The Science of Cleaning Audiobook by Dario Bressanini, PhD

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Hmmm. This is a completely different kind of book/resource than I usually review. However, I live part-time in the tropics. If there's anything that's considered a wild idea, it's sustainable chemistry for cleaning. 

Garbage is everywhere (except in bins), toxic chemicals are used on food crops, and "the harsher the better" seems to be the motto for locals who buy cleaning supplies.

This interests me for educational as well as practical purposes in a home and office where neither doors nor windows are sealed (handmade with large gaps). The winds blow smoke from garbage fires, dust, and pollution into spaces. The critters run in and out (lizards, roaches, ants, and more), leaving poop and tracks behind.

Thanks for this one. Going to put some of the ideas into my own bag of cleaning tricks - and see how much safer we can make the environment. 

Deep Reading: Practices to Subvert the Vices of Our Distracted, Hostile, and Consumeristic Age by Rachel B. Griffis; Julie Ooms; Rachel M. De Smith Roberts

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Oh dear me. I've always been a skimmer and a surface-scratching reader, who only takes the plunge into material when doing research for a specific class. I guess this one is written for me. (And for you, if you use a similar skip-and-glean technique.)

For me, reading as a spiritual practice is mostly confined to the Bible. And I hardly read it - I listen through it 5-6X a year. My husband the theologian reads for breadth and depth as well as entertainment.

So whatever your style, read and consider this admonition. It's your encouragement to find a book that others have found meaningful. Use it as a spiritual drink, a sabbath rest, and a spiritual reflection to see God, others, and self more clearly.

A Short Guide to Spiritual: Formation Finding Life in Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Community by Alex Sosler

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Reflecting the recent interest in spiritual life and formation, Sosler adds to the new collection of "what and how to" books on spiritual formation. This one gets a gold stamp from those interested in history and the reasons for existing spiritual disciplines and practices. 

You can read these chapters as devotionals, instructional 1-2-3s (one after the other or in random order), or for the pure enjoyment of diving into the history of Christian living.

Recommended for practitioners, young and old disciples of Jesus, and spiritual directors.

The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It by Lorraine Besser

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Dr Besser examines what it means to live an interesting life that includes psychological richness, meaning, and happiness. Are you most determined to have a life that is fulfilling, interesting, or pleasurable?

Each choice we make leads in the direction of our future. Each choice brings consequences, some known but most not even on our radar. This book explores how our decisions, our goals, and our lifestyles determine how satisfying and purposeful our lives will be to us and others.

Worth reading. The quizzes and worksheet at the end are thought-provoking and will help you read the direction you have chosen in life. If it's time for a shift or an evaluation, get a copy of this book.

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 If you're not like everyone else, you won't expect the same things of life. And if you're a teen on top of it, anything can happen. This mystery, thriller, growing up novel takes you on a wild ride.

Add to the mix a kidnapped mom and a dead dad who might or might not have had a missing document or paper, and you've got the makings of a gripping adventure. Hang on.

(How many kids know their parents? My own sure didn't know me in their teens, and I was just starting to understand my parents when I hit my 20s. That twist made it more interesting for me, too.)

Recommended for a nail-biting commute or break at work. Maybe tuck it into your tote bag when you hit the beach or mountain cabin.

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This was funny. And fun. Turner explores how our values are shaped by our history and how our values shape our future. 

If you like a quirky romance with some genuine life decisions thrown in, you'll have a great time reading "The Secret Life." If you're wondering what to do with things that are not good for you, but bring you pleasure and rewards, this is for you.

Enjoyable Christian fiction.

Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis; John Eldredge

 ★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review

Curtis and Eldredge examine the relentless pursuit of humans by God, who seeks to satisfy the longings and fears of the human heart. This book exposes the need to be known and to know, the quest for love and intimacy, and the ways God comes near to us personally and in community.

Eldredge is known for his call to a personal relationship with God, and I found this book summed up best in this verse: 

But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? Galatians 4:9