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Beautiful World, Where Are You

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Title of the novel, Beautiful World Where Are You.Title: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Format: Novel
Audience: Late Teens and Adults

Sally Rooney’s third novel is as much a Sally Rooney novel as she intends it to be – one where the author does not shy away from being who she is, nor does she pretend to be someone she is not. Beautiful World, Where Are You is a dialectical relationship to her prior works, and in following two critically acclaimed publications, Rooney has solved the burden of success insofar as by writing about the burden of success.

Readers who enjoyed Conversations with Friends and Normal People will certainly find fulfillment in Rooney’s newest work. Part epistolary, part an exploration of ideas, and part a telling of young love, this novel is a jostle of fascinating concepts that attempt to tackle both issues on a grander scale, and ones that hit too close to home. Set around four individuals who, while still young, feel life catching up to them, and whose relationships with one another are tangled together, all approach life in different ways, and it is their understanding of what they know they want compared to what they are unsure or, more possibly, unaware of, that spurs on the decisions they make, and the ramifications that follow.

From the dialogue that does not falter, to the prose that flows seamlessly from page to page, to the discussions of the environment we live in and the future we are to construct, Rooney has created a wonderful work that truly does ask the reader the question, where is this beautiful world?

 

Find Beautiful World, Where Are You in print via the catalog.

Find Beautiful World, Where Are You online via an eAudiobook and an eBook.

 

This is Motherhood: A Motherly Collection of Reflections and Practices

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This is Motherhood: A Motherly Collection of Reflections and Practices by Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety
Publication Date: March 2019
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Mamas everywhere

Published by the co-founders of “Motherly,” an online community, This is Motherhood is a collection of essays and practices written by mothers from all walks of life. Each woman’s voice helps to address the complexity of motherhood and gently reminds us that there is no one right way to be a mother. To further the reader’s introspection of a particular topic, each chapter also concludes with a journaling or meditative exercise. As a reader makes their way through the book, one central message remains loud and clear: motherhood can be hard and ultimately, mamas have to do what is best for them and their children–unsolicited parenting advice, be gone!

My first thoughts after reading this book were: “Oh my goodness, why couldn’t this book have been published before my oldest child was born?!” As any new mother might experience, our inner voices can sometimes be overwhelming and our thoughts can be nonsensical:
“Am I feeding my baby enough?”
“Is my baby happy?”
“My baby hates me! I can’t make him stop crying!”
“Wow…I really need a shower…but taking a moment for myself is so selfish!”
“If I go out with my friends, will my baby think that I left her?”

Concerned with the many worries and doubts that motherhood brings, mothers can often feel alone in their struggle to understand it all. This book hides nothing in addressing both those great highs of motherhood (My baby smiled at me!!) and those low-lows (When was the last time I got a restful night’s sleep?). I found so much comfort in these women’s words and stories. Reading about other mother’s perspectives has shown me that women everywhere are experiencing and thinking similar things while navigating through motherhood, which is so wonderfully reassuring. Mamas, we are not alone and we’ve got this!

Bonus: This book is now my go-to baby shower gift! Babies are adorable and new and exciting…but let’s not forget about supporting those mamas too!

Find it in our catalog.

The Turquoise Table

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Life sure can be busy at times…okay, maybe even verging on hectic most days! Where does the time go? And more importantly, how are we spending this time? Do we often feel like we are missing out on something more important while being caught up in the whirlwind of day-to-day activities?

The philosophy of The Turquoise Table reminds us to take the time to slow down, unwind, and focus our energies on making meaningful connections with others in our community. Author, Kristin Schell, decided on a whim to paint a picnic table a bright shade of turquoise, pop it in her front yard, and open the invitation for neighbors to join her at the table. She was pleasantly surprised by the popularity of this gathering space in her neighborhood and was inspired to encourage others to follow suit, hence the creation of a book, a website, and a podcast all by the same name. Across the United States, and even in several other countries, people have begun setting out turquoise tables as a way of better connecting with friends and neighbors.

Actually doing this of course can seem daunting and feel more like one more chore on our to-do list. But the author reassures us that being mindful in the moment and building neighborly relationships is as simple as showing up and making yourself available. The rest of the details sort of just fall into place from here. To put your own Turquoise Table plan into motion, you simply need a place to gather and a time to meet. A turquoise picnic table was the author’s original idea but you can get creative; a picnic blanket or set of chairs would work just as well! And even if its just for fifteen minutes, making yourself available to converse with neighbors and catch up with old friends can be wonderfully heartwarming.

Find it in the catalog.