The Mindful Writing Workshop: Teaching in the Age of Stress and Trauma by Richard Koch

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Stuff happens. Life does not always unfold as it should, with loving parents, caring siblings, and trustworthy friends. Nor does the environment always stay peaceful and supportive of children as they grow up.

This book is intended as a working manual for guiding children through their traumas and stresses toward health and an integrated, productive life. Koch presents an opportunity for a classroom in which children can choose their part in the activities from options that draw them out and draw them forward. The key values are compassion, kindness, respect, and attention from teachers, which are fostered among the students themselves.

Though the underlying philosophy is Buddhism, the principles of caring for each other are valuable and important. Christian teachers (and those of other religions) can translate the values of respectful compassion into their own ways of thinking and pedagogy. This worthy volume will deepen conversation, enhance interactive learning, and encourage respectfulness among colleagues and our students.

Recommended.

Nature into Art by Thomas Christopher and Ngoc Minh Ngo

★★★★★ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
When words and photography and passion come together, you may grow a garden like this one - and a book as beautiful as it is instructive.

The photography captured my eyes first. Then came the chapters on how and why the garden exists, its borders and specialty areas - and the seasons as they progress through the plantings and backdrop of Wave Hill.

The book is descriptive, with a manual of gardening basics on every page. I delighted in it. And though my garden is now tropical, I loved the beds and borders and intentionality - and the wildness that nature insists on.

Well worth a space on your gardening bookshelf as well as on your coffee table for guests to ooh and aah over.

Science in a Jar by Julia Garstecki

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Sometimes I fondly remember the days of homeschooling, when our four kids were baking, cooking, blowing things up, and painting. This book would have been great fun - it allows you to explore the environment and speculate on what might happen.

Then it gives you ideas on what you can do and what should happen: "What could you learn from this project?" Parents will like it for its lessons - but kids will like it because it's a fun book and there are lots of ideas.

Recommended.

The Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You can read this book with your kids, your friends, or on your own. "Christmas is just around the corner," as they say.

Whether you're a volunteer or staff member trying to present a holistic picture of the Christmas story, or a parent trying to make sense of what Joseph and Mary went through, you'll enjoy this creative exploration of who the characters may have been - around the time of Jesus' birth.

For a fresh look at the old old story, pick up a copy to read by yourself or with friends.

First Time Sewing with a Serger by Becky Hanson, Beth Ann Baumgartel

★★★★★ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You bought a machine because it's cool, looks easy, and you thought you knew what to do. Now that it's home, you have no idea where to start. Okay, here you go!

This little volume will introduce you to the purposes, parts, and processes of sergers. The clear pictures and detailed text will help you get started. And from there, you'll have lots of ideas on what your serger is designed for. Have fun - opens the world of clip and sew beyond the sewing store classroom!

Highly recommended. Your #1 go-to once you get that serger out of the box.

The Best Veggie Burgers by Joni Marie Newman

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This revision of a classic will have you cheering. You love burgers but are cutting down on meat? You'll love this new edition.

Take the food that's good for you, reform it, cook it, mash it up - and you'll have delicious goodness that you and your family (or friends) can enjoy and appreciate.

The pictures are good; the recipes are easier than ever. I recommend it.

A Garden Miscellany by Suzanne Staubach

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

Most gardens have the same basic elements. You expect certain things from a garden. We've all met luxury additions in the landscape, but some things are ... well, what make a space a garden.

And in Staubach's book, you'll find delightful illustrations that feel familiar, no matter where you are gardening. You might find new ideas of how to take your garden to the next level. You may also find out what was missing - that thing that would make your space complete.

This artsy visual encyclopedia of gardening is a delight for the eye as well as the mind. It's equally interesting as a coffee table book, a art illustration idea book, and a gardener's go-to. 

Enjoy it!

Drawing the Head for Artists by Oliver Sin

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
So what's in a face? A whole life is apparent to those who watch our factly and expressions closely. This book will help you observe, focus, and express your observations through drawing and portraiture.

You'll enjoy capturing those you love - as well as those you snap in a photo. Take your art to a whole new level - whether drawing or other mediums are your preferred means of mark-making.

Recommended.

101 More Mixed Media Techniques by Cherril Doty, Heather Greenwood, Monica Moody, Marsh Scott

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
I want to try some of these. Nope - I want to play with most of them. This art DIY volume will bump up your mixed media "I wanna" and your creative "I can do it."

The book offers bright cheer as well as information. You'll look at your tools, your page, and your creative goals in a fresh way. Enjoy this exploration of craft and art - you might even want to take it along on the next girls-night-out and plan an art date with your friends.

Recommended

Painting Masterclass: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Artists by Susie Hodge

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
So how did they do it? You've stared at masterpieces in galleries or on the page - and wondered how on earth you could paint something like that. Maybe you can - and maybe you can't. But it's worth a try to expand your own creative practice.

Hodge simplifies the steps and explores the processes of bringing life to a 2-dimensional format. Worth a look - and worth copying some of the techniques.

Epic Vegan by Dustin Harder

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You sort of wanted to be a vegan. (But then you thought of all the good food you'll miss. ) Sure, it would be healthier for you. (But what about the tastes you'll leave behind?)

Harder makes vegan recipes an adventure. They look tasty, the photos are attractive, and the ingredients are mostly basic and easy to find. And you can choose the level of complexity - basic or complex.

Word browsing at the bookstore - and probably worth taking to the check-out! For old-timers, this will give you some new ideas as well.

Recommended by someone who was vegan for 7 years. I would have made these recipes.

The Simple Life Guide To Decluttering Your Life by Gary Collins

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
We've become buried in stuff. And we want to live well. So there are a lot of "simplify" books out there. This one was useful because it categorized the various aspects of life in a different way: time, space, energy, etc. We need to declutter. We know that.

And here's a fresh look at how you might do it - and the freedom you're about to experience from that process. Recommended.

A Year of Creativity by Petra Hoeksema; Lidy Nooij; Miriam Catshoek; Bregje Konings

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

So you want to make something special. And when you look back, you want to have finished projects on the wall, the floor, the landscape ... at work, home, and elsewhere. This planner is for you.

Enjoy the prompts and interactions. You already have to know something about crafting and have some basic skills. But at the end of the day, beyond diapers or dishes or weeding, you'll have something that makes you smile and enhances your spaces.

Recommended.

Inside Outside by Linda O'Keeffe

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
This landscaping picture book includes a lot of practical suggests as it explores structure and beauty through text and pictures.

There are enough photos to inspire you and enough white space for notes - I recommend circling what catches your eye and making it a workbook, beyond the coffee table.

Recommended.

Weaving with Little Handmade Looms by Harumi Kageyama

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Small is easily overlooked. Crafts are sometimes trite. But there's real satisfaction in creating something personal and little.

Enjoy this how-to, from making your own loom to choosing your yarns, strings and other materials, to a pretty finished creation.

Recommended for those with limited time and resource - you'll have made something interesting and fun when you're done.

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Essential Oils by Sandra Kynes

★★☐☐ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Essential oils: you've encountered them in pharmacies, on gift shop shelves, and at holistic medicine displays.

Kynes presents a what, why, what for, and how to of using these oils in religious practice (she's a modern witch) and home life. While my faith conflicts directly with hers, I found some of the ideas for health useful. I skipped the religious chapters.  I suggest you do the same.

Read with caution - it's as much a philosophy of religion as a manual for using naturopathic aids. (It fascinates me that earth-as-mother religions are presented without apology while ancient faiths such as Christianity are censored.)

Recommended with the same cautions.

The Canadian Manifesto by Conrad Black

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
As a Canadian who's lived elsewhere (including in the USA) for over 30 years, this was fun to read. It starts with a review of our history and the relative tranquility of our national ethos. We've had no emancipation of slaves or civil war,. We've skipped most shows of force in industry contexts that result in loss of life. (No coal wars for us.)

So how do we appreciate and contribute our ethos to the world at large when our southern neighbor is writing the script for global interactions and forceful (sometimes even bullying) in promoting their worldview and agendas?

Black suggests several areas in which Canada could become a role and world leader. Can he galvanize a nation of responders and generally apathetic citizens to action? That remains to be seen.

I enjoyed it, cheered for much of it, and will ask my expat friends to read it as well.

The Non-Obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence by Kerry Goyette

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
How do you read and respond in situations that are unknown, uncomfortable, or out of your area of expertise? How do you come to an agreement without compromising your values and ethics? And how do you consider the needs of others while promoting your agenda?

You start by reading the people in the room with you.

Goyette explores three areas where it is key to understand the emotions, background assumptions, and other factors present: decision-making, activity, and relationships.

This book felt as though it was designed for a team workshop. I'd take it on a team retreat and work through it, asking for agreement and observations, disagreements and challenges from team members. Worth considering - might be revolutionary for a dysfunctional team IF the leader was willing to be empathic and open to sharing and receiving the emotional observations of others. (The problem with a low EQ team often stems form a leader with low EQ - who is thus unwilling to be criticized or receive input without completely redefining it from his/her POV.)

I recommend it.

A Theology of Love: Reimagining Christianity through A Course in Miracles by Richard Smoley

★★☐☐ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What would it mean to do theology with the assumption of God as ultimate mystic? Smoley explores the human adventure described in scriptures through the lens of input from various philosophical and religious traditions. He explores the limits of our imagination and understanding - and asks, what is reality if we don't understand much about anything (besides what we can experience with our senses)? It's an intriguing and dangerous idea - an one that leaves room for a lot of speculation and wild imagination.

Perhaps my biggest concern is the supposition that we can place limitations on God's revelation of himself in the Bible. Is what he tells us enough? Did he reveal himself to us in a true and provable way? Or is it our responsibility as humans to go beyond what we read to speculate on what God might be like and what the universe could be about?

Do we need to add some wildness and unlimited possibility to our theology?

Maybe - but here's my caution: without  the anchor of a vibrant relationship with God through Christ, are we cliff-jumping into academic and philosophical silliness? Smoley's mixture of invention and mystical traditions makes this a no-go for me. It's interesting, but too far from the God who reveals himself in scripture to make it a serious contender for a way of life ... or as wisdom that could lead to a more profound or accurate theology of God-with-us.

Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 2 by Louis L'Amour, Beau L'Amour

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. I have a complete leather-bound collection of Westerns on our cabin shelf. They're barely read because we bought paperbacks of the same books so we could dog-ear the corners, flip them upside-down, and take them to the lake without worrying about their condition.

They're Louis L'Amour novels. A friend introduced us to L'Amour as a favorite author - so I started reading. And kept reading. I get lost in the stories, though they can be formulaic.

And here comes another set, introduced by Louis' son Beau - along with a biography of his father's writing career and connections. I learned a lot, enjoyed the stories (and broader genres), and observations of his writing process.

I'll say it - if you're a fan (old or new), get this volume. You'll feel the familiar cadence in L'Amour's writings. He's a great storyteller and entertainer. But you'll also be surprised by the breadth of his observation of life around the world - beyond Westerns. Recommended.

Publish with Purpose by Tara R. Alemany

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
So many of today's books feel aimless. They wander through a story or landscape with half-formed characters and no point to reading them beyond an interesting observation or two.

Alemany aims to change that with her categories of selection - audience, purpose, methodology - to make writing books a purposeful exercise. This results in reading that is more fun, more challenging, and more useful to those who pick up your book.

This book reminded me of explanations of using social media, selling online / in person, and other ways of connecting your expertise to a wider audience. So it's a sales book in that sense.

But its DIY focus is clear. Following its steps will result in more satisfaction in getting yourself and your information to the public. Recommended for writers.

How Can I remember that? by Tracy Packiam Alloway

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

Some kids have trouble remembering - maybe because of a brain disfunction, a learning gap, or other challenges. This book aims to provide reassurance and tips for improving working memory.

However, it also provides information and help for adults with learning disabilities or who struggle to build working memory. Highly recommended as it's from a professional who works in the field and has ideas for personal practical application.

I'm going to use some of the tips as I learn a new language.