The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator
“If you want to help her, you need to help yourself first. No one serves their friends by grinding themselves into dust on the altar of compassion.”
~Seanan McGuire, In an Absent Dream
For many of us June is a super busy time – full of celebrations, gatherings, and travel. If we’re not mindful of tending to our precious energetic resources with kindness and self-advocacy, we can easily become overwhelmed. Let’s not do that this year, shall we? Instead, let’s commit to doing our best to ask for help when we need it, rest when we’re tired, say no when we need to, and give ourselves permission to be our perfectly imperfect selves.
Starting us off in this report are some links to a few of our lists perfect for this time of year; a mix of New + Newly Discovered books chosen to support + inspire you; some wonderful books for Young + Young at Heart readers, and a couple of ‘Just Because + Just for Fun’ offerings.
Self-Care: How to Home to Ourselves
Let’s Celebrate Pride Month Together
Father’s Day Gift Ideas
Gifts for the Graduates in Your Life
“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of belonging.”
~Brené Brown
New + Newly Discovered
Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change by Day Schildket is a gem offers ways to mark, celebrate, honor, and process transitions of all kinds, including the birth of a child, moving, divorce, empty nesting, retirement, death anniversaries, and health crises. This book is a powerful guide to help us navigate life’s uncertainties with grace, meaning, and intention. (Thank you to my Paradise Found newsletter colleague Rebecca Zendejas for bringing this work to my attention and whose Summer Solstice article in this newsletter references this book and more.)
Creative Consciousness Healing oracle deck is an invitation to wander down a unique path of healing and personal connection from celebrated author and illustrator Johanna Wright. Complete with an illustrated deck of 44 cards, each containing a power statement, a message of explanation, a creative visualization, and a journal prompt, this deck and guidebook offers solace and direction in a time when we could all use a little extra support.
This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories That Make Us from Cole Arthur Riley is a compelling spiritual meditation, a powerful intergenerational account, and a tender coming-of-age narrative. She writes, “From the womb, we must repeat with regularity that to love ourselves is to survive. I believe that is what my father wanted for me and knew I would so desperately need: a tool for survival, the truth of my dignity named like a mercy new each morning.”
Little Earthquakes: A Memoir from Sarah Mandel is a beautiful and thought-provoking debut from a brave and unwavering voice that engages the mind, touches the soul, and leaves a lasting imprint on the heart.
You Are the One You've Been Waiting For: Applying Internal Family Systems to Intimate Relationships is the latest offering from Dr. Richard Schwartz that brings the IFS (Internal Family Systems) model of how our psyches work to bear upon our closest relationships. “No one can do the work of healing our orphaned parts for us,” says Dr. Schwartz. “Yet when we begin with Self-leadership, a relationship can become a safe place in which we help each other heal and grow.”
This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are by Melody Warnick is a thoughtful examination of the ways in which we love (or don’t) the places in which we live. She takes us with her as she dives into the body of research around place attachment – the deep sense of connection that binds some of us to our cities and increases our emotional and physical well-being. What Warnick learns will inspire you to embrace your own community more fully and perhaps discover that the place where you live right now is home.
You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult from Lane Moore is part memoir, part self-help – uncovering the complex and often vulnerable process of building real, healthy friendships and creating a chosen family you can truly love and be loved by.
Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World by best-selling author Gretchen Rubin is an absorbing story of discovery filled with insights and practical suggestions about how to heighten our senses and use our powers of perception to live fuller, richer lives.
In Each Other's Care: A Guide to the Most Common Relationship Conflicts and How to Work Through Them from clinician and researcher Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT draws on his vast experience as a couple’s therapist, demonstrating the concept of secure functioning – a two-person psychological system of teamwork, full collaboration, and cooperation based on fairness, justice, and mutual sensitivity. Whether you’ve been in a relationship for years or are just beginning your journey, In Each Other’s Care is a supportive guide that will show you how to work through even the most contentious topics with compassion and respect.
Energy in Action: The Power of Emotions and Intuition to Cultivate Peace and Freedom from Sherianna Boyle offers a contemporary take on manifesting based on processing our emotions within the context of metaphysical truths to create a fuller life. “Emotional habits can seem tough to change,” says Sherianna, “but as you follow this process, you’ll discover that you’re not alone – the laws of the universe are supporting you each step of the way. You can realize your most joyful and connected life.”
More New + Newly Discovered Titles
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
~e.e. cummings
Books for Young Readers + The People Who Love Them
Cape by Kevin Johnson with illustrations by Kitt Thomas tells the story of a young child who learns that even superheroes hurt. When he loses the person in his life that he loves more than anything, he uses his cape as protection from his grief. This is a beautiful story, dear friends – for people of all ages going through the pain of deep loss.
Real to Me from Minh Le, illustrated by Raissa Figeuroa brings us the tale of two best friends (one of whom is imaginary) and how inseparable they become – until the day when one of them unexpectedly disappears.
My Friend, Loonie by Nina Lacour with illustrations by Ashling Lindsay is a gentle story of connection and loss, finding promise in memories after a young child loses her constant companion.
Soon, Your Hands by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Elizabeth Lily, is the story of three neighboring families, each with a young child learning about themselves, supported by the patient tenderness of those old than themselves.
Libros Para Lectores Jóvenes en Español
Just Because + Just for Fun
Star Spinner Tarot by Trungles (Trung Le Nguyen) is a reinterpretation of classic tarot imagery for a more inclusive and diverse reflection of our modern world. This deck is perfect for tarot collectors and enthusiasts, inspiration-seekers, modern mystics, or anyone seeking guidance and personal growth.
Moon Puzzle: Featuring Photography from the Archives of NASA is a deluxe, oversize (2.5 feet in diameter) circular puzzle – guaranteed to dazzle and challenge space and puzzle aficionados of all ages.
More Gift Ideas to Inspire, Delight & Amuse
Please visit our online Bookshop to see our full selection of lists and titles.
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May you be inspired, supported, and enriched by what you find here.
