The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator
Welcome to the Book Report! This month I am featuring our list Creativity as a Path of Discovery + Growth which has been so fun to wander around in and get happily lost. Whether or not you consider yourself to be creative, you are and you can’t help it!!! It comes with the territory of being alive. Every time we choose one thing over another, every time we doodle while we’re on hold, every time we pull things from the fridge and cupboard to make something to eat, every time we place a handful of flowers from the yard in a jelly glass…and so on…we are BEING CREATIVE!! We are bringing something new to life, into existence, that has never been here before – in exactly the same way. And I find that magical and extraordinary, don’t you?
Also included in this report is a selection of New + Newly Discovered titles; a special group of Books for Young and Young at Heart Readers; and a couple of Just Because + Just for Fun offerings.
I hope you enjoy what you find here and know that, as always,
I am honored by the privilege of taking up space in your inbox.
“The call to the creative life is a call to dignity, to a life of vulnerability and adventure and the call to a life that exquisite excitement and indeed ecstasy will often visit.”
~John O’Donohue
FEATURED LIST – Creativity as a Path of Discovery + Growth
If you’re feeling inspired to put your own experience and / or imagination onto the page, may I suggest this as an ally: The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond by Marissa Meyer. Part craft guide, part writing coach, and part cheerleader, this book offers useful advice on a slew of common writing and publishing ailments. Included is support on how to end procrastination, how to build a social media platform that reflects your personality, how to get your imagination to overflow with new ideas, how to listen to your intuition when receiving a critique on your work, how to overcome imposter syndrome, what to do when you’re stuck in the query trenches, and so much more.
All the Colors of Life by Lisa Aisato, translated from the original Norwegian by Olivia Lasky, is a lushly illustrated book that will inspire and comfort readers at every stage of their creative journey. Colorful and heartfelt, this lovely book explores the universal ups and downs of a life while highlighting what is most important in life…love, of course.
The Release: Creativity and Freedom After the Writing Is Done from Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew invites writers to lift their heads out of the product-oriented sandbox and find an alternative way to play. By returning writers to their original delight and guiding them in an ongoing creative practice, Andrew helps form habits of mind, heart, and body to support a project’s final flourishing, free from the burdens of seeking validation and measuring worth.
I’ve included Wisdom of Wildly Creative Women by Angela Lomenzo with photographs by James Lomenzo in previous reports, but I love it so much that I wanted to revisit it here in this one. This book is packed with inspiration and validation from women who have both overcome adversity and achieved an authentic life honoring their individuality and freedom of personal expression.
The Met Faith Ringgold: Narrating the World in Pattern and Color by Sharna Jackson with illustrations by Andrea Pippins allows us the opportunity to step into the life of the extraordinary artist Faith Ringgold and learn what led her to mix different media and craft powerful stories into quilts.
The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies & Practices as Muse for Authentic Writing by Jeff Davis illustrates how yoga philosophies and practices can be invaluable allies to a satisfying writing life.
The Long Run: A Creative Inquiry from Stacey D’Erasmo offers a collection of conversations, anecdotes, confidences, and observations about sustaining a creative life. Along the way, it radically redefines artistic success, shifting the focus from novelty and output and external recognition toward freedom, fluidity, resistance, community, and survival.
The Universe in 100 Colors by Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge is a gorgeous compendium, of 100 amazing colors that you might otherwise live your whole life unaware of! Aren’t you curious to find out?
Let There Be Art: The Pleasure and Purpose of Unleashing the Creativity Within You from Rachel Marie Kang assures us that our art is not peripheral to life. Rather, it is at the very heart of why we exist and what we have to offer to ourselves and to the world.
Deep Freewriting: How to Masterfully Navigate the Creative Flow by Stephen Lloyd Webber draws from the author’s experience of 8, 12, and 24-hour writing marathons in a practical guide taking the reader through seven in-depth modules packed with strategies and hands-on exercises. Webber assert that writing faster leads to better writing which may not be for everyone, but if you’re feeling stuck, this might be your best bet to recovering your flow.
“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.”
~Osho
For browsing through our entire list click here!
“Face it, face the feeling, get the facts, tell the story again and again and again. Because when we can do that…then it starts to shift and change.”
~Rabbi Tirzah Firestone
New + Newly Discovered
Wounds into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma from Rabbi Tirzah Firestone brings to life the profound impact of protracted historical trauma through the compelling narrative of survivors and their stories of recovery, forgiveness, and moral leadership.
The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong by John A. Powell offers a framework for building cohesion and solidarity between disparate beliefs and backgrounds. This is more than a discrete list of actions to follow – it’s a mindset we can develop to help us foster belonging and connection.
The Book of Shadow Work: Unlock the True You by Keila Shaheen is a transformative process to help us learn how to accept all of our parts – including the ones we have been conditioned to hide from others – and in doing so, uncover hidden strengths we’d never even dreamed of.
Meditations for Black Women: 75 Mindful Reflections to Help You Stay Grounded & Find Inner Peace by Oludara Adeeyo is a collection of reflections tailored uniquely to the experiences of Black women – designed to inspire, support, connect, and ground.
Reset: How to Change What's Not Working from Dan Heath is a revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working – in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives – by identifying leverage points and concentrating resources to achieve our goals.
Wisdom Stories of Tibet: Tales of Magic, Adventure, and Bravery from Laura Burges with Lama Chonam, illustrated by Wen Hsu, is a collection of stories recounted with humor and cleverness, featuring animals and archers, spirits and deities, bodhisattvas and dakinis, lamas and rulers, and heroes and heroines – highlighting the mystical power of the natural world.
Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life by Cleo Wade offers relatable, practical, and digestible advice featuring over one hundred and twenty of Cleo’s original poems, mantras, and affirmations for a daily pep talk to keep you feeling empowered and motivated. And be sure to take a look at its companion, Heart Talk: The Journal: 52 Weeks of Self-Love, Self-Care, and Self-Discovery
Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times from Steven J. Heine shows how to overcome our angst and live life with purpose.
Parent Yourself First: Raise Confident, Compassionate Kids by Becoming the Parent You Wish You'd Had by Bryana Kappadakunnel reminds us that everyone has baggage, but it’s our responsibility to ensure that our baggage doesn’t become our child’s problem. Healing yourself allows you to truly connect with your child; understand their needs; and guide them to live the happy, authentic life that they deserve.
Treekeepers: The Race for a Forested Future by Lauren E. Oakes takes us on a poetic and practical journey from the Scottish Highlands to the Panamanian jungle to meet the scientists, innovators, and local citizens who are helping to remedy the ever-looming climate crisis.
The Little Book of Cottagecore: Traditional Skills for a Simpler Life from Emily Kent helps make simple living a reality with delightful activities you can enjoy no matter where you live. Whether you’re interested in baking pies from scratch, basic sewing and cross stitch, gardening, beekeeping, or making candle and soaps, this book is full of fun, hands-on activities that make it easy and enjoyable to unplug from modern life.
Dear Data: A Friendship in 52 Weeks of Postcards from Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec is equal parts mail art, data visualization, and affectionate correspondence, celebrating “the infinitesimal, incomplete, imperfect, yet exquisitely human details of life,” in the words of Maria Popova who introduces this charming and graphically powerful book.
The Herbal Dog: Holistic Canine Herbalism and Practice by Rita Hogan explains that by looking at dogs as individual ecosystems with unique personalities, physiology, and needs, we can select effective and personalized herbal remedies to support their constitutions and provide relief from many different ailments.
Spells for Success Deck: 40 Spells to Set Intentions and Manifest Everyday Wins by Lauren Parker is divided into four sections – professional development, love magic, building confidence, and banishing the bad. With ten introductory cards that provide you with some instructions for setting intentions, crafting your altar, how to time a spell, and some common ingredients you may need.
Archetypal Astrology Oracle from Jonathan Waller includes 55 full-color cards featuring each planetary archetype – the Sun, Moon, and planets individually – as well as each aspect or pairing of two celestial bodies. The card interpretations explore how the cosmic bodies or aspects can positively or negatively affect your life, how to integrate lessons, and how to navigate their transits.
While we’re on the subject, check out The Secret Fire of Alchemy: Kriya Yoga, Kundalini, and Shamanism by Kevin B. Turner. Deeply personal and spiritually uplifting, Turner’s story of initiation into alchemical traditions of East and West offers insight into the process known as the “Great Work” and powerful guidance for others on the spiritual path.
The Angel Numbers Deck: Draw a Card and Discover Your Spirit Guides' Diving Message by Mystic Michaela offers the insights you need to understand your angel numbers. With clear, inspiring definitions for the most important numbers and sequences, this deck puts the meaning of your angel numbers at your fingertips.
Gay Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak has made it much easier for LGBTQ+ people interested in practicing any form of Witchcraft. His willingness to share his own personal journey and the foundations that made the Craft accessible allows readers to find their own ways to practice.
“A witch is born out of the true hungers of her time.”
~Ray Bradbury
For the entire list of new discoveries, click here!
Books for Young Readers + the People Who Love Them
How It All Ends is a terrific graphic novel by Emma Hunsinger, introducing us to thirteen-year old Tara who lives inside the nonstop adventure of her imagination. In fact, it’s far more entertaining than dull, everyday life. But when she’s bumped from seventh grade directly to high school, she gets a dramatic jolt to reality.
All the Blues in the Sky from Renée Watson tells the story of how Sage’s thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the one person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. What follows is a journey of healing and connection. I’m very pleased that this book is also available in a Spanish language version.
Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies from Megan McDonald with illustrations by Lenny Wen is a delightful story of life in the fairy realms and the young girl who is adventurous enough to explore them.
Buffalo Fluffalo from Bess Kalb, illustrated by Erin Kraan, introduces us to a sweet and silly buffalo who tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is. This laugh-out-loud story shows us it’s okay to be yourself.
Mixed Feelings by Liana Finck is an exploration of mixed and wide-ranging emotions presented in illustrated vignettes and beautifully articulated text.
“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting, and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”
~Raold Dahl
For more books for young readers click here!
Para libros para lectores jóvenes en Español haga clic aqui!
Just Because + Just for Fun
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores from Jennifer Campbell is a celebration of bookstores, large and small, and of the brilliant booksellers who toil in those literary fields, as well as the myriad of colorful characters that walk through the doors every day.
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming is a hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens from the author of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon and That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf. I mean - if these weren’t the perfect times for books like these, I just don’t know what might be.
“A good bookshop is not just about selling books from shelves, but reaching out into the world and making a difference.”
~David Almond
Please visit our online Bookshop to see our full selection of lists and titles.
Thank you for supporting local, independent bookstores!
We love connecting with you in the shop and online.
May you be inspired, supported, and enriched by what you find here.
