Following the Path by Joan Chittister. 4.5/5 stars, Inspirational, 192 pages, 2012

This book is meant to give someone in the process of making a life decision at any age—in early adulthood, at the point of middle-age change and later, when we find ourselves at the crossroads without a name—some ideas against which to pit their own minds, their own circumstances. Its purpose, as they wrestle with the process of trying to find and follow their own special call at this new stage of life, is to both provoke thinking and to clarify it. —Joan Chittister
 
In our modern and mobile society, the range of answers to the questions “What am I supposed to do with my life?” and “How do I know when I’ve found my purpose?” can seem endless and overwhelming. Following the Path by Sister Joan brings the insights of her years of teaching and contemplation to bear on this issue, providing readers with a new way forward. Through her examination of spiritual calling and gifts, change and discernment, she leads readers home to the place where, finally, we know we fit, where we are the fullest of ourselves and a gift to the world, a timely and much needed message that many will be happy to hear.

from Goodreads

I loved it. I always get something I need out of Joan Chittister’s books and this one was perfect for me during this transitional time of Gage going back to school after 3 years of homeschooling. When you’re at a crossroads, or even at a place where you’re acknowledging that there’s something unfinished in you, this is a nice read. I read a chapter every morning for a few weeks and it was a nice way to start the day. If any of these quotes resonate with you, get your hands on the book.

“We are all called, in some form and fashion, to give ourselves away so that tomorrow can be better than yesterday for many. We are all called to be reckless, intrepid, conscious philanthropists of the world to come.”

“But it is in our giftedness that our future lies. To be really happy, we must either follow our gifts or find our gifts. Otherwise we run the risk of going to our graves only half alive.”

“Aristotle, the great philosopher of personal development, said happiness depended on developing ourselves to our fullest potential. On becoming the best self we can possibly be…he said happiness depended on our commitment and involvement in ‘virtuous activity.’ In doing good…it’s about doing something that makes the world a better place to be…What fills our heart with happiness, ironically enough, is not what we get out of the world; it’s what we put into it.”

“Enjoyment and happiness are not synonyms. Enjoyment is, at best, an answer to the rigors of routine, it is not the abiding sense of a life we’ll live. That comes with having lived life well at every level and to the very heart of its ultimate meaning.”

“The more equipped I am to distinguish the me I want to be from the me everybody else wants me to be, the more likely I am to become it.”

“What other people require of us leads us to create the masks we present to the world.”

“At the end of the day, at the end of every decision, the measurement criteria must always be whether what I am doing is serving my false self or my true self.”

“Unless I am capable of letting go of the security level to which I have become accustomed, unless I am ready to begin again, the lack of a sense of meaning in the here and now that plagues us with the grace of doubt will die in the wind.”

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. 4.25 stars. Romance. 323 pages, 2023

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

from Goodreads

Hello Stranger is the latest feel good novel by Katherine Center. Sadie is an artist in her 20s living in a not-fit-to-rent apartment on a dime. She’s just reached the finals of a prestigious portrait competition, when an accident and subsequent surgery cause prosopagnodia, an inability to ‘see’ faces.

Sadie’s family story was the most moving part of the story for me. Her mom was gone, and she had an evil stepmother and stepsister to make her miserable while her father looked away. Needless to say, I was rooting hard for Sadie.

There was a love interest or two, a loyal best friend, and the realities of her new life with face blindness. This novel was warm and fuzzy in all the right places, while also letting real life shine through.

I loved it. There were, perhaps, one or two more coincidences than necessary, but at the end I was left feeling happy and satisfied.

Have you read a book by Katherine Center? Are they great?

“The fact that you don’t want me to help you really makes me want to help you.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”

The Enchanted Hacienda by JC Cervantes. 4.5 stars. Magical realism. 368 pages, 2023

I’m a sucker for all things magical realism. This was the perfect book at the perfect time. I love when that happens! It was magical, romantic, and fun.

The Estrada women are tied to their Mexican flower farm. Each one of them, for generations, has been born with special powers and the ability to help others through spells, like erasing memories or bonding to another person. Harlow didn’t have any such gift and always felt like the odd one out. When she goes home to regroup after a breakup she finds the magic she’s been looking for her whole life.

There are lots of women in this family and something tells me we might see more of these women in the future. I can’t wait!

This was one of three books in my quarterly TBR box from Book Riot and the second I’ve read so far. I always like care they use when choosing my books and, of course, I love the element of surprise that the box brings when I see it on my doorstep.

Flying Colors by Christopher Laney. 3.5 stars, Fiction, 262 pages, 2023

Flying Colors follows the mystical adventures of John Freeman, who’s young, ambitious, and on the verge of achieving everything he wants when he finds himself the student of a mysterious flight instructor whose initial lessons have little to do with flying planes. Over a remarkable summer, as John struggles to unravel the secrets behind the instructor and a mystical airfield stuck in time, he becomes torn between his professional ambitions and the lure of a simpler life. But to earn his wings and soar, John must face the ultimate test of discovering his true self and what matters most.

from Goodreads

John meets a mysterious man in an airport who opens his eyes to a different way to live, to new possibilities never dreamt of before. When John arrives back home to a job that is ready to serve up the life he’s always wanted on a silver platter, the memory of the man in the airport has him questioning what it is he really wants.

Mysterious and mystical and a great first novel.

“No one can teach another person. If something’s worth learning we teach ourselves. We become our own teachers by doing, by experimenting. We teach ourselves by making mistakes and experimenting until we get it right. Everyone wants answers, but the answers can’t come from other people because the answers you get are to the wrong questions, answers meant for someone else’s life, not yours.”

Many thanks to the author for sending this uplifting book my way!

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. 4.25 stars, STEM RomCom, 354 pages, 2022

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project–a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia–Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school–archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

from Goodreads

After reading The Love Hypothesis last month, it took me no time at all to realize that I would be reading more from her. It was fun, smart, and romantic. What’s not to love?

Love on the Brain is very similar to TLH. It’s set in academia, has offbeat heroines and stoic heroes (unless there’s sex and then all bets are off), and an obvious attraction seen by the reader even though the heroine misses it. But, in all of the ways that TLH went over the top and sometimes missed the mark, this one didn’t. It’s a more mature story, complete with cats and near death experiences.

Bee and Levi are working on a project for NASA and they have a history. Bee runs a site for women in science to vent their frustrations. What happens when Bee’s worst day involves both parts of her life.

I’ll be moving on to my next Hazelwood romcom soon and I can’t wait!

“Fun fact about me: I am a fairly mellow person, but I happen to have a very violent fantasy life. Maybe it’s an overactive amygdala. Maybe it’s too much estrogen. Maybe it’s the lack of parental role models in my formative years. I honestly don’t know what the cause is, but the fact remains: I sometimes daydream about murdering people. By “sometimes,” I mean often. And by “people,” I mean Levi Ward. I have my first vivid reverie on my third day at NASA, when I imagine offing him with poison.” from Love on the Brain