Contest: An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor

Cover: An Altar in the World

Fans of Eat, Pray, Love or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle most likely, will also be familiar with acclaimed spiritual author and preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor, author of AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD and LEAVING CHURCH.

As a writer she has opened up the meaning of faith to include everyday living and offered ways to observe it outside of traditional Christianity. In An Altar in the World, she taught us skills for finding faith outside of the church – literally. From simple practices like walking, working or getting lost to deeper meditations. Through her expert guidance we have learned to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down and revere the world we live in.

In anticipation of the paperback edition of, AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD, HarperOne would like to hear from you. We are looking for endorsements from real readers to use in our promotional campaign.

How have her words inspired your lives? Do you find yourself returning to her books time and again for wisdom and assurance? Leave your reflections on her writing in our comments section.

The authors of our five favorites will win a copy of the paperback and their names and testimonials may be used in the upcoming promotional campaign. [Don't forget to read the rules and log in with your actual email which will be kept private and not used for any other purpose than notifiying the winners.] We look forward to hearing from you! Please submit your entries by November 13th.

Today Just a Quote

Due to technical difficulties here at Good Books HQ – today’s post is just a quote that supports our quest:

“A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit.” – John Milton

We’ll return tomorrow with at least one new suggestion for an uplifting addition to your reading list.

A GOOD Magazine, Two Shows and a Book in Bad Times

Throughout October, GOOD Magazine has focused on five inspiring, exciting, innovative people, projects or things each day. Obviously on October 20th, they hit 100 of them!  They must have been exhausted after going through all of the service projects and organizations that exist and are currently conspiring to make this planet liveable WELL beyond 2012.

We also noticed that on last night’s The Office, Dwight announced that he volunteers at an animal shelter and THEN, on 30 Rock, Kenneth too pitches in to help animals by adopting a fleet of abandoned puppies. 

All of this service talk seems to have Glenn Beck feeling a little paranod!

Well, we hope he doesn’t find out about the recent HarperOne title, The Spirit of Service: Your Daily Stimulus for Making a Difference.  He’ll be TERRIFIED! The book offers 365 suggestions of the many ways you can get involved with service projects to help the environment, human rights, hunger relief, green living, troop support, elder care and more.  It mentions 500+ organizations, has a companion website (http://www.spiritofservice365.com) and Facebook group to help you find your role in the service movement.

We don’t know how it happened but October really shaped up to be service month.  We’re just hoping it overflows into November, December and even next year!

Times They are a Changin’

Cover: Bob Dylan Chronicles 1

No autobiography has left a deeper impression on my soul than Chronicles, Volume 1. So while I wait patiently, hoping for a Volume II, I am left reading and rereading the story of the man himself: The ineffable Bob Dylan. In the sixties, he was the American man of mystery, the poet who played guitar.

Now, he is telling his own story with his own beautiful words. Hear the truth from the man who inspired generation after generation of artists including Bono, David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, and even John Lennon. This book has been around for a while but whenever I feel down, this book appears in my hands. No one can describe a snowy New York morning like Dylan; no one has greater insight on the natural high of constant touring and lows of the sixties drug movement. So take a trip with Dylan who was able to turn his bad times into great songs. Dylan is still rocking to his own beat and his experiences are worth a good read. Sometimes, when times are too hard to bear, it’s best to remember that they are ever-changing.

— Submission by HarperOne Fall Intern,  Hailey Horne

Finding Freedom Behind Bars

Cover: That Bird Has My Wings by Jarvis Jay Masters

This September, San Quentin death row inmate, Jarvis Jay Masters published the remarkable story of his journey to faith and spiritual freedom, THAT BIRD HAS MY WINGS: the Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row.  By his enlightened tone and perspective, one would not imagine that the path he traveled to reach this point was so fraught with unspeakable tragedy, violence and pain. 

It’s the story of an entire life spent falling through the branches of society – from the high boughs of innocence through foster homes, group homes and institutions to a final, leaden landing on death row – getting battered all the way, never finding a solid grip to stop the building downward momentum.  Born to a heroin-addicted mother and institutionalized from a young age, even during his years of freedom, Masters found only rare moments of peace while he continued to be led by anger and despair.  

After 19 years on earth, his actions led him to San Quentin on armed robbery charges and in a few years that bad turned to worse when he was convicted of being an accessory in the murder of a prison guard and sentenced to death.  It was only then, several years later, that Masters was able to find his inner peace and converted to Buddhism.  While incarcerated, he attracted the attention of the American Buddist community and published numerous articles as well as his first book, FINDING FREEDOM. 

THAT BIRD HAS MY WINGS is a cautionary tale for anyone who might be tempted to follow in his footsteps and a reminder to everyone that all children deserve to be loved and to matter.

In 2008, the California Supreme Court ordered an evidenciary hearing based on the lack of substantial evidence for Masters’ conviction.  There is now a movement to free him.  For more info visit, www.freejarvis.org.

From the Good Books Hidden Camera

The original good book in bad times, now with a purple snakeskin cover

Our Blackberry cam ninja-at-large, Laina, is on ongoing assignment all over the Bay Area and beyond to discover what people are reading. Disguised as a commuter, she sneaks into public places such as BART and while seemingly checking work email, the shutter sound effect drowned by BART’s shrieks of metal against metal, snaps photos of book covers held by unsuspecting readers all around her. Faces are kept out of frame. We are voyeurs of a purely literary ilk, ahem.

Have you seen her? And perhaps more importantly: has she seen YOU??

Here we report her most recent findings.  Have you been caught with your nose in a good book?

• Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella
• Winter Chill by John Cleary
• Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss
• Life of Pi by Yann  Martel
• Mutant 59:The Plastic Eaters by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis
• To The Frontier by Geoffrey Moorhouse
• Paper Money by Ken Follett
• Anybody Out There?: A Novel by Marian Keyes
• 22 Tage: Oder, Die Halfe des Lebens by Franz Fuhmann
• Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan
• Women With Men: 3 Stories by Richard Ford
• Anybody Out There?: A Novel by Marian Keyes
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
• The Bible, Genesis
• American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
• The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald
• Amazon Kindle

Father Knows Best

Cover: In The Event of My Untimely Demise

As far as bad times go, parents seem to be the resident experts. We’ve all been there, rolling our eyes and ignoring our parents’ moans and groans about “kids today” and all the problems that can be associated with the youth. Still, it seems, with all their efforts, parents just don’t know how to get through to their text-crazed, “twitter-pated” teens.

They say parenting takes a steady hand and a steady heart, that children are vulnerable beings who rely on their parents’ loving protection and guidance through the hardest of days. Maybe all today’s kids really need is a healthy dose of the truth. Brian Sack seems to think so.

If you crave some unconventional wisdom from the dad who may have had one too many wine coolers, then dive into In The Event of My Untimely Demise. Not surprisingly, being hilariously honest about growing up, relationships, employment, and all the attached baggage is overwhelmingly refreshing. It sure beats the “When I was your age…walking through the snow” lecture.

Read through the book, HERE.

 

 — Submission by HarperOne Fall Intern,  Hailey Horne

Got a light?

These days it seems all we can do is try to be a light in the chaotic dark. But how can we begin to feel light or airy when we are bogged down by everyday stresses and seemingly endless supplies of bad news? When will we realize that maybe all we need is an inner-self makeover?

Lit From Within

Victoria Moran’s Lit from Within,  reminds us that “inner beauty is a real and valuable commodity” and radiance doesn’t come in a Jergens squeeze bottle. There has never been a better time to nurture our own aching spirits. While trying to fix the world, it’s important to step back and work on fixing ourselves every so often. Moran offers kind advice and simple inspirations, while acting as your guide on a self-healing journey. Soon that light within you will begin to burn bright again.

“Light times are coming. Be ready to welcome them.” – Victoria Moran

 

— submission by Hailey Horne