I had no idea what this mysterious book was about, but I wanted to know about the dog. When the main character‘s wife dies in a fall from an unusually tall apple tree, only the family dog, Lorelei, is witness…right? He becomes obsessed with teaching Lorelei to talk, revealing the truth of his wife‘s death. Themes: death, grief and all the ways we navigate it, bodily autonomy (choice!), and mental health. TW/CW.

Dare I say that parts of this memoir were a little…boring? I was expecting something a little different from a final ‘lecture‘, but I‘ll read just about anything from someone who is dying, because I think there‘s a unique perspective and story for each individual experience. (Therefore, I don‘t regret reading it). I‘ve known two other people with this diagnosis and each life was very different. In reading this, I honor their memory.

This little book reminds us of all the joy that books bring. We buy them and neglect them. We read them, touch them, turn their pages while letting our eyes glance at the fonts. We share them, we recommend them. Some, ban them, and are willingly deprived of these joys. Filled with quotes and memories, the author shares their love affair with books and makes us feel that familiar magic on every page. Shown: a true story mentioned in the book!⬇️

I always thought these books were satire. There is some good advice, but most of us won‘t retain the information, or do the training. Hopefully, we won‘t find ourselves in these situations either. The quicksand scene from The Never-Ending Story was one of the traumas of my childhood. I don‘t plan on having to follow directions for an escape in the first chapter 🤞🏻

I‘ve always had a fondness of wild, unkept English gardens with stone walls. There are some beautiful passages in this book about the human condition that are expressed in the language of wild, growing things. The main character leaves a hollowing London and finds herself in such a garden, tasked with growing food for wartime. The garden meets her with mystery surprise, and ghosts, leading her to go deeper into her relationship with the ⬇️

The thing about gardens is that everyone thinks they go on growing, that in winter they sleep and in spring they rise. But it‘s more that they die and return, die and return. They lose themselves. They haunt themselves. Every story is a story about death. But perhaps, if we are lucky, our story about death is also a story about love. And this is what I have remembered of love.

The language of roses shifts like sand under our feet. It blows in and out like the wind. It carries the fragrance of the flower and then it is gone. Rugosa. Canina. Arvensis. It is how we learn to speak about something that is disappearing as we say its name. It is a trick, a false comfort. Humilis. It is what we think we need to know and how we think it needs to be known. Involuta. It is where we want to go, this name, and stay⬇️

Sometimes our passion is our ruin. The thing with roses is that they were just too unmanageable for Ellen Willmott—indeed, for any single person—to pin down and categorize, to fix on the page. They kept fluctuating, changing their names and associations, refusing to lie still. The roses kept growing, even on paper. They were a living language. And Ellen Willmott couldn‘t hope to contain them. What I love about The Genus Rosa is that it⬇️

The Garden of Loss blooms in May. It is a simpler construction than the Garden of Longing. It contains fewer species, but more plants. The middle of the three gardens, it begins with a great, breaking wave of peonies. The blooms are white and pale pink, grow upright for now, giant buttons of brilliance festooning green leafy tunics. But soon their heads will become too heavy for the thin, weed-like stalks on which they rise with such⬇️

The plant not yet in bloom is lavender. I love lavender. What is more potent than to have that scent on your fingers as you leave the garden? To rub your hands over the leaves, so that all day, as you do your duties, the dying smell will remind you, will make you feel longing all over again. Dead flowers keep their fragrance. And with lavender on them, it is as though your hands become dead flowers themselves, losing the living scent little⬇️

I was dreaming of a great tangle of roses, and when I woke, the first thing I saw was roses. That wooden arch above my head was a bower entwined with roses. A mass of roses. All on fire.

He settles back in his chair, a skitter of worry across his handsome face. If he were a flower, he would be something magnificent. A giant indigo-blue delphinium. A flower that knows, and practices, how to be in love with itself.

Some of the roses mentioned in the book.
R. Egalanteria
R. Arvensis
R. Rugosa
R. Phoenicia

On summer days, with my window open, I could smell the rubbish quite strongly, often mistaking it for the odors of my parsnip specimens. But I was left alone there. I did not have to fuss with people, only parsnips.

(I know what she‘s saying, but this is what I see in my mind🤣)

This is an interesting read, if you believe in the alternative healing methods described in this book. Each chapter is spent with a different practitioner and describes their methods. Crystals, psychic surgery, energy body work…I wouldn‘t trust tossing modern medicine aside and swan diving into these methods. While I do believe in energy, I would combine it with modern medicine instead of just relying on that. Some of these other methods, ⬇️

This book has its sad moments but it‘s a funny and light hearted read. What is it like, not just in the day of a dog‘s life—but in its heart? That‘s what this book presents. Too often we take our closest companions for granted, and still, they never stop loving us. The Buddha once said if you want to understand love, start with animals first, because they‘re easier. He also said animals die sooner than us, because when we come into the world⬇️

Maajid became radicalized after experiencing racism, police violence, and incarceration, but changed his mind and called for a secular Islam while incarcerated after reading books about human rights and working with Amnesty International. Today, he still helps others to deconstruct. Listen to his Ted Talk here: https://youtu.be/EZwxKPv1CwA?si=kuyNO4i-wx2_GdMm

Ruth‘s memoir of her mother was a sad one. Feminist in nature, we get a glimpse into a life where choices for education, career, and marriage were not allowed. Miriam wanted more for her daughter than what she had; it wasn‘t until late in her life that she finally had some joy and the liberation she‘d always dreamed of. Only then did Ruth begin to understand her nature. I find it funny that Miriam was such an awful cook, and Ruth ended up⬇️

This book is a solid and extensive history of our closest, most beloved companions: dogs. From evolution, to our first contact, wars, religion and mythology (and so much more), it‘s all there. Shown: Aine, the sweetest little girl who snuggles with me every day!

The Bermuda ‘Triangle‘ in the southern Atlantic Ocean is one of the biggest mysteries that I don‘t think will ever be revealed. For an older book on the subject (1974), the author documents these strange events pretty well and goes into many theories; he does not land on any specific theory but wonders, like the rest of us. Fascinating.

One‘s first experience of love is either love received or love denied, and against that experience all our future desires and expectations are measured.

There is a vocabulary to existing, to taking up living space in the world, that cannot be translated over the chasm of death.

Everyone knows the name Cujo, but have all of us really gotten to know this poor canine? Stephen King has a way of telling stories unlike anyone else. Cujo isn‘t the only scary thing in this story; humans are far worse. Curiosity and a wanting for second breakfast literally lead Cujo straight down the rabbit hole, where bad things are. What happens next is horrifying but it‘s not his fault. Highlight to remember: please vaccinate your pets!💉

Shortly following those mortal events in the Camber dooryard, Cujo‘s remains were cremated. The ashes went out with the trash and were disposed of at the Augusta waste-treatment plant. It would perhaps not be amiss to point out that he had always tried to be a good dog. He had tried to do all the things his MAN and his WOMAN, and most of all his BOY, had asked or expected of him. He would have died for them, if that had been required. ⬇️

(You have to love when a book starts out like this): “Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. He killed a waitress named Alma Frechette in 1970; a woman named Pauline Toothaker and a junior high school student named Cheryl Moody in 1971; a pretty girl named Carol Dunbarger in 1974; a teacher named Etta Ringgold in the fall of 1975; finally, a grade-schooler named Mary Kate Hendrasen in the⬇️

I have a vet surgeon friend who always tells me the sad and crazy things that happen on the job, so I thought of her while reading this book. The author shares the most memorable patient stories from his career—some of them made me gasp, some made me say, ‘WTF?‘, and some were just gross. It takes heart and courage to be a vet. These stories provide a small glimpse into what it‘s like to be on call for our closest companions.

This was a fun read about the creatures that own us. Lots of history and science.
Cats may be unchanged in their attitude but so is our love and downright obsession with them.

I‘m an atheist who grew up in a fundamentalist, high control household, currently living in the south, where Christian Nationalism is really taking hold. I don‘t like preachy things but I like listening to what progressive faith leaders have to say. John Pavlovitz is a much needed voice. Nadia shares her journey of becoming a faith leader, her struggles, her raw humanity. She defies the patriarchal, misogynist lie that women cannot hold⬇️

I loved the author‘s memoir ‘You Had Me At Woof‘ and knew I wanted to read this one too. She shares three stories of how dogs have enriched her life and got her through hard times. This is a book for dog lovers and anyone who has fostered and adopted them. Shown: Cthulu, a Boston Terrier we adopted years ago. I miss him every day!🌈

I would have liked this book if I‘d had it when I was a kid. Our main character is on a summer vacation with her family when she meets a mysterious older woman who offers to give her her heart‘s desire. Be careful what you wish for…it might come true, with unwanted side effects!

I am certain that had I been assigned this tiny book in Highschool in my senior year, I would have loved it. Here we have a strange tale that is not at all scary, with delightful gothic elements. When betrothed Isabella‘s fiancée is suddenly killed by a mysterious Uber helmet, her (previous) father in law to be tries to force her to marry him. The rest of the night is spent with helpful spirits, skeletons, and the reveal of a secret that⬇️

I run circles around those book banning people🤣

Don Lemon is a gorgeous man! In each chapter, he discusses our current political hellscape and the religious woes infused with it. In this administration, each publish feels outdated because things are unraveling so fast. The author talks about what loving your country versus being a nationalist means, and speaks heavily about faith and empathy in action versus Christian Nationalism. Whether you are a religious person or not, this is an⬇️

It‘s been a long time since I read the books but this one made me want to dive back into them. There were things I didn‘t know about them or Tolkien until reading this book. It takes you into the mythology and history that inspired these stories, and gives some information about Tolkien himself. Loved it.

Link to listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669?i=1000718556292

This book reminded me a lot of Mikki Brammer‘s ‘The Collected Regrets of Clover‘. Bud writes about death every day—obituaries are his career. And yet, he has no idea how to live. After a mistaken publishing of a self-obituary, his life changes…one funeral at a time. After attending a series of funerals for people he doesn‘t know, he starts to think more about life. But only after the death of a special friend does he finally begin to live.

This memoir of deep poverty expanded my knowledge of this highly stigmatized experience. I have considered cleaning homes before, but this makes me rethink that. The author takes us on her journey of leaving an abusive relationship and surviving at the bare minimum while parenting alone. I enjoyed the chapters where she explained the story of each house she cleaned, the relationships she made. I read the book first, then watched the⬇️

There is an obituary to write. I want to do it in a way that reminds anyone who reads it that that person‘s life mattered, that we won‘t forget. It is so easy to forget. We are all obituary writers because we get to write our life every day. Write it. Please. It‘s your life. Also, it will make my job easier.

Almost everyone has seen the familiar bottle of baby powder, shampoo and oil, and we know that smell. The Johnson family goes back to their apothecary in the civil war era. Despite one horrific reveal after another, the giant is still thriving today. This book takes a deep dive into the history of this popular American company, revealing the real intention of their products: lies and profit over trust and wellness. Capitalism continues to⬇️

Meet Paul Janssen, the Belgian brilliant who created many medicines we use today. He also created fentanyl—I imagine were he still around today, he would not be pleased with the path and many lives it has taken.

Memoirs about trauma and pain always force us to take a deep dive into the life of someone else, but sometimes, they bring us face to face with the old traumas in our own lives. This book reminded me a lot of Lee Hawkins‘s book ‘I Am Nobody‘s Slave‘, because both authors took the same approach in looking into their family history to try and understand the current cycle of abuse. Unlike Hawkins, Stephanie doesn‘t get to resolve her pain by ⬇️

I loved this book; it will break your heart, and that‘s why you should read it. For me, it had vibes of Beloved and Kinder. Our main character has complex feelings when she begins to see the spirit of her sister. When she learns the secrets of her death, she must make a difficult decision as new relationships arise and major events begin to unfold around her.

This book feels old now since we are living through a time where the news is constantly changing, with headlines, reels and photos more horrible than the last thing we saw just 5 minutes ago. The author goes through a time lapse of attitudes and events in the American political landscape from the last 10+ years. We are in the fight of our lives in this new era. If every single one of us doesn‘t pull together, white supremacy will destroy us all.

This book takes a deep dive into how many issues intersect in all communities, but especially within those that are underserved. Access to clean water, clean air, fresh food, housing, living wages, healthcare, education…these are basic needs, and yet they are damn near impossible to make the needle move within the positions of power that can do something about it. These issues are experienced by many of us—and yet many vote against their ⬇️

We‘ve all had the upset stomach and butterflies from anxiety. Many of us have found ourselves short of breath and even experiencing heart palpitations when we are crying uncontrollably. But did you know just how much grief can affect your body, how it can even change it? This is an interesting book with a lot of science about the mind-body connection, and how we can safely navigate it.

This was a delightful book. (Aren‘t books about books always)? We tend to think of a library as a place with windows, doors, walls, cards, and other things. But what if some of them aren‘t so obvious—what if you have to search for them? What if they move around mysteriously from place to place, becoming accessible to multiple communities? This book is full of fascinating places that house books. My personal favorites: Kurkku Fields (Japan)⬇️

This has got to be the most interesting cat memoir I‘ve ever read. (So far, nothing tops Dewey). The author had an abusive childhood but quickly bonded with cats at a young age. Masha entered his life many years later, continuing the legacy of feline relationships. She was wild, she was untamed, she was special. This memoir is unique, very detailed and written in an almost mystical way. Recommended.

I always like to hear an inside look from people in or adjacent to white supremacist hate groups…preferably those who found their way out of them. There is a podcast about this story, but I‘m not sure how it differs from the book. This is a memoir about the author‘s time working undercover to try and bring down some of the people in these hate groups. He did it for many years and it took a toll on him—I can‘t imagine being surrounded by⬇️

Valuable, urgent lessons for these WILD times we are currently witnessing.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borrowed-returned/id1453877748?i=100071630...

Ruthless. Stealing people‘s lives from ‘em and making ‘em work to make ‘em money. The old folks back on the island used to say that‘s why they were white; they lost all their color when they lost their souls. You gotta be a certain type of soulless to believe you can own somebody the way they do.