Three Books I Highly Recommend
Three books that are prefect for vacation reading- entertaining, thoughtful, refreshing! Recalculate your life with these engaging and helpful books! Happy reading!
The Tyre by C.J. Dubois
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Captivating and enchanting! I loved this book and I highly recommend it. I’m actually hesitant to write a review; I’m concerned I won’t do it justice and I want you to love it, too. This book is charming and mesmerizing from start to finish- simple, yet complex, beautiful yet, real.
The story is presented as a fable, an imaginative tale with a moral. It’s like Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, with the same power of observation and imagination. (I understand that Kipling was a great supporter of the British Empire, and he may not be popular now, but many have loved his books.)
The story is set in India. We meet simple and hardworking Ranji, his wife Meena, and their two children. They live in a hut on the side of a busy highway. For Ranji and Meena, untouchables, life is hard work so they can earn a few rupees to feed the family. “Once in a while Ranji allowed himself to squat down on his heels and dream.”
Ranji knew and accepted his karma and he was a devout Hindu. At one point, he discusses life and reincarnation with a friend and they decide that they should be like the cattle that pull the wagons, “they just go forward step by step.”
One night as Ranji is collecting wood scraps to sell, something amazing happens. Is it a gift from the gods? Is this gift the answer to Ranji’s prayers? Or will it become a burden?
Ranji and his family meet many interesting people and have many small adventures as they move forward step by step. The book is full of humor, love, challenges and beautiful word pictures of India. When the story ends, Ranji concludes that perseverance is always rewarded.
As you read the book, you will enjoy the lovely phrases, the richly -crafted characters, and the culture of India. You will be rooting for Ranji and his family. The ending is delightful and may surprise you. I look forward to reading more from the authors!
Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC. This is my honest review.
Take Off Your Shoes by Ben Feder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great title, eye-catching cover, marvelous writing! This book is a Wow!
If you are a bit cynical like me, your first thought about this book might be, “another hippy-dippy failure drops out of corporate life and wanders off and gets high on a beach.”
Wrong!!
The author was indeed successful in business. Ever hear of Grand Theft Auto? He was the CEO of Take-Two Interactive. He had a talented and successful wife, and 4 great kids at home. When his wife pointed out that his hard-driving business style was hurting the family, he paused and took stock. “I reached the top of an organization only to discover the view was not what I’d imagined.”
So, the author and his wife decided to try a different view and they carefully put together a plan to take a family sabbatical. Bali Hai called them. As the sabbatical unfolds, readers will get caught up in the family’s adventures, and the new changes they added to their lives. I liked that we not only learned of the author’s experiences, but also how his wife and children fared.
This book is a blend of memoir, inspiration, mindfulness, travel and life and career management. I highlighted so many parts of this book. Did you know that “happiness is a teachable mental skill”?
I highly recommend this readable, entertaining, thoughtful and life-enhancing book.
Just for Joy: Beyond Achievement by D. Pichardo-Johansson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We’ve met Dr. Joy Clayton and FBI Agent Richard Fields in earlier books by gifted author D. Pichardo-Johansson. Those books are well worth reading, but if you haven’t read them yet, you can easily pick up Just for Joy and just enjoy it! This is a captivating book that successfully blends romance, a medical mystery thriller, and positive spirituality.
At the beginning of the book, Joy is in Florida and Agent Fields is in New York and they haven’t communicated for six months. They need a miracle to save their love. Joy survives because she loves her medical practice at the Hospice Home and because she has a sisterhood of friends. Agent Fields focuses on a case that involves national security.
Both of the main characters are complex, well-drawn, interesting and attractive. Their friends and family add to the pleasure of the story.
The author presents romance scenes with the right amount of heat and the mystery-thriller is exciting and fascinating with the medical focus.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Joy is shopping for a little black sheath dress and her friends encourage her to try on a vibrant, flowing sundress. This dress is Richard Joy thinks. She realizes it’s easy to always shop for the same old outfit, when she really needs to embrace the new. It’s easier to search for happiness endlessly rather than accepting it once we find it. Can Joy and Richard learn to live just for joy?
I also liked learning this spiritual principle: Know what you want; focus on the gratitude; let go of attachment. I am a big fan of Author Pichardo-Johansson’s series because her books are a well written gift, with engaging stories and ideas that make me think, all wrapped with a bow of romance. Highly recommend.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
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