Bonjour (encore) from Paris! Thanks to my wonderful sojourn here in 2025, I couldn’t resist the temptation to return in 2026. This year I’m building on my “Paris pivot” and going deeper. It’s a retreat, once again, where I’m regrouping, reenergizing, and this time… writing. More on that in the future!
For now, I’m delighted to share what’s inspiring me, compiled into my recommendations for this summer’s reading list. Enjoy!
The Book of Alchemy, by Suleika Jaouad
Having completed The Artist’s Way journey (which I described last year), I was looking for a fresh source of inspiration. I found it with this remarkable piece of work. I’ve been a fan of Suleika Jaouad’s ever since I read Between Two Kingdoms. This book is entirely different, though it still connects us with our shared humanity and gives us perspective on our life journey — a hallmark of her work. It’s a compilation of 100 journal prompts from various creators, grouped into ten categories, with a brief introduction from each creator. Suleika provides the connective tissue with her introductions to each section. This work builds on her “Isolation Journals,” a creative process she led people through during Covid. Her thesis is that journaling is a source of creative alchemy — where you can transform your experiences into something new or bigger — from which you learn and grow. It’s a vital tool in your journey to becoming who you are meant to be. The process taps into your creativity (yes, everyone is creative!) and helps you to recognize your inner strength. I have not yet completed every prompt – I’m choosing the ones that feel right in the moment and savoring the experience. The process is helping me to live this life advice from poet Mary Oliver:
Pay attention
Be astonished
Tell about it.
“European history shows us that societies can break, democracies can fall, ethics can collapse, and ordinary people can find themselves in unimaginable circumstances.”
If you live in the US and haven’t read this book yet, you should. It’s short and impactful. It’s made for this moment, as we find ways to honor our country’s 250th anniversary. Many of us feel ambivalence about this event, as the dangers of authoritarianism threaten to engulf us. I’m looking for ways to uphold the best of the tenets our country was founded upon, and this compact book reminds us of those. First and foremost was a complete rejection of tyranny – the oppressive power of government – a.k.a. “No Kings!” The book is based on lessons learned in the 20th century in the countries that lost their democracies. It provides a list of 20 things we can do to reject tyranny and preserve democracy. Things like “Do not obey in advance,” “Remember professional ethics,” “Learn from peers in other countries,” and “Be as courageous as you can.” It’s imperative that we push past our denial and recognize the patterns of how authoritarianism gets established in any country, even the US. For too long we’ve believed that “it can’t happen here.” It IS happening here. This book can galvanize us to action.
The Paris Novel, by Ruth Reichl
It’s been dubbed, “a feast for the senses” – so true! As I’ve re-immersed in Paris, this book has deepened my experience and reengaged my senses. Set in 1983, it has also taken me back to my first visit to Paris (with my best friend, in 1984), and my time as a student in France in 1986. It’s reminded me of what’s so special about this place. Being in France has been a key part of my journey of becoming an adult and discovering who I truly am. I appreciate the book’s feminist through-line, as her main character explores what it means to be a brave, independent woman, in a world that is not hospitable to us.
Looking for Jane, by Heather Marshall
Thank you to my best friend for giving me this book! It’s a powerful fictional account based on true stories of the young women who were forced to live in “homes for wayward women” and give their babies up for adoption, before abortion was made legal. It connects to the present, by tying the stories together with today’s women, who are seeking to become mothers on their own terms. It’s beautifully done. I appreciate that it was based in Canada, and yet the stories mirror those of women in the US. It’s a cautionary tale, as the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the US has made abortions illegal in so many states. Can we learn from the pain and mistakes of our collective history?
Last House, by Jessica Shattuck
An epic, multi-generational novel that spans the last half of the 20th century and addresses some of the major questions of our time in an elegant way. It picks up on the themes of oil vs ecology, climate change, race relations, and the role of protest. It reveals the tensions that arise among family members as they seek to make sense of “the American dream.” How do we define “progress” and address the role that power plays? What does it mean to “do the right thing” in each generation? And how can families manage those tensions when the answers might be different in each era? In addressing these questions, and illuminating the dilemmas we are currently facing, it echoes The Women, by Kristin Hannah (another excellent read!). I love the power of fiction to address the nonfiction of our lives.
28 Summers, by Elin Hilderbrand
This is the first book I’ve read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I loved it! I’m told it’s one of her best. I enjoyed how she wove a dose of politics into her golden Nantucket setting, and created a poignant “Same Time, Next Year” love story spanning 28 summers. A quintessential beach read!
