Must Reads 7th February 2018
Morning all from a beautifully sunny & snowy Central Scotland. Had a wee look around the web this morning and here are the books I will be adding to my To Be Read list today:
How a Simple Practice Can Change Our Lives and Open Our Hearts
(Self-Help. Religion/Spirituality)
Brand new and hitting the shelves today!
What if writing a list could literally change your life?
From the ancient book of Numbers to the latest clickbait listicle, list-writing has been a routine feature of human experience. Shopping lists. To-do lists. Guest lists. Bucket lists. Lists are everywhere you look.
But what if our lists did more than just remind us to buy milk and take out the trash? What if the practice of list-making could help us discover who we truly are and even point us to our deepest joys, hopes, and desires?
In Make a List teacher, writer and wordsmith Marilyn McEntyre shows readers how the simple act of writing a list can open doors to personal discovery and spiritual growth. Deepening her reflections with abundant writing prompts and real-life examples, McEntyre turns the humble list into a work of art—one that has the power to clear minds, open hearts, and change lives.
A Novel of Geadhain
(General Adult Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
Morigan lives a quiet life as the handmaiden to a fatherly old sorcerer named Thackery. But when she crosses paths with Caenith, a not wholly mortal man, her world changes forever. Their meeting sparks long buried magical powers deep within Morigan. As she attempts to understand her newfound abilities, unbidden visions begin to plague her - visions that show a devastating madness descending on one of the Immortal Kings who rules the land.
With Morigan growing more powerful each day, the leaders of the realm soon realise that this young woman could hold the key to their destruction. Suddenly, Morigan finds herself beset by enemies, and she must master her mysterious gifts if she is to survive.
With Morigan growing more powerful each day, the leaders of the realm soon realise that this young woman could hold the key to their destruction. Suddenly, Morigan finds herself beset by enemies, and she must master her mysterious gifts if she is to survive.
(Romance, Teen/YA)
All I want to do is forget. Turns out, that’s a lot harder than I
anticipated.
16 year old Jeanne Rowe used to love Life . . . until Life took a sharp
turn and never straightened out. Haunted by memories she would rather forget,
she tries to push forward, leaving the past where it belongs - in the past.
A few months after the life-altering incident, all seems well, until an
unforeseen figure re-enters her life. Then she discovers that those memories
weren’t ever locked up. They had only been waiting for the right moment to take
her down.
In hopes of appearing stronger than she truly feels, Jeanne pushes away
those closest to her, including the one person who's determined to help her.
Will Jeanne be able to deal with her troubles? Or will those same troubles
overshadow her life forever?
(General/Literary Fiction)
In a not-too-distant future perpetually on the brink of collapse, catastrophe is our most popular entertainment.
The energy crisis has come and gone. EcoLaw is enforced by insidious cartoon panda bears and their armies of viral-marketing children. The world watches as Pitcairn Island sinks into the Pacific, wondering if this, finally, will be the end of everything. Amongst it all, Max Galleon, anxious family man and blockbuster auteur, lives a life that he cannot remember.
What happens when you can outsource your memories – and even edit them?
When death can be reversed through digitisation, what is the point of living?
If the lines between real and unreal are fully blurred, can you really trust anyone, even yourself?
The energy crisis has come and gone. EcoLaw is enforced by insidious cartoon panda bears and their armies of viral-marketing children. The world watches as Pitcairn Island sinks into the Pacific, wondering if this, finally, will be the end of everything. Amongst it all, Max Galleon, anxious family man and blockbuster auteur, lives a life that he cannot remember.
What happens when you can outsource your memories – and even edit them?
When death can be reversed through digitisation, what is the point of living?
If the lines between real and unreal are fully blurred, can you really trust anyone, even yourself?
Shortlisted for the Small Press Network's Most Underrated Book Award 2017.
(Children's Fiction)
The Man in Red really exists.
If you are one of the people in the world that say Santa is just a myth, you are simply and completely wrong. Many tales have been told about the Man in Red. Some true - some as true as two-headed unicorns with wings living in the city of Atlantis … this tale is true.
A year not so long ago, Santa was ready to take his yearly pilgrimage on the night before Christmas when disaster struck - he stubbed his toe, twice. The toe ballooned to nearly triple its normal size. He could not make his yearly run by himself; he needed help. So on that fateful night, he enlisted four of his best elves, along with his reindeer, to help him make his deliveries around the world: Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America.
Although the reindeer made this trip with Santa every year, his elves had not been away from the Pole in many years, if ever; they had no idea what they would encounter on this journey. However, the deer and the elves knew what was at stake. It was well known at the Pole that Santa needed to make all deliveries to the world on Christmas Eve or he would lose the gift of being Santa—the rules were very clear.
So … with a magically altered 24 hours, four elves and four bucks set out on a journey fraught with mishaps, misplaced presents, and some misbehaviour in an attempt to save the Man in Red.
If you are one of the people in the world that say Santa is just a myth, you are simply and completely wrong. Many tales have been told about the Man in Red. Some true - some as true as two-headed unicorns with wings living in the city of Atlantis … this tale is true.
A year not so long ago, Santa was ready to take his yearly pilgrimage on the night before Christmas when disaster struck - he stubbed his toe, twice. The toe ballooned to nearly triple its normal size. He could not make his yearly run by himself; he needed help. So on that fateful night, he enlisted four of his best elves, along with his reindeer, to help him make his deliveries around the world: Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America.
Although the reindeer made this trip with Santa every year, his elves had not been away from the Pole in many years, if ever; they had no idea what they would encounter on this journey. However, the deer and the elves knew what was at stake. It was well known at the Pole that Santa needed to make all deliveries to the world on Christmas Eve or he would lose the gift of being Santa—the rules were very clear.
So … with a magically altered 24 hours, four elves and four bucks set out on a journey fraught with mishaps, misplaced presents, and some misbehaviour in an attempt to save the Man in Red.
(Romance / New Adult)
250,000 readers so far. The No. 1 Bestseller from Germany - now in English. A feature film is scheduled to arrive in theaters at the end of 2018. The book is based on a true story!
Jessica has an uncomplicated life and a promising future. Leaving the house one evening, she has no idea that she’s about to meet the love of her life - and that her entire understanding of the world is about to change. Before long, she’s going to face a decision that will shape her forever ...
A story of deep love. A story of trust, courage, pain, despair, and the strength to let go. A true story.---
From the moment she crosses paths with Danny, Jessica is fascinated. The dashing, confident 20 year old has everything she dreams of - looks, success, independence, money - and his kind, infinitely cheerful nature is spellbinding.
Yet Jessica sees something else lingering underneath Danny’s perfect façade. Bit by bit, she manages to pick it apart, unveiling harrowing truths about a deeply traumatic childhood that has left more than just emotional scars. Now, far away from his home and family, he is fighting to build a normal life for himself - even though he may be destined for a future as dark as his past.
Despite all adversity and against all reason, a deep and intimate love develops between Danny and Jessica. But soon they find themselves confronting the harsh realities of a superficial world, battling against prejudice and exclusion at every turn… and, worst of all, racing against time…
Jessica has an uncomplicated life and a promising future. Leaving the house one evening, she has no idea that she’s about to meet the love of her life - and that her entire understanding of the world is about to change. Before long, she’s going to face a decision that will shape her forever ...
A story of deep love. A story of trust, courage, pain, despair, and the strength to let go. A true story.---
From the moment she crosses paths with Danny, Jessica is fascinated. The dashing, confident 20 year old has everything she dreams of - looks, success, independence, money - and his kind, infinitely cheerful nature is spellbinding.
Yet Jessica sees something else lingering underneath Danny’s perfect façade. Bit by bit, she manages to pick it apart, unveiling harrowing truths about a deeply traumatic childhood that has left more than just emotional scars. Now, far away from his home and family, he is fighting to build a normal life for himself - even though he may be destined for a future as dark as his past.
Despite all adversity and against all reason, a deep and intimate love develops between Danny and Jessica. But soon they find themselves confronting the harsh realities of a superficial world, battling against prejudice and exclusion at every turn… and, worst of all, racing against time…
Reflections for Zen Seekers
(Sports, Self-Help)
The Mindful Art of Wild Swimming explores how swimming in rivers, lakes, and seas is the very epitome of conscious living. Zen-seeker Tessa Wardley reconnects the physical and spiritual cycles of life to the changing seasons and flow of wild waters worldwide and leads the reader on to a mindful journey through the natural world. With expert insight and personal anecdotes, she shares a sparkling clarity on why our relationship with open water is so fundamental to pure wellbeing, and reveals how wild swimming can be the ultimate Zen meditation.
Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan & Friends
(Cooking, Food/Wine)
Good food, good drink, good company – that’s the recipe for a good time. Good Together sees Mr Lyan call on his many friends from the world’s best restaurants to share their favourite dishes, and shows how a great feast and delicious cocktails can easily be part of everyone’s lives and social gatherings.
The book covers a range of occasions and holidays (from an enormous summer BBQ to an intimate romantic dinner), and Mr Lyan mixes world-class cocktails to suit recipes contributed by chefs including Nuno Mendes (Chiltern Firehouse), James Lowe (Lyle’s), Nieves Barragán Mohacho (Barrafina), Roca (El Celler de can Roca), Robin Gill (The Dairy), Isaac McHale (The Clove Club), Tien Ho (Whole Foods) and Richard Hart (Tartine) among many others.
Good Together is a masterclass in how fun and simple it can be to bring together the very best food and drink to create a home gathering with impact.
The book covers a range of occasions and holidays (from an enormous summer BBQ to an intimate romantic dinner), and Mr Lyan mixes world-class cocktails to suit recipes contributed by chefs including Nuno Mendes (Chiltern Firehouse), James Lowe (Lyle’s), Nieves Barragán Mohacho (Barrafina), Roca (El Celler de can Roca), Robin Gill (The Dairy), Isaac McHale (The Clove Club), Tien Ho (Whole Foods) and Richard Hart (Tartine) among many others.
Good Together is a masterclass in how fun and simple it can be to bring together the very best food and drink to create a home gathering with impact.
(Romance, Women's Fiction)
A secret kept for more than twenty years. A daughter intent on finding the truth...
In 1994, twenty-one-year-old Evelyn Taylor left England to backpack around Australia. When she stopped off in the dusty outback town of Kununurra, she never expected to fall in love with the place - and the people. But Joe Sullivan captured her heart, and when her fun-filled year in Australia came to an end, saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
In 2017, Evelyn’s daughter, Libby, embarks on her own Australian adventure. Grief-stricken following her mother’s death, she’s determined to find the father she never met.
Little does she know that digging up the past will be more complicated than she ever imagined.
In 1994, twenty-one-year-old Evelyn Taylor left England to backpack around Australia. When she stopped off in the dusty outback town of Kununurra, she never expected to fall in love with the place - and the people. But Joe Sullivan captured her heart, and when her fun-filled year in Australia came to an end, saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
In 2017, Evelyn’s daughter, Libby, embarks on her own Australian adventure. Grief-stricken following her mother’s death, she’s determined to find the father she never met.
Little does she know that digging up the past will be more complicated than she ever imagined.
Philosophy for Now
(Religion/Spirituality)
Why am I here? Do I really know anything? What does it all mean? These are questions we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Mindfulness & The Big Questions offers an enlightening approach to these universal existential conundrums, and explores how mindfulness can reveal hidden solutions to life’s mysteries.
Ben Irvine weaves together philosophy and mindfulness to reveal how we can become wiser and happier simply by paying attention to everyday life.
Through personal anecdote and practical meditative insights, he illustrates how the feeling of existential angst can be turned into a sense of wonder and opportunity. We can learn to embrace life’s uncertainties through the transformational practice of mindfulness meditation, through journeying back to the here and now.
Ben Irvine weaves together philosophy and mindfulness to reveal how we can become wiser and happier simply by paying attention to everyday life.
Through personal anecdote and practical meditative insights, he illustrates how the feeling of existential angst can be turned into a sense of wonder and opportunity. We can learn to embrace life’s uncertainties through the transformational practice of mindfulness meditation, through journeying back to the here and now.
(General Adult/Women's Fiction)
In the deep woods of East Texas, Henry supports his family by selling bootleg liquor. It’s all he can do to keep his compassionate but ailing mother and his stepfather - a fanatical grassroots minister with a bruising rhetoric - from ruin. But they have no idea they’ve become the obsession of the girl in the woods.
Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been watching them, seduced by the notion of family - something she’s known only in the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is.
Eve is about to take charge of her own destiny - and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the broken woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves at risk in order to do the right thing.
Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been watching them, seduced by the notion of family - something she’s known only in the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is.
Eve is about to take charge of her own destiny - and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the broken woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves at risk in order to do the right thing.
No Black Olives
Finding Hope & Grace Amid Hardship & Grief
(Biography/Memoir, Christian)
From divorce, disease, death, job loss, natural disasters and more—every single one of us will suffer or have suffered tragedy, loss, adversity, and grief at some point in our lives. And, our responses are as unique as a fingerprint. The inspirational yet heart-wrenching journey chronicled in this book, demonstrates that grief and loss does not follow a prescribed path or labelled steps. It’s not one size fits all.
Frick is no stranger to suffering and grief. She is a breast cancer survivor (since 2012). And, four years later, after almost 16 years of marriage and a brutal 14-month battle, she lost her beloved husband, David, to metastatic pancreatic and liver cancer. She has survived many types of grief in a very short period of time - lost family members (including many pets), job changes, moves, financial stress and more. Her inspirational memoir, Pizza With Jesus, chronicles her faith journey through compound losses, suffering and grief. Shared with her husband, David, their journey is a lesson in obedience, patience and trust in the Lord.
In a tone more personal than most grief-help books, Pizza With Jesus will make you laugh and cry…a lot. The book delivers a message of hope that there is life on the other side of grief, no matter how dark and lonesome it feels along the way. However, Pizza With Jesus is not just for the infirmed, it is a must-have resource for the 65 million family caregivers struggling to make peace with their role often frustrated from experiencing fear and unknown situations. It also offers tender renderings of how pets impact our lives and how losing them dims our light.
(Mystery/Thriller)
Do you like police procedurals with great characters and real grit?
Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
Two teenagers go missing on the same day. Just a coincidence?
The two young people are from very different backgrounds: Yasmin is the talented, grammar-school-educated daughter of devout Muslim professionals. Ricky disappears after storming out of his council house after an argument with his mum’s latest boyfriend.
DI Mariner knows Ricky's mother from his days in uniform. He is furious when his superiors take him off Ricky’s case and reassign him to the more politically sensitive investigation. The press - and his bosses - are convinced that Yasmin's disappearance is a racially motivated abduction. The Akrams have been the target of a far right group.
But Mariner soon discovers that Yasmin is far from the innocent victim her parents think she is. Can he get to the bottom of a perplexing case where no one is what they seem?
Find out the answers in this crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the second book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
Two teenagers go missing on the same day. Just a coincidence?
The two young people are from very different backgrounds: Yasmin is the talented, grammar-school-educated daughter of devout Muslim professionals. Ricky disappears after storming out of his council house after an argument with his mum’s latest boyfriend.
DI Mariner knows Ricky's mother from his days in uniform. He is furious when his superiors take him off Ricky’s case and reassign him to the more politically sensitive investigation. The press - and his bosses - are convinced that Yasmin's disappearance is a racially motivated abduction. The Akrams have been the target of a far right group.
But Mariner soon discovers that Yasmin is far from the innocent victim her parents think she is. Can he get to the bottom of a perplexing case where no one is what they seem?
Find out the answers in this crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the second book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
My Journey from Fundamentalism to Freedom
(Biography/Memoir, Religion/Spirituality)
(Biography/Memoir, Religion/Spirituality)
Born into an Irish immigrant family in Toronto, Tom Harpur was groomed for the ministry by his father from an early age. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, then returned to Canada and enrolled in Wycliffe College, the bastion of Anglican evangelicalism. Ordained to the ministry, Tom Harpur served for a number of years in his own parish before seeking a wider ministry in the world of mass media.
In 1971, Tom Harpur joined the Toronto Star as the religion editor and, over a number of years, reported on and met with many important spiritual figures, from Pope John Paul II to Mother Teresa, as he travelled around the globe.
Perhaps Tom Harpur’s most intimate book, Born Again is an important work of spiritual insight, revelation, and renewal, outlining the critical elements of his own path.
In Bloom by Kayla Aimee
Trading Restless Insecurity for Abiding Confidence
(Christian, Self-Help)
Every woman is intimately acquainted with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Whether fuelled by a culture of makeover shows, by the lingering memories of mean girls, or by events much more wounding to the soul, we can become so conditioned by self-doubt that it becomes our inner monologue.
What we want is to be free of shame and comparison, to turn our uncertainty into a bold confidence. But to flourish in our own skin, we first have to rewrite the narrative.
In this fearless, funny, and refreshingly relatable chronicle of her own metamorphosis from the insecurity that once held her captive, author Kayla Aimee unfolds the blueprint for women to:
• Identify the deep-seated sources of our assumed inadequacy and replace them with steadfast truths of scriptural affirmation
• Replace our need for approval with the enduring promise of acceptance
• Uncover our purpose, unlock our potential, and celebrate the God-given gifts in our unique personality
To every woman who longs for belonging, this journey through Kayla’s inviting prose, biblical promises, and journaling prompts will help guide her from restless insecurity to a beautiful becoming.
Trading Restless Insecurity for Abiding Confidence
(Christian, Self-Help)
What we want is to be free of shame and comparison, to turn our uncertainty into a bold confidence. But to flourish in our own skin, we first have to rewrite the narrative.
In this fearless, funny, and refreshingly relatable chronicle of her own metamorphosis from the insecurity that once held her captive, author Kayla Aimee unfolds the blueprint for women to:
• Identify the deep-seated sources of our assumed inadequacy and replace them with steadfast truths of scriptural affirmation
• Replace our need for approval with the enduring promise of acceptance
• Uncover our purpose, unlock our potential, and celebrate the God-given gifts in our unique personality
To every woman who longs for belonging, this journey through Kayla’s inviting prose, biblical promises, and journaling prompts will help guide her from restless insecurity to a beautiful becoming.
I can't wait to read and review these books so watch this space!
Have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists.
Happy Reading!
Have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists.
Happy Reading!
Comments
out and tell you I really enjoy reading through your articles.
Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same
topics? Many thanks!