Great new book recommendations for our Spiritual Seeker this Spring
We've done the work for you by finding the top books for your Bookfinity Reader Type. Be sure to add them to your “Read” list so that you can find them later.
June New Releases
Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully
by Julie McFadden
A comforting and informative guide that demystifies our end-of-life journey, from the compassionate expert known as @hospicenursejulie
What if we didn't consider death the worst possible outcome? What if we discussed it honestly, embraced hospice care, and prepared for the end of our lives with hope and acceptance?
In this compassionate and knowledgeable guide, TikTok star Julie McFadden--known online as "Hospice Nurse Julie"--shares the valuable lessons she's learned in her fifteen years as an RN in the ICU and in hospice. Expertly interweaving emotional insight and practical advice, Nothing to Fear demystifies end-of-life care for both patients and caregivers, covering topics including:
- the biological details of dying
- which medical interventions help and which only make things worse
- the otherworldly beauty of deathbed phenomena
- financial and logistical preparations for death
- facts and myths about hospice care
- the most important conversations to have before you die
- the grieving process, before and after death
Sure to be a go-to resource for years to come, McFadden's first book proves a better death goes hand in hand with a better life.
Right Thing, Right Now: Good Values. Good Character. Good Deeds.
by Ryan Holiday
In his New York Times bestselling book, Discipline Is Destiny, Ryan Holiday made the Stoic case for a life of self-discipline. In this much-anticipated third installment in the Stoic Virtues series, he argues for the necessity of doing what's right - even when it isn't easy
For the ancients, everything worth pursuing in life flowed from a strong sense of justice--or one's commitment to doing the right thing, no matter how difficult. In order to be courageous, wise, and self-disciplined, one must begin with justice. The influence of the modern world often tells us that acting justly is optional. Holiday argues that that's simply untrue--and the fact that so few people today have the strength to stand by their convictions explains much about why we're so unhappy.
In Right Thing. Right Now., Holiday draws on fascinating stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass, whose examples of kindness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty we can emulate as pillars of upright living. Through the lives of these role models, readers learn the transformational power of living by a moral code and, through the cautionary tales of unjust leaders, the consequences of an ill-formed conscience.
The Stoics never claimed that living justly was easy, only that it was necessary. And that the alternative--sacrificing our principles for something lesser--was considered only by cowards and fools. Right Thing. Right Now. is a powerful antidote to the moral failures of our modern age, and a manual for living virtuously.
The Rhythm of Home: Five Intentional Practices for a Thriving Family Culture
by Chris Graebe - Jenni Graebe
Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting? Want to cultivate a home life that aligns with your deepest dreams and values as a family?
Chris and Jenni Graebe, authors of The Rhythm of Us: Create the Marriage You Long For, are back to share the intentional habits of flourishing families who love God and truly enjoy each other. You'll take inventory of your current family rhythms, consider your unique core values, and move toward the life you truly envision for your family. Along the way, Chris and Jenni offer practical tips and strategies to navigate the challenges of parenting and cultivate a thriving family life.
Through exploring five intentional practices of flourishing families, you will learn to
- map out a vision for your family legacy,
- create a home environment that supports your deepest family values,
- connect on a deeper level with your kids in ways that will last a lifetime, and
- shape a loving and joy-filled family culture.
Whether you are just starting your family or are farther along in your parenting journey, The Rhythm of Home will help you create a strong foundation. You don't have to let the family life you dream of slip through your fingers, you can intentionally cultivate the loving, flourishing home you truly desire. The Rhythm of Home will lead the way!
Walking the Theological Life: Discovering Method for Theology in the Lives of Biblical Characters
by Timothy Gaines
Explore how to do theology virtuously through the lives of biblical characters.
For many who are not initiated into the discipline, theology can feel either overwhelming or just plain boring, especially when theological discourse is disconnected from the lives we live. But for centuries, theology wasn't a disconnected discipline--but an invitation to respond to God from the deepest parts of who we are.
Theologian Tim Gaines invites readers into the adventure of theology, breathing life into the study of God. More than an intellectual pursuit, Walking the Theological Life explores the lives of key biblical characters pursuing their own theological paths, helping us learn and grow in our own understanding of how to do theology in a virtuous fashion. Enter into the stories of biblical characters and discover the joy of the theological journey.
Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself: A Guide to Closing the Space Between Us
by Chanté Griffin
Discover a boundless love for your Black Neighbor with this inspiring and actionable guide to moving toward racial healing.
"Griffin's work invites us to embark on a transformative journey toward a more inclusive and loving Christian community."--J. W. Buck, PhD, author of Everyday Activism
Jesus calls you to love your neighbor, and in the fight against racial injustice, that call includes your Black Neighbor: your Black colleagues, the Black congregants at church, the Black family in your neighborhood. Yet maybe you're unsure of how best to show your love, or maybe you fear either saying or doing the wrong thing.
In Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself, Chanté Griffin equips you to see and love your Black Neighbor with God's deep, holistic love. Using Black Love Lenses birthed from African American cultural values, you'll learn meaningful ways through which you can see and care for your Black Neighbor:
- Intimacy: cultivate intentional closeness and community
- Honor: show overflowing respect and love
- Stand Up: use your voice and influence to advocate
- God's Gifts: allow God's resources to flow through you
- The Spirit of Love: love lavishly through intercessory prayers
Through guided readings, prayers, and heart checks, you'll undergo a spiritual and relational transformation that grows a deeper love for your Black Neighbor and yourself. Are you ready to answer Jesus's call?
May NEW RELEASES
Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World
by Craig Foster
In this thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth--from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta--Craig Foster reveals how we can attend to the earthly beauty around us and deepen our love for all living things, whether we make our homes in the country, the city, or anywhere in between.
Foster explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature's rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to home.
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife
by Sebastian Junger
For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. "It's okay," his father said. "There's nothing to be scared of. I'll take care of you." That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.
The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love
by Marianne Williamson
In Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Marianne Williamson revealed how we each become miracle-workers when expressing love and forgiveness in our everyday lives. With The Mystic Jesus, Williamson reveals the role of Jesus in the teachings of the Course.
For many, Jesus has become a precious relic, revered yet lacking the immediacy of authentic spiritual force. In The Mystic Jesus, Williamson writes of a Jesus who transcends both glib imagery and outdated religious dogma. She writes not only of an historical Messiah but of a spirit alive in all of us today.
The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Peace
by Dave Ramsey
By now, you've already heard all of the nutty get-rich-quick schemes and the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of quirky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. If you're tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, Dave is here to provide practical, long-term help. The Total Money Makeover is the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely changing your finances. And, best of all, these principles are based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. This is the financial reset you've been looking for.
April NEW RELEASES
The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions
by Michael Norton
Our lives are filled with repetitive tasks meant to keep us on track--what we come to know as habits. Over time, these routines (for example, brushing your teeth or putting on your right sock first) tend to be performed automatically. But when we're more mindful about these actions--when we focus on the precise way they are performed--they can instead become rituals. Shifting from a "habitual" mindset to a "ritual" mindset can convert ordinary acts from black and white to technicolor.
Think of the way you savor a certain beverage, the care you take with a particular outfit that gets worn only on special occasions, the unique way that your family gathers around the table during holidays, or the secret language you enjoy with your significant other. To some, these behaviors may seem quirky, but because rituals matter so deeply to us on a personal level, they imbue our lives with purpose and meaning. Drawing on a decade of original research, Norton shows that rituals play a role in healing communities experiencing a great loss, marking life's major transitions, driving a stadium of sports fans to ecstasy, and helping us rise to challenges and realize opportunities.
Compelling, insightful, and practical, The Ritual Effect reminds us of the intention-filled acts that drive human behavior and create sur-prising satisfaction and enjoyment.
Instructions for Traveling West: Poems
by Joy Sullivan
First, you must realize you're homesick for all the lives you're not living. Then, you must commit to the road and the rising loneliness. To the sincere thrill of coming apart.
So begins Joy Sullivan's Instructions for Traveling West--a lush debut collection that examines what happens when we leave home and leap into the deep unknown. Mid-pandemic, Sullivan left the man she planned to marry, sold her house, quit her corporate job, and drove west. This dazzling collection tells that story as it illuminates the questions haunting us all: What possible futures lie on the horizon? What happens when we heed the call of furious reinvention?
A book for anyone flinging themselves into fresh starts, Instructions for Traveling West grapples with loss, loneliness and belonging. These poems teach us that naming our desire is profound alchemy. Each of us holds the power to set our own course forward.
Expansive and heart-opening--exquisite in their specificity, galvanizing in their scope--the poems in Instructions for Traveling West speak to the longing that lives within us all. They remind us that "joy is not a trick."
Star for Jesus (and Other Jobs I Quit): Rediscovering the Grace That Sets Us Free
by Kimberly Stuart - Bob Goff
Growing up, Kimberly Stuart got really good at strapping on her spiritual tap shoes and trying to be a star for Jesus. She could sing all the songs, ace the sword drills, and know all the right theology. From earning creepy Jesus paperweights in her church's faux Girl Scout program to trying to calm an actual storm on the Mediterranean, she was doing her best... and still found herself longing for something more. She didn't mean to completely ignore the most beautiful tenets of her faith--the unwavering grace and tenacious love of God--but she did. Which, of course, was the problem. Her best was lackluster, and God wasn't looking for a star performer anyway.
Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit), is an invitation for readers to spot unvarnished, amazing grace when they see it. With her trademark wit and transparency, Stuart brings readers through both big and small moments that teach us to cling to the fierce love of God instead of the flimsier versions we find elsewhere.
With unflinching honesty and relatable humor, Stuart encourages readers to take another look at unrelenting grace; why, contrary to the cultural narrative, we are not actually enough, and that's good news; how we always, remarkably, have all the grace we need; and why this moment in history is the perfect time to extend no-strings-attached grace to an emotionally bedraggled, wary world.
As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve
by J S Park
In As Long As You Need, J.S. offers an honest and unrushed engagement with grief, decoding four types of grieving--spiritual, mental, physical, and relational--and offering compassionate self-care and soul-care along the way.
If you are struggling to process loss, pain, or grief from the last few years or the last few minutes, J.S. is an experienced and deeply empathetic listener and grief catcher who has held the pain and questions of thousands of patients. While social and cultural narratives about grief are dominated by "letting go, moving on, or turning the page" in his nearly decade of service as a chaplain at a major hospital with a designated level one trauma center J.S. understands firsthand how rushing or suppressing grief only adds a suffocating layer of pain on top of the original wound.
From the ER to deliveries to deathbeds across every sort of illness and injury imaginable, J.S. Park has provided meaningful counseling for people in all walks of life and death. Now, through his book he wants to assure you that, while everybody else might rush past your pain, grief is the voice that says, take as long as you need.
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
by Amanda Montell
Utilizing the linguistic insights of her "witty and brilliant" (Blyth Roberson, author of America the Beautiful?) first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
"Magical thinking" can be broadly defined as the belief that one's internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: Think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain's coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the "Halo effect" cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger than life celebrities, to how the "Sunk Cost Fallacy" can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we've realized they're not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell's prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.