“I never try to give a message in my books. It’s about living with characters long enough to hear their voices and let them tell me the story. Sometimes I would love to have a happy ending, and it doesn’t happen because the character or the story leads me in another direction.” ~Isabel Allende In …
Find Love and Belonging in Isabel Allende’s In the Midst of Winter Read More »
Critical Theory & Philosophy Reading Group I am excited to announce the reading list is finalized and our Critical Theory & Philosophy Reading Group is open for enrollment. We will read and discuss over 30 thinkers in 2018 with a special focus on 20th century theoretical and philosophical thought. You can enroll HERE. Our Critical Theory …
“I believe that reading and writing are the most nourishing forms of meditation anyone has so far found. By reading the writings of the most interesting minds in history, we meditate with our own minds and theirs as well. This to me is a miracle.” ~Kurt Vonnegut Today we’ll consider a wide variety of writers …
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino It is the first day of Fall and I am so excited to start a new book with you this season. Now remember I pick books I think you might enjoy AND that I haven’t read. That means there is always risk involved on my part. I meditate on the …
I’m excited to introduce you to Kate from Parchment Girl. Kate is wild about books and fits right in here. A reader’s drama is usually contained within the pages of a book, but I’m willing to bet you’ve had to face the same dilemma as Kate as your pile of books starts to block the …
Have you always wanted to read In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust? Myself and a handful of other ambitious, literary enthusiasts are setting out on what a friend termed, “A Reader’s Everest.” Over the next two and a half years, we are reading this seven volume, 4,215 page tome and using a reading …
A few years ago, I read a book called Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle. I teach an excerpt from this book in my English Composition course during our visual rhetoric unit. Students tend to identify with the truths Turkle articulates in this text. Some …
Reclaim Conversation With Books in Your 21st Century Friendships Read More »
10 Books I Can’t Wait to Get My Eyes on in 2017 “And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke By Jessica S. Manuel As if the new year isn’t exciting enough, we have 10 incredible new reads on the horizon to build anticipation all year …
This year was full of half-read books, tons of audiobooks, and plenty of research. Out of the books I read and finished, these are the ones that made the cut. Below is this year’s list of one sentence reviews of the best reads of 2016. Check out previous years here: 2014 Winners 2015 Winners Professional …
3 Books to Prepare Your Heart for Christmas Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” ~Winston Churchill By Jessica S. Manuel Pinterest has a wide selection of Scripture Reading Plans for Advent. We found one that we are reading through as a family, but I have also found it helpful to …
“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ~Joyce Carol Oates Are you ready to learn how to start a book club? Reading can be an isolating experience, but reading in community is a precious gift. Perhaps the isolation is what you like about …
“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” Isaac Asimov This is a big week for book lovers all over the world. We celebrate the freedom to read not only commonly banned books but all books without censorship. Schools all over the world, including right here in the United States, censor the written word …
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”~John Steinbeck Summer is here! Enter self-care, family time, and relaxation. After …
My friend, Sky, and I share a love for all things books and she knew how much I would appreciate the reading space her husband designed for her. And I do. It brought my heart joy, knowing how special this gift has to be for her. It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever …
A few years ago, I felt intellectually isolated and started praying for something that felt a little peculiar: friends. We are wired for connection, and everyone wants friends, so why is that peculiar? Well, I had a ton of friends at the time, and still do. They are wonderful, seriously, wonderful. The only thing wrong these …