The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator

Explore this month's list of books on such engaging and relevant topics as: Support + Inspiration for Modern Humans with Timeless Souls; Wising Up: Embracing Aging as an Invitation to Heal, to Grow, to Contribute; The Power of Nature as Our Guide + Teacher; Oracle and Tarot Decks for Inspiration + Growth; and Inspiration for the Young and the Young at Heart.

Does it surprise you as much as it does me that we’re halfway through May already? For many of us, this is the time of year when bright Summer plans dreamt up during the darker days of Winter feel like they’re urgently calling to be realized - prompting fears that there’s not going to be enough time to sort out the details, much less enjoy ourselves. Factor in a Mercury Retrograde cycle and, well, you get the idea…

Fortunately, I have the perfect solution…getting cozy with a book or two to help reset and restore your energy and perspective. Although, to be fair, I must admit that books are my perfect solution for nearly every difficult situation. Hopefully you will find something below that will help soothe your mind and spirit and lend a sense of balance to your world. 

“Dancing with life is moving into the flow of our experiences - good or bad with a feeling of harmony, trust, guidance, and love.”
~Susan Jeffers

Support + Inspiration for Modern Humans with Timeless Souls

Acts of Power by Lynn V. Andrews | Paradise Found

Acts of Power: Daily Teachings for Inspired Living is a compilation of the work of spiritual teacher and mystic Lynn V. Andrews, spanning decades of her teachings and wise ways, focused on the sacred feminine and personal empowerment.

Recipes for a Sacred Life by Rivvy Neshama | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles is a memoir of sorts by Rivvy Neshama, filled with love, warmth, and wisdom. The inspiration for writing the book came to her on a dark winter night when she took a ‘Find Your Highest Purpose’ quiz and discovered that hers was to live a sacred life. The problem was that she didn’t know quite what that looked like or how to go about manifesting it. What evolved from that dilemma is this wonderful book.

Big Feelings by Liz Fosselian and Molly West Duffy | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay by Liz Fosselien and Molly West Duffy is an approachable and insightful illustrated guide to handling our most difficult emotions. Weaving scientific research with personal stories and original illustrations, each chapter examines one uncomfortable feeling - like envy, burnout, and anxiety - and lays out strategies for turning big, unwieldy emotions into more manageable ones.

Grief is Love by Marisa Renee Lee | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

In Grief is Love: Living with Loss, author Marisa Renee Lee reveals that healing does not mean moving on after losing a loved one. Rather, it means learning to acknowledge and create space for your grief. At its core, the book is a powerful exploration of all that comes after death and shows us that if we can own and honor what we’ve lost, we can experience a beautiful and joyful life in the midst of grief.

The Anxiety Healer's Guide: Coping Strategies and Mindfulness Techniques to Calm the Mind and Body by Alison Seponara is a treasure trove of support for topsy-turvy times - offering practical information, activities, tools, and techniques to help us learn how to calm our nervous systems - anytime, anywhere. 

Wising Up: Embracing Aging as an Invitation to Heal, to Grow, to Contribute 

The Inside Story by Susan Sands | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

The Inside Story: The Surprising Pleasures of Living in an Aging Body by Susan Sands poses the question: What if the secret to healthy aging has been inside of us all along? If you find that inquiry as irresistible as I do, then this is a book for you. Within its pages you will find an enlightening guide to better aging through embodiment for women at midlife and beyond. “This book is not about trying to look fifty when you’re seventy or thirty when you’re fifty,” writes Dr. Sands. “It’s about forging a healthier relationship with your actual maturing body - a relationship of respect, appreciation, tenderness, and yes, even love.”

Buddhist teacher and author Susan Moon’s latest offering  Alive Until You're Dead: Notes on the Home Stretch is a gem, full of poignant and humorous insights on fully embracing our lives as we age. 

From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks offers a reliable roadmap for navigating aging with soulful intention and inspired joy. By refocusing on positive priorities and habits that anyone can learn, Brooks shows us that with consistency and patience we can set ourselves up for increased happiness. 

A Glorious Freedom by Lisa Congdon | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives by Lisa Congdon is a celebration of the opportunities held in the experience of aging; freedom to be more authentic, confidence to pursue new endeavors while worrying less about what other people may think and living more on our own terms.

Aging as a Spiritual Practice by Lewis Richmond | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Aging as a Spiritual Practice: A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser by Zen Buddhist priest and meditation teacher Lewis Richmond is a wise and compassionate book that guides readers through the stages and processes of aging. Breath by breath, moment by moment, Richmond’s teachings inspire an abundance of opportunities for a joy that transcends the number of our years.

The Power of Nature as Our Guide + Teacher

Sentient by Jackie Higgins | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Zoologist and filmmaker Jackie Higgins brings us Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses - an extraordinary book showing that the sensory powers of our animal friends can help us better understand the same powers that lie dormant within us. 

Life is Golden by Andrew Muse | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Life is Golden: What I've Learned from the World's Most Adventurous Dogs by Andrew Muse is a lovely read about his adventures with his dog Kicker as they travel the world enjoying life and one another.

Six Walks by Ben Shattuck | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck retraces the footsteps of 19th century naturalist Henry David Thoreau around the Massachusetts landscape. Intimate, entertaining, and beautifully crafted, Six Walks is a resounding tribute to the ways walking in nature can inspire us all.

Solitary Animals by David Stein | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild by Joshua David Stein with illustrations by Dominique Ramsey honors the beauty and strength of solitude in the animal kingdom and those who move through it on their own. 

Oracle and Tarot Decks for Inspiration + Growth

Nature's Whispers Oracle Cards from Angela Hartfield, illustrated by Josephine Wall comes with a companion journal, beautifully bringing the vibrant natural world to life.

The Herbcrafter's Tarot by Latisha Guthrie pays tribute to the handicrafts, tools, and time-honored folk-skills related to herbs, trees, flowers, and other plants that so generously share their healing gifts with us.

The Numinous Astro Deck by Ruby Warrington | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

The Numinous Astro Deck by Ruby Warrington, illustrated by Bess Matassa is a colorful user-friendly divination tool helpful for interpreting birth charts and providing insight.

Tarot for Troubled Times by Shaheen Miro and Theresa Reed | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Tarot for Troubled Times: Confront Your Shadow, Heal Your Self & Transform the World by Shaheen Miro and Theresa Reed is an evocative deck teaching how to befriend our shadows, empower our true nature, and express ourselves in the service of growth and service.

Starcodes Astro Oracle by Heather Roan Robbins | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Starcodes Astro Oracle from Heather Roan Robbins is a very cool deck that helps us tap into the powerful energies of ancient astrological archetypes and the relationships between celestial bodies as they move through the sky and through our lives.

Circle of Life Tarot by Maria Di Stefano | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Circle of Life Tarot from Maria Di Stefano is an enchanting deck reflecting the beauty and power of the great wheel of life, featuring round cards gorgeously decorated with elemental beings.

When My Soul Whispered Oracle Deck by Melissa Selvaggia | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

When My Soul Whispered Oracle Deck by Melissa Selvaggio is illustrated with minimalistic chakra-based watercolor artwork and comes with a 164-page illustrated guidebook with gentle messages and mantras, advice and affirmations, and light and shadow work.

Inspiration for the Young and Young at Heart

Being a Dog by Maria Gianferrari | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Pete Oswald is an irresistible story of a young child and their dog as together they experience every minute of the day to its fullest.

A Gift for Nana by Lane Smith | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

A Gift for Nana by Lane Smith tells the sweet tale of a thoughtful little Rabbit who sets out to find the perfect gift for his Nana.

We Dream Medicine Dreams by Lisa Bovin | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

From Dene artist and bioethicist Lisa Boivin comes We Dream Medicine Dreams - a healing story of hope, dreams, and the special bond between a grandfather and his granddaughter.

Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

The delightful middle grade novel Witchlings  by Claribel A. Ortega is a brilliant coming of age adventure set in the magical town of Ravenskill. With plenty of plot twists and a coven of quirky young magicals, this is a fun story perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Harry Potter.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston | Paradise Found Santa Barbara

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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