Religion

Plunder : a memoir of family property and Nazi treasure book cover

Plunder : a memoir of family property and Nazi treasure

Menachem Kaiser

940.5318 /Kaiser
Nonfiction, Literary Nonfiction, History, Religion, Political

When Kaiser takes up his Holocaust-survivor grandfather's former battle to reclaim the family's apartment building in Sosnowiec, Poland, he finds himself on a circuitous path to encounters with the long-time residents of the building, and with a Polish lawyer known as "The Killer." A surprise discovery-- that his grandfather's cousin not only survived the war, but wrote a secret memoir while a slave laborer in a vast, secret Nazi tunnel complex-- leads to Kaiser being adopted as a virtual celebrity by a band of Silesian treasure seekers who revere the memoir as the indispensable guidebook to Nazi plunder. Here Kaiser questions: What does it mean to seize your own legacy? Can reclaimed property repair rifts among the living? -- adapted from jacket

Candice's picture

First, this book is beautifully written. Menachem Kaiser's grasp of language to tell a story, illustrate situations, and convey thoughts and emotions is so fluid and engaging. Second, this book is important in many ways, but also very interesting--a real nonfiction win-win. It's a slightly winding story, starting out with particular goals and desired outcomes, but as so often happens when researching and interacting history, the modern world and reality intervene, and make things a lot harder to get hold of and follow. Menachem goes where the story leads him, and the results are so strange, interesting, and profound that you couldn't have imagined some of it. This story is also full of love and learning and respect--for self, for others, for history, and for the stories that survive. -Candice

We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir book cover

We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir

Samra Habib

eBOOK
Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, Memoir, Religion

"A queer Muslim searches for the language to express her truest self, making peace with her sexuality, her family, and Islam. Growing up in Pakistan, Samra Habib lacks a blueprint for the life she wants. She has a mother who gave up everything to be a pious, dutiful wife and an overprotective father who seems to conspire against a life of any adventure. Plus, she has to hide the fact that she's Ahmadi to avoid persecution from religious extremists. As the threats against her family increase, they seek refuge in Canada, where new financial and cultural obstacles await them. When Samra discovers that her mother has arranged her marriage, she must again hide a part of herself--the fun-loving, feminist teenager that has begun to bloom--until she simply can't any longer. So begins a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Tokyo, where she comes to terms with her sexuality, and to a queer-friendly mosque in Toronto, where she returns to her faith in the same neighbourhood where she attended her first drag show. Along the way, she learns that the facets of her identity aren't as incompatible as she was led to believe, and that her people had always been there--the world just wasn't ready for them yet."--

Melody's picture

Added by Melody

The book of joy : lasting happiness in a changing world book cover

The book of joy : lasting happiness in a changing world

Dalai Lama XIV Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho

294.3444 /Dalai Lama
Nonfiction, Self Help, Biographies, Religion

Two leading spiritual masters share their wisdom about living with joy even in the face of adversity, sharing personal stories and teachings about the science of profound happiness and the daily practices that anchor their emotional and spiritual lives.

Heidi K's picture

When Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama get together to talk about their lives, philosophies, and teachings, the result is a guidebook on how to transform joy from a fleeting emotion to a way of life. My favorite thing about this book are the funny bits of dialogue between the two men who prove that above all, they are merely human. The stories from their lives are great, and the themes discussed seem so relevant to the precarious times we have found ourselves in. -Heidi K

Spiritual guides : pathfinders in the desert book cover

Spiritual guides : pathfinders in the desert

Fred R. (Fred Reinhard) Dallmayr

230 /Dallmayr
Religion, Philosophy

"In Spiritual Guides: Pathfinders in the Desert, Fred Dallmayr challenges the "desert character" of modern culture. Political and economic corruption, incessant warmongering, spoliation of natural resources, and, above all, mindless consumerism and greedy self-satisfaction are all symptoms of what he contends is an expanding wasteland or desert where everything creative and nourishing decays and withers. Through an alternative interpretation of Nietzsche's saying "the desert grows," this book calls for spiritual renewal, invoking in particular four prominent guides or pathfinders in the desert: Paul Tillich, Raimon Panikkar, Thomas Merton, and Pope Francis. What links all four guides together is the view of spiritual life as an itinerarium, a pathway along difficult and often uncharted roads."

Candice's picture

Thoughtful advice from four prominent thinkers, about cultivating and protecting spirituality in a world that can seem overly-consumerist and bereft at the same time. -Candice

Become the Force : 9 lessons on how to live as a Jediist master book cover

Become the Force : 9 lessons on how to live as a Jediist master

Daniel (Daniel M.) Jones

299.93 /Jones
Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help

"Daniel M Jones founded the Church of Jediism in 2007 following the Jedi Census phenomenon of 2001; it now has over 500,000 members around the world. This is the book his fans have been waiting for. In it, Daniel outlines the Jedi perspective and provides practical tools for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how to use the Force in everyday life. A metaphor for the universal life energy that connects us all, the Force can be both light and dark, good and bad. Now, more than ever, it is our responsibility to overcome the Dark Side. This book does not aim to convert, but to inspire its readers to live a life of meaning and purpose according to the universal spiritual teachings of 'the way of the Jedi'"--Amazon.com.

Candice's picture

Yes, lessons for life based on the holy text of Star Wars. Seemingly combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism, among others, and useful in a number of 'self help' ways. Plus, light sabers. -Candice

Knights in training : ten principles for raising honorable, courageous, and compassionate boys book cover

Knights in training : ten principles for raising honorable, courageous, and compassionate boys

Heather Haupt

248.845 /Haupt
Religion, Nonfiction

"In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? This book helps parents to inspire their boys by captivating their imagination and honoring their love for adventure. Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights' Code of Chivalry, as depicted in the French epic Song of Roland, and how boys can embody these same ideals now. When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives." - Book Jacket.

Candice's picture

An addition to the recent number of books on raising kind children, this one focuses on the idea of chivalry and manners. -Candice

The things you can see only when you slow down : how to be calm and mindful in a fast-paced world book cover

The things you can see only when you slow down : how to be calm and mindful in a fast-paced world

author Hyemin

294.344 /Hyemin
Religion

Candice's picture

Mindfulness and gentleness make for happiness and mental health; Hyemin's teachings come from a Korean Buddhist tradition. -Candice

How to live : what the Rule of St. Benedict teaches us about happiness, meaning, and community book cover

How to live : what the Rule of St. Benedict teaches us about happiness, meaning, and community

Judith Valente

255.106/Valente
Religion, Self Help

The Rule of St Benedict, an ancient text for cloistered monks, has been inspiring readers for centuries. But what does a text aimed at monks have to say to readers living in the world? Valente's contemplative and personal book deftly weaves principles from the teaching of Benedict throughout her chapters and demonstrates how the ancient wisdom can help us to live better.

Candice's picture

A text originally intended for monks who separated themselves from the world, the Rule of St. Benedict can still provide valuable insight into how to live one's life in a balanced, fulfilling way. -Candice

Advice not given : a guide to getting over yourself book cover

Advice not given : a guide to getting over yourself

Mark Epstein

294.3444 /Epstein
Religion, Self Help

The Harvard-trained psychologist and author of The Trauma of Everyday Life explores how the traditions of Buddhism and Western psychotherapy can complement each other to promote a healthier ego and maximize the human potential for living a better life. --Publisher

Candice's picture

Advice on letting go of the ego, in order to life a fuller, more honest life. -Candice

I've been thinking... : reflections, prayers, and meditations for a meaningful life book cover

I've been thinking... : reflections, prayers, and meditations for a meaningful life

Maria Shriver

248.482 /Shriver
Religion, Self Help

"As a prominent woman juggling many roles, Maria Shriver knows just how surprising, unpredictable, and stressful everyday life can be. In this moving and powerful book, she shares inspiring quotes, prayers, and reflections designed to get readers thinking, get them feeling, get them laughing, and help them in their journey to what she calls The Open Field--a place of acceptance, purpose, and passion--a place of joy."

Candice's picture

Shriver compels her readers to live with thoughtfulness, gratitude, and kindness. -Candice