifice. In the grandness of the fall, can we love another person so completely that we lose ourselves? How much should we give up for those we love? How do we honor the gifts our loved ones bring and still keep true to our dreams?”

Floor Sample by Julia Cameron. ” Julia Cameron is a passionate and wry observer of the world, and her account of her life as a self-described “floor sample” for all she teaches in her brilliant books on creativity will surprise, entertain, and inspire all her many fans as well as anyone interested in an absorbing literary memoir.” I enjoyed this one, but it did get to be a bit much in the breakdown department.  She seems to waver quite often between despair and being on an even keel.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan: “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is an old school mystery set firmly in tech-loving, modern day San Francisco. Clay Jannon (former web designer) lands a job at a bookstore with very few patrons and even fewer purchases. His curiosity leads him to the discovery of a larger conspiracy at play.” I’d say it’s The DaVinci Code for book lovers.

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander – AN AMAZING READ:  Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.  Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself.

* * *

13, rue Thérèse: A Novel by Elena Mauli Shapiro: American academic Trevor Stratton discovers a box full of artifacts from World War I as he settles into his new office in Paris. The pictures, letters, and objects in the box relate to the life of Louise Brunet, a feisty, charming Frenchwoman who lived through both World Wars.

* * *

Gilded Age: A Novel by Claire McMillan: A modern Edith Wharton heroine returns to the hothouse of Cleveland society, raising eyebrows as she struggles to reconcile her desire for independence and her need for love.

Eleanor Hart had made a brilliant marriage in New York, but it ended in a scandalous divorce and thirty days in Sierra Tucson rehab. Now she finds that, despite feminist lip service, she will still need a husband to be socially complete. Navigating the treacherous social terrain where old money meets new, she finds that her beauty is a powerful tool in this world, but it has its limitations, even liabilities. Through one misstep after another, Ellie mishandles her second act. Her options narrow, and now she faces a desperate choice.

* * *

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver: In A THOUSAND MORNINGS, Mary Oliver returns to the imagery that has come to define her life’s work, transporting us to the marshland and coastline of her beloved home, Provincetown, Massachusetts. In these pages, Oliver shares the wonder of dawn, the grace of animals, and the transformative power of attention. Whether studying the leaves of a tree or mourning her adored dog, Percy, she is ever patient in her observations and open to the teachings contained in the smallest of moments.

* * *

My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly La Force and Jane Mount: The books that we choose to keep –let alone read– can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves. In MY IDEAL BOOKSHELF, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find their way in the world. Contributors include Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Keller, Michael Chabon, Alice Waters, James Patterson, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Chuck Klosterman, Miranda July, Alex Ross, Nancy Pearl, David Chang, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers, among many others. With colorful and endearingly hand-rendered images of book spines by Jane Mount, and first-person commentary from all the contributors, this is a perfect gift for avid readers, writers, and all who have known the influence of a great book.

* * *

Raising a Child with Soul: How Time-Tested Jewish Wisdom Can Shape Your Child’s Character by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff

* * *

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky

* * *

Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories
by Edith Pearlman

* * *

Paris: A Love Story by Kati Martin