Reading books brings me joy, especially during holidays.

I have read or finished quite a few books this holiday time in Tenerife and I want to share some highlights in case you need or wish for something new to read.

Two memoirs by people who know each other:

Take the Long way Home by Gail Caldwell

A memoir of loss, strength, resilience and especially of love and relationship is what sets this memoir apart for me.  Since I have recently lost a dear friend to cancer, this book with its high (and low) lights was healing for me. Also, some of the references were to Louise Erdrich, one of my favorite Minnesota authors. This book is for people who love authors and their stories, for people experiencing grief and need the words to help them through, and for people who are on the other side of grief, happy to see that someone else has made it “to the other side”.

Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Land of My Ancestors by Louise Erdrich

This memoir especially haunts me in a very positive sense because the places she travels to with her daughter are place I have been to or dreamed of going to. Rainy Lake holds dear memories, as does the Boundary Waters and the Quetico-Superior Wilderness is a place I have dreamed of, and in my deep subconscious there is an Island as the one described with books to read and to enjoy, while being on a remote island away from everyone. This book is for anyone wishing to travel into Ojibwe country with an expert storyteller and for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ontario lovers.

Two books that are in the “self-help” sort of category have been finished, although started before holidays are:

The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Much has been written about the book, and I can only add that if you are a Coach, Supervisor, Counselor or therapist, this book on trauma and different therapeutic solutions is a vital reference and help to move forward with clients. It may also be very helpful for trauma victims and family members.

Search by William Vanderbloemen

Is for any church or search committee in the process of looking for a new pastor.  This is where we are at in my church, and it has already been of help to me.

Three novels that I have read this holiday are:

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

This book I will read again and again for several reasons.  First, it cannot be “all taken in” in a first read. The amazing language, the biology, and other sciences (slightly beyond my reach), the places described, the difficult (traumatic) sections on the ravages of war and the stories of humans in the here and now, in the in-between, and in the past are only a part of this beautifully designed book.  This is modern literature at its best and I plan of reading Ms. Shafak’s other books, as well.  This book is for anyone wanting to read about love, overcoming cultural barriers even in the midst of and after a war, and healing of the soul (or not). I loved this book.

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson is a wonderful book of love and relationships, of self-learning and self-truth.  Written in three points of view, this book travels through the life stories of these three people and the people the love and learn to love.  In the end, relationship is what matters, and it is a great book for those who want a realistic happy end, and not just a Hollywood ending feel-good book.

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout is not really a novel, but a set of short stories that are interconnected and lovely; just a worthwhile read for anyone who likes to find hope even in difficult times with difficult lives. Thanks for recommending Strout to me, Ute! I will be reading more.

I am hoping to read a memoir called Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan next, but I cannot say much about the book, yet as I have not yet begun it.

Finally, I have finished one book in German called Anders Aufgewaschen by Seraina Sattler and Anna Six, which is about eleven people who grew up in Switzerland in a non-traditional way. Since the stories were told in the first-person narrative, they were essentially not too difficult for me to read.

Another book in German I am struggling through is Life Kinetik: Bewegun macht Hirn by Horst Lutz.  This is all about how movement helps us to life more fully and to keep our brains alive with bodily movement.

This leads to the final book I am reading slowly: Embracing the Body: Finding God in our Flesh and Bone by Tara Owens. I love this book because at the end of the Creation narrative God said it was all very good, and that includes us: made in the flesh.  This is a book to read one chapter at a time and savor and help us reconnect the spiritual with the body, which is what we are together – integrated body, mind, and spirit.

Besides telling you about the books I am reading and what I have read, I want to challenge you to go on holiday and do what you love while on holiday. For me it is reading books.  What it is for you may be a very different activity, but go somewhere, see some now scenery and enjoy doing what you love. It will do you, your creativity, your work, and your company good.

Enjoy the summer,

Patricia Jehle   patricia@jehle-coaching.com