Happiness-Based Mindfulness by Sara Spowart

Happiness-Based Mindfulness by Sara Spowart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Practical Path to Emotional Mastery...

In Happiness-Based Mindfulness, Dr. Sara Spowart offers something pretty rare—a way to see our emotions not as things we need to fix, but as doorways to something deeper. Building on her earlier book You Are Love: The Discovery of Happiness, she's put together something that's both practical and beautiful: a psychoeducational program that doesn't feel like a textbook, but more like talking things through with someone who really gets it.

The centerpiece is her "Emotion Chart" and five zones of feeling—from the stormy Red Zone all the way up to the bright, open Yellow Zone. It's basically a map for your inner world, helping you not just figure out where you are emotionally, but how to move through it with purpose.

What sets this book apart is how it brings together the clinical stuff with something more soulful. Spowart doesn't just pull from psychology and mindfulness—she adds something gentler, something rooted in love. She shows how actually sitting with our pain, really looking at it, can open us up to compassion and strength we didn't realize we had. And she doesn't just leave you with ideas—her guided meditations, trauma-informed exercises, and workshop formats give you real, usable tools, whether you're reading for yourself, working with clients, or guiding others.

At its heart, Happiness-Based Mindfulness isn't just about managing your feelings. It's about coming home to yourself. Spowart writes with warmth and openness, like she's genuinely inviting everyone in. If you're tired of just reacting to life and you're ready to live from a place of awareness, empathy, and quiet joy—this book feels like a good place to start.

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Reflections by Phillip McClendon

Reflections by Phillip McClendon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wisdom for the Everyday Journey...

Reflections is one of those devotional books that feels like sitting down with a wise friend over coffee. Phillip McClendon has poured years of pastoral work and Sunday morning wisdom into these pages, organizing daily encouragements by month—each one touching on faith, family, relationships, and what it means to live with real purpose.

What makes this book special is how McClendon weaves everything together. Personal stories, biblical truth, and everyday examples all flow naturally into one another. He'll move from marriage and parenting to patriotism and gratitude without missing a beat, speaking to wherever you are in life. It never feels preachy—rather, it feels like you're listening to someone who's been there before and wants to share what he's learned.

The reflections on integrity, hope, and God's faithfulness during hard times really stand out. McClendon has this gift for taking something like Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" or the ancient story of Polycarp's martyrdom and making it resonate with what you're facing today. And beyond the inspiration, there's actual practical wisdom here—ways to strengthen your family, habits to deepen your spiritual life, things you can actually do.

The monthly setup might feel a bit choppy if you're the type who likes to read straight through, but McClendon gets that. He actually encourages you to skip around, find what speaks to you. It makes the book work beautifully whether you're reading a page each morning or turning to it when life throws you something difficult.

He wrote this for his grandchildren, and you can feel that heart in every entry—a grandfather wanting to pass down what matters most. Reflections is honest, accessible, and genuinely helpful for anyone looking to grow spiritually while navigating real life.

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Giving Is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-to Guide for Giving and Philanthropy by Susan Aurelia Gitelson

Giving Is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-to Guide for Giving and Philanthropy by Susan Aurelia Gitelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unlocking the Joy of Giving...

Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson's book is a real eye-opener when it comes to philanthropy. She makes it crystal clear that you don't need to be a billionaire to make a real difference in the world. The stories she shares are genuinely compelling—you'll read about business titans and regular folks alike who are changing lives in their own communities. Whether you're drawn to education, healthcare, or helping out globally, she shows you there's a path that fits.

What I love about this book is how practical it is. Gitelson isn't just telling you to go out and give—she actually walks you through how to pick trustworthy charities and make sure your donations align with what matters most to you. It's the kind of guidance that helps ensure your money actually creates the impact you're hoping for.

The whole thing has this uplifting "yes, you've got this!" vibe that makes philanthropy feel totally doable rather than overwhelming. She's got a knack for mixing solid advice with stories that'll actually get you excited about taking action. And honestly, it's refreshingly short and sweet—packed with insights but won't eat up your whole weekend.

Whether you're just dipping your toes into giving or you've been at it for years, this book hits that sweet spot between inspiring and useful. If you're looking to make a difference, definitely pick this one up!

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Dress Your Cat by Helen Weismeyer

Dress Your Cat by Helen Weismeyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Feline Fashion Follies: A Purr-fect Delight...

Helen Weismeyer's "Dress Your Cat" is absolutely adorable - she's managed to photograph this tabby cat in the most ridiculous outfits, and somehow it works perfectly. The cat just sits there with this completely deadpan expression while dressed as everything from a golfer to a Tour de France cyclist, and it's honestly hilarious.

What really makes it shine are the captions that go with each photo. They nail the humor perfectly and make you crack up even more at the cat's totally unbothered attitude about the whole thing. You can tell the cat is just tolerating all this dress-up nonsense, which somehow makes it even funnier.

If you love cats or just need something to make you smile, this book is gold. Definitely worth picking up - it'll make you grin every time you see it sitting on your coffee table. And kids will love it too!

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Oliver and the Twisting Tornado (Navigating Natural Disasters Book 2)

Oliver and Twisting Tornado by Chrissy Hobbs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Story That Builds Confidence in Uncertain Times...

"Oliver and the Twisting Tornado" by Chrissy Hobbs and Ben Jackson feels like a warm hug with good advice. When storm clouds roll over Ollie and Emma's farm, we learn with them how to read the sky, when to listen for warnings, and when to get out of the way.

It's beautiful to see this family get ready with calm determination: they tie up their animals, gather supplies, and wait out the storm together. The pictures come to life, the characters feel like real people who live next door, and what starts as a story about the weather turns into something deeper—a reminder that love and being ready can help us get through any storm.

This is the kind of book that every family should have in their library. It teaches without preaching and comforts without sugar-coating reality. Hobbs and Jackson have written a great story that helps kids deal with their fears and gives them real confidence for whatever life throws at them. Highly recommended.

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Read sample Baron Finkelstein and the Chronomeister

Baron Finkelstein and the Chronomeister by Eric Zartan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Thought-Provoking Y/A Time-Travel Thriller...

Eric Zartan's Baron Finkelstein and the Chronomeister slips big questions under your skin while you're busy being entertained. Baron Ludwig von Finkelstein—a German engineer who stumbles onto this quantum contraption called the Chronomeister—can suddenly peek into tomorrow and slip through time itself.

The machine shows him nightmarish glimpses of what's coming: a tyrant who'll plunge the world into darkness. So Ludwig does what seems obvious—travels back to 1890 to kill young Adolf Hitler before he becomes a monster. Simple enough, right?

Not quite. Along the way, he meets this devilish character who picks apart every moral certainty Ludwig thought he had. Their conversations become a kind of philosophical chess match, forcing Ludwig (and us) to wrestle with questions that don't have clean answers: Can we ever really choose freely? Are we all just dominoes waiting to fall? What makes someone truly evil?

Zartan braids together quantum physics, ethics, and historical what-ifs with real skill. The heart of the story is that old "baby Hitler" puzzle we've all wondered about, but here it gets messy and complicated in all the right ways. Sure, sometimes the big ideas threaten to drown out the story, but that's almost the point—this is a book that wants to mess with your head as much as it wants to entertain you. You'll finish it questioning things you thought you knew for sure. Highly recommended.

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Belonging: A Genealogy of the Akinyemi Family Through Six Generations

Belonging: A Genealogy of the Akinyemi Family Through Six Generations by Dr. John Ayoola Akinyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Legacy Rooted in Love and Memory...

Not only is Dr. John Ayoola Akinyemi's book Belonging about family history, it's also a journey through time, memory, and meaning that will make you think. This isn't your usual genealogical record full of dates and boring facts. It covers six generations of the Akinyemi family. It's a living, breathing tapestry of migration, identity, strength, and love—part memoir, part cultural tribute.

The story starts in Totoro, Abeokuta, which is more than just a place on a map; it's a heartbeat. From there, it echoes across Nigeria, the UK, South Africa, and the US. Akinyemi doesn't just follow footsteps; he captures moments: the quiet of a funeral hymn, the wisdom in a Yoruba proverb, the warmth of Sunday sermons, and the flicker of memory in an old photo. These are the things that hold a family and a group of people together.

Belonging sounds less like a history book and more like something that is whispered around a fire and passed down carefully. There is academic insight, but there is also real, raw, and reflective emotion. Akinyemi writes about his ancestors in a way that is so loving that you can almost hear them speak. He does this to remind us that identity is not only passed down, but also remembered, cared for, and sometimes taken back.

This book is a beautiful tribute to the legacy of diaspora and a strong reminder of what it means to belong, not just to a place but also to a story. Very highly recommended.

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