Weekend Book Review: The Cloisters

The Cloisters by Katy Hays My rating: 4 of 5 stars Genre: Fiction, Mystery Hardcover, 320 pages Expected publication: November 1st 2022 by Atria Books The Cloisters is a strong debut from Katy Hays, who I hope continues to write more intriguing, atmospheric novels! Hays gives her readers a rich sensory experience by setting the story Read More

Self-Destruction

It’s amazing to me that, while our bodies possess hundreds of survival adaptations, we also carry within us tendencies to self destruct. Physiological and biological processes, along with instinctual behaviors, increase our longevity or help us adapt to changing circumstances. A flight or flight response is triggered when the body senses threat. Fat storage commences Read More

Weekend Book Review: I Am, I Am, I Am

Keeping with the theme of my earlier post on how death can bring about the opportunity to appreciate the beauty in life, I bring you a review of Maggie O’Farrell‘s memoir, I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death. O’Farrell is the author of multiple international best sellers, including, Hamnet, Winner of the Read More

In Dying, We are Beautiful

Those that follow my blog know that I love to unearth life lessons from my gardens. Here is my latest observation. I have a few different varieties of agave in my cactus and succulent garden and recently, one took on a drastic change. These plants are special to me, because I collected them from my Read More

Weekend Book Review: Crossroads

Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction Edition Reviewed: Hardcover, 592 pages Published October 5th 2021 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux “It’s like there are these words, they’re out there in the world, and you start wondering what it would be like to say them. Words have their own Read More

Weekend Book Review: The Gospel of Wellness

The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael My rating: 4 of 5 starsGenre: Nonfiction, Health, Self-help Edition Reviewed: Hardcover, 352 pages Published September 20th 2022 by Henry Holt and Co. The Gospel of Wellness by journalist Rina Raphael is a much-needed close up look at the $4.4 Read More