Two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosopher and Emperor of Rome, would start keeping a journal—notes to himself about learning how to live. In one entry he writes, “Whenever something happens that might cause you distress, remember to rely on this principle: this is not bad luck, but bearing it valiantly is good luck.” 

His timeless meditations on how to be a better person, newly translated and annotated in Robin Waterfield’s book, capture the universality of meeting life’s … [Read more...] about Marcus Aurelius: Meditations

Emily Dickinson’s (1830-1886) spare poems, with their dashes, singular punctuation, capitalization, and original ideas—were “trailblazers” for their time. She would confide to a friend: “There is always one thing to be grateful for—that one is one’s self & not somebody else.” Yet her poems were deemed too unconventional by the publishing community of the mid 1800’s, not to mention that she was a woman!  

Even Emily’s devoted friend and confidante Thomas Higginson, with whom she … [Read more...] about Figuring

Abolitionist and feminist Lucy Stone became the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree. Just before graduation at Oberlin College in 1847, she was awarded a great honor—to write a speech for commencement. The only caveat? She had to choose a man to read it. She declined.

But she would make her voice heard as she traveled throughout the country speaking out publicly against slavery at a time when it was considered verboten for women to speak in public. Her speeches would … [Read more...] about Leaving Coy’s Hill

Sister Corita Kent’s (1918-1986) artwork and philosophy inspired people to observe life up close, like a microscope, or to look at something upside down. She encouraged people to find joy, reject criticism, and to keep on creating whatever is in your heart and mind—to see beyond what is and to imagine all that could be. 

She made bold art pieces that spoke out against injustice, poverty, and war, and inspired others to stand up for their beliefs. But at the age of 51, she broke away from the … [Read more...] about Make Meatballs Sing

Eddie Gallagher was the poster boy for the Nay SEALs. He led the Alpha platoon to Mosul in 2017 to help dismantle ISIS. The Navy was going to give him a Silver Star for heroism.

So when Eddie was arrested in 2017 just after returning from Afghanistan, a different story began to emerge about who this SEAL icon really was. David Philipps’ compelling book sheds light on the courage of the SEALs who risked their careers and lives to tell the truth about Gallagher’s mismanagement, disregard for … [Read more...] about Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and The War for the Navy SEALS

My daughter stopped by while her car was being worked on and picked up this book that I was reading. After 50 pages, she insisted that she had to take it home to finish it, even though I was already halfway through. Such a fun read.

Meet Elizabeth Zott: scientist by training, cooking show host by default. One meal at a time, she galvanizes her audience to question the lives they’ve been served.

Here's why Elisabeth Egan of the NYTimes picked it: Like the lunches Zott packs for her … [Read more...] about Lessons in Chemistry

Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote one of my favorite novels, Daisy Jones and the Six, and now she's back with another great read. For tennis lovers and those who love Serena, you'll get a kick out of Reid's take on her own superstar tennis protagonist's return to the game after everyone thought she had retired for good. Enjoy! … [Read more...] about Carrie Soto is Back

In her book You Have More Influence Than You Think, Vanessa Bohns reveals that all of us underestimate our influence on others. Have you ever wanted to compliment a stranger or express gratitude to someone? But you didn’t because you thought your words wouldn’t have any impact. Have you ever stood up in front of a group of people, those of you who have been teachers know about this, having poured your heart and soul into what you’re going to say, only to wonder if you’re having any impact at … [Read more...] about You Have More Influence Than You Think

A book about nuns? This is one of my favorite books of late, and I loved what Maureen Corrigan of The Washington Post wrote in her review:
Nuns have greatly diminished in number since the 60’s, and when they do make an appearance on screen, they are usually grim. The implication is that there must be something off about a woman who would choose that life.
Claire Luchette's debut novel, Agatha of Little Neon, offers a counter-narrative to these portrayals. 
Agatha tells her story in … [Read more...] about Agatha of Little Neon