Must Reads 9th February 2018
Another gloriously sunny Scottish day today - long walk for me and the dog later on but first of all here are my top pick books for today:
(Romance, Women's Fiction)
Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Cecelia Ahern and Jojo Moyes Can love truly conquer all?
When a vicious attack leaves Paul in a coma on his wedding day, the doctors fear he will never wake up. But his fiancée Fran will never give up hope.
Fran has always known Paul is the only man for her, from the first moment they locked eyes as children to the day he finally told her he loved her. Paul can’t leave her, not now their lives are just about to begin.
Love will always find a way… won’t it?
When a vicious attack leaves Paul in a coma on his wedding day, the doctors fear he will never wake up. But his fiancée Fran will never give up hope.
Fran has always known Paul is the only man for her, from the first moment they locked eyes as children to the day he finally told her he loved her. Paul can’t leave her, not now their lives are just about to begin.
Love will always find a way… won’t it?
(General Fiction)
From heartbreak to the best mistake they'll ever make…
When Layla Rivers’ boyfriend of 12 years skips out on their round-the-world trip of a lifetime – without her – she does what experience has taught her to do best, hide away in the cosy Cornish village she calls home. But any hopes of laying low soon disappear when Hollywood’s hottest star & mutual acquaintance, the gorgeous Nick Wells, crash lands on her couch…naked!
For Nick, Cornwall is supposed to be an escape from both his problems and the limelight, yet as the stars align and disarming Layla bursts into his world, his life only gets more complicated.
Will Nick and Layla fight against the undeniable connection between them or, after a romantic whirlwind trip to Paris, will they follow their hearts’ desires?
When Layla Rivers’ boyfriend of 12 years skips out on their round-the-world trip of a lifetime – without her – she does what experience has taught her to do best, hide away in the cosy Cornish village she calls home. But any hopes of laying low soon disappear when Hollywood’s hottest star & mutual acquaintance, the gorgeous Nick Wells, crash lands on her couch…naked!
For Nick, Cornwall is supposed to be an escape from both his problems and the limelight, yet as the stars align and disarming Layla bursts into his world, his life only gets more complicated.
Will Nick and Layla fight against the undeniable connection between them or, after a romantic whirlwind trip to Paris, will they follow their hearts’ desires?
The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life
(Religion/Spirituality)
In a consumer-driven world where we’re told we need and deserve more, Susan Muto, executive director of the Epiphany Association, reminds us that gratefulness is a gift from God.
In Gratefulness: The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life, she reveals that grateful living is not another new fad but has been the way of saints and Christian mystics for centuries.
Many popular secular books today explore how embracing gratitude can lead to a happier, healthier life. In contrast, renowned author, speaker, and teacher Susan Muto approaches gratitude from a uniquely Catholic perspective.
In this insightful, inspiring book, she explores how life-changing a spirit of gratefulness can be by using both personal and well-known examples of the struggles and rewards of grateful living. Muto and companions such as Julian of Norwich, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Henri J. M. Nouwen, and Dorothy Day highlight the power of gratitude as a grace from God and walk with us as we learn to practice thankfulness.
We start the journey toward gratefulness by embracing gratitude in all circumstances and end it by thankfully accepting the missions God entrusts to each of us. Along the way, we begin to accept God’s grace by understanding the benefits of positivity and dangers of negativity, the redemptive power of prayer, and the lasting fruits of thankfulness.
A spirituality of gratitude reminds us that, even without the possessions, luxuries, or leisure time society claims are the most important things in life, God still loves, cares, and knows what’s best for us. Muto also provides practical tools that help us embrace this grace in our lives.
In Gratefulness: The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life, she reveals that grateful living is not another new fad but has been the way of saints and Christian mystics for centuries.
Many popular secular books today explore how embracing gratitude can lead to a happier, healthier life. In contrast, renowned author, speaker, and teacher Susan Muto approaches gratitude from a uniquely Catholic perspective.
In this insightful, inspiring book, she explores how life-changing a spirit of gratefulness can be by using both personal and well-known examples of the struggles and rewards of grateful living. Muto and companions such as Julian of Norwich, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Henri J. M. Nouwen, and Dorothy Day highlight the power of gratitude as a grace from God and walk with us as we learn to practice thankfulness.
We start the journey toward gratefulness by embracing gratitude in all circumstances and end it by thankfully accepting the missions God entrusts to each of us. Along the way, we begin to accept God’s grace by understanding the benefits of positivity and dangers of negativity, the redemptive power of prayer, and the lasting fruits of thankfulness.
A spirituality of gratitude reminds us that, even without the possessions, luxuries, or leisure time society claims are the most important things in life, God still loves, cares, and knows what’s best for us. Muto also provides practical tools that help us embrace this grace in our lives.
(Humour)
Readers will find out a lot about British humour by reading this book.
This book describes 40 British traditions, similar to Bog Snorkelling and Nettle Eating, that I can guarantee you will NOT find anywhere else. The reason I know this is because I made them up.
The big question is: are the real traditions more ridiculous than the made-up traditions? If you like British humour this might be the book for you. Or it might not.
All the stories in this fun book are short, distinct, and can be read independently; this is a book for the busy individual who has a spare five minutes to discover the secrets of Biscuit Rolling and to realise it would be easier and warmer to roll biscuits than snorkel in a bog.
This unique book might make you chuckle, laugh, or even smile. It could even make you happy.
Take the 40 traditions at your own pace and as you read, try and imagine taking part in these events.
This book describes 40 British traditions, similar to Bog Snorkelling and Nettle Eating, that I can guarantee you will NOT find anywhere else. The reason I know this is because I made them up.
The big question is: are the real traditions more ridiculous than the made-up traditions? If you like British humour this might be the book for you. Or it might not.
All the stories in this fun book are short, distinct, and can be read independently; this is a book for the busy individual who has a spare five minutes to discover the secrets of Biscuit Rolling and to realise it would be easier and warmer to roll biscuits than snorkel in a bog.
This unique book might make you chuckle, laugh, or even smile. It could even make you happy.
Take the 40 traditions at your own pace and as you read, try and imagine taking part in these events.
40th Anniversary Edition
(Religion/Spirituality)
For forty years, James Finley’s Merton’s Palace of Nowhere has been the standard text for exploring, reflecting on, and understanding the rich vein of Thomas Merton’s thought. Spiritual identity is the quest to know who we are, to find meaning in our own lives, to overcome that sense of “Is this all there is?” Merton’s message cuts to the heart of this universal quest, and Finley illuminates that message as no one lse can.
As a young man of eighteen, James Finley left home for an unlikely destination: the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton lived as a contemplative. Finley stayed at the monastery for six maturing years and later wrote Merton’s Palace of Nowhere in order to share a taste of what he had learned on his spiritual journey under the guidance of one of the great religious figures of our time. At the heart of the quest for spiritual identity are Merton’s illuminating insights - leading from an awareness of the false and illusory self to a realisation of the true self.
Dog-eared, tattered, underlined copies of this book are found on the bookshelves of retreat centres, parish libraries, and the homes of spiritual seekers everywhere. This anniversary edition brings a classic to a new generation and includes a new preface by Finley.
As a young man of eighteen, James Finley left home for an unlikely destination: the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton lived as a contemplative. Finley stayed at the monastery for six maturing years and later wrote Merton’s Palace of Nowhere in order to share a taste of what he had learned on his spiritual journey under the guidance of one of the great religious figures of our time. At the heart of the quest for spiritual identity are Merton’s illuminating insights - leading from an awareness of the false and illusory self to a realisation of the true self.
Dog-eared, tattered, underlined copies of this book are found on the bookshelves of retreat centres, parish libraries, and the homes of spiritual seekers everywhere. This anniversary edition brings a classic to a new generation and includes a new preface by Finley.
AT TIME OF WRITING THIS BOOK IS FREE FOR THE KINDLE SO DOWNLOAD IT NOW!
Essays about How & Why This Happened, What It Means and How to Make Sure that it Never Happens Again
More than 16 million people had posted their #MeToo story and support against sexual harassment by mid-October as a reaction to Rose McGowan’s brave admission that she had allegedly been raped by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. A groundswell of reaction to and exposure of this sexual predation was unleashed that has spread throughout Europe and beyond. New revelations of unacceptable behaviour in every industry break every day as people come forward in response to the viral #MeToo posts. Protests have happened, including the “Take back the Workplace” Hollywood march in November of 2017, and legislation is being drafted in New York and California to finally change the way things have been for far too long.
This is the turning point. Things are going to change.
This is a historic moment and it needs to be memorialised, passed around and passed on. Although social media is a fantastic means of igniting a fire, it needs to keep burning, like a torch.
So Riverdale Avenue Books, a woman-owned leading hybrid publisher, is putting its money, words and power, behind this and publishing this collection of 26 essays from people who understand want to make this change, and we, as a society, have got to figure out a way to drive that change forward.
So pass this book around. Share it with your sons, brothers, fathers, your daughters, sisters and mothers, your co-workers and friends. Read passages to them, if they won’t read it for themselves. Leave it on the desk of someone who should know better.
Help them make this movement more than a hashtag.
This is the turning point. Things are going to change.
This is a historic moment and it needs to be memorialised, passed around and passed on. Although social media is a fantastic means of igniting a fire, it needs to keep burning, like a torch.
So Riverdale Avenue Books, a woman-owned leading hybrid publisher, is putting its money, words and power, behind this and publishing this collection of 26 essays from people who understand want to make this change, and we, as a society, have got to figure out a way to drive that change forward.
So pass this book around. Share it with your sons, brothers, fathers, your daughters, sisters and mothers, your co-workers and friends. Read passages to them, if they won’t read it for themselves. Leave it on the desk of someone who should know better.
Help them make this movement more than a hashtag.
Evermore Book 1
(Romance, Teen/YA)
It's 1993 in the pristine coastal community of Malibu, CA. Fourteen year-old Neely Evans is coming of age, like it or not. A Tennessee transplant, she ended up in California when her father landed a job at a top law firm.
Neely fills her time painting seascapes, still life art, and combing the beach for her next perfect picture. And then, the boy down the beach enters her life, and she will never be the same.
Seth Drake, a year older than Neely, takes her under his wing. He enjoys hanging with her and they are soon inseparable. As they grow close, their friendship gives way to something more. But before the teens can fully revel in their budding romance, Neely's life is ripped apart. Her father's infidelity is made public, and her mother is determined to seek revenge by using Neely as her weapon. She takes her daughter and moves back to Tennessee.
Months later, when Neely returns for a visit, she finds that Seth has matured in ways she'd never imagined. Neely isn't sure if she's ready to take the next step in their relationship. In the end, Neely makes a decision she may live to regret.
This first instalment in the Evermore Series is bittersweet; complete with first love, first heartbreak, a family forever fractured by infidelity, and a teenager that becomes the primary caregiver for her mentally unstable mother. But Neely has strength that sometimes surprises even her. She learns how to cope - any way she can.
Neely fills her time painting seascapes, still life art, and combing the beach for her next perfect picture. And then, the boy down the beach enters her life, and she will never be the same.
Seth Drake, a year older than Neely, takes her under his wing. He enjoys hanging with her and they are soon inseparable. As they grow close, their friendship gives way to something more. But before the teens can fully revel in their budding romance, Neely's life is ripped apart. Her father's infidelity is made public, and her mother is determined to seek revenge by using Neely as her weapon. She takes her daughter and moves back to Tennessee.
Months later, when Neely returns for a visit, she finds that Seth has matured in ways she'd never imagined. Neely isn't sure if she's ready to take the next step in their relationship. In the end, Neely makes a decision she may live to regret.
This first instalment in the Evermore Series is bittersweet; complete with first love, first heartbreak, a family forever fractured by infidelity, and a teenager that becomes the primary caregiver for her mentally unstable mother. But Neely has strength that sometimes surprises even her. She learns how to cope - any way she can.
The Art of Gentle Protest
(Non-Fiction, Craft/Hobbies)
How to Be a Craftivist is a manifesto for quiet activism: how to tackle issues not with shouting and aggression but with gentle protest, using the process of ‘making’ to engage thoughtfully in the issues we are about, to influence and effect change.
Sarah Corbett – professional campaigner and founder of the Craftivist Collective – shares her journey from burnt-out activist, tired of marching, confrontation and demonszing opposition, towards a more respectful activism: using craft to contemplate global issues, provoke thought and start conversations rather than arguments; to engage, empower and encourage people on and offline to become part of change in the face of injustice, inequality and prejudice.
Interwoven with Sarah’s personal stories of causes fought are ideas and suggestions for every novice craftivist. From how to think about the medium itself, to looking at colour, fonts, size and message, here is inspiration for every detail of your creation.
In today’s world it’s easy to feel helpless, but here is a book to initiate debates rather than shouting matches, to enable collaboration in place of confrontation. Gentleness can be a great strength, and quiet action can sometimes speak as powerfully amid the noise as the loudest voice. And if we want a world that is beautiful, kind and fair… shouldn’t our activism be beautiful, kind and fair?
Sarah Corbett – professional campaigner and founder of the Craftivist Collective – shares her journey from burnt-out activist, tired of marching, confrontation and demonszing opposition, towards a more respectful activism: using craft to contemplate global issues, provoke thought and start conversations rather than arguments; to engage, empower and encourage people on and offline to become part of change in the face of injustice, inequality and prejudice.
Interwoven with Sarah’s personal stories of causes fought are ideas and suggestions for every novice craftivist. From how to think about the medium itself, to looking at colour, fonts, size and message, here is inspiration for every detail of your creation.
In today’s world it’s easy to feel helpless, but here is a book to initiate debates rather than shouting matches, to enable collaboration in place of confrontation. Gentleness can be a great strength, and quiet action can sometimes speak as powerfully amid the noise as the loudest voice. And if we want a world that is beautiful, kind and fair… shouldn’t our activism be beautiful, kind and fair?
(General Fiction)
Reminiscent of Bonfire of the Vanities and The Godfather in breadth and cast of characters, Byrne has written a family drama about the complex bond between James Devlin and his father, who saved James’s life when he was a boy. A WWII combat survivor who becomes an advertising executive, Dave Devlin is haunted daily by what he has seen during battle and the guilt he carries for the death of his comrade. The Devlin family disintegrates as James struggles to become his own man, while his father becomes increasingly disillusioned with his life and the country he fought for.
Against a backdrop of sports, Love’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over addresses loss, revenge, pretence, and forgiveness, posing the still relevant question: what does it mean to be a man? James ultimately concludes, quoting Yogi Berra to his father, “Maybe love’s like baseball … It’s not over ‘til it’s over.
Against a backdrop of sports, Love’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over addresses loss, revenge, pretence, and forgiveness, posing the still relevant question: what does it mean to be a man? James ultimately concludes, quoting Yogi Berra to his father, “Maybe love’s like baseball … It’s not over ‘til it’s over.
(General Fiction, Teen/YA)
An incandescent, soul-searching story about a broken young woman's search for a truth buried so deep it threatens to consume her, body and mind.
These are the things Lux knows:
She is an artist.
She is lucky.
She is broken.
These are the things she doesn't know:
What happened over the summer.
Why she ended up in hospital.
Why her memories are etched in red.
'The nightmares tend to linger long after your screams have woken you up ...'
Desperate to uncover the truth, Lux's time is running out. If she cannot piece together the events of the summer and regain control of her fractured mind, she will be taken away from everything and everyone she holds dear.
If her dreams don't swallow her first.
These are the things Lux knows:
She is an artist.
She is lucky.
She is broken.
These are the things she doesn't know:
What happened over the summer.
Why she ended up in hospital.
Why her memories are etched in red.
'The nightmares tend to linger long after your screams have woken you up ...'
Desperate to uncover the truth, Lux's time is running out. If she cannot piece together the events of the summer and regain control of her fractured mind, she will be taken away from everything and everyone she holds dear.
If her dreams don't swallow her first.
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!
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