In this series, I give a brief snapshot of three unrelated books that I recently read and enjoyed. If you decide to read them too, I’d love to hear what you thought! 

The Category: Memoir

The Book: Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

In Three Words: Motherhood. Reconciling. Gratitude.

Biggest Takeaway: I’ve never read any of Corrigan’s work, but I’m absolutely going to look for more. She ably handled the challenging subjects of profound loss, healing resentments, how people change, and where to find true adventure, all in one short book. The final two sentences brought me to tears.

The Category: Psychology/Self-Improvement

The Book: The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

In Three Words: Mind-bending. Sociology. Perception.

Biggest Takeaway: This book covers a lot of ground, so I’m going to make two comments instead of the usual one. First, it was interesting (though not surprising) to find out that I’m strongly future-oriented. I need to make an effort to enjoy life in the present. Second, I was fascinated by the authors’ take on the War on Terror: they believe fighting a “war” is ineffective diplomacy, because terrorists are too steeped in the future-transcendent time perspective. Their present needs are not and have never been adequately met, so they literally live (and die) for the afterlife. If we want to quash terrorism, we need to nourish the region where terrorists live so they can have more hope for their immediate earthly future.

The Category: Romance

The Book: The Three Girls series by Rachel Schurig

In Three Words: Friendship. Milestones. Heartwarming.

Biggest Takeaway: Given the right author, I’ve learned that I can be a romance-novel junkie. I have never sought the romance genre, but when I occasionally stumble over a writer I love, I feel grateful for the opportunity to read genuine characters, strong relationships and a guaranteed feel-good ending. I’ve read every book in this series by Schurig, and eagerly await more.