Get to a better, more mindful place. Then enjoy some brand new and not-so-new (but so worth your time!) fiction. These are the books I talked about this month on WBRC Fox 6.
Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and your World with the Practice of RAIN, by Tara Brach Ph.D., is perfect for right now. I have been listening to Tara Brach’s podcasts while I walk, and I’m better for that. Brach is a clinical psychologist and one of the most beloved and respected mindfulness teachers in America. In this book, she gently guides readers—with compassion and heartfelt stories—in healthy ways to deal with difficult times. Has there ever been a bigger need for this? Stress can make us operate on autopilot, cut off from our feelings and, in turn, from those we love. Brach has an easy-to-learn, four-step meditation called RAIN that quickly loosens the grip of difficult emotions. Each step in the practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is explained in detail and made memorable with stories from Brach and her students.
The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett, is one of the most-talked-about books right this minute. This novel is about race, during racially charged times. It’s also about family and history and how those determine our decisions and paths in life. This is the story of twin girls—Desiree and Stella—raised in a Southern town inhabited by lots of light-skinned Black people. They run away at age 16, and their lives take very different paths. One embraces her Black heritage and later returns to her hometown with her dark-skinned daughter. The other secretly passes for white and marries a white man who knows nothing about her family. The sisters are separated by miles and many lies, but there’s still a connection and their lives come together in unexpected ways.
Ali and Nino: A Love Story, by Kurban Said, is not new, but it has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It is one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. And set in exotic Baku, it satisfies the armchair traveler in me right now. East and West collide here, so do cultures and religions—Nino is Christian; Ali is Muslim. But these childhood friends share an abiding love. The story takes place in the Caucasus in the early 20th century. It’s a place of blood feuds and war and revolution. In this historical fiction, the story of the lovers follows the formation of countries—Georgia, Azerbaijan and modern Iran. So there are a lot of memorable moments between these pages.
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor Book Center, and I often visit my local library.
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These all sound great!
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