Reading, Writing & Pondering

  The Nature of Love by Toni Shiloh is the latest in her Love in the Spotlight series. I really enjoyed this series and was excited to read this one. Dr. Erykah Kennedy is a renowned orthopedic surgeon who feels like life is missing something since she mostly just goes to work and comes home. She doesn't really have any friends at work or outside of work. Her closest relative is her sister who lives several states away with her husband and two daughters.  Chris is a nature-loving guy who runs a non-profit and has a huge following as he makes on-line content. He is also alone and feeling like a third wheel after his two best friends recently got engaged.  Chris and Erykah run into each other at a local restaurant when they were each getting supper. After they meet again at a local benefit gala, they forge a friendship which quickly blossoms after tragedy strikes Erykah. Erykah and Chris's lives soon turn upside down in some good ways in spite of the tragedy.  The Nat...

  Do you choose a word for the year? My word for this year is CREATE. I want to create time to make time to create--to draw, to collage, to write, to journal, to spend time just enjoying nature in a creative way, and however I am led to create instead of feeling like I am just alive to be "productive." I think this book is helpful:     Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity •  Publisher:  Baker Books (January 21, 2025) •  Paperback:  224 pages We are constantly fed the line that more productivity will bring more ease, satisfaction, and meaning to our lives. But what if all the gold stars and checkboxes are just a distraction? What if we could stop project-managing life and act from our  being  instead of all our  doing ? If you long to leave the pressure to do enough behind in favor of a life full of meaning, creativity, and joy–a life where you don’t feel rushed because you can’t fall behind– Making Tim...

      The Magic of Knowing What You Want: A Practical Guide to Unearthing the Wisdom of Your Desires •  Publisher:  Revell (January 28, 2025) •  Paperback:  240 pages “A comprehensive toolkit designed to help you navigate the intricate paths of ambition and self-doubt. . . an invaluable companion.”–Jennifer Alvarez, SVP of Brand and Chief Creative Officer of the Miami Heat Create the fully aligned, purposeful life you were made to live What do you really want? It’s an uncomplicated question until you try to answer it meaningfully. Whether prompted by transition, disruption, or curiosity about how to live more aligned with your values, we’ve all been there, feeling frozen, stuck, or lost in the fog of competing, half-baked desires, unsure how to move forward. In  The Magic of Knowing What You Want , leadership coach Tracey Gee walks you through a proven framework of identifying, clarifying, and embodying your desires. With interactive ex...

  An empowering, soul-baring personal account and guide from a two-time cancer survivor and healthcare disrupter that shows anyone how to deal with a frightening medical diagnosis in America today, providing the knowledge necessary to take ownership of personal well-being and maximize the chances for survival. More than twenty-five years ago, Kathryn Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age thirty-seven and given three years to live. With a young child, a happy marriage, and a successful career, Giusti had too much to live for. An “impatient patient,” she overcame her fear and got to work, learning to advocate for her own care. This book is the result of all she’s learned about how to get the best outcome from America’s opaque and sometimes impossible-to-navigate healthcare system. Fatal to Fearless  tells the story of how Giusti took on the system and turned it to her advantage not once but twice when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ag...

  I listened to the audiobook version of If My Husband Would Change, I would be Happy (& Other Myths Wives Believe ) by Rhonda Stoppe.  The audiobook is read by the author and she has a casual tone to her reading style. I had mixed feelings about this book.This author is a pastor's wife. She said she and her husband often do marriage counseling. He chimes in with his views at the end of the chapters--except she reads that part too. I wish that he read that part instead of her as it would be more meaningful to me to hear the shift in voice from female to male on the part written by the male.  If My Husband Would Change offers advice that I think would be most helpful to young married people. However, it may also be helpful to those who have been married for awhile. She does share a couple stories that I found rather cringe--like the story of their honeymoon trip to Old Faithful where she takes a laxative after being constipated on the trip and then goes for a hike. Yi...

  My love for Scotland and for Sarah Sundin's books merged into one in Sundin's newest release, Midnight on the Scottish Shore. As is typical with her books, this one is set during World War Two. Cilla van der Zee is struggling to survive in German-occupied Netherlands. As she reaches a point where she can't take it anymore, she volunteers to become a spy for the Nazis. In doing so, she hopes to escape to England and connect with some distant family members there. However, things don't go as planned. Cilla washes up along the Scottish shore where she is discovered by naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie near his family's estate. He believes she is a spy and turns her over to the authorities to be executed. However, British Intelligence believes she is more useful alive than dead and she becomes a double agent. Soon after that, Lachlan is forced to provide her with naval intelligence and they must work together to outsmart the Germans as part of England's M15 prog...

    What Your Body Knows About Happiness: How to Use Your Body to Change Your Mind •  Publisher:  SourceBooks (January 7, 2025) •  Hardcover:  400 pages From the  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Gratitude Diaries ,  What Your Body Knows About Happiness  is your ultimate insight into the body-mind connection, guiding you to a happier, more pleasurable life. Happiness isn’t just a state of mind. It’s also a state of body. Standing straight can give you a shot of confidence and forcing a smile might improve your mood. But do you know why? We generally believe that the brain is the big computer telling our bodies how to respond, but new research shows that the system often works in reverse. Your body reacts first, and your brain then interprets the physical signals. As you walk by a dark alley, your heart starts pounding and only then does your brain get the message: I’m scared! The body can also send messages about p...

    Do you ever feel lonely? I imagine many of us have those moments when we feel lonely from time to time. The New Loneliness by Cindy McMenamin is a book designed to "nurture meaningful connections when you feel isolated." The New Loneliness is divided into three parts: The first part is Reconnecting with God. This section focuses on realizing that God is always with you, that He always loves you, and the you are created for a purpose. The second part is Reconnecting with Your Heart. This section is all about having a better mindset. It encourages the reader not to enter into comparison, to make time and space for friends and not strive for busyness, learning to be yourself and more transparent to others, and learning to love again after you have been hurt by others.  The third section is Reconnecting with Others. This section is encouraging Real Life connections with other people and less on-line connections. The author definitely shows this book is up-to-date for ou...