We all need invitations to take a breath from the whirl of our lives. Reading continues to be one of the great joys of my life. Amazing how one can travel to India, be a fly on the wall in the Paris art studio of Degas, Monet and Morissot, or sit in the passenger seat of an airplane piloted by a daring woman at the turn of the 20th century sitting by your fireplace. Beautifully imagined fiction and non-fiction with a redemptive twist are my jam! And cookbooks are my guilty pleasure. Following are a stack of books that I have either relished or they are in the reading queue.

Please, please send me what you are reading! I’m headed to South Carolina for Fall Break. A book recommendation would be a gift to me!!

Awake by Jen Hatmaker

It was a joy to be invited to a brunch celebrating the launch of Jen Hatmaker’s new book, Awake in Nashville. The room was full of authors, musicians, and public leaders that I admire. But the book was the shining star. Awake is about losing all you believed to be true, good and trustworthy in your life, and then rising from the ashes to embrace a second act that is every bit more and better! I appreciated how Jen organized her memoir in three parts: Ending, Middle, Beginning. Resurrections take time, grit and grace. God is always offering us opportunities to rise and embrace new life! P.S. Jen is really funny!

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

I recently visited my daughter at Pepperdine University and paid a visit to Malibu Village Books. Great Circle was the number one recommendation.

From Good Reads, “Spanning Prohibition-era Montana, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, New Zealand, wartime London, and modern-day Los Angeles, Great Circle tells the unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost.” I cannot wait to read it.

The Lost Masterpiece by B.A. Shapiro

The Lost Masterpiece is a novel about Berthe Morissot, the only female artist who shared an art studio with Degas, Manet, Monet, and many others, who called themselves, “The Impressionists.” She was a woman before her time. I am thankful to Shapiro for drawing my attention to her work. Morissot was a master of light and capturing the essence of a moment. Apparently, she and Manet were in love. My main takeaway from the book was how long it took art critics and Parisians to take the Impressionists seriously, and now they are the most recognized painters!

The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia by Kirin Desai

I am thirty pages in! One of my favorite books of all times was Desai’s, The Inheritance of Loss. Twenty years ago, I took a Contemporary Indian Fiction class at NYU in the evenings after work and became enchanted with Indian literature. Prepare for a colorful, deep, and emotional ride! She is shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

The Secrets of Secrets by Dan Brown

Recently, I listened to an interview with the author Dan Brown where he spoke about a dramatic shift in his belief about what happens to us after death. After his mother’s passing, he did a deep dive in brain science, out-of-body experiences, and near-death phenomena, concluding that our “consciousness” survives after death. He no longer fears death, and this is the inspiration behind his new book in the Langdon series! 

From Amazon: Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague’s most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.

The Life That’s Waiting by Brianna Wiest 

This is a curious little book about pursuing a life that feels good from the inside out. What would a second act look like for you and me? I opened Soulfull with the quote from Jesus, “I came so you would have life, and life in full.” Wiest beckons that we step back and reflect on the life we are living—is it the life we actually want? Lots of little nuggets in here, like “You don’t have to change your entire life overnight. Just do one thing a little better than you did yesterday. Then do it again.”

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

I am so excited to read Reese’s new book. I got to hear her talk a little bit about how the plot and characters came to her, and the process of turning it with Coben into a thrilling story. She will be in conversation with Ann Patchett and Coben on October 29th.

From Amazon: Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan … until it wasn’t. Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is …

The Forest Feast by Erin Woods 

I love this cookbook because it carries me away to my soul place. The cookbook is a work of art and the recipes are easy and delicious. You will love having this one, like me, displayed on your kitchen counter.

Love, Farrell

I keep adding to the SOULFULL Playlist!! Enjoy!