The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator

"We must live in the radiance of tomorrow, as our ancestors have suggested in their tales. For what is yet to come tomorrow has possibilities, and we must think of it, the simplest glimpse of that possibility of goodness. That will be our strength. That has always been our strength.”

~Ishmael Beah, Radiance of Tomorrow

This Book Report highlights a collection of inspirational offerings intended to support us as we make our way along our path. Included are some noteworthy books on the healing powers of nature, how to take better care of ourselves, a couple of magical novels, a handful of memoirs, some wonderful children’s books, and one of my favorite poems by William Stafford.

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Shall we begin?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the life and work of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and am delighted to let you know that he has a new book out called Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. In it he writes: "When you wake up and you see that the Earth is not just the environment, the Earth is us, you touch the nature of interbeing. And at that moment you can have real communication with the Earth... We have to wake up together. And if we wake up together, then we have a chance. Our way of living our life and planning our future has led us into this situation. And now we need to look deeply to find a way out, not only as individuals, but as a collective, a species." This is as direct and compassionate call to common purpose as it gets. I’m in! How about you?

With a title like Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do, there’s not much more I can say to describe what this wonderful book by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols is about. There’s a lot of science to back up what Nichols is saying about the power of water to positively affect our minds, bodies, and spirits, but, really, don’t we know this already at a soulful energetic level? May this book serve to remind and inspire us all to be better caretakers of our beautiful planet.

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Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year edited by Jane McMorland Hunter is a beautifully illustrated daily anthology comprised of the very best of nature writing from around the world and through the centuries; from Pliny the Elder’s Natural History to contemporary authors including Helen Macdonald and Robert Macfarlane. 

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In The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary author Melissa Harrison shares her transformative experience of relocating from urban south London to the rural Suffolk countryside. She writes: “When I lived in London I barely noticed the winter solstice. Nothing slowed, contracted or dimmed to mark the shortest day of the year, for, like all cities, London has all but left such trifling considerations behind. But now I am in Suffolk, and the difference could not be more marked. I wake in dim half-light, the yellow windows of nearby farmhouses glimmering across frost-white fields. At three the rooks begin to gather in the leafless trees, and flocks of starlings start to move from place to place. When darkness falls, the nights are blacker than I’ve ever seen, the starfield so breathtaking that Orion and the Plough are lost amid a million other points of light.” Reader, this is a gem of a book.

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Another take on the opportunity to deepen our connections to the natural world is Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred by environmentalist pastor Victoria Loorz. Here she fuses Christian-inspired spirituality with a love for wild places and creatures, helping us to appreciate the love that literally holds the world together - a love that calls us into communion with all of Life.

For a more humorous, but no less inspiring take on the healing power of Nature, look no further than Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside by Parks and Recreation actor and New York Times bestselling author Nick Offerman. With his characteristic wry sense of observation, the reader is invited to share a hike or two, muse about the joy of communing with wilderness, and celebrate the ‘great outdoors’.

Maia Toll’s forthcoming Wild Wisdom Companion: A Guided Journey Into the Mystical Rhythms of the Natural World, Season by Season is something you definitely want to keep in mind for the holiday season ahead - both for your personal wish list and for gifting to others. It’s organized into 12 chapters - Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox and late stages of each of the four seasons. With gorgeous illustrations by Kate O’Hara it features seasonal practices, writing prompts, elemental medicine, and more. Included are 28 pop-out oracle cards for a true interactive experience. While it releases and ships on December 7th, I encourage you to pre-order this one if it speaks to you, as it very well may sell out quickly 

Susan Orlean’s new book On Animals is a collection of reflections, meditations, and in-depth profiles about animals and how we interact with them - and they with us. This is a celebration of meaningful cross-species connections which inform our lives every day in ways both subtle and profound. 

Shelly Tygielski is a mindfulness teacher and activist with something important to say about how to cultivate balance between our desire to be of service to others and the necessity of prioritizing our own well-being. In support of this process, she offers  Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World. In a winning combination of memoir, manifesto, and guide, Shelly imparts how, as she used radical self-care practices to manage a serious chronic health issue, she had an epiphany: finding true health and peace is not a solo endeavor, but one that lives and thrives in connection with others. Amen, sister!

Host of the popular Once Upon a Food Story podcast, Elise Museles, brings us Food Story: Rewrite the Way You Eat, Think, and Live in which she shows us how we come to develop what she calls our ‘food story’ - the ways we feel about food, think about food, deprive ourselves or overindulge, the specific things we crave, and how we absorb a variety of positive and negative messages from our families, culture, and the media. Then, she kindly and compassionately guides us toward a way out of all the stress and confusion with food toward a more joyful and relaxed way to eat, think, and live. This book is a lovely way to show up for ourselves.

If you’re in the mood for a story worthy of your time and attention, look no further than Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, the highly anticipated sequel to Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s delightful young adult novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I have to say that I love, love, love these novels for their beauty, heart, and inclusivity. If you’ve ever felt deeply misunderstood by your family or community, then you know the pain and pressure Aristotle and Dante face. I invite you to accompany them on their journeys into greater self-acceptance, ever-unfolding love, and shared joy. You will be moved.

Beloved best-selling Wicked author Gregory Maguire has a new book out called The Brides of Maracoor which is the first of a three-book series featuring the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba’s granddaughter, the green-skinned Rain. Reader, prepare to be enchanted and inspired all over again with this tale of the powers of mystery, magic, love, and family.

"All of us have to learn how to invent our lives, make them up, imagine them. We need to be taught these skills; we need guides to show us how. If we don't, our lives get made up for us by other people."

~Ursula K. Le Guin

Whenever I’m grappling with a particularly rough time in my life, I turn to memoirs and personal narratives to help see me through in good company. After all, my bestie isn’t always available for a midnight chat, but a book by a fellow pilgrim on the path waits patiently on the shelf for just such occasions. Should you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few I can wholeheartedly recommend:

Chances are either you or someone you know and love has struggled with infertility and N. West Moss’s memoir Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life does a beautiful job of bringing this journey to light. 

Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons & Love Affairs by Pearl Cleage is a candid and inspirational treasure trove for anyone striving to strike a balance between professional and personal ambitions and dreams. We can all learn a thing or two about courage, resilience, connection, and personal liberation from what Pearl so generously shares with us.

I cannot endorse The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir by emergency room physician Michele Harper highly enough. Here we are gifted with the story of the powerful life lessons she learns from each of the patients she treats as they come face to face with the nuanced issues of resistance and acceptance inherent in the human experience.

The Children’s Corner

“There are good books which are only for adults. There are no good books which are only for children.”

~W.H. Auden

What follows are a few special offerings in full support of Auden’s wise words: Instructions by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Charles Vess is a perfect reminder to always be on the lookout for magic and wonder.

Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts is an uplifting story about the power of art, finding your voice, and telling your story even when (especially when) you’re out of step with your peers.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate tells the story of young Jackson and his family who have fallen on hard times; his parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Just when things seem most dire, along comes Crenshaw, a cat and imaginary friend of Jackson’s to help.

A poem by William Stafford:

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You Reading This, Be Ready

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Starting here, what do you want to remember?

How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?

What scent of old wood hovers, what softened

sound from outside fills the air?

Will you ever bring a better gift for the world

than the breathing respect that you carry

wherever you go right now? Are you waiting

for time to show you some better thoughts?

When you turn around, starting here, lift this

new glimpse that you found; carry into evening

all that you want from this day. This interval you spent

reading or hearing this, keep it for life––

What can anyone give you greater than now,

starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

“There’s a reason that you can learn from everything: you have basic wisdom, basic intelligence, and basic goodness.

Therefore, if the environment is supportive and encourages you to be brave and to open your heart and mind, you’ll find yourself opening to the wisdom and compassion that’s inherently there.” 

~Pema Chödrön, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living

Please visit our online Bookshop to see our full selection of lists and titles. 

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May you be inspired, supported, and delighted by what you find here.

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