Dogs are joy made alive. I’ve always loved dogs. Their infectious excitement and loyalty have made them constant and welcomed companions in my life. “When Love Wags a Tail” by Carmen Leal is a collection of essays about people’s true stories about adopting their own rescue dogs. If you love dogs, you'll love this book.
Read MoreHappiness is a funny thing. Once we have it, we can’t seem to have enough of it. We always want more and fight to have as much of it as we can. The desire to be happy seems to be an endless ambition of humanity. But as “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin taught me, happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy.
Read MoreIf there are any two things that make me consistently happy in this world, it’s books and food. Here are eight books I’ve read that made me incredibly hungry and, hopefully maybe, sound delicious to you too.
Read MoreThere’s magic in the mundane, especially if an artist is able to accurately capture the emotions and experience connected to the in-between moments of life not associated with the big events. Yes we all like to hear about and experience how the girl gets the guy, the miracles that happen around the holidays, the feel-good joyous events like birthdays and weddings that we create scrapbooks from, and the big adventures we all take to make our lives a little more special.
Read MoreNature is one of life’s great equalizers. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich and famous or poor and unknown. Once you’re in nature, the trials of trails and the elements of the wild are free to impact anyone caught in its wake without discretion. There is no greater example of this cruel yet fulfilling embrace than with Force of Nature by Joan M. Griffin.
Read More“It is what it is” is a staple of a mantra in Midwest America. But what if we looked at “it is what it is” through the lens of love and relationships? Then we would find one of the crucial pillars found in “The Unshakeable Road to Love” by Dr. Brenda Shoshanna needed to build a value centered relationship: acceptance.
Read MoreAuthenticity is hard to achieve. You not only have to recognize the personal qualities that build your sense of self without external intervention, but you also have to be honest with accepting them. It can be a difficult journey that requires work to uncover and practice your true values through the mess of external values imposed through your environment.
Read MoreAudiobooks can be a tremendous way to experience a story. Sometimes, a book can even be elevated by the auditory performance of the narration and provide an experience that can’t be replicated through more traditional reading methods. If you’re interested in getting into audiobooks, here are my top ten personal favorite audiobooks of all time (as of August 2023) to help you step into the practice and give you ideas on your next read!
Read MoreLooking for some wholesome LGBTQIA+ books that aren’t major downers or filled with endless emotional turmoil? Here are some of my wholesome book recommendations in no particular order that I very much enjoyed and felt like they celebrate the joys of being LGBTQIA+
Read MoreIn Glennon Doyle's hit memoir "Untamed", she introduces the concept of 'Be Still and Know' and I reflect on the impact of that statement on my personal life in my journey of self growth.
Read MoreCodependency is “is an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship” and also the focus of my media analysis of Maureen Johnson’s “Nine Liars”
Read MoreInspired by Katherine May's “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” novel, I reflect on the concept of wintering and how going inward, using introspection, solitude, and self-care helps me endure the season of winter.
Read MoreAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, The Boys, Dolly Parton, Mexican Gothic, Buzzfeed's Worth It, and more all make my list of my favorite things that made the trash fire year 2020 bearable. Did your faves make the cut too?
Read MoreA young adult vampire novel from 2007 has me questioning: just how much responsibility should authors have to educate their readers on social issues?
Read MoreNot every love story in every novel is good. Sometimes, the love story isn't even decent. Here are some of the books I've read that feature an awful love story. Happy Valentine's Day!
Read More"Oh boy! I can't wait to spend my entire life becoming the most competent person in my field only to fall in love with the bland toothpick who bumbled his way into fulfilling my dream!" -Every geeky female character, apparently.
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