November 19, 2023
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert inspires me to dream and create my art just for the joy of it. It doesn’t matter if anyone ever sees what you do or if anyone else cares; it’s about feeding your soul, using your imagination, putting your unique beautiful gifts out into the world. In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert explores creative living through six primary areas: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity.
November 12, 2023
Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger
You know what I love about Arnold? There’s no bullshit. No excuses. He makes me believe anything is possible. Why? Because he has literally done the impossible. There’s a comedy set by Bill Burr where he talks about Arnold as his hero and says here’s a guy who was able to get someone to pay his way to the United States, became a world-renowned bodybuilder, a famous movie star, married a Kennedy, and became governor all while speaking with an accent so thick he can barely be understood at times. Arnold Schwarzenegger visualized the American dream in his mind and then he made it a reality. He overcame any obstacle that came his way, believed in himself, never gave up, and always has a positive attitude. And along the way he has found ways to help others.
November 5, 2023
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
I happened upon Ann Patchett’s newest novel recently when scrolling through my local Library app just checking out some newer releases. There is something about the way Ann Patchett tells a story that is so quiet but powerful, it’s a special kind of magic. She does it again in Tom Lake, a story where a family is pulled back together in early 2020 as the worldwide pandemic is taking hold. This is a story about mothers and daughters, young love, and this rare moment in time that unexpectedly brings them all back together under one roof.
October 29, 2023
Circe by Madeline Miller
I have always had a fascination with Greek mythology. When I came upon this book I had not heard yet of Circe, the daughter of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans. She is a being who creates frustration and awe all at once; you are annoyed with her but also feel a deep kinship with her and her struggles of not belonging. The author, Madeline Miller, has been able to take an obscure character from the annals of Greek mythology and create a masterpiece.
October 15, 2023
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Usually I do not pay much attention to new book reviews or the hype around new sensations. I like to come around to them in my own time, not because of everyone freaking out about how amazing they are, but simply because I am genuinely intrigued by the book itself. I’m one of those people who just rarely believes in listening to the critics. I like to decide all on my own if I like or do not like something. Read more…
July 30, 2023
Atonement by Ian McEwan
I hope you’ll consider giving this book a chance. If you do, I encourage you to ask yourself if you were in the wrong would you try to atone for your sins or if you were the one wronged in that way, could you forgive? Read more…
May 14, 2023
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” (Pressfield, 2002. p iv) Read more…
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