THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the woman in the Buy Nothing group who loaned Tyler some brand new, unworn hiking boots when I asked if anyone had a pair he could borrow for a specific event, and who then, the day after the event, said he could keep them. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for huckleberries foraged on a walk. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

PUZZLES I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2026

Family Time - Artist: Norman Rockwell - MasterPieces - 1,000 pieces

Rockwell's art makes me smile. This busy collage has lots of irregularly shaped pieces, which added to the challenge of assembling it. 

Old Mill Pond - Artist: Mark Frost - Cra-Z-Art - 1,000 pieces (missing 2)

This was such a fun puzzle to do when the leaves in the scene and the ones out my window are all changing colors. 

BOOKS I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2026

 

Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor, written by Christine Kuehn and narrated by Erin Bennett

The American author was in her thirties when a letter she assumed was mistakenly sent to her led to the discovery that her dad's family had been deeply entrenched with the Nazis in Germany and spied for the Japanese in Hawaii. This book, which I learned about from a friend, was written after the author spent three decades researching her family's past and their direct involvement with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

8:35:28, Secrets eat love like acid. But love regenerates. 

The Keeper, written by Charles Martin

The fourth book in a series, this one continues the focus on the appalling world of human trafficking, sacrificial dedication of those who rescue the trafficked, and life-changing power of love, all with a mix of high tech tools, dangerous encounters, and powerful people. While there were parts of this story that were great, it also seemed to have repetition of things from previous books and an element I felt was over the top. I liked it, but it's probably my least favorite of the four books. 

Rooftoppers, written by Katherine Rundell and narrated by Nicola Barber

I recently read a different book by Rundell, so I checked to see if any of her other books were available immediately and ended up with this one. I enjoyed this middle grade novel about a girl in London who's believed to be an orphan, the kind man who's raised her after she was found floating in a cello case as a baby, and the kids who live on the roofs Paris that she meets when she and her guardian flee there in search of her mom.

41:38, "Books crowbar the world open for you."

The Story She Left Behind, written by Patti Callahan Henry and narrated by Julia Whelan and Theo Solomon

Having enjoyed another novel by the same author earlier in the year, I decided to give this one a try. It's about a woman in the 1950s who'd been abandoned by her mom, a famous author who disappeared without a trace 25 years earlier. Now a mom herself, and living with her dad after her own marriage fell apart, she hears from a man across the ocean who's discovered something belonging to her mom that's to be hand-delivered to her. Desperate to know more about her mom and hoping to uncover the code to a secret language her mom invented, she and her daughter head to London. I thought the story, which was inspired by real people and events, was fine. I loved the premise, enjoyed some aspects of it, could have done without others, liked having two narrators, and think it could have accomplished the same thing in a shorter book. 

Tidings of Comfort & Joy, written by Davis Bunn

This sweet novel alternates between the present and the past. The present finds a miserable teenage girl staying with her grandma because she's sick and missing out on the Christmas trip the rest of her family's on. The past is a story the grandma's sharing with her granddaughter about a Christmas she missed out on when she was much younger, right after WWII ended. Hers is a story of love in various forms, the richness that comes from serving others, and how our hardest circumstances sometimes lead to our greatest and most unexpected blessings. 

p. 72, "I will not give in to the temptations of bitterness and hatred. I will not indulge myself in useless anger. I will not."

p. 127, "But you must not mistake your heart's whimper as a call from either God or a possible future. That door is closed."

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1-8, written by Beth Brower and narrated by Genevieve Gaunt

I'm not a re-reader, but everything on my audiobook holds list had a long wait and nothing interested me in the "skip the line" options for a while, so I did a 2x speed binge of the whole Emma series. I enjoyed the series the second time as much as the first and look forward to the next 16 books. 

Work in Progress, written by Devon Rodriguez and narrated by Devon Rodriguez and Maria Elana Estrada

After years of following his art, I was excited to learn Rodriguez was publishing a memoir. Then I found out his abuela was doing a little of the narration with him and knew I had to listen to the audio. I'll also look at a print version to see the pictures he included, but I prefer listening to memoirs instead of reading them when they're narrated by the author. 

I already knew he came from a childhood of poverty, abuse, neglect, and drug use, but hearing details of his home life was heartbreaking. As a balance to the hard stuff, it was cool to learn about how much he's worked at improving his craft over the years, hear about the development and growth of his social media presence, and witness his deep appreciation for the people who've helped him along the way. I've always loved his art, humility, and kindness equally, and this book only increased that feeling. He's a talented artist and hard worker who really values people and is intentional about making sure they're truly seen. Heads up that there's a lot of profanity in this book, with the majority of it in the first part that deals with his upbringing.

UPDATE - I ended up seeing him in person at Powell's for an author talk, buying an autographed book that he personalized, and getting a picture with him. 

2:59:58, Abuela's house taught me that love doesn't need to be expensive to be powerful. Sometimes love looked like a bunch of stacked milk crates holding clean clothing and socks. 

7:00:44, Where I came from, survival was the goal. Success? That felt like a fairy tale.

7:25:28, The subway had chosen me. In New York everyone rides it. Bankers, artists, construction workers, immigrants, tourists, performers, kids from the Bronx like me. It's one of the only places where the globe fits into a train car. The subway isn't just transportation. It's theatre, anthropology, documentary, poetry; it's everything. Or at least it was everything to me. 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for roasted veggies. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the library employee who helped me on two different occasions to change settings on my phone that I hadn't been able to figure out on my own. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the gas station employee who asked me a second time if I wanted to check my rewards after I told him I was confident I didn't have any, as it turned out that I did. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for my ability to hear. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the timeframe of September and October. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

PUZZLES I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2026

 

Hot Air Balloons - Artist: Howard Robinson - SunsOut - 1,000 pieces

This puzzle was assembled from the edges to the middle, starting with the clear balloons and their warped reflections, then ending with nature in the middle. 

Pooping Dogs - Artist: Dan O'Donnell - Better Me - 1,000 pieces 

Well, now I can say I've completed my first feces puzzle. This one showed up at my door unexpectedly, a completely random gift from friends that made me laugh.

BOOKS I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2026

 

The Book of Lost Friends, written by Lisa Wingate and narrated by Sophie Amos, Lisa Flanagan, Dominic Hoffman, Sullivan Jones, Robin Miles, and Bahni Turpin, with author's note narrated by Lisa Wingate

I enjoyed this "skip the line" option, the first of Wingate's many novels that I've ever read. (In 2024 I read Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society, a nonfiction book she co-wrote with Judy Christie.) This story is set in Louisiana and Texas, alternating between 1875 and 1987. The earlier time period focuses on three girls, two half sisters and a freed slave, on their dangerous journey to find family members. The later is centered on a new teacher in a poor community who's trying desperately to connect with her students, but finding poverty and small town politics making her work difficult. 

8:25:56, "It's history," I pointed out. "I'm trying to impress upon my students that everyone has history. Just because we're not always happy with what's true doesn't mean we shouldn't know it. It's how we learn. It's how we do better in the future."

9:46:35, "We encourage vigorous debate. Civil debate is a healthy and democratic process. If one can not make one's point without yelling, name-calling, or insulting others, one should develop a stronger argument before speaking further."

Books for Living: Some Thoughts on Reading, Reflecting, and Embracing Life, written by Will Schwalbe

I liked reading The End of Your Life Book Club, another book by Schwalbe, last year, so this one piqued my interest when I saw it on a free shelf. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific book that he finds valuable to the general population, books with some some sort of applicable life lesson for everyone. They're not necessarily his favorite books or the ones he'd deem the best ever, but each has something to teach the reader. Combining information about the twenty-six books with stories from his own life, it felt like both a memoir and a way to add titles to my TBR. As one who likes books about books and enjoys hearing what others think about books, I'm glad this one crossed my path.

p. 14, Books are uniquely suited to helping us change our relationship to the rhythms and habits of daily life in this world of endless connectivity. We can't interrupt them; we can only interrupt ourselves while reading them. They are the expression of an individual or a group of individuals, not of a hive mind or collective consciousness. They speak to us, thoughtfully, one at a time. They demand our attention. And they demand that we briefly put aside our own beliefs and prejudices and listen to someone else's.

p. 17, "What are you reading?" isn't a simple question when asked with genuine curiosity; it's really a way of asking, "Who are you now and who are you becoming?"

p. 59, When you embrace mediocrity, you embrace humility - you learn to see that no matter how good you are at something, the world probably has people who are more talented at it than you. 

p. 67, Reading and naps, two of life's greatest pleasures, go especially well together.

p. 256, And reading all different kinds of books is not simply reading all different kinds of books; it's a way of becoming more fully human and more humane.

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, written by Evan Friss and narrated by Jay Myers

I learned about this book from a 12/5/24 Modern Mrs. Darcy post, Giftable cookbooks, memoirs and narrative nonfiction and initially tried reading the print version. Struggling to stay focused as I read, I realized it's a kind of book I generally enjoy in audio format and made the switch. Starting back with Benjamin Franklin and moving to present day (the book was published in 2024), it chronicles the evolution of bookshops in general, talks in depth about some specific shops and the people who either own or work in them, and describes the connections shops have to activism, discrimination, enterprise, and their communities. It's a look back in time, as well as a reminder that these businesses are still important.

Gilead, written by Marilynne Robinson and narrated by Tim Jerome

I recently put this on my TBR after learning about it from Shelf Awareness, then it came up as a "skip the line" option on Libby. It's told from the perspective of an elderly man who knows his life will end soon and is writing down an autobiography of sorts for his young son. Set in 1950s Iowa, it chronicles multiple generations of a family and aspects of American history while also covering themes of father-son relationships and friendship, faith and religion, forgiveness and grace. It's an epistolary novel, which is a format I like, but it was a very slow book. I don't mind a novel that's more about character development than having a propulsive plot, but this one felt like it just went on and on. 

4:30:52, "There is no earthly solution to the problems that confront me. But I can add to my problems, as I believe I have done, by dwelling on them. So, no more of that."

The Gown, written by Jennifer Robson and narrated by Marisa Calin, including an excerpt of a podcast interview with Robson on Book Club Girl Podcast

Alternating between London in 1947 and Toronto in 2016, this novel centers on the creating of Princess (at the time) Elizabeth's wedding dress, two of the women tasked with its embroidery, and one of their descendants who discovers a mysterious collection of embroidery samples many decades later. Close female friendship, kind employers, respectful royalty, people determined to rise above bad experiences, and work being appropriately recognized as art were all at play in the story. I discovered this book from a friend's monthly book list and enjoyed it, especially the 1947 part. The interview at the end was nice, as I always think it's interesting to hear an author speak about a particular book's development. Content warning that there's an instance of sexual assault. 

The Record Keeper, written by Charles Martin and narrated by Jonathan K. Riggs

This third novel in a series about a man who rescues people who have been sexually trafficked centers on the pursuit of the man who's captured his mentor and close friend of decades. Like the other stories in the series, it's about the horrific world of people who sell and buy human flesh, the impact on the survivors of that abuse, and the sacrifices made by those determined to rescue those who need to be saved. These stories always demonstrate love in action, but do so in the midst of high stakes chases and some violent interactions. I'm not usually a series reader, but I just discovered a fourth book was published earlier this year and I'll be sure to read it.

Rescue Story: Faith, Freedom, and Finding a Way Home, written by Zach Williams with Robert Noland 

Recommended by a friend, this memoir is about a man who grew up in a Christian home, spent decades avoiding church while abusing drugs and alcohol, and eventually found salvation and a changed life by the love of Jesus when he was pushing forty years old. It's a story of broken dreams, looking for worth in the wrong places, and a strained marriage, but also of people who walk through the messy parts of life with us, humbly choosing to avoid situations that aren't healthy for us, and how God uses broken people. I enjoyed reading little snippets from his wife about her perspective throughout the book and the afterword from his parents. Heads up for those who, like myself, who tend to balk when they see the words "faith" and "freedom" used in the same sentence, this book has nothing to do with politics. 

The Unforgettable Mailman, written by April Howells

It's 1966 and the Chicago Post Office is severely backlogged, so an elderly man with dementia decides to break in with a friend, steal a bunch of mail, and deliver it himself. While his theft and subsequent road trip of deliveries are purely fictional, details surrounding that specific post office are historically accurate. Incidentally, this is the second book I've read recently that talks about the implementation of ZIP codes. (ZIP stands for zone improvement plan, in case you're like me and didn't know.) This novel, which I learned about from a friend, had the potential to be one I loved, but I just liked it. Which is fine.

p. 225, "Not every line needs to be written. You have a duty, as a reader, to keep the story going. To write the next line yourself."

Roger turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"An author can only take a story so far. It's up to those who read it, who fall so far into the story they can't escape, to keep it alive."

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, written by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated from Korean by Shanna Tan, and narrated by Rosa Escoda

I enjoy stories about books, friendship, and personal growth, all of which this novel has. Every character is dealing with something hard - societal pressures, questions about their future, difficult relationships, employment struggles - and has to make a choice about whether to continue as they have been or make big changes. Whether or not one agrees with each choice made, the conversations about the value of pursuing, fulfilling, or abandoning dreams and whether happiness comes from doing what you're good at versus what you enjoy are worth pondering. Chosen as a "skip the line" option, I didn't realize until after finishing it that I read a nonfiction book about reading by the same author earlier this year. 

1:01:29, "Reading makes you deviate further from the textbook definition of success because books don't make us go ahead of or above anyone else; they guide us to stand alongside others."

7:50:47, Gradually she became convinced the bestsellers were the reason the publishing industry had lost its diversity. Standing in front of the bestseller section in major bookshops felt like looking at the state of the publishing industry, highly skewed towards a few titles. Whose fault was it? Nobody's. It was simply a reflection of a society which doesn't read. 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that I know how to read. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for time spent with each of my married sons, their wives, and kid. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a few hours spent working in the yard while listening to an audiobook. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for rain. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

PUZZLES I FINISHED - AUGUST 2026

Flowers from the Valley - Artist: Mark Frost - Cra-Z-Art - 1,000 pieces

It's no surprise that I loved all the flowers and colors in this one. 

Patches of the National Parks of America - MasterPieces - 1,000 pieces (missing one, which is weird because it was a brand new puzzle and I've never lost a piece before, so I'm sure it will turn up) 

I enjoyed the variety of fonts, colors, and borders with this one.

Sarasota Bay - 1,000 pieces

This is the second of two meaningful puzzles I was given at my puzzle-themed surprise 50th birthday party. The wood pieces show a beautiful photo of the bayfront at the marina in Sarasota, FL, across from Marina Jack, the restaurant a dear friend took my sister and I to during a visit a few years ago. Tyler helped quite a bit with this one, as he was much better at assembling the sky than I was. 

No name, artist, or company - 1,000 pieces 

I love all the colors and flowers in this one, but I confess to using the box as a guide.

BOOKS I FINISHED - AUGUST 2026

The Backyard Bird Chronicles, written and narrated by Amy Tan with foreword written by David Allen Sibley and narrated by Evan Sibley

This "skip the line" option on Libby is slow-moving, a five year journal of bird watching. I have some feeders and enjoy watching the birds that show up in my yard, but I have no interest in identifying them or spending any more time, money, or energy in feeding them than I already do. However, I could relate to Tan's enjoyment of nature. Although I chose it only because none of the other available options appealed to me, this ended up being the right book at the right time. Her gentle voice and cadence (even at my preferred 1.25 speed) were soothing when I needed to listen to something calm. The print version includes her bird drawings, so I may grab a copy at the library. The descriptions of her bird-friendly home also intrigued me and I'll probably check to see if there are pictures online.

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, written by Katherine Rundell and narrated by Bianca Amato 

I discovered this novel while searching Libby for books narrated by Amato, as I recently enjoyed her narration of another novel. Technically a middle grade book, which I didn't realize until I'd finished it, I think readers of all ages would like it. The protagonist has spent her childhood living pretty wildly in Zimbabwe, blissfully enjoying nature, space, freedom, and the people in her life. Against her will, and during a traumatic time of loss and change, she's sent to a boarding school in London. Needless to say, that transition doesn't go smoothly. Resourceful, courageous, and very much alone, she does what it takes to save her sanity and keep moving forward. I loved this story.

Coconut: A Black Girl, a White Foster Family, and the Search for Belonging and Identity, written by Florence Olajide

Born in London in 1962 to parents from Nigeria, fostered by a British family from ages one to six, moved to Nigeria with her family, then returned to London many years later, the author dealt with an expected and overwhelming amount of culture shock and struggles with identity. This memoir is one about loneliness and belonging, how both governments and citizens can be either blessing or a burden to immigrants, a fierce commitment to education, and the struggle to find a balance between confidently holding your heritage close while also happily embracing your present situation. While some of her experiences were obviously difficult, the story itself is hopeful. A friend passed this book to me after she'd read it and, as always, I enjoyed reading about the life of someone whose experiences have been very different than my own. 

p. 371, "My son is always in trouble at school, so I have taken all his toys and TV away permanently," one parent said.

"Since his punishment is permanent, what incentive has he got to behave better?" I asked.

p. 374, I didn't know what my future held or how many more proverbial glass ceilings I'd happen upon. But I knew if I hit my head against glass hard enough, it would crack, and my bruises would heal. 

Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, written by Eliot Stein and narrated by Danny Hughes

I learned about this book from What Should I Read Next?, episode 491 - Our team's best books of summer (Part 2) and thought it was really interesting. Each chapter highlights a rare and specialized custom or tradition, one that's on the verge of extinction, from somewhere in the world. The reader learns not only about the custom or tradition, but about the country it's from, the history surrounding it, and the person keeping it alive. A few examples are the people paid to read novels to cigar factory workers in Cuba, the mail carrier for a tree in Germany that has its own address, makers of a soy sauce method that spans several hundred years in Japan, and a man in Peru who regularly rebuilds a woven grass bridge. 

Home Front, written by Kristin Hannah and narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed with an author interview at the end 

Despite Hannah's popularity, this is the first book of hers that I've finished. I started one several years ago, but quit because I wasn't enjoying it, and the others I've avoided because of all the hype. This one, however, was unfamiliar to me and came up as a "skip the line option" in Libby. It's a story about a marriage that's falling apart, the wife being deployed to Iraq, and her husband continuing to raise their two daughters while keeping up with his work as a lawyer while she's gone. The couple's relationship and the radical sacrifices that military families make are at the center of the novel, but it's also about the impact of people in our lives who both show us compassion and push us out of our comfort zone, the importance of dealing with traumatic experiences and negative emotions in a healthy way, and the brutal reality of PTSD, specifically for soldiers. I really enjoyed it.

12:20:04, "They are heroes, our soldiers. The men and women who go into harm's way to protect us, our way of life. It doesn't matter what you think of the war, you have to be grateful to the warriors, of whom we ask so much, to whom we sometimes give too little."

The Mad Wife, written by Meagan Church and narrated by Susan Bennett 

I learned about this novel from a friend who showed me the list of titles her book club was considering and it intrigued me. Set in the 1950s, it's the story of a woman buckling under the weight of her own experiences and society's expectations. It's about marriage, motherhood, guilt, suspicion, mental health, medical care, friendship, and women who either don't have the freedom to be honest about how they're doing or who aren't taken seriously when they speak up. The subject matter is heavy and trigger warnings apply, but I enjoyed the book.

Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children, written by Mac Barnett

Our children's librarian was telling me about this book as she returned it to the library, so I immediately checked it out. It's a short book, written with humor by a prolific author, about how important books are for kids, the fact that every aspect of children's book publishing is controlled by adults, that children's books don't need (and shouldn't always have) a point to make or lesson to teach, and the joy of imagination and entertainment in books.

p. 9, Our definition of children's books must be expansive, encompassing works as varied in subject, style, and viewpoint - and even quality - as we find in books for adults. Really, children's books must be as varied as the lives of the children who read them. 

p. 10, The best children's writers tell the truth in a way that is recognizable and authentic to children.

p. 54, Even a story with a lesson should always be judged by how effectively that lesson is conveyed, not how worthy its message is or how important we think it is for kids to hear it. We can agree wholeheartedly with a book's lesson and still deem it an artistic failure. 

p. 60, ... amid the acrid smoke of a failed experiment, you can always catch a whiff of genius.

p. 85, Fiction is a kind of game, and reading is a way of playing. 

Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness, written and narrated by Gretchen Rubin

I'm naturally wired to choose order, cleanliness, efficiency, and so on, and my environment absolutely impacts my mood and energy. So this short book, which was a "skip the line" option on Libby, felt like a reminder of things I already value or do. That being said, I think it would also be excellent for people wired differently or who are anywhere on the spectrum from mildly annoyed to greatly overwhelmed by the state of their home or workspace. Like a couple of other people I follow, Rubin acknowledges that there's no one level of organization or system to acquire it that matters or works for everyone. Instead, this book reads more like a kind and understanding brainstorm of practical ideas and questions for you to sift through, starting with small steps, and doing only what works for you.

16:04, At the same time, it's important to remember that outer order isn't simply a matter of having less or having more; it's a matter of wanting what we have. 

17:21, Consider the three big questions of clutter. When trying to consider the fate of a possession, ask yourself: Do I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it?

1:30:08, The best guide to the future is the past. If you haven't used that thing since you acquired it, it's unlikely you'll start now. 

1:41:15, Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself. Or as writer Flannery O'Connor put it, "Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better." We can accept ourselves and acknowledge what's true about our nature and habits, and we can also ask ourselves to try harder in our approach to clearing clutter and for everything else. 

The Second Story Bookshop, written by Denise Hunter and narrated by Kim Churchill

This book showed up in a Libby search for something else and I checked it out because I enjoy a story set in a bookshop. I liked the premise of a grandma partially bequeathing her beloved bookshop to her granddaughter, the surprise of a high school boyfriend who broke the granddaughter's heart being giving almost equal ownership, and all the small town drama surrounding their relationship, his imprisoned dad, and the shop's financial struggles. It worked for a light read, but felt too much like a predictable Hallmark movie in book form for my taste and I was distracted by all the similes. 

1:14:41, "A good novel is like a vacation for the mind."  

The Summer of Yes, written by Courtney Walsh

Recommended by a friend, I enjoyed this light read. The novel centers on two women in New York. One is in her early thirties and focused entirely on her career. The other is old enough to be her mom and has built a famously successful business from the ground up. They meet by chance in a shared hospital room, the younger there after being hit by a car and the older because of kidney failure. Although their interactions are strained, they end up spending a summer together, saying yes to things they'd normally say no to. It's a predictable story of friendship, sacrifice, love, fear, regrets, and second chances.

p. 1-2, "You're in the hospital." She smiles. "I'm Cecilia, and I'll be taking care of you."

Thanks to my parents, her name triggers an automatic Simon and Garfunkel response, and I find myself trying hard not to get down on my knees to beg her please to come home. 

p. 16, Regrets are more in focus when hindsight is twenty-twenty. 

p. 63, Daniel Strong is the male equivalent of a burger from Five Guys.

Great marketing, but up close he's pretty greasy and horribly overpriced.

p. 191, Saying yes to simple pleasures might be even more important to me than saying yes to big things. After all, it's the little moments that make a life. 

Uncluttered Faith: Own Less, Love More, and Make an Impact in Your World, written by Joshua Becker with Eric Stanford

I've been following Becker for many years, have quoted him often, and appreciate his gentle, humble, and practical advice for people wanting to be more intentional about what they own. A pastor before he started advocating for minimalism full-time, his work has never been faith-centered. This book, however, combines two parts of his life, minimalism and Christianity, and shows how the two are intertwined. I obviously don't need my all my books to be faith-based, but I want the ones that are to have plenty of Bible verse references to support what they're saying. This books has tons. Lest any potential reader think he'll tell you to get rid of everything, he won't. His definition of minimalism is "the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it." If you don't share his religious beliefs but want to learn more about his approach to minimalism, check out his other books or his site, Becoming Minimalist. 

p. 18, Even though we now live in homes with four times more square footage than that of our grandparents, 11 percent of households rent storage units to hold on to extra things.  

p. 18, Americans buy an average of fifty-three new items of clothing each year, or about four times as many now as in the year 2000.

p. 26, Entangled by American materialism, we're spending more money on comfort and luxury for ourselves than on the basic needs of the poor and the expansion of God's kingdom.

p. 42 (speaking of John the Baptist), Everything he told the people to do to get ready for Jesus focused on their money or physical possessions. <snip> In other words, his advice to the people - the one thing at the top of his mind when he thought about preparing hearts for Jesus - was this: "Get rid of the stuff you don't need, and be content with what you have."

p. 61, According to one online calculator, if you make $50,000 per year, your income puts you in the top 2 percent worldwide for income. Even an annual income of $20,000 puts you in the top 10 percent. (These numbers vary slightly based on household size, but the point remains.)

We live in a world where half the global population lives on less than seven dollars per day. That is lower than the hourly minimum wage in every state in America. 

p. 78, Greed says, "Eat, drink, and be merry!" Worry says, "Protect, guard, and control." But the result is the same: unnecessary and harmful accumulation of stuff. 

p. 124, Recently I spoke at a local university. During the Q&A portion, a professor in the back raised her hand and asked this question: "How do we keep our kids from always wanting more and more stuff?"

I answered, "We model that for them. If our kids are raised in a home where Amazon is delivering a package every couple days or we have so much stuff in our garage that we can't park in it, the message will be received loud and clear: Keep on buying!"

p. 138, So are you becoming more like Jesus in love, in relationships, in word, and in actions? Do you prioritize conversation with the heavenly Father as He did? Do you speak the truth as boldly? Do you go to the needy as readily? Do you have a similar humility? Do you hold the world as loosely? 

p. 174, Our state of contentment or the opposite is not based on our circumstances, but it is exposed in our circumstances. For those who are poor, discontentment means envy, and for those who have wealth, it means excess. 

p. 176, There is simply no joy to be found in constantly desiring things we do not have; joy is found in appreciating the blessings we already have around us. 

p. 179, Enough is more than too much. 

Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver, narrated by Sophia Bush and Mary Oliver, along with Kazim Ali, Elizabeth Bradfield, Summer Brennan, Susan Cain, Cathleen Falsani, James Ishmael Ford, Ross Gay, Mushim Ikeda, Aidan Kingwell, Carmen Maria Machado, Laurette Nicoll, Samin Nosrat, Busy Philipps, Matt Pillischer, Emily Popek, Danya Ruttenberg, Omid Safi, Claire Bidwell Smith, Lisa Starr, Alexander Westphal, and Rainn Wilson

Except for a couple friends who sometimes post her poems on social media, I wasn't familiar with Oliver's work, but that limited exposure led me to choose this "skip the line" option on Libby. This is a collection of over 30 poems read by both Oliver and others, as well as firsthand accounts about how she and her work impacted friends, students, neighbors, and readers. I love that she was a noticer, someone who intentionally paid attention to and valued nature and life. It was neither her perspective nor that of those who contributed to the book (although many did find a sacredness in nature), but I think much of her poetry points to a creation that's so beautifully intricate that only God could have been the creator. I enjoyed listening to this short audiobook as I went on walks and worked in the yard. 

17:35 (from It Was Early), Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.

40:57 (from Mindful), Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for people who have natural skill and intentionally work at honing their craft when it comes to writing books, poems, and song lyrics. What's one thing that you're thankful for? 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful to live in a time and place where I can cook on a stovetop instead of over a fire. What's one thing that you're thankful for? 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for people who can find humor in things that aren't inherently funny. What's one thing that you're thankful for?