Well Lived

Well Lived
By Sally Clarkson
Harvest House Publishers, 2024. 213 pages. Nonfiction

In this inspiring blend of personal reflections and stunning photography, bestselling author Sally Clarkson shares how God's grace can lead to a joyful, purposeful life. Drawing from her experiences in Oxford and ministry, she offers wisdom on discipleship, family, hospitality, and cultivating joy--encouraging readers to deepen their faith and embrace a life of meaning and encouragement.

I recently read (and reviewed) a book by Sarah Clarkson. I didn't realize at the time that she has a sister (Joy Marie Clarkson) and mother (Sally) who also write books! I am delighted with them all. On account of Sarah living in Oxford with her husband (a Church of England minister) and children, Sally has been able to live in, and get to know the ancient and beautiful city of Oxford. There is nothing boastful about her book, and she shares a lot of Christian wisdom with the reader, giving you the feeling of being an old friend. The book is not only filled with Clarkson's wisdom, but with beautiful photographs of gardens, old buildings, and delightful cafes. I am really impressed by the Clarkson family: their sincerity, their love of beauty and the people around them, and their love of God is really moving and inspiring to me. I recommend this to any who would appreciate the atmosphere of C.S. Lewis, likes a cozy cup of tea, or would like to live a life of daily beauty and devotion. 

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A House to Call Home

By Christie Purifoy

Harvest House Publishers, 2026. 205 pages. Nonfiction

What makes a house a home? It's a question with countless answers, wholly unique to each of us. Yet a common thread runs through the stories we tell about the places that bring us meaning and peace. No matter how we define it, home must evoke a strong sense of comfort. Join acclaimed writer Christie Purifoy as she reflects on what makes a home truly special. Through practical tips on decor inspiration, thrifting, and personal homemaking traditions, Christie shows you how to craft a space that feels wholly yours. With insights drawn from her own experiences, you'll discover how to build sacred spaces that promote rest, welcome, and healing. With creativity and care, you can cultivate comfort in the house where you live.

A Circle of Quiet

By Madeleine L' Engle

Harper One, 1972. 245 pages. Nonfiction

A Circle of Quiet is a 1972 memoir by Madeleine L'Engle, the first in her Crosswicks Journals series, that reflects on her life as a writer, wife, and mother, exploring themes of creativity, faith, and finding balance, all set at her family's Connecticut farmhouse, Crosswicks. It's a personal, journal-like book that delves into her creative process, the rejections and success of A Wrinkle in Time, and her search for meaning, offering an intimate look at the author behind the famous children's books.

Surprised by Joy

By C.S. Lewis

Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1955. 238 pages. Nonfiction

A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere . . . God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." This book is not an autobiography. It is not a confession. It is, however, certainly one of the most beautiful and insightful accounts of a person coming to faith. Here, C.S. Lewis takes us from his childhood in Belfast through the loss of his mother, to boarding school and a youthful atheism in England, to the trenches of World War I, and then to Oxford, where he studied, read, and, ultimately, reasoned his way back to God. It is perhaps this aspect of Surprised by Joy that we--believers and nonbelievers--find most compelling and meaningful; Lewis was searching for joy, for an elusive and momentary sensation of glorious yearning, but he found it, and spiritual life, through the use of reason. In this highly personal, thoughtful, intelligent memoir, Lewis guides us toward joy and toward the surprise that awaits anyone who seeks a life beyond the expected.

Reclaiming Quiet: cultivating a life of holy attention

Reclaiming Quiet: cultivating a life of holy attention 
By Sarah Clarkson
Baker Books, 2024. 188 pages. Nonfiction 

Recapture wonder and learn to live by the healing shapes and rhythms of stillness In a restless and distracted world, the cultivation of quiet often feels abstract and impossible. But quiet is, and always has been, essential to spiritual life, the only way we can turn from the frenzy toward the peace for which we were created. Reclaiming Quiet is an invitation to discover the profound, daily joy of resisting patterns of anxiety and hurry and cultivating a life of holy attention instead. With practical strategies to address our use of screens or fear of silence and compassionate ideas to nourish stillness, listening, and rest, this book explores: what it means to become a person who listens each day for God's voice before all others; how to reclaim wonder in prayer; how to cultivate an interior life.  Quiet is not for specialists or the ultra-disciplined. It's not limited to those who have great swathes of time. Quiet is our inner native land, the place to which we turn to find God already waiting, calling us beloved, and drawing us homeward into a life of holy and joyous attention.

From the first page of this short yet powerful book, I was deeply moved. I wanted to read it all at once, absorb what it was saying, but also I wanted to linger over it, ponder the questions that Clarkson has at the end of each chapter, linger over the beautiful prayers she has written. Though her life sounds romantic - living in a Victorian house in Oxford, England, Clarkson doesn't shy away from sharing her struggles throughout her life with mental health, and the ways in which she struggles from day to day. Her suggestions are humble and beautiful, she never comes across as a privileged or condescending. Her descriptions of experiences, landscapes and decisions she's faced were relatable and touching to me. I would recommend this to anyone who is grappling with the distractions of modern life and technology and is seeking both to become more grounded, and to deepen their understanding of God, whichever branch of Christianity you might belong to. 

 

If you like Reclaiming Quiet, you might also like: 

Seeking Slow: reclaim moments of calm in your day

By Melanie Barnes

Rock Point, 2019. 128 pages. Nonfiction

Seeking Slow provides you with the tools you need to slow down and reconnect with the harmonious rhythm of daily life, the gentle pace of nature, and, most importantly, yourself.

The Power of Silence

By Robert Cardinal Sarah

Ignatius Press, 2017. 249 pages. Nonfiction

 

In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, Cardinal Robert Sarah presents a bold book about the strength of silence. The modern world generates so much noise, he says, that seeking moments of silence has become both harder and more necessary than ever before. Silence is the indispensable doorway to the divine, explains the cardinal in this profound conversation with Nicolas Diat. Within the hushed and hallowed walls of the La Grande Chartreux, the famous Carthusian monastery in the French Alps, Cardinal Sarah addresses the following questions: Can those who do not know silence ever attain truth, beauty, or love? Do not wisdom, artistic vision, and devotion spring from silence, where the voice of God is heard in the depths of the human heart? After the international success of God or Nothing, Cardinal Sarah seeks to restore to silence its place of honor and importance. "Silence is more important than any other human work," he says, "for it expresses God. The true revolution comes from silence; it leads us toward God and others so as to place ourselves humbly and generously at their service."

MGB

Toda Mi Vida Hecha Nudos

Toda Mi Vida Hecha Nudos
Por Beth Moore
Tyndale House Publishers, 2023. 319 páginas. Autobiografía

Un vistazo increíblemente considerado, intensamente vulnerable y con humor desarmante de la vida y el ministerio de una mujer reconocida por muchos pero conocida por pocos... Es un retrato hermoso de resiliencia y sobrevivencia, un conmovedor recordatorio de la fidelidad duradera de Dios y evidencia concreta de que si en verdad nos tomáramos el tiempo para escuchar las historias enteras de las personas... siempre andaríamos boquiabiertos.

«Toda Mi Vida Hecha Nudos» es una autobiografía escrita por Beth Moore, una reconocida autora y maestra de la Biblia. El libro ofrece un relato íntimo y vulnerable de la vida y el ministerio de Moore. Moore comparte detalles de su vida personal y su trayectoria en el ministerio, ofreciendo a los lectores una mirada sin filtros a sus experiencias. El libro sirve como un testimonio de cómo la fe puede ayudar a superar adversidades y desafíos personales. La autobiografía no solo narra la historia de Moore, sino que también busca inspirar a los lectores, mostrando cómo las dificultades de la vida pueden ser superadas con fe y perseverancia.

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Cómo Fabricar a una Feminista
Por Sara Huff
HarperEnfoque, 2023. 230 páginas. Autobiografía

Al aportar profundos antecedentes históricos e investigaciones sobre el feminismo, así como su trágica experiencia de primera mano, Sara Huff analiza a profundidad los problemas propuestos por las principales exponentes feministas, la solución que sugirieron, y las devastadoras consecuencias que han causado a las mujeres.

Este libro es una exposición de las obras del feminismo actual, el cual ha corompido y atenuado el valor y el papel de la mujer de la sociedad y le ha vendido una falsa libertad. Es una guía de supervivencia para las mujeres que quieran evitar caer en las garras del verdadero feminismo y su trágica conclusión, así como una herramienta útil para las personas que quieran ayudar a las que han caído presas del movimiento.

«Cómo Fabricar a una Feminista» es un libro escrito por Sara Huff, una exlíder feminista que ahora critica el movimiento. En esta obra, Huff examina el feminismo desde una perspectiva crítica, argumentando que el "verdadero feminismo" tiene consecuencias negativas para las mujeres y la sociedad. Huff presenta su obra como una advertencia sobre los peligros del feminismo, cuestionando si realmente ofrece libertad a las mujeres o si es un "ejercicio en vano."

Al Rescate

Por Heidi S. Swinton
Deseret Book, 2012. 639 páginas. Biografía

La experiencia ma s dulce de la vida mortal es saber que nuestro Padre Celestial ha obrado por medio de nosotros , declara el presidente Thomas S. Monson, decimosexto Presidente de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los U ltimos Di as. El presidente Monson ha viajado por el mundo para bendecir a un nu mero incalculable de vidas, pero tal vez se le reconozca ma s por el amor que demuestra hacia la gente en forma individual y por ir donde el Espi ritu lo gui a.

«Al Rescate» describe la vida y el ministerio de este extraordinario lider. El lector sera transportado a su infancia, se familiarizara con sus pasatiempos, su servicio en la marina y su noviazgo con Frances Johnson. Observara n un servicio que se extendio por ma s de seis de cadas, supervisando la obra de la Iglesia en Alemania Oriental durante ma s de veinte an os y desempen ando funciones clave en programas vitales de la Iglesia, desde correlacio n hasta bienestar y la publicacio n de ediciones SUD de las Escrituras. En medio de todo ello, ministro entre los necesitados siempre de un modo personal.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, Autobiografía, Biografía, Memoria, Religioso

Every Needful Thing

Every Needful Thing
by Inouye, Melissa Wei-Tsing
BYU Maxwell Institute, 2023. 252 pages. Nonfiction

"A collection of essays from accomplished academics and professionals who speak about discipleship not only with their minds but also from their hearts. Instead of pushing us to choose between faith and reason, love and law, truth within the restored gospel, and truth in the wider world of God's children, these writers urge us to seek "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report" and learn to live in a world of complexity and abundance. With humility and openness that make their specialized work accessible to a general reader, these authors model how to live life as a whole person. They relate the twists and turns of their intellectual and spiritual journeys, giving readers the confidence to make their own ways and to pursue "every needful thing" (D&C 88:119)."

What I loved about the essays in this book was the passionate way each author spoke about their academic and professional fields. Their enthusiasm was contagious, making me want to drop everything and join them in their pursuits. The essays were both simple and eloquent; the authors delved deeply into their subjects while remaining relatable. They passionately sought great causes, all grounded in their faith in God. This book serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to follow their passions and dreams, both academically and professionally.

If you like Every Needful Thing, you might also like: 

Letter to my daughter 
By Maya Angelo
Random House, 2008. 166 pages. Nonfiction

Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to My Daughter transcends genres and categories: guidebook, memoir, poetry, and pure delight.

Whether Angelo is recalling such lost friends as Coretta Scott King and Ossie Davis, extolling honesty, decrying vulgarity, explaining why becoming a Christian is a "lifelong endeavor," or simply singing the praises of a meal of red rice-Maya Angelou writes from the heart to millions of women she considers her extended family.

Like the rest of her remarkable work, Letter to My Daughter entertains and teaches; it is a book to cherish, savor, re-read, and share.

"I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish speaking, Native Americans and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you."--from Letter to My Daughter

The Stories We Tell
By Joanna Gaines
Harper Select, 2022. 247 pages. Nonfiction

In her first solo memoir, New York Times bestselling author Joanna Gaines invites us on an authentic and deeply vulnerable journey into her story -- and helps shine a light on the beauty of our own -- guiding us to release the weights that hold us back so we may live and share our story in truth.

BWW

The Celtic Year

The Celtic Year

By Shirley Toulson

Element Inc, 1993. 259 pages. Nonfiction

Lavishly illustrated throughout with pictures of famous sites and artifacts, maps, and line drawings, this beautifully-written volume is also a collection of prayers, poems, and songs, taken from the rich tradition of both the Celtic Christian and Druid traditions.

I love a well-researched book, and this one doesn't disappoint. It has wonderful information on Celtic saints, their legends and hagiographies, as well as locations of chapels and holy wells dedicated to them. There are interesting illustrations throughout, and ideas and plans for pilgrimages. This is a perfect book for finding out of the way, almost hidden information on Celtic Christianity and customs. 

If you liked The Celtic Year, you might also like: 

Celtic Mysticism: your personal guide to Celtic and Druid tradition

By Tracie Long

Wellfleet Press, 2023. 167 pages. Nonfiction

Connect more meaningfully to the cultural wisdom and occult knowledge of the rich and thriving Celtic world. Reclaim ancestral traditions and older ways of connecting with the earth and spirituality by going straight to the heart of mystical traditions. Celtic Mysticism explores the folk magic that has thrived in the British Isles for thousands of years. With this guidebook for both newcomers to magical practice and those searching for a concise reference to a long history, discover how to honor your connection to nature and the rhythms of the seasons in the Celtic way.

Maiden, Mother, Crone: voices of the goddess

By Claire Hamilton

O Books, 2005. 219 pages. Nonfiction

Written in the first person, these provocative and surprising renderings of Celtic tales take us on a challenging journey in which the twelve most ancient and extraordinary goddesses of the land reveal their light and dark faces. In the brining their symbolism to life for today they restore our earlier understanding of war, sex, death, and are turned into spiritual encounters.

Celtic Myths and Legends

By Peter Berresford Ellis

Running Press, 2008. 629 pages. Nonfiction

In this collection from Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton sources Peter Berresford Ellis has brought together classic myths and legends - featuring such heroes as Cu Chulainn and King Arthur and monsters like the shapeshifting Kelpies and the goblin-like Bukkys - as well as exciting tales which have never before been translated. Berresford Ellis, one of the foremost authorities on the Celts, brings not only his expertise but also his acclaimed skills of storytelling to this original and enthralling selection of gods and goddess, magical weapons and fabulous beasts.

MGB

Letters to a Diminished Church

Letters to a Diminished Church   

By Dorothy L Sayers

W Publishing Group, 2004. 284 pages. Nonfiction

In her writings, Dorothy L. Sayers turned the popular perception of Christianity on its head. She argues that the essence of Christianity is in the character of Christ - energetic, dramatic, and utterly alive. This collection of sixteen brilliant essays reveals Sayers at her best - a robust view of Christianity as startling and relevant today as it was fifty years ago.

In the New York Times Book Review, when they interview an author, they often ask them whom they would invite to a dinner party. If I could answer that question, Dorothy L. Sayers would definitely be on my list. Better known for her Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series (which I also love and highly recommend), she was a very intelligent woman who graduated from Oxford in the 1910s, when women earning degrees was still a novelty. She translated Dante's Divine Comedy and was friends with C.S. Lewis. 'Letters to a Diminished Church' is a sharp and pertinent critique of modern society and how religion can sometimes get mixed up with the world, Through that critique, she shows a light on the proper way to live a Christian life, by focusing on the dogma or doctrine of Christianity. Her command of language makes this a delight to read. If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis, I highly recommend this book. 

If you like Letters to a Diminished Church, you might also like: 

Mere Christianity

By C.S. Lewis

Harper 2001. 227 pages. Nonfiction

One of the most popular introductions to Christian faith ever written, Mere Christianity brings together Lewis's legendary broadcast talks during World War Two. Here, Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. A collection of scintillating brilliance, Mere Christianity remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader and at the same time confirms C.S. Lewis's reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our age.

And it was Good

By Madeleine L'Engle

Convergent Books, 2017. 224 pages. Nonfiction

Most of the literature on Genesis and creation emphasizes what was created, and how. But in And it was good, Madeleine L'Engle casts long, loving, and perceptive glances at not only the created universe but at its Creator as well. At every level she sees the connections between Made and Maker, and in the vast beauty, order, and complexity of our world she observes many of the characteristics of God, the first poet. Just as L'Engle learns about God from his book Genesis, we learn about this human author from her book And It Was Good, the first volume in her Genesis Trilogy.

The Everlasting Man

By G.K. Chesterton

Garden City, 1955. 280 pages. Nonfiction

According to the evolutionary outlines of history proposed by Wells and others, mankind is simply another sort of animal, and Jesus was a remarkable human being, and nothing more. Chesterton's thesis, as expressed in Part I of the book ('On the Creature Called Man'), is that if man is really and dispassionately viewed simply as another animal, one is forced to the conclusion that he is a bizarrely unusual animal. In Part II ('On the Man Called Christ'), Chesterton argues that if Jesus is really viewed as simply another human leader and Christianity and the Church are simply another human religion, one is forced to the conclusion that he was a bizarrely unusual leader, whose followers founded a bizarrely and miraculously unusual religion and Church. "I do not believe," he says, "that the past is most truly pictured as a thing in which humanity merely fades away into nature, or civilization merely fades away into barbarism, or religion fades away into mythology, or our own religion fades away into the religions of the world. In short I do not believe that the best way to produce an outline of history is to rub out the lines."

MGB

God was in this place and I, I did not know

God was in this place and I, I did not know

By Lawrence Kushner

Jewish Lights 2016. 183 pages. Nonfiction

In a daring blend of scholarship and imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, from Shmuel bar Nachmani in third-century Palestine to Hannah Rachel Werbermacher of Ludomir who lived in Poland two hundred years ago. Through a fascinating new literary genre and Kushner's creative reconstruction of the teachers' lives and times, we enter the study halls and sit at the feet of these spiritual masters to learn what each discovered about God's Self and ourselves as they ascend and descend Jacob's ladder.

I really loved this book, and how well the author pulls of an entire book discussing one verse of scripture. The story of Jacob is a thought-provoking one on it's own. To dive into one aspect of it brings up so many questions and ideas. What I especially liked was Kushner's warm approach and how the book ends up being a wonderful discussion of being in the moment: what that means and how to do it in our fast-paced modern world. His interpretation of Moses and the burning bush will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book. 

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The Book of Job: when bad things happen to a good person

By Harold Kushner

Nextbook 2012. 201 pages. Nonfiction

Draws on lessons from the Book of Job to offer advice on how to retain faith in the face of adversity and explains how to recognize controllable and uncontrollable factors.

Reflections on the Psalms

By C.S. Lewis

Harper Collins 2017 (1958). 178 pages. Nonfiction

In this wise and enlightening book, C. S. Lewis--the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author examines the Psalms. As Lewis divines the meaning behind these timeless poetic verses, he makes clear their significance in our daily lives, and reminds us of their power to illuminate moments of grace.

Witness for his Names

By Jeffrey R. Holland

Deseret Book 2019. 168 pages. Nonfiction

An apostolic witness of Jesus Christ shares notes and insights resulting from his decades of studying the various names of Christ found throughout the scriptures.

MGB

Prepara Tu Corazón

Prepara Tu Corazón
Por Fr. Agustino Torres
Ave Maria Press, 2023. 144 páginas. Religioso

Únete al padre Agustino Torres, CFR, fundador de Corazón Puro, en un viaje multimedia de Adviento dirigido por los santos y la Sagrada Familia para prepararte para entrar en la historia del nacimiento de Cristo a través de la oración, la caridad y los actos gozosos de servicio a los necesitados.

Prepara tu corazón presenta impresionantes obras de arte originales de Valerie Delgado de Pax.Valerie e incluye meditaciones diarias sobre un pasaje de las Escrituras, preguntas de reflexión, oración y espacio para escribir un diario y tomar notas. Durante cada semana de Adviento, emprenderás un nuevo camino informado por la espiritualidad franciscana para guiarte a acercarte a Dios:

Primera semana, el camino de Nazaret: una espiritualidad que te sintoniza con las necesidades de los demás y la presencia oculta de Dios. Segunda semana, el camino de los santos: presenta a santa Lucía, san Nicolás, san Juan Diego y Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, cuyas fiestas caen durante el Adviento; te enseñarán a vivir con intencionalidad, humildad y devoción. Tercera semana, el camino de san José: revela la valentía creativa del padre adoptivo de Jesús, enseñándote cómo él hace para cada uno de nosotros un hogar en el corazón de Dios. Cuarta semana, el camino de María: un tutorial para aprender a decir sí al llamado de Dios en tu vida y confiar en su providencia amorosa.

Prepara tu corazón es perfecto tanto para uso individual como grupal. Incluye vídeos complementarios gratuitos; ideas para celebrar los domingos de Adviento en familia, con amigos y en pequeños grupos; y una guía para líderes descargable está disponible en avemariapress.com.

Si le gusta «Prepara Tu Corazón» le recomendamos:

Sé Sanado
Por Bob Schuchts
Ave Maria Press, 2021. 232 páginas. Religioso

"En algún lugar profundo de cada uno de nosotros hay un deseo ardiente de finalmente convertirnos en la persona que Dios nos creó para ser."

¿Sufre de heridas espirituales o emocionales que le impiden alcanzar esa meta? Sé sanado, la nueva edición en español del libro Be Healed, se basa en el popular programa del terapeuta católico retirado Bob Schuchts para la curación espiritual, emocional y física.Incorporando elementos de la espiritualidad carismática e impregnado de las Escrituras y la sabiduría de la Iglesia, este libro ofrece esperanza en el poder sanador de Dios a través del Espíritu Santo y los sacramentos.

Schuchts, el fundador del Centro de Curación Juan Pablo II, comparte con sensibilidad su propio viaje de curación después de soportar una serie de traiciones en la escuela secundaria--la infidelidad de su padre, el divorcio de sus padres, y la adicción a las drogas de su hermano mayor--y sus posteriores períodos de lucha con Dios y con su fe.

Sé sanado incluye herramientas útiles como gráficos, tablas, listas, preguntas de reflexión y desafíos personales para guiarlo en su viaje hacia la curación. El proceso de confianza de Schuchts para encontrar la paz interior y la curación está audazmente centrado en Cristo, manteniendo el enfoque en la persona de Jesús como "el médico vivificante y omnipresente de nuestras almas". Schuchts lo ayudará a reconocer su quebrantamiento y a encontrar su esperanza y sanidad en Cristo resucitado. Schuchtslo ayudará a reconocer su quebrantamiento y a encontrar su esperanza y sanidad en Cristo resucitado.


75 Prácticas Esenciales de Mindfulness
Por Matthew Sockolov
Editorial Sirio, 2022. 246 páginas. No Ficción

Maneje las frustraciones diarias de la vida con ejercicios prácticos y accesibles de atención plena. La práctica de la atención plena se ha generalizado, pero debido a su nueva popularidad, el verdadero significado de la atención plena se ha empañado. Los términos "permanecer en el presente" o "estar en el momento" a menudo son parte de la práctica de la atención plena, pero ¿qué significan realmente? ¿Cuál es el beneficio?

En Practicing Mindfulness, Matthew Sockolov, fundador de One Mind Dharma, explica cómo "estar en el momento presente es solo un aspecto de la práctica ... Mindfulness puede entenderse más completamente como estar presente con claridad, sabiduría y amabilidad". En estas páginas, Sockolov le mostrará cómo cultivar la conciencia y liberarse de las emociones fugaces para que pueda "presionar el botón de pausa, calmarse y manejar situaciones estresantes con confianza y facilidad.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No Ficción, Religioso

Revelations of Divine Love

Revelations of Divine Love

By Julian of Norwich

Penguin Books, 1998. 192 pages. Nonfiction

Coming from a society where women were barred from serious writing and teaching, Julian, an anchorite of the great medieval city of Norwich, nevertheless uses her womanliness and the English vernacular of the day to describe a series of revelations which she received from God in the year 1373. She identifies the female nature of Christ's suffering and the motherhood of God, using images from domestic daily life, emphasizing the homeliness of God's love. She writes in a lively and unpretentious manner and her theology is precise without ever being pedantic.

C.S. Lewis, when he read Julian of Norwich, wrote in a letter that it is, "A dangerous book; clearly. I'm glad I didn't read it much earlier." Julian's view of God and religion is as fresh and challenging today as it was in Medieval England. There is a fierce joy and beauty in how she views Christ and his care for us, often referring to him as a lover. Whether reading it for historical or spiritual reasons, it is a very worthwhile book to read. As she famously said, "All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I highly recommend this book! 

If you like Revelations of Divine Love, you might also like: 

The Book of Margery Kempe 

By Margery Kemp

Oxford University Press, 2015. 275 pages. Biography

 

The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1436-8) is the extraordinary account of a medieval wife, mother, and mystic. Known as the earliest autobiography written in the English language, Kempe's Book describes the dramatic transformation of its heroine from failed businesswoman and lustful young wife, to devout and chaste pilgrim. She vividly describes her prayers and visions, as well as the temptations in daily life to which she succumbed before dedicating herself to her spiritual calling. She travelled to the most holy sites of the medieval world, including Rome and Jerusalem. In her life and her boisterous devotion, Kempe antagonized many of those around her; yet she also garnered friends and supporters who helped to record her experiences. Her Book opens a window to the medieval world, and provides a fascinating portrait of one woman's life, aspirations, and prayers.

The Cloister Walk

By Kathleen Norris

Riverhead Books, 1997. 385 pages. Nonfiction

Why would a married woman with a thoroughly Protestant background and often more doubt than faith be drawn to the ancient practice of monasticism, to a community of celibate men whose days are centered around a rigid schedule of prayer, work, and scripture? This is the question that Kathleen Norris herself asks as, somewhat to her own surprise, she found herself on two extended residencies at a Benedictine monastery. Yet upon leaving the monastery, she began to feel herself transformed, and the daily events of her life on the Great Plains - from her morning walk to her going to sleep at night - gradually took on new meaning.

MGB

Canción de Navidad

Canción de Navidad
Por Charles Dickens
JM Ediciones, 1999. 123 páginas. Ficción

Ebenezer Scrooge es un hombre avaro y egoísta, sarcástico y huraño con sus pocos seres allegados. La víspera de Navidad, el fantasma de su antiguo socio Jacob Marley se le manifiesta, provocando una serie de apariciones de los fantasmas de las Navidades pasadas, presentes y futuras, que despertarán emociones en el protagonista que parecían olvidadas. Scrooge aprende el verdadero significado de la Navidad por las fantasmas que le visitan para analizar su pasado y predecir su futuro.

Si le gusta «Canción de Navidad» le recomendamos:

Buscando a Papá Noel
Por Richard Paul Evans

Umbriel Editores, 2010. 344 páginas. Ficción

Se supone que la Navidad es una época llena de alegría. Pero la vida ha sido dura para Mark Smart: tuvo que dejar de estudiar, su madre murió en un accidente, su novia lo abandonó, y ahora, en plena nevada, su coche ha dejado de funcionar. A duras penas consigue llegar a una cafetería en busca de un teléfono. Pero lo que encuentra, en cambio, es a una hermosa joven que, a través de un simple acto de amabilidad, cambia su vida para siempre.

Macy no recuerda casi nada de sus verdaderos padres y del hogar donde nació. Un adorno navideño con la palabra "Noel" es la única pista que tiene para localizar a su hermanita perdida, y ahora Mark, este extraño que aparece en medio de una tormenta de nieve, parece estar dispuesto a ayudarla...

Fiestas Dulces
Por Patricia Arribálzaga

Boutique de Ideas, 2015. 191 páginas. No Ficción

Tortas, cupcakes, cookies y deliciosos postres con un encanto irresistible para celebrar desde fiestas tradicionales como Navidad, Halloween o San Valentín hasta una boda o una cena elegante. La famosa pastelera Patricia Arribálzaga te propone recetas exquisitas e innovadoras y decoraciones espectaculares con su inigualable estilo para que tus fiestas sean inolvidables.

40 Días de Navidad

Por Joseph Lee Castleberry

BroadStreet Publishing Group, 2019. 129 páginas. No Ficción

¿Encuentra su atención consumida por las presiones de la temporada navideña con cosas como: tomar la foto perfecta para la tarjeta de Navidad, hallar el regalo perfecto, servir la comida perfecta o crear la experiencia perfecta para su familia? Es muy fácil perder de vista lo más importante.

Con pasajes de las Escrituras para cada día, lecturas inspiradoras y oraciones edificantes, 40 días de Navidad es un devocional diseñado para ayudarle a disfrutar tres de las temporadas tradicionales del calendario eclesiástico. Prepare su corazón durante el Adviento, regocíjese por el nacimiento de Cristo en Navidad y manifieste Su luz en la Epifanía.


MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No Ficción, Ficción, Ficción Historico, Religion, Libros de Cocina

Walking on Water: Reflections on faith and art

Walking on Water: Reflections on faith and art

By: Madeleine L' Engle

Convergent Books, 2016. 206 pages. Nonfiction

In this classic book, Madeleine L' Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L' Engle's beautiful and insightful essay, readers will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to creation through one's own art.

From the first page, I was gripped by this book. L' Engle has a sharp mind and a feeling heart, and she grapples with many difficult ideas, including: how terrible people can still make transfiguring art; how some "religious" art is more offensive than art made by atheists; how we can BE -- be still and notice the world around us, our feelings, and our connection to that spirit (for L' Engle the spirit of God) which allows the artist (be it writer, painter, etc.) to create their best art. She has a gentle touch with all of these subjects, and champions both the contradictions of life and religion; the power of story in religion; and the beauty of the mystery of religion. I highly recommend this book, which is rich with quotes that L' Engle spent years collecting, as well as her own beautiful and unique wisdom. 

If you like Walking on Water: Reflections on faith and art, you might also like: 

The Path Made Clear

By: Oprah Winfrey

Flatiron Books, 2019. 208 pages. Nonfiction

 

Everyone has a purpose. And, according to Oprah Winfrey, "Your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honor your calling in the best way possible." In her latest book, The Path Made Clear, Oprah shares what she sees as a guide for activating your deepest vision of yourself, offering the framework for creating not just a life of success, but one of significance. The book's ten chapters are organized to help you recognize the important milestones along the road to self-discovery, laying out what you really need in order to achieve personal contentment, and what life's detours are there to teach us. Paired with over 100 awe-inspiring photographs to help illuminate the wisdom of these messages, The Path Made Clear provides readers with a beautiful resource for achieving a life lived in service of your calling-whatever it may be.

The Artists Way

By: Julia Cameron

Tarcher Perigee 2016. 249 pages. Nonfiction

Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery. The program begins with Cameron's most vital tools for creative recovery - The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a 'Creative Cluster' of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors. A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist's Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.

MGB

Bad Mormon

Bad Mormon

By Heather Gay

First Gallery Books, 2023. 287 pages. Biography

Born and bred to be devout, Heather Gay based her life around her faith. She attended Brigham Young University, served a mission in France, and married into Mormon royalty in the temple. But her life as a good Mormon abruptly ended when she lost the marriage and faith that she had once believed would last forever. With writing that is beautiful, sad, funny, and true, Heather recounts the difficult discovery of the darkness and damage that often exists behind a picture-perfect life, while examining the nuanced relationship between duty to self and duty to God. Exposing secrets she once held sacred, Bad Mormon is an unfiltered look at the religion that broke her heart. 

This is an open and honest take on one woman's struggle to live her life authentically. I liked how Heather's cheeky tone (something I enjoyed about her on the RHOSLC show) comes through. This book is an excellent choice for anyone who is looking for a memoir about coming to terms with who you are as a person, even if that means leaving behind what you once held dear. 

If you like Bad Mormon, you might also like:

Enough Already

By Valerie Bertinelli

Mariner Books, 2022. 243 pages. Biography

Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli's life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-worth. Valerie shares personal stories: hitting her fifties, taking care of her dying mother, the evolving relationship with her husband, a career change, her relationship with food, and the battle to believe in herself as she is. 

Heretic

By Jeanna Kadlec

Harper, 2022. 259 pages. Biography

Jeanna Kadlec knew what it meant to be faithful--in her marriage to a pastor's son, in the comfortable life ahead of her, in her God--but there was no denying the truth that lived under that conviction: she was queer and, if she wanted to survive, she would need to leave behind the church and every foundational building block she knew. Heretic is a memoir of rebirth. 

Leaving the Saints

By Martha Nibley Beck

Crown Publishers, 2005. 306 pages. Biography

As "Mormon royalty," Beck was raised in a home frequented by her church's high elders, and her existence was framed by their strict code of conduct. In this thoughtful examination of faith, Beck chronicles her difficult decision to leave the Mormon church, and her struggle to overcome a dark secret buried in her childhood. 

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle

The Dial Press, 2020. 333 pages. Biography

In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, Glennon Doyle explores the joy and peace when women stop striving to meet others' expectations and start trusting the voice deep within them. 

sr

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
By Sue Monk Kidd
HarperOne, 2016. 289 pages. Biography

For years, Sue Monk Kidd was a conventionally religious woman. Then, in the late 1980s, she experienced an unexpected awakening, and began a journey toward a feminine spirituality. With the exceptional storytelling skills that have helped make her name, Kidd tells her very personal story of the fear, anger, healing, and freedom she experienced on the path toward the wholeness that many women have lost in the church.

From a jarring encounter with sexism in a suburban drugstore, to monastery retreats and to rituals in the caves of Crete, she reveals a new level of feminine spiritual consciousness for all women, one that retains a meaningful connection with the "deep song of Christianity," embraces the sacredness of ordinary women's experience, and has the power to transform in the most positive ways every fundamental relationship in a woman's life, her marriage, her career, and her religion.

In this book, Sue Monk Kidd shares her intimate journey and transformation from a faithful Christian woman to a believer of the feminine divine and her own power. She discusses the overwhelming influence and oppression of our patriarchal society in churches and throughout the world and the loss of the sacred Mother. I loved her discussion of the masculine and feminine and how parts of her journey are very relatable to my own spiritual journey. People who love learning about others' spiritual transformations, the making of rituals, and coming to know oneself will enjoy this book.

JC  


If you like The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, you might also like:

When God Was a Woman
By Merlin Stone
Dial Press, 1976. 265 pages. Nonfiction

How did the shift from matriarchy to patriarchy come about? In fascinating detail, Merlin Stone tells us the story of the Goddess who reigned supreme in the Near and Middle East. Under her reign, societal roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures: women bought and sold property, traded in the marketplace, and inherited title and land from their mothers. Documenting the wholesale rewriting of myth and religious dogmas, Merlin Stone describes an ancient conspiracy in which the Goddess was reimagined as a wanton, depraved figure, a characterization confirmed and perpetuated by one of modern culture's best-known legends—that of the fall of Adam and Eve. Insightful and thought-provoking, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the origin of current gender roles and in rediscovering women's power.

If Women Rose Rooted: A Journey to Authenticity and Belonging
By Sharon Blackie
September Publishing, 2016. 400 pages. Nonfiction

Aged 30, Sharon Blackie found herself weeping in the car park of the multinational corporation where she worked, wondering if this was what a nervous breakdown felt like. Somewhere along the line, she realized, she had lost herself - and so began her long journey back to authenticity, rootedness in place and belonging.

In this extraordinary book of myth, memoir and modern-day mentors (from fashion designers to lawyers), Blackie faces the wasteland of Western culture, the repression of women, and the devastation of our planet. She boldly names the challenge: to reimagine women's place in the world, and to rise up, firmly rooted in our own native landscapes and the powerful Celtic stories and wisdom which sprang from them.

A haunting heroine's journey for every woman who finds inspiration and solace in the natural world.

Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
By Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Ballantine Books, 1992. 537 pages. Nonfiction

Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., Jungian analyst and cantadora storyteller shows how women's vitality can be restored through what she calls "psychic archeological digs" into the ruins of the female unconsious. Using multicultural myths, fairy tales, folk tales, and stories, Dr. Estes helps women reconnect with the healthy, instinctual, visionary attributes of the Wild Woman archetype.

Dr. Estes has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and life-giving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul.