Book Reviews

No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler (Book Review)

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I will admit it. I am a big fan of Kate Bowler. Her podcast, Everything Happens, keeps my mind occupied while I am at the gym. Her books can be found around my home as I turn to them for laughter and comfort. I love that in her books you see an honest view of God and life that isn’t sugar coated or harsh. It is real.

In this book, Kate Bowler walks us through her illness. This book isn’t easy, and it is beautiful. You will be cheering for her to beat the odds and survive her stage four cancer diagnosis. And maybe, like me, you will be thinking of loved ones who didn’t.

It ends with an appendix titled Cliches We Hear and Truths We Need. And I love every single one of them, so you should read the book just to get to page 201! My absolute favorite is “Everything is possible” which she changes to “Ask instead, what is possible today?” (pg 202).

I wonder what is possible for you today and how you will live into the knowledge that there is no cure for being human and God is with you on this journey!

Book Review: The In-Between by Hadley Vlahos

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You might think I would not want to read about hospice when I am not working. Why would I want to spend my free time reading about what I spend so much of my life doing? Except, I find it fascinating to see how others describe this work.

In The In-Between, we meet a nurse beginning her hospice career and experience with her the joy and challenges of hospice. For those less familiar with hospice, this is a lovely introduction to the beautiful work of hospice and a reminder to us seasoned people of why we do what we do.

I recommend this book to you if hospice scares you or if you would like to learn more about hospice. I recommend this book to you if you like stories about the variety of people who come into our lives and how we learn from these encounters.

God on a Harley by Joan Brady

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People recommend books to me all the time. I write down the titles in a list on my phone, and sometimes I get them read. Well, this is one I read and have been thinking of since I finished it.

Written in 1995, this book is not new. It reads a little like a romance novel, a little like a self-help book, and a little like a devotional. While I don’t know that I can agree with all of its theological thoughts, I do find myself pondering this book even after I completed it.

This is the story of Christine. She is a nurse who has been unlucky in love. She feels burnt out by her work and unhappy with her life. Into her life comes God on a Harley.

Christine is taught some of the ways that humans have gotten religion wrong. Now, God has decided to offer individual commandments recognizing that the 10 commandments may not have been the best rules by which to live. God is coming to each human individually to help make sense of life.

This short book-only 147 pages-would make an excellent book group conversation starter for the right group. Some questions I would enjoy discussing with others…how do you react to the idea that God is changing and learning just like humanity? If God made individual commandments for you, what might they be? Do any of the commandments given to Christine make sense for your life? How would God appear to you today to catch your attention?

If you give this book a read, let me know. I would be glad to discuss it with you!

8 Years Yesterday! Happy Anniversary Tea and Theology!

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It has been 8 years since I began writing here. Of course, so many things have changed in the last 8 years. I have moved from a time of sabbatical to youth ministry to full-time hospice chaplaincy. I have physically moved from the apartment where this blog was born to a lovely home and then a different lovely home. I think of the adventures, joy, and sorrow of the last eight years too. Thank you to the readers who quickly jumped on board and all the readers who have joined along the way. Thank you all for reading and being part of this journey.

It all began with these words-

“Welcome to my new blog.

Here you will find book reviews, worship words (liturgy), and recommendations for a good cup of tea. I hope you’ll find books you’d like to read. I hope you’ll find words that help you connect with God. And, I hope you’ll find a new tea to enjoy. I’m looking forward to walking this journey with you.”

So thank you all for reading, commenting, sharing, and growing with me these past eight years. Blessings to each of you and know I will give thanks for you when I have a cup of tea today.

Peace and Love, Susannah

You Need to Read The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

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While the title of this blog post says it all, I will go on! What an amazing book full of unique and lovable people who all find themselves together on a school bus. Why are they on a school bus? Because this beloved school bus is where Coyote and Rodeo live. As they let others into the bus and into their lives, they are changed and they bring change to the lives of those they meet.

As this story unfolds, you learn that so much is hidden under the surface in each of their lives-just like every life! And you want a good ending for all of them, of course you do. I invite you to join Coyote and her companions on this journey of grief, second chances, friendships, learning from each other. This book reminded me, once again, how much we need each other. So please read this book and then encourage someone you know to read it!

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Book Review-How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

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This book was recommended to me by a friend. When I researched the book, I thought this would make a perfect gift for someone I know. So I ordered it and had it shipped to me. And guess what? I read it first. Next, I will give this gift as initially planned. So yes, if you get a book from me I probably read it first and maybe even the copy I am giving you.

I have read many articles and books on organizing and cleaning. None of them describes care tasks as “morally neutral”. In this book, we hear that our value and worth as a human being is not defined by how clean our house is or if we have completed our to do list. She shares that “you don’t exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you” (9).

Now, none of that may appeal to you and maybe those words are just what you need to read. If these words aren’t for you, they may make you think of someone in your life who needs to hear them. This gentle book takes you slowly by the hand and reminds you that you deserve to feel safe and comfortable in your own space. This book begins by offering an opportunity to unpack some of the words you may have heard about cleaning and caring for your space. The suggestions offered are given with the utmost kindness and offered only as suggestions to try if they might work for you.

This book has short chapters and short cuts (the author encourages you to jump ahead if needed) and is made to read by anyone. If you have always hated cleaning and wondered why, this book is for you. If you feel like keeping your home and life organized is too much, this book is for you. If you want to look at your to do list differently, this book is for you. I highly recommend this book!

Book Review-The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

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You know those books that you keep reading long after you should be sleeping? This was one of those books for me. A dear friend recommended this book to me because her book group at church was reading it. I didn’t read any reviews or descriptions and just started reading. I kept reading and reading because I wanted to see how it would end.

It is hard to explain this book without revealing too much about the plot. Who is on this boat? What are we to learn from this boat ride?

The reviews for this book are mixed with some people loving it and others not enjoying it. I think a book that evokes questions and receives very different reactions is worth a read. So, if you do give this book a read, let me know so we can talk about it! Happy Reading!

Book Review-Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

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This week I read two books. One took me the full two weeks of library loan to finish. I won’t be sharing anymore about that book here. And one book I read in two days. I read past my bedtime. It was a book I wanted to finish and also wanted to stop reading to make my time with the book last longer.

When I share that the book I could not put down is a book about a woman in her early twenties who has leukemia, you might wonder why this book captured my attention and interest with such intensity. It is because we do not talk honestly about illness in this country. We don’t talk about how confusing and challenging it is to be ill. We don’t talk about the emotional and physical demands on caregivers. We don’t talk about how illness changes relationships. This book tackles all these topics and so much more.

It has been over a year since I first heard about this book while watching CBS Sunday Morning with my mother-in-law. I meant to write down the title and read it. I didn’t. And reflecting on it, I don’t think the time was right then. In the midst of my raw grief for my mother, this book may have been too much then. The author was back on CBS Sunday Morning again recently. Immediately, I joined a wait list at my local library for this book. And the time was right for me to read it.

I encourage you to read this book. In these pages you will witness the ways cancer affects someone who has it as well as everyone around that person. You will read about life after cancer which isn’t as easy as it might seem. And I hope you will find insight as well as empathy for the many people who live with cancer.

Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

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When I read Anne Lamott, I laugh and cry and nod my head in agreement. In this book, she shares her thoughts on a variety of topics. If you enjoy her writing, you will enjoy this book.

I laughed out loud when in her chapter on writing she said, “And everything that happened to you belongs to you. If people wanted you to write more warmly about them, they should have behaved better” (68).

Her writing draws on her life experiences and it draws me in with its truth telling. She writes about prayer, making life choices, end of life, and relationships.

“The lesson here is that there is no fix. There is, however, forgiveness. To forgive yourselves and others constantly is necessary. Not only is everyone screwed up, but everyone screws up” (50).

”…the more time you spend in the presence of death, the less you fear it. Your life will be greatly enhanced by spending time with dying people, even though you’ve been taught to avoid doing so” (77). I agree wholeheartedly!

”I wish good things lasted forever. That would work best for me. But God is a lot more subtle than I am comfortable with. Saint John wrote that God is Love, that anytime you experience kindness and generosity, hope, patience and caring, you are in the presence of God” (102).

“Hospice is the cavalry. Hospice means that death isn’t going to be nearly as bad as you think” (125). I am thankful when people agree with these words and trust Hospice to enter their homes and allow us to join in life beside you. I often say-we can’t make it easy. My hope is that we can make this time a little easier.

This book will not take you long to read, and then the words inside will stay with you. You may be challenged and changed and encouraged to see things in a new way. Give this book a read!

You Should Read I Am Enough!

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My favorite book I have read recently is I Am Enough by Grace Byers and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo. This beautifully written and illustrated children’s book is the reminder we all need that you are enough.

”I’m not meant to be like you and you’re not meant to be like me.”

This book reminds us we are each uniquely created in the image of God. We are all different. And we are all enough!

I encourage you to read this book yourself and read it with anyone you know who needs a reminder that they are enough!