“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.”
— Andrew Carnegie

Here are the last 7 books I just finished reading that stood out to me.

They range in topics from courage to aging (and courage in aging) to book bans, anxiety, AI (and anxiety about AI)—and then a novel about tradwives to round things out.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. How We Learn to Be Brave
Decisive Moments in Life and Faith
by Mariann Edgar Budde

Bishop Budde has made some brave choices the past few years in speaking up for the voiceless.

She writes this book to explain how anybody can develop more courage—as a choice, not just because they have it naturally—to face consequential decisions in a variety of situations, even if they don’t feel ready for them.

2. The Inner Work of Age
Shifting from Role to Soul
by Connie Zweig

The older I get, the more I think about what it means to age with wisdom.

This was a very interesting book on confronting the shadows of aging, looking inward and outward, and investing your life in things that are meaningful to you.

3. How to Defend Books and Why
Book Bans and How We Fight Them
by Danny Caine

I admit not all of this book kept my attention. Some chapters lost me. But overall, it was still worth reading. I appreciate how Caine explains both the recent history of book bans, how they’re affecting us now, and why it matters.

Chapter 5 on “Books to Change and Save Lives: Prison” was especially interesting to me since I have an incarcerated pen pal who is an avid reader and writer. I hope to hear more about his experience soon on books available to him.

4. The God Test
Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning
by Robert Wright

I’m still thinking about this one; I took a lot of notes from it. It’s about how quickly artificial intelligence might change humanity if we don’t develop some thoughtful governance around it. It’s not a book of scare tactics; Wright does bring balance.

However, he makes a good case for how much is at stake if we continue toward a “global brain.” My thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

5. Mindset
The New Psychology of Success
by Carol S. Dweck

This is an older book, but just as relevant as ever because it explains that what we believe about ourselves can affect how we move through life. Those with a fixed mindset don’t see much potential in themselves for change, whereas those with a growth mindset view themselves as capable of learning and adapting in new ways.

No one has all one or the other mindset, but a growth mindset turns out to be more helpful in navigating both your successes and failures.

And by finishing this book, I’ve now concluded the Daniel Pink challenge: 21 Life-Changing Books! I learned so much from a variety of sources about some things I might not have chosen on my own.

6. Anxiety Rx
by Russell Kennedy

Okay, this one still has me thinking, too. Because I am prone to anxiety myself, I’ve read a lot through the years about it. But this book presented it a bit differently (to me anyway).

Kennedy argues that all anxiety is separation anxiety (he goes more in depth about it), and anxiety is often alarm in the body first, which then causes distress in the mind. He combines neuroscience, psychology, personal experience, and practical techniques to change not only our response to anxiety, but how we think about it.

Effective? TBD. Intriguing? Definitely.

FICTION

7. Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke

I’m recommending this one with a caveat. I found the first part of this novel to be fascinating. It’s about a modern-day social media influencer promoting her tradwife lifestyle.

But the book really bogged down for me in the middle with its time-travel theme. It picked back up at the end, fortunately, to help it make sense. (It still won’t make any top 10 lists for me though.)

Nonetheless, it was highly entertaining overall, so I’ll still recommend it.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• Project Hail Mary
  by Andy Weir
• Saying No to New
  Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness―and How to Take Back Your Life
  by Eric Athas
• The Art of Fighting
  The Transformative Power of Conflict
  by Priya Parker
• Live Laugh Love
  The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made
  by Kristin Kobes DuMez
• The Geography of Loss
  Embrace What Is, Honor What Was, Love What Will Be
  by Patti Digh
• Don’t Think of an Elephant!
  Know Your Values and Frame the Debate
  by George Lakoff
• Good Writing
  36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences
  by Neal Allen, Anne Lamott

Closing

As always, I don’t agree with everything in the books I recommend. But these each gave me something to think about and/or something to enjoy along the way. Maybe one will do the same for you, too!

What’s a good book you’ve read lately? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m sharing at some of these linkups

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
— Joan Didion

I had a good reading month. I almost read as many fiction books as nonfiction, which is an unusual balance for me! Several library holds became available near the same time, so that’s when I read them.

Here are 5 nonfiction and 3 fiction books I recommend this month.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Daily Rituals
How Artists Work
by Mason Currey

I’ve heard about this fascinating book for years. I’m glad I finally read it. It tells about the daily routines of 161 writers, artists, composers, etc. It was interesting to see how many of them preferred working in the morning hours, then going for long walks in the afternoon.

“Inspiration is for amateurs,” Chuck Close says. “The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

2. Why Won’t You Apologize?
Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts
by Harriet Lerner

I enjoy Harriet Lerner’s books because they make good sense and they’re easy to comprehend. In this one, she explains what makes a good apology and what doesn’t, both in the giving and receiving. She has lots of practical takeaways, including this:

“If your intention is to offer a genuine apology, it’s the hurt party’s anger and pain that matters. Save yours for a different conversation.”

3. I Belong to Me
A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma
by Tia Levings

This is Levings’ second book after escaping her fundamentalist upbringing and abusive marriage. It’s part memoir and part guide for anyone seeking to heal after religious trauma. I personally liked her first book better, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy, just because it was more of her story, but this second book is valuable, too.

“At its core, deconstruction is simply the process of questioning beliefs, identifying their roots and outcomes, and determining if you agree with them. It’s asking, ‘Why?’”

4. Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert B. Cialdini

I’m getting close—this is the 20th of the 21 books recommended by Daniel Pink in June 2025 that I wanted to read. I had already read 9 of them prior to last year, and have since finished another 9, abandoned 2, which leaves just 1 more to go (Mindset). They’ve each been so interesting in their own ways. This one by Cialdini is a classic about why people are persuaded to say yes to advertising, sales, politics, etc., giving us a heads-up about how we’re being influenced.

“We like people who are like us, and we are more willing to say yes to their requests, often in an unthinking manner. Another such factor is praise.”

5. In Love with the World
A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying
by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

This is about a strange experience I will never have. It’s a memoir by a privileged Tibetan Buddhist master who secretly snuck out of his monastery in India for four years to wander unknown. It’s interesting to read how he handled himself after a life of pampering, especially when he became deathly ill in the first few weeks on his own.

“I had never once bought a ticket for anything, and had never had more weight in my backpack than a bottle of water, perhaps sunglasses, and a hat.”

FICTION

6. Theo of Golden
by Allen Levi

My library hold finally became available, and as predicted, I did love this book. It’s about an older gentleman who moves into a small Georgia town and gets to know its residents in a unique way. I understand now what all the hype has been about. A lovely story.

“Asher was not used to talking so freely about matters so personal. He would remark later that the old man listened in a way that made one dangerously willing to talk.”

7. The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans

This novel also lived up to the expectations I’d heard about it. This one is a story told through a series of letters that an elderly woman writes and receives in the last few years of her life. Evans did an amazing job using this unique method for a tender novel about relationships, regrets, and joys.

“Isn’t it something wonderful to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”

8. Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury

The banned book club I’m in chose this classic novel for our August selection. We had such an interesting discussion about it last Sunday. The book is set in a future where books are banned and firemen start fires with books instead of putting out fires. In the story, one of the firemen gets curious about why books are so dangerous. One thing leads to another in his quest for knowledge. I read the book years ago, and it seems more relevant than ever.

“There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• The Art of Resilience
  100 Paths to Wisdom and Strength in an Uncertain World
  by Carol Orsborn
• The God Test
  Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning
  by Robert Wright
• Anxiety Rx
  by Russell Kennedy
• How We Learn to Be Brave
  Decisive Moments in Life and Faith
  by Mariann Edgar Budde
• How to Defend Books and Why
  Book Bans and How We Fight Them
  by Danny Caine
• The Inner Work of Age
  Shifting from Role to Soul
  by Connie Zweig

Have you read any of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m sharing at some of these linkups

“The helpful thought for which you look
Is written somewhere in a book.”
– Edward Gorey

I rarely set out to read related books in any given month, but sometimes a theme emerges anyway.

In the books I recently finished, I see this invisible question emerging: How can we live with dignity—for ourselves and for others—in a complicated world?

Each book answered that question from a slightly different angle, showing that being fully human is practiced through joy, abundance, hope, justice, respect, morality, and empathy.

[See previously recommended books here]

Here are the 5 nonfiction and 2 fiction books I recommend this month.

NONFICTION

1. Joyful, Anyway
by Kate Bowler

Kate Bowler shares so many personal stories in her books that she feels like a friend you can trust. I appreciate her witty yet poignant reflections in this book on what it means to find joy in the midst of the ache. She says that joy isn’t the absence of suffering; it’s a way of remaining open to beauty, hope, and connection even in the midst of it.

2. Big Time
A Simple Path to Time Abundance
by Laura Vanderkam

Another of my favorite authors, Laura Vanderkam always challenges my ongoing feeling that I never have enough time. In this book she offers practical strategies for creating a greater sense of time abundance. I wrote more about it here, 10 Ways to Think Bigger About Time.

3. The Deliverance of Hope
The Spiritual Discipline of Writing People on Death Row
by Wendy Ramage and Jeff Hood

I’ve met these authors on Zoom calls lately, and they’re both sincerely passionate about restoring human dignity to people who often receive it the least. They do an incredible job exploring how letter-writing is one way to bear witness to the truth that each person is more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.

4. A Thousand Ways to Die
The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America
by Trymaine Lee

Another well-written book on a difficult topic, this one by journalist Trymaine Lee tells how violence affects Black communities far beyond the immediate loss of life. Through reporting, real-life examples, and statistics, he shows how families and communities continue to bear the long-term effects of gun violence. This book will move you.

5. Beyond the Politics of Contempt
Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times
by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow, and Becky Robinson

My book club spent several months reading this practical guide to learn how to better keep healthy relationships across political and ideological differences. Spoiler alert: It’s not about winning arguments. Instead, it relies more on curiosity, respectful dialogue, and everyday graciousness toward fellow humans.

FICTION

6. The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

This was a repeat read for another book club I’m in. It’s about a dystopian society where children from each district are forced to participate in a televised fight to the death. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place and enters the Hunger Games. It’s a disturbing premise, but the story reveals a lot about the power of resistance, about inequality, and about the choices that people make when they live in oppressive societies.

7. James
by Percival Everett

This is the perfect follow-up after reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn last month. It’s is a reimagining of the same story except through the character of Jim (James). No offense to Mark Twain, but I enjoyed this book more than the original. Everett is a great storyteller and gives James amazing depth. He sticks loosely to the original storyline of Twain’s original while also adding in some surprising twists along the way to make the story feel entirely fresh. I highly recommend this Pulitzer Prize-winning book.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• Theo of Golden
  by Allen Levi
• I Belong to Me
  A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma
  by Tia Levings
• Why Won’t You Apologize?
  Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts
  by Harriet Lerner
• Influence
  The Psychology of Persuasion
  by Robert B. Cialdini
• In Love with the World
  A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying
  by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
• Aging Out
  An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old
  by Lucy Schiller
• Fahrenheit 451
  by Ray Bradbury

Together, the books I finished this month reminded me of the importance of treating each other better every day. None of us has it all figured out. But by becoming more thoughtful, attentive, and compassionate, we can improve both our own lives and the lives of others.

That’s one of the reasons I love reading. Stories entertain us, yes, but they also reshape how we see the world and how we choose to live in it.

Have you read any of these books? Leave a comment with your thoughts—or tell me what book you recommend.

I’m sharing at these linkups

“There is no such thing as too many books, just not enough shelves.”

I like to read across a lot of genres, so this month’s recommendations should give you some variety. These eight books touch on psychology and spirituality to history, memoir, and classic fiction. I found something unique and valuable in each one.

I’ve sprinkled in a few quotes as well from each book.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet
by Pamela Paul

I loved reminiscing through this list of 100 everyday experiences, habits, and connections that we used to have. Many of these things have disappeared in modern life due to the internet, for better or worse (depending on your perspective), such as:

• Getting lost
• Losing your ticket (although I can lose my digital ticket too if I forget where I have it on my phone)
• TV Guide
• Maps
• Blind dates
• Boredom

“People have always spent lots of time on the phone; the difference is that before, we spent it on actual phone calls. Imagine that.”

~ ~ ~

“What did parents in the seventies do when kids were bored in the back seat? Nothing! They let them suck in gas fumes. Torture their siblings. And since it wasn’t actually used for wearing, play with the seatbelt.”

~ ~ ~

“In my childhood view of the world, kids were either born into a fun-loving, full-color World Book Encyclopedia family or consigned to a boring, beige Encyclopedia Britannica family like mine.”

(I was definitely in an Encyclopedia Britannica family—I was fairly old before I could even understand what the entries meant. I was jealous of my friends who had the World Book set. )

2. What Matters Most
Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living
by Diane Button

This was a beautiful telling of story after story from Diane Button’s work as a death doula with people nearing the end of life.

So, what did she find matters most? Spoiler alert: “People and relationships are the core of what matters most.”

“To die with gratitude, you must learn to live with gratitude. To die with a joyful heart, you must learn to live with a joyful heart. To die surrounded by love, you must live surrounded by love. To die in peace, you must learn to live in peace. To die well, you must learn to live well.”

3. Give and Take 
A Revolutionary Approach to Success
by Adam Grant

Who ends up more successful: givers, matchers, or takers? Do the most competitive people end up winning the most?

Adam Grant says no. His research shows that generous people—even when they’re literally giving things away—usually achieve the most extraordinary success. (This is Book # 17 for me from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find the list here. It’s been almost a year since I started, but I’m getting there, slowly but surely….)

“Givers reject the notion that interdependence is weak. Givers are more likely to see interdependence as a source of strength, a way to harness the skills of multiple people for a greater good.”

4. When Things Don’t Go Your Way
Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times
by Haemin Sunim

So many great lessons here, and in short doses. Zen teacher Haemin Sunim writes about how to handle disappointment, uncertainty, and hardship with more peace and acceptance.

“Why are we unhappy? The answer is rather simple. We are unhappy because we can’t find peace with what is. We wish things to be different from what is happening at that moment.”

~ ~ ~

“They say that the chance of laughter is thirty times higher when you are with friends than when you are alone. We laugh only fifteen percent of the time because of something that was truly funny, while the rest of the time we laugh because those around us are laughing.”

~ ~ ~

“Which would you rather have? A thousand new followers, or one new genuine friend?”

5. Blessings and Disasters
A Story of Alabama
by Alexis Okeowo

I learned a lot of new things about my home state from journalist Alexis Okeowo. She writes about Alabama’s complex history on faith, race, politics, community, etc. As with most of America’s history, I walked away with a mixture of both shame and pride.

“The way Alabamians think about themselves is due in great part to the environment. All this abundance and its violent settlement—whoever has more force takes the spoils—have bred an entitlement to the land and a defiance to anything that is in the way.”

~ ~ ~

“Alabama has become known for the holidays it still chooses to recognize (three are in honor of the Confederacy) and those it continues to downplay (Martin Luther King Jr. Day is combined into a joint holiday with Robert E. Lee Day).”

(And just Monday we had our annual state holiday to commemorate Jefferson Davis’ birthday, the former president of the Confederate States. Really???)

~ ~ ~

“White people in the South have the most African ancestry of white people living anywhere in the country.”

6. Psychobabble
Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free
by Joe Nucci

Fascinating! Joe Nucci is a psychotherapist who challenges a lot of the popular mental health advice that we see circulating on social media and everyday conversations. He writes this book for the layperson so it’s easy to understand.

“Myth #6: “Hurt People Hurt People”
Some hurt people hurt people, but many hurt people go out of their way to never hurt anyone, physically or emotionally. There are many reasons why people who do hurt others take those actions.”

FICTION

7. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain

It has been a few years since I’ve read this classic novel about Jim and Huck Finn as they travel on the Mississippi River seeking Jim’s freedom and a better life. With each reading, I see a little more of Twain’s criticism of racism and social hypocrisy. I read it for a book club I’m in. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make the meeting; I always get so much more out of a book through group discussions.

I bounced back and forth between reading and listening. I found the audiobook easier because I could hear the dialects spoken into of deciphering them from the page.

“Turn him loose! he ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!”

8. To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee

I reread this classic for another book club I’m in. I’d forgotten some of the key parts of the story about Scout and the Finch family so I was moved (again) at how Attitcus Finch confronted prejudice in their small Alabama town. And even though I knew what was going to happen in the end, I still cried (again) when it did.

I also swapped between reading and listening this book too (yay for public libraries!). The audio version was narrated by Sissy Spacek, who was phenomenal for every character!

“You’ve got everything to lose from this, Atticus. I mean everything.”
“Do you really think so?” This was Atticus’s dangerous question.
“Do you really think you want to move there, Scout?” Bam, bam, bam, and the checkerboard was swept clean of my men.
“Do you really think that, son? Then read this.”

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• A Thousand Ways to Die
  The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America
  by Trymaine Lee
• I Belong to Me
  A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma
  by Tia Levings
• Big Time
  A Simple Path to Time Abundance
  by Laura Vanderkam
• Influence
  The Psychology of Persuasion
  by Robert B. Cialdini
• Why Won’t You Apologize?
  Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts
  by Harriet Lerner
• Anxiety Rx
  by Russell Kennedy
• The Deliverance of Hope
  The Spiritual Discipline of Writing People on Death Row
  by Wendy Ramage and Jeff Hood

Whatever you’re looking for in a book—practical wisdom, a deeper understanding of human nature, or simply a good story to enjoy—it’s sure to be out there somewhere. There are SO many books to choose from. I hope your latest stack brings you as much joy as my stack has brought me.

Have you read any of these books? Leave a comment with your thoughts—or tell me what book you recommend.

I’m sharing at these linkups

“A word after a word after a word is power.”
— Margaret Atwood

My books this month were great for both stretching my imagination (like, Remarkably Bright Creatures) and reflecting on our humanity (like, How to Feel Loved).

Here are the four nonfiction and two fiction books I just finished that I recommend.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Braving the Truth
Essential Essays for Reckoning with and Reimagining Faith
by Rachel Held Evans

Even though we lost Rachel too soon on May 4, 2019, her words and messages live on. Her friend Sarah Bessey compiled some of Rachel’s writings into this book, adding in several current essays from Rachel’s friends and family. It’s a powerful and beautiful collection of ideas about wrestling with faith and doubt and humanity.

2. The Unfolding: Poems
by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

Just wow. I’m not really a poetry reader (just a wannabe), but Rosemerry’s poems are short enough yet full to overflowing to keep me captivated. They remind me to notice more of the sacredness found in our ordinary moments.

3. How to Feel Loved
The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most
by Sonja Lyubomirsky

This title caught my eye because we usually see books about how to be more loving, but this one was how to be more loved. Or to recognize and be aware of it anyway. Often we’re more loved than we even realize.

The five shifts to feel loved are adopting a sharing mindset, listening-to-learn mindset, radical-curiosity mindset, open-heart mindset, and multiplicity mindset.

4. Nations Apart
How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America
by Colin Woodard

This felt like a long book, but I think it’s because it was SO full of data. It was mind-blowing to me to see how America is divided so deeply along regional roots from the beginning of our country’s founding. We may intuitively know this, but to see it spelled out chapter after chapter through so many examples was quite startling.

If you care about this type of cultural analysis through history to better understand what’s going on in America now, this is a great book to sit with.

FICTION

5. Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt

This novel is a breath of fresh air. It’s a tender (and surprising!) story about people finding their way in this world despite loneliness and life’s hardships. And it involves an octopus as a main character! A movie adaptation is set to release on Netflix this month.

6. Last Chance Live!
by Helena Haywoode Henry

On the other extreme, this novel shows a darker side of humanity. But also a tender side. I read it for a book club. And the author is going to join us when we meet this month! I’m so curious to hear why she wrote this book.

The premise: Ten death row inmates between the ages of 18-21 volunteer to compete for America’s votes in a reality TV show. The winner wins everything—total freedom and exoneration of all crimes. But the nine losers? They lose all rights to appeal their sentences and are executed within days of getting kicked off the show.

The contestants form bonds with each other, but still have to compete with each other to save their own lives. It’s a harrowing story that I hope would never happen in real life.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• A Thousand Ways to Die
  The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America
  by Trymaine Lee
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  by Mark Twain
• Give and Take
  A Revolutionary Approach to Success
  by Adam M. Grant
• I Belong to Me
  A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma
  by Tia Levings
• Big Time
  A Simple Path to Time Abundance
  by Laura Vanderkam
• That’s Not How You Wash a Squirrel
  by David Thorne

A Closing Reflection

Taken together, books like these remind us to stay curious and to keep connecting with each other.

What’s a good book you’re recommending this month? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
— Maya Angelou

I’ve noticed that this month’s books kept returning to this: listening—and even more than that, paying attention. To other people’s stories, to my own experiences, even to what’s happening beneath the surface.

Each of these books, despite their different tones, invites a deeper kind of awareness.

Here are the six books I just finished that I recommend—all of them, in their own way, asking us to pay closer attention.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. How Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot
And 73 Other Short Essays
by Jim Sollisch

I love this witty collection of essays that journalist Sollisch published over the years, then gathered into this book. The topics range from everyday life to cultural quirks, but what stood out most is how closely he was paying attention to ordinary moments—and how often he found deeper insights there.

And, per the title, Sollisch did actually donate a kidney—and highly recommends the experience. It helped him take his own life more seriously and playfully, and a side effect was his jump shot did actually improve as he intentionally became healthier.

2. By Hands Now Known
Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners
by Margaret A. Burnham

This one was difficult to read, not gonna lie. Not because of how it was written, but because of the brutal content. I was determined to finish it, though, because it felt important to pay attention—to bear witness to the crimes committed against Black people during the Jim Crow era between 1920 and 1960.

The book shares case after case of real injustice in the U.S. legal system. I read it with an online book club, and the discussion there felt just as weighty—and just as necessary.

3. How to Tell a Story
The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth
by The Moth, Meg Bowles, Catherine Burns, & 5 more

Such a fun book! Not only does it teach you how to craft meaningful, personal stories, it also invites you to pay attention to the moments that become stories in the first place. The examples were delightful—I found myself wishing I could track down the full stories.

Learning to mine our own lives for stories (even if we never tell them out loud) is one way to recognize how meaningful each life truly is.

4. Dream on It
Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life
by Lauri Loewenberg

I hold books like this loosely, but this book is useful as a tool for understanding common dream symbols—like being back in school or showing up somewhere without your clothes on. Even though each symbol ultimately remains unique to every individual’s life story, it’s helpful to read that dreaming about a big storm might indicate you’re concerned about some storm in your waking life, for example.

I’ve been noticing my own dreams more over the past few months (including recurring themes like my cell phone not working). Some dreams are completely crazy (like my dream about a young Snoop Dogg having a huge crush on me—what???), but others do help me understand what I’m worrying about or what I’m celebrating.

4½. The Let Them Theory
A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
by Mel Robbins

I’m not fully recommending this book, but the positives of it did outweigh the negatives, so here it is, with this caveat: while the message was good, it felt very repetitive and didn’t need to fill a whole book.

Basically, it says you can’t control other people, so stop trying. Work on changing yourself instead. I agree.

FICTION

5. Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson

This novel will stay with me for a while. It’s narrated by Melinda, a high school freshman carrying a recent trauma she hasn’t told anyone about. The story unfolds throughout the school year as tension builds from her pent-up silence.

Discussing this one with an in-person book club made it even more powerful. Several women shared their own stories from years past. I was reminded how some things never leave you, no matter how long ago they happened.

6. Sold
by Patricia McCormick

This is another haunting novel I won’t soon forget. It’s about Lakshmi, a 13-year-old girl living in poverty with her family in Nepal. Until a glamorous stranger comes to town and buys her. The story is beautifully told, but it is gut-wrenching as we follow the naive, young Lakshmi into a world she didn’t know existed.

It’s the kind of book that asks you to pay attention to realities we’d rather look away from—and to the resilience it takes for someone to survive them.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• Remarkably Bright Creatures
  by Shelby Van Pelt
• Beyond the Politics of Contempt
  Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times
  by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow, Becky Robinson
• Nations Apart
  How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America
  by Colin Woodard
• The Unfolding: Poems
  by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
• How to Feel Loved
  The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most
  by Sonja Lyubomirsky
• Last Chance Live!
  by Helena Haywoode Henry
• Braving the Truth
  Essential Essays for Reckoning with and Reimagining Faith
  by Rachel Held Evans

A Closing Reflection

Looking back at these six books, I see how much there is to notice when we slow down and really pay attention. Whether through stories, lived experiences, or even dreams, insight is always there—waiting for us to recognize it. And maybe that’s the invitation: not just to read these stories, but to listen more closely to the stories unfolding in our own lives.

What’s a good story you’ve read lately that’s stuck with you? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

I get a warm feeling among my books. 
—Anthony Powell

I love being surprised at a thread that runs through a random stack of books on my nightstand and Kindle.

For March, the books stretched from memoir to science to history to fiction.

And yet, each book indirectly asks some version of the same question I often ask myself: What does it mean to be fully human—embodied, flawed, unique, and purposeful?

Here are the eight books I just finished that I recommend, all circling that shared question from very different angles.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. The Look
by Michelle Obama

Such a beautiful book in every way.

The rich photography, the gracious commentary, and the honest reflections show us the amazing human being we’ve come to admire in former First Lady Michelle Obama. Through the many “looks” she took on in her White House years and beyond, she reminds us that our look is about far more than appearance.

I highly recommend reading this in print instead of as an ebook or audiobook, so you can fully experience the stunning, glossy images.

2. The Extinction of Experience
Being Human in a Disembodied World
by Christine Rosen

This will likely be one of my top 10 books for 2026.

Christine Rosen makes the case that our digital lives may be stripping away the very things that make us human—our embodied experiences. I found myself pausing again and again to think about what we lose when we replace real-life bodily participation with watching others live life through screens.

But this is not an anti-technology book. It just urges us to be intentional about prioritizing what we value most—especially our real-world experiences.

3. Awake: A Memoir
by Jen Hatmaker

In this candid memoir—because how else would Jen Hatmaker write?—she weaves together childhood memories and adult experiences with her signature vulnerability and humor. She is very open about how she is navigating life after her husband left and as her faith shifted. I’ve always admired her honesty and humility, and both are as evident in this book as previous ones.

4. This Changes Everything
A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don’t Talk About
by Tyler Merritt

I first became aware of Tyler Merritt in 2020 when his YouTube video, “Before You Call the Cops,” went viral (it originally aired in 2018). After reading his first book, I Take My Coffee Black, I became a fan—and now with this book, I love him even more. Here he shares his cancer journey with honesty and vulnerability.

I highly recommend you listen to this book instead of just reading it. Tyler narrates it himself (and sometimes his mom, his cancer doctor, and others), adding such nuance and humor even beyond the words on the page.

Having heard him speak and meeting him in person two weeks ago, I find him just as delightful a human being face-to-face as he is on Instagram. This week he is starting radiation and chemo for his most recently diagnosed colon cancer. (And as an aside, I love that he and Jen Hatmaker are a couple.)

5. Truly
An Inspirational Journey Through the Life of a Musical Legend
by Lionel Richie

Having grown up as a Commodores fan and later a fan of Lionel Richie’s solo career, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the backstory behind his songs and life (plus, he’s an Alabama native like me). Such an interesting journey he’s had.

By watching him as a judge on American Idol since 2018, I’ve come to appreciate his humility and genuine desire to help young artists pursue their dreams as he pursued his.

This book is also exceptional to listen to (but see the hardback book for photos). It is narrated by actor Blair Underwood, who does a phenomenal job in capturing Lionel’s voice, tone, and laughter.

6. The Genetic Lottery * * *
Why DNA Matters for Social Equality
by Kathryn Paige Harden

This book was a little too academic for me in places, but it’s still worth the effort to better understand how genetic differences can influence life outcomes in ways we don’t always expect. Harden argues that acknowledging biology can actually strengthen our commitment to social justice rather than weaken it.

I recommend it because it opens up new ways of thinking about fairness, opportunity, and inequality in our country.

FICTION

7. Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks

Based on true events, this novel is set in a 17th-century English village struck by the Great Plague of 1665–1666. It follows Anna Frith, a young housemaid to the local pastor and his wife, as she chooses courage and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Though heartbreaking, the storytelling is so well done. The book is a haunting caution to me of what helps—and what harms—when communities are hit by disasters.

8. Out of Darkness
by Ashley Hope Pérez

This is another difficult but powerful novel. It’s based on the 1937 school explosion in New London, Texas, that killed nearly 300 students and teachers. It centers on the growing love between Naomi, a Mexican American teen, and Wash, a young Black boy who befriends her and her twin siblings. The racial injustice back then is painful to witness, yet remains important to continue to remember and confront even now.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• How Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot
  And 73 Other Short Essays
  by Jim Sollisch
• Nations Apart
  How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America
  by Colin Woodard
• The Unfolding: Poems
  by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
• The Let Them Theory
  A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
  by Mel Robbins
• Speak
  by Laurie Halse Anderson

A Closing Reflection

Across these different genres, these books remind me that being human is complicated. We are each shaped by so many factors: culture, technology, biology, faith, history, and chance.

And yet, through every story, I see the importance of finding our common ground, respecting our differences, and learning how to live well together, things that matter the most.

*** Books from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find it here. I’m working through the list. I’ve read 16 so far, and have 5 more to go. Getting closer!

Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read.
—George R. R. Martin

Each of these eight books felt meaningful to me in its own way about connecting with other people and with ourselves, whether through a well-told story or through the wisdom of life lessons.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed
by Jon Ronson

What’s your secret? Jon Ronson asks:

Maybe our secret is actually nothing horrendous. Maybe nobody would even consider it a big deal if it was exposed. But we can’t take that risk. So we keep it buried.

I found this to be a totally fascinating topic about how ordinary mistakes can explode into viral outrage and public humiliation (examples included in the book). It makes you wonder about how and why our modern culture uses public shaming as a powerful—and dangerous—tool.

2. Secrets of the Killing State
The Untold Story of Lethal Injection
by Corinna Barrett Lain

I highly recommend this one, especially for readers in the U.S., where executions still occur regularly.

My state of Alabama has one of the most active—and most botched—execution systems, so this book felt especially important to read. I learned even more through a virtual book club with the author, whose research takes apart the myth of lethal injection as humane. She finds instead a system full of secrets, incompetence, and deep human suffering among people all along the process, not just those sentenced to death.

3. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers ***
Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals that Direct Our Lives
by Michele Gelfand

Do you live in a country with a tight or a loose culture? This book shows how different regions perceive rule-following, and how those differences shape everything from daily behavior to politics and relationships.

4. All in This Together
Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World
by Jack Kornfield

This is a collection of stories and teachings that remind us of our shared humanity and the importance of tapping into our goodness, especially in uncertain times. Although Kornfield draws from Buddhist wisdom, you don’t have to be a Buddhist to appreciate his guidance about connection and compassion. I read the review copy (thanks, NetGalley!).

5. Beyond Belief
The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results
by Nir Eyal

Beyond Belief shows how many of our limits are psychological, not physical, and how reshaping those often unconscious assumptions can create real shifts in our lives. I was able to participate in a Zoom call with the author and found it fascinating to hear how other readers are putting his science-backed strategies into practice—for me, that gives the book more weight.

6. Real Love
The Art of Mindful Connection
by Sharon Salzberg

Real Love shows how ancient Buddhist wisdom can help us experience love more fully—with ourselves, others, and life itself (again, you don’t have to be a Buddhist to appreciate these writings). It also offers practical mindfulness exercises for cultivating more authentic connections.

FICTION

7. The Frozen River
by Ariel Lawhon

Very good story and storytelling. The Frozen River follows Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in Maine (based on a real person!). When there’s a suspicious death on the frozen river in her town, Martha has to overcome obstacles to uncover the truth.

8. The Names
by Florence Knapp

Such a fascinating concept for a novel—I loved it. The Names follows Cora and her family based on a single decision—the name she gives her newborn son. The book reads like three separate stories, based on three alternate life paths over thirty-five years determined on which of the three names she chose. It was a little hard to follow at times, but completely worth the effort to think it through.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• The Look
  by Michelle Obama
• The Unfolding: Poems
  by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
• All the Way to the River
  by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Extinction of Experience
  Being Human in a Disembodied World
  by Christine Rosen
• Truly
  An Inspirational Journey Through the Life of a Musical Legend
  by Lionel Richie
• Year of Wonders
  by Geraldine Brooks

*** Books from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find it here. I’m working through the list. I’ve read 15 so far, and have 6 more to go. Getting closer!

Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.
—Malorie Blackman

These latest books I finished circle again and again around questions—of agency, responsibility, and consequences of choices we make in our lives.

From leadership and justice to rivers, data, stories, and heart-moving poetry, these books invited me to slow down and look more closely at what fairness, connection, and care look like in my own life, too.

I hope you might enjoy one or two of these as well.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Strong Ground
The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
by Brené Brown

This book contains the typical strengths of Brené Brown’s books—practical, heavily-researched, and human. It runs the gamut of topics that facilitate better leadership skills, including multiple great metaphors to illustrate her points. (For instance, Brown inspired me to do deep dives into YouTube videos to better understand how dams and weirs work, for her metaphor about locking in and locking through. Interesting!)

2. The Afterlife of Data (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Anne!)
What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care
by Carl Öhman

Have you noticed how many of your Facebook friends have died, but their account still shows up as active? I did a count once, and it was astounding. This book is a wakeup call that when we die, we’ll leave lots of personal data behind online. And who decides what happens to it? While I didn’t find the entire book interesting, much of it (and definitely the premise!) is a wakeup call to start thinking—and doing—something about our information.

3. Is a River Alive? (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Harry!)
by Robert Macfarlane

This book may change how you see water forever. I found myself skimming it at first because, yeah, I’ve seen rivers before.

But I soon found great value in adopting the pace that the author wanted me to go, which was slower, more in depth, and magically poetic. And then I loved it. (When I started listening to the audiobook, even better!) The characters in Macfarlane’s stories are memorable. His mystical, lyrical writing matches the mystical, lyrical flow of a river with its wildness and beauty and authority. (Read Harry’s full review here to get a fuller picture of the book’s content. I’m not doing it justice in this snippet.)

4. The Common Good (from Nonfiction November recommendations—thanks, Deb!)
by Robert B. Reich

This book will remind you why pursuing a common good still matters—maybe more than ever. Reich’s writing feels urgent about rethinking (and then doing!) what it means to be a good citizen and to be morally responsible in our current political and cultural climate.

5. Unfair ***
The New Science of Criminal Injustice
by Adam Benforado

Unfair might change how you see the justice system. It shows how our ordinary human bias unconsciously shapes outcomes at every step of the process. It’s quite unsettling. The book is easy to understand and full of real cases and research that reveal how often fairness depends on things that go unnoticed.

6. Everything Is a Story
Reclaiming the Power of Stories to Heal and Shape Our Lives
by Kaitlin B. Curtice

Curtice helps you see how deeply our narratives shape who we are. And how much agency we have to actually question and rewrite those stories ourselves. As a citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she writes grounded in wisdom and clarity.

[Read full review here, “How Stories Shape Our Lives”]

7. All the Honey
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

I’m a wannabe poetry reader. While I loved the one book of poetry I made myself read last year by Mary Oliver last year, this book I read on Hoopla by Trommer truly stirred my soul in a deeper, more surprising way. Her poems are tender and insightful. I’m already planning to buy my personal copy of this book when I see her in person in a few weeks.

FICTION

8. The Good Father
by Diane Chamberlain

I enjoy how Chamberlain writes stories. In this book, she tells how a young single father devotes his life to raising his daughter, then loses his job and home. When a too-good-to-be-true opportunity comes along to solve his problems, he has to make decisions about how far to go. While I did get frustrated with some of the unbelievable decisions the characters made, I remained enthralled with the plot all along the way.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

Originally published in 1999, I just now finished this sweet novel for the first time with my local bookclub. The story follows the letters written by Charlie, a quiet and observant high school freshman, to a “friend” about his new friendships, new loves, and complicated family struggles. It felt so authentic to a high schooler’s voice about the trials of growing up. (I haven’t seen the movie.)

10. The Woman in Suite 11
by Ruth Ware

I make a point of reading all of Ruth Ware’s novels because they center on crime without being gory or terrifying. This follow-up to The Woman in Cabin 10 (helpful but not required reading) finds journalist Lo Blacklock trying to revive her career at a luxury Swiss hotel—until a dangerous mystery pulls her into a chase across Europe. It didn’t feel perfect to me, but it was definitely engaging and easy to follow. (I don’t want to have to think too hard with a novel.)

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• The Frozen River
  by Ariel Lawhon
• Rule Makers, Rule Breakers ***
  Tight and Loose Cultures and the Secret Signals that Direct Our Lives
  by Michele Gelfand
• Awake
  by Jen Hatmaker
• Real Love
  The Art of Mindful Connection
  by Sharon Salzberg
• Beyond Belief
  by Nir Eyal
• All in This Together
  Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World
  by Jack Kornfield
• Women Who Run With the Wolves
  by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

*** Books from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find it here. I’m working through the list. I’ve read 14 so far, and have 7 more to read.

Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

In 2025, these five novels kept my attention, their characters worked their way into my heart, and their storylines left me thinking more deeply about the human predicament and our resilience.

Here are my top fiction picks and what I’m taking from them. (See my top 10 nonfiction books here.)

1. Here One Moment

by Liane Moriarty

A mysterious passenger aboard a flight walks down the aisle predicting deaths. This was a great story for my word of the year Ripple. It showed how people react differently to news about their life spans. I appreciated how this novel made me wonder how I would react in a similar situation.

• Quick takeaway: Expectations of the future affect choices made today.
• Think about: How comfortable am I with uncertainty?

2. Take My Hand

by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Based on a true story from the 1970s, the main character uncovers a horrific racial injustice in the healthcare system in Alabama. It was a painful story to read, yet also an important one to know about. Learning from the past helps us do better in the future.

• Quick takeaway: Justice needs human prodding to keep it moving forward.
• Think about: What sacrifices am I willing to make for human dignity?

3. The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

This classic is a series of letters that Celie writes over several decades to God and to her sister about the oppressive events of her life during the early 1900s. It’s a powerful story of resilience and change through trauma and self-discovery by a Black woman in the American South.

• Quick takeaway: Everybody has a voice that deserves to be heard.
• Think about: How do I claim my story to live a more full life?

4. There Are Rivers in the Sky

by Elif Shafak

This is a sweeping story that takes place over several centuries and continents, connecting four people linked by water, memory, and the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh. If you like multi-layered storytelling, this one is for you as it weaves together personal and cultural histories over time.

• Quick takeaway: Stories connect the past with the present and with the self.
• Think about: How has history shaped who I am?

5. My Friends

by Fredrik Backman

This new novel about is about a teenager in the present who is mesmerized by a painting of four teenagers in the past. Backman unfolds the plot by flashing back to the past to connect it with the present. It’s a coming-of-age story that is both heartbreaking and endearing.

• Quick takeaway: Friends shape lives in unexpected ways, in the moment and years later.
• Think about: What does it mean to truly see and be seen by others?

Did a novel make an impact on you this year? Share in the comments.

Related Reading:

• Top 7 Novels of 2024
  Here are my favorite 7 novels that I read in 2024. Some are by authors I already love; other authors are new to me this year.
• Double the Insight: Why It Works to Read Fiction and Nonfiction Together
  Mixing fiction and nonfiction can make your reading life deeper and more balanced. Here’s why the combo works—and three book pairings to try.
• My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2025: Lessons on Life, Loss, and Curiosity
  Here are some quick takeaways and thoughts to consider about my top 10 nonfiction books of 2025.