Let’s hit the books! A learning frame of mind is a great place to be, and we’re never too old for it! Here are the books I brought to WBRC Fox 6 this month–a great work of historical fiction, a cookbook designed for young people headed off to college, a guide to meditation and a thoughtful work of fiction.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
This beautiful work of historical fiction from Kristin Hannah is absolutely heartbreaking, and it’s timely in an alarming way. So I think it’s a must-read. Set in Texas and then California during the years of the devastating Dust Bowl era, the story follows Elsa Wolcott who marries a man she hardly knows and ends up living with him and his parents on the family farm. It’s 1921 in Texas, and the bounty of the land is plentiful. By 1934, though, things are different. Millions are out of work; a drought has left the farm in ruins; dust storms pummel the plains; and Elsa’s husband, Rafe, just walks away. Elsa, in an effort to simply keep her children alive, heads to California with its promise of jobs and security. It’s a false promise, but Elsa—facing challenges she never imagined—finds an inner strength she never knew existed. In the end, The Four Winds is a lovely tribute to the indomitable spirit of women of The Greatest Generation and how they held their families together in the most dangerous and dire circumstances. This is not an easy book to read. Hannah’s WWII-era The Nightingale was more of a page-turner. I say read both.
The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes for the Next Four Years & Beyond by Pamela Ellgen
Most college students are short on time, money and counter space. This cookbook with more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes—requiring five or fewer affordable ingredients and taking about 30 minutes to cook—can help instill healthy eating habits and hone lifelong kitchen skills. The recipes are varied—classic French toast, vegan enchiladas, Greek pita sandwiches, Thai chicken ramen and more. Young cooks can brush up on fundamental cooking skills with tips and techniques things like on knife safety and food storage. What’s more, most of these student-approved recipes include alternate versions to accommodate a variety of tastes and diet requirements.
Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health and Find Peace in the Everyday by Matthew Sockolov
In these continually stressful times, mindfulness is more important than ever. Mindfulness is an evidence-based way to reduce stress, enhance resilience and maintain mental well-being. So why aren’t we all practicing it? All the time? This book gets you past any excuses with gentle, practical guidance. The 75 mediations are of various lengths; some meditations are designed for specific situations or emotions, and Sockolov also offers tips on how to handle wandering thoughts and mental blocks. The early meditations here take just five minutes (science shows us that even short meditations can turn a day around). Then the exercises grow with the reader’s experience, building on previous lessons to cultivate a regular and transformative mindfulness practice for a calmer, more balanced life.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is a powerful work of fiction about knowledge and lose and the fragility of innocence. Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grew up at Hailsham, an exclusive and secluded boarding school in the English countryside, where they were constantly reminded of how special they are. Now, several years later, Kathy is a young woman, and her work reconnects her to Ruth and Tommy. This stirs memories of old hurts as well as moments of happiness—and they begin to realize the horror of what it is exactly that makes them special. Ishiguro is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The Remains of the Day. His newest work, Klara and the Sun, reminded me how much I enjoy his stories.
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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