My daughter calls me in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. It’s February and she’s away at college. A phone call from her at this time of day when I usually think of her in class is a little jarring. I pick up. Right away I can tell from her voice that something is off. It comes tumbling out. She’s just broken up with her boyfriend and is feeling REALLY sad. Plus, she laments, classes are REALLY tough and she’s feeling A LOT of stress.  I immediately tell her I’m so sorry, although I’ve … [Read more...] about The Book of Delights

I did manage to squeeze in an hour of sightseeing while in D.C. this past July. Bill and I went to the National Archives Museum where the Constitution is housed.  There’s also a sobering and powerful exhibit in the museum that highlights how minorities and people of color have often been denied and barred from exercising the rights guaranteed by the very documents housed in the museum. I stood rapt in front of vintage video of African Americans marching side by side down the streets of D.C. as … [Read more...] about The Nickel Boys

A fun, immersive novel with lots to think about.  Great writing and surprise ending! … [Read more...] about Fleishman Is In Trouble

This description from the book cover captures the essence of this powerful book: "How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart--when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chodron suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing … [Read more...] about When Things Fall Apart

Really enjoyed these words of hers: "Fitting in and belonging are not the same thing, and, in fact, fitting in gets in the way of belonging. Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn't require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are." Important and inspiring description, me thinks! … [Read more...] about The Gifts of Imperfection

My daughter calls me in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. It’s February and she’s away at college. A phone call from her at this time of day when I usually think of her in class is a little jarring. I pick up. Right away I can tell from her voice that something is off. It comes tumbling out. She’s just broken up with her boyfriend and is feeling REALLY sad. Plus, she laments, classes are REALLY tough and she’s feeling A LOT of stress.  I immediately tell her I’m so sorry, although I’ve … [Read more...] about The Book of Delights

I did manage to squeeze in an hour of sightseeing while in D.C. this past July. Bill and I went to the National Archives Museum where the Constitution is housed.  There’s also a sobering and powerful exhibit in the museum that highlights how minorities and people of color have often been denied and barred from exercising the rights guaranteed by the very documents housed in the museum. I stood rapt in front of vintage video of African Americans marching side by side down the streets of D.C. as … [Read more...] about The Nickel Boys

A fun, immersive novel with lots to think about.  Great writing and surprise ending! … [Read more...] about Fleishman Is In Trouble

This description from the book cover captures the essence of this powerful book: "How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart--when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chodron suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing … [Read more...] about When Things Fall Apart