May we each understand the need, and strive to be, an intelligent toiler…
… Read more...“An infallible test of civilization is that a man claiming to be civilized should be an intelligent toiler, that he should understand the dignity of labor, and
Book Review: THE WIFE by Meg Wolitzer
I picked THE WIFE by Meg Wolitzer for our book club, as I thought it would be so much fun to have a corresponding “go to the movies night” to compare the novel with the new movie featuring Glenn Close. … Read more...
Book Review: THE NATURE FIX by Florence Williams
I don’t review a great number of nonfiction on Goodreads, but to those who know me (and my penchant for fiction writing that includes sensory nature descriptions), it’s probably no surprise that THE NATURE FIX: WHY NATURE MAKES US HAPPIER, … Read more...
Book Review: ELMET by Fiona Mozley
This little book took me by surprise in a big way. A debut with a long list of well-deserved literary honors.
Can We Ever Feel Too Valuable?
We all have an innate need to be valued in life — to feel we are valuable as individuals and as members of our community and to feel that our contributions are worthy and appreciated. But can we ever feel too valuable?
Book Review: NO SPECIES IS AN ISLAND by Theodore H Fleming
A study of the migratory pollinators and the interdependence they have on one another... a warning regarding possible environmental peril.
Book Review: GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN by Taylor Brown
The language is poetic and lyrical. Taylor Brown creates an incredible sense of place that transports the reader.
Book Review: THE LOST LETTER by Jillian Cantor
Jillian Cantor is a natural at her first dual-narrative novel... fascinating insight about a little-known resistance tool during WWII ...
Book Review: GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT by Lily Brooks-Dalton
I loved GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT by Lily Brooks-Dalton – which surprised me, since this novel was billed as a post-apocalyptic story. I have read only a handful of such stories and warmed only slightly to them (The Age of Miracles, … Read more...
Book Review: TRUE PLACES by Sonia Yoerg
For starters: that cover! It spoke to me immediately. But what is beneath the beautiful artwork is equally delightful. While I have enjoyed all of Sonja Yoerg’s novels, TRUE PLACES has to be my favorite, with its juxtaposition of nature … Read more...
Universal Well-Being And Planetary Considerations
What will it take for us to let go of our endless debates and finger-pointings over global warming or global climate change? When will we begin to truly recognize that the heart of our human existence and survival is the … Read more...
Book Review: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens
I was fascinated by WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING when I first learned about author Delia Owens’s background studying wildlife in Africa, and her awards as a nature writer. I was in the mood for a book lush in setting and … Read more...
Words: “After Us, There Will Be Others…”
You know you are hanging out with the right kind of friends, when, on a day you most need it, you are gifted with a beautiful starfish and the words “You make a difference every day!”
The original Starfish Story … Read more...
Walking In Nature — A Basic Tool For Creative Multitasking
Author Julia Cameron points out that one of the most valuable tools for creativity is one of the simplest — walking.
When she wrote THE ARTIST’S WAY she didn’t address exercise until week 12 in the program. In IT’S NEVER … Read more...
Words: “The Field Of All Possibilities…”
When all the stars align in our favor, we tend to feel a sense of self-satisfaction that the universe has fallen into place for us. But instead, maybe we should feel a sense of humbling recognition that among the field … Read more...
Book Review: THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli
Wow. I could probably stop there, honestly, because that’s about all you need to know. But… I can’t do that because I loved this book too much not to talk about it.
THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli is an intense… Read more...
Book Review: PECULIAR SAVAGE BEAUTY by Jessica McCann
In Jessica McCann’s PECULIAR SAVAGE BEAUTY you get a front-row view of the horrors of the American Dust Bowl. Your skin will sting with torrents of dust, your eyes will burn from the grit, your heart will race. Yes, you … Read more...
Book Review: THE WEIGHT OF INK by Rachel Kadish
THE WEIGHT OF INK by Rachel Kadish is one of those books that, when you close its covers upon reading the final pages, you know you’ve read something special. It is also the kind of book that, days later, sinks … Read more...
Words To Live By: “Nature Brings Solace In All Troubles”
Within her diary, first published as THE SECRET ANNEX and later published as THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, Anne Frank expresses her belief in the healing power of nature — “amidst the simple beauty of nature…will always be comfort … Read more...
Book Review: THE SHAPE OF IDEAS by Grant Snider
First, a confession:
I’ve long been a fan and a follower of Grant Snider’s “Incidental Comics.” Seeing one of his comic strips pop-up in my Twitter feed is like a gift of sunshine to brighten my day. My … Read more...
Book Review: THE RIVER OF KINGS by Taylor Brown
Wow! What a fascinating book written with absolutely gorgeous, transporting prose.
I tend to enjoy dual-period books, but THE RIVER OF KINGS by Taylor Brown actually is a rare treat in that it weaves a third period into the storyline, … Read more...
Words: ” No Wealth In The World Can Help Humanity Forward …”
How do we help humanity forward? When we value the wrong things, then we focus on the wrong things. And, of course, we create the wrong things.
Not the things that we most need…
As Albert Einstein explained in THE … Read more...
Book Review: GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel Khong
“…there is a bit of magic in this author’s ability to tell a deeply affecting story with interspersed humor”
I will be honest: I don’t know how to feel about this book. Prior to picking up GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel … Read more...
Book Review: HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi
Wow. What an ambitious accomplishment for a debut author (any author, really) – a story following the lives of one family over 300 years, and written in only 320 pages.
I don’t think many readers are familiar with the origins … Read more...
Book Review: THE SECOND MRS. HOCKADAY by Susan Rivers
As a fan of Civil War-era historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed the slim debut of THE SECOND MRS. HOCKADAY. An epistolary novel told in its entirety through letters, legal court inquests and journal entries, it mirrors the real-life story of … Read more...