Joyful Anyway (Kate Bowler)

 

When I heard about this book, I had to go buy it right away. It was just what I was looking for. My word of the year for 2026 is shine, as in, "...this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" I have felt like there is so much that is hard. Education right now is a hard place. There is frustration with the government and teacher's rights, funding and growing misunderstandings with teachers and the government. My school is a hard place. We have had tragedy occur and despite many professing that we are one happy family, there is pettiness and cliques and heartache as fall out and I'm not sure how it'll get fixed. And then there are all the regular life struggles....but I'm supposed to feel joy, right? This book felt like a manual to finding that joy and showing it. 

Kate Bowler is a wise woman. This is a book I will read again and again until I really get it. I will read it again and again until I can really live it. I felt like a lot of this book was written like parables. They need pondering and time. There were a lot of great tidbits to grab and hold on to. I bet every story would speak differently to every person.

Goodreads says:

The bestselling author and Duke University professor discovers the true magic of it appears when we least expect it—and even if we don’t feel happy, we can be joyful, anyway.

Life aches. Joy is the cure.

After surviving a stage-four cancer diagnosis, Kate Bowler knew she was supposed to be grateful. Alive. Blessed. But she still ached—for more connection, more surprise, less resentment on an ordinary day.

So she went looking for joy. Not the toxic positivity kind. Not a 5-step plan. But the type that sneaks in unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere. A lemur sunbathing. A belly laugh at a funeral. A dive into the Atlantic with a shark wrangler.

In Joyful, Anyway, Bowler takes us on a hilarious and tender journey through big questions and small delights. With wry wit and deep honesty, she explores how joy can surprise us even in the middle of pain, boredom, and longing.

This is not a book about fixing your life. It is about how we can all find more—feel more—by making room for small extraordinary moments. 

For anyone who has ever felt stuck, who is achy for meaning, who feels undone by loss, who feels that joy is just out of reach, who wants, simply, to have more fun, Joyful Anyway is a delicious, insightful tour through the questions that sit in the deepest part of our souls. It proves that for every time we Is this it? Joy will there is more. 

The Other Side of Change (Maya Shankar)

 

This book has a great message. I didn't love the audio (read by the author) but the message was strong. It's all about having the courage and faith to make the best of whatever happens in life. Who doesn't need that message?!

Goodreads says:

"With powerful stories and practical science, Maya examines how we find purpose after adversity and possibility under uncertainty.” —Adam Grant

"A rare combination of beautiful storytelling, cognitive science, and wholehearted wisdom. —Brené Brown

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A revelatory exploration of how we can find meaning in the tumult of change, from a renowned cognitive scientist and host of the critically acclaimed podcast A Slight Change of Plans

Life has a way of thwarting our best-laid plans. Out of nowhere, we’re confronting the end of a relationship, an unexpected diagnosis, the loss of a job, or some other twist of fate. In these moments, it can feel like we’re free-falling into the unknown.

As a cognitive scientist, Maya Shankar has spent decades studying the human mind. When an unwanted change in her own life left her reeling, she sought out people who had navigated major disruptions. In The Other Side of Change, Shankar tells their riveting, singular stories and weaves in scientific insights to illuminate universal lessons hidden within them. The result is a rich portrait of our complex reactions to change and a deep well of wisdom we can draw from during these experiences.

Shankar invites us to rethink our relationship with change altogether. When a big change happens to us, it can lead to profound change within us. The unique stresses and demands of being thrust into a new reality can lead us to uncover new abilities, perspectives, and values, transforming us in extraordinary ways. What if we saw moments of upheaval as an opportunity to reimagine who we can be, rather than as something to just endure? What potential could we unlock within ourselves?

Whether you're processing a past change, grappling with a present one, or bracing for a future one, this book is a wise and thought-provoking companion to help you discover who you can become on the other side of change.

The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling (Timothy Basil Ering)

 

I got to hear Timothy Basil Ering speak once and he totally won me over. He was the illustrator for The Tale of Despereaux and he came across as very sincere and humble and hard working. 

It is easy to see, when reading books aloud to my class, which ones are magical. This one had everyone rivted with the ups and downs in the story. It's almost musical.

Goodreads says:

Expect something unexpected when a duckling lost at sea adopts a musical new friend in a whimsical, heart-lifting story from Timothy Basil Ering.
Captain Alfred is sailing home with new ducks for his farm when his little boat is caught in an unexpected and mighty storm. Everything aboard the ship is flung to the far reaches of the sea, including the very special and beautiful duck egg he had nestled safely inside his fiddle case. But perhaps all is not lost: the little duckling stumbles out of his shell and discovers Captain Alfred's fiddle, floating not too far away in the waves. And when the duckling embraces the instrument with all his heart, what happens next is pure magic. Through an enchanting read-aloud text and beautiful artwork, award-winning author-illustrator Timothy Basil Ering shares a thrilling and fantastical story of a farmer, a gentle old lady, a dancing dog, and one brave, tiny duckling that will warm the heart.

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family (Ibtihaj Muhammad)

 

I loved reading this with my class. Many of my students have sisters, mothers and grandmothers who wear a hijab and they were so happy to tell us about it. They also talked about how to properly wear a hijab, why some women wear one and why some don't. There were a lot of questions form other kids. I loved how the little girl in this story thought the hijab was just so beautiful and she eagerly looks forward to wearing one. When a boy in the story teases the girl about her hijab one student in my class gasped, which was the perfect response and it started a great discussion. I found the names in the story difficult to pronounce, but nobody corrected me so I must have done good enough. We also had a good discussion about clothing people wear in other religions that is a sign of their faith and reminds them of what they believe.

Goodreads says:

A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.

With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

Paired with Hatem Aly’s beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.

Becoming Mrs Lewis (Patti Callahan)

 

 I loved this book. Joy is presented as a smart and courageous woman and someone I want to be like. She was willing to ask the questions that can make and unmake a life. She loved to write and think and discuss. She was born again one night when her husband did not come home and had threatened suicide. She shows that the search for truth and the search for love is worth the complicated path of changing our life. 

Another thing I love about their relationship is that she wasn't the woman behind the man. She was was CS Lewis' equal. They loved to discuss and question and reason together. She knew that the better the question the better the answer.

This book was inspiring and interesting for me.

Tidbits:

Why CS Lewis was called Jack: When I was a young boy we had a dog named Jackie. On a warm summer day, when the world was good and right, Warnie and I were walking to town when a car came roaring around the bend and hit our dog. Killed him right there in front of us." Jack shook his head. "If I could make a request of God it would be that no young boy ever see his beloved dog killed." He shuddered then continued. "Therefore I announced my name Jack and vowed never to drive a car."

TOUGH QUESTIONS

pp. 43-44 "I think Lewis would tell you to follow Christ, not him," Chad said with a sly smile.
"Ah, but can't I follow both?" I paused before finding what I meant to say. "I'm not as traditional as Jack is, but then again, he's not as traditional as others believe him to be." I let the next words settle on my tongue before I spoke them. "I wish I  could visit him as you did. I can almost feel the cool green English world. The quiet. The libraries and cathedrals hushed with sublime beauty.
Chad clasped his hands together and tented his fingers under his chin, nodded. "It was profound, I'll give you that. Maybe there will come a day when you can do the same."
"It's easier for men," I said. "It's not fair, but it's true. Wives and mothers can't just up and go to England to research and write and interview. You can go for two months and study, leave your four children with your wife, but there's some invisible and unstated law that I can't do the same."
Chad's gentle smile told me he understood. "Maybe one day Joy. Maybe one day."
"Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. Do we believe him?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Chad rubbed the bridge of his nose as if his glasses were too heavy.
"What if," I said and leaned closer, my voice lowering. "What if I trust that command? What on earth would become of me if I should ever grow brave?"
Chad nodded his head. "Indeed, Joy. What would become of any of us if we were to become to brave as to believe his words?"

p. 67 I had a feeling of such lightness and gaiety that the malaise I'd been carrying for years fell off like shed skin. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone had chased me down and bellowed, "You dropped something back there."
I had left my family in America, and I knew there were neighbors and friends who didn't understand. Our church community scowled. Other women talked about me. And yet must not their should die inside? Did they not feel the anxiety that comes when the inner light rises and cries out, "Let me life"?
Perhaps our Maker had stitched us each together in such a way that this was not true of all women.

MEMORY MOMENT

AGAIN AND AGAIN

CONTRASTS AND CONTRADICTIONS

p. 49 Hopelessness was my companion and fantasy my escape.

WORDS OF THE WISER

p. 82 I believe life is more like a tree. Each branch differentiating as it grows. Each an individual choice.

AH HA MOMENT