Autumn is in the air, sweaters are coming out, steaming lattes are in hand… must be hibernation reading season.
I pulled together the books that I’ve recently finished that were absolute all-stars, and a few that I personally am diving into this season right alongside you. There’s something in here for everyone – whether you’re looking for a light novel, a beautiful new prompted journal, pointers on keeping the spark alive in your relationship, or a deep dive into the pandemic preparation. Join me for a journey into all of it.
Called “an allegory of awakening,” this deeply spiritual novel reads like a fun and light romp and was an absolute pleasure to undertake. I often find that I can only enjoy “spiritual texts” a few pages at a time, but I would curl up in bed at night and positively devour this book. It’s the story of Diana, a human woman (so we think) who ends up awakening to herself, learning powerful tools that we can all bring into our daily lives to evolve and grow.
I’m a sucker for a Michael Lewis book, and while this was categorically different from what I expected, I actually found it to be even better. On the surface, this is a book about the pandemic. But it traces a pretty intriguing history of individuals in our country who were carving new pathways into large scale health crisis responses and preparation for events a la the flu pandemic of 1918, and how that leads us into what was employed (and clearly not employed during this current-day experience.
As I am writing this, I’m about ¼ of the way through this beautiful gift of a book. The author is both a botanist and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and brings a unique and much-needed perspective to our connection to the natural world around us. She speaks the language of story, and each chapter examines a new plant, weaves in her personal story, and speaks to Native American wisdom around the subject as well. It’s the kind of book you can read a chapter of, pick it back up 4 weeks later, and still find yourself wholly immersed in meaning.
How do you have a long term relationship and still keep the spark alive? Absolute queen Esther Perel (a famed couples therapist who I listen to on every possible podcast) tackles committed relationships, how to create and maintain desire, and how to do it all in the context of our wild modern world. This one is on my list for the fall, so read it along with me 🙂
In need of a new journal? (That’s a trick question). This is SO very much more than a journal. Elana Brower weaves in stunning and soothing watercolor, beautiful prompts, and white space for meditation and reflection as you work your way through this heartfelt journey on paper.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
I’m on my third read of this book right now, and it truly called out to me from the bookshelf the other day purely because it’s that wonderful of a story. It’s written through the eyes of 9-year old Oskar Schell, who is growing up in NYC with autism and has lost his father during 9/11. An adventure ensues that I won’t spoil here, but there is so much depth and nuance to this beautiful novel, and it’s one that’s lingered on my heart long after each reading has come to an end.
Caro's City 