Josh and Heidi Spencer, owners of Bend’s new independent bookstore, Big Story, share four reflection-worthy reads for the season.
The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy edited by John Brehm
Buddhism has seen a resurgence in book sales the past few years by publishers focusing on mindfulness, the practice of fully experiencing the present. This compilation of poetry adds two other Buddhist concepts: impermanence (acceptance of change) and joy (unselfish happiness in spite of circumstances). The editor has compiled more than 125 short poems he feels exhibit those three ideas—from East and West, old and new, known and unknown poets. No larger than an outstretched hand, it’s the ideal size for carrying around and dipping into throughout your day. It works well as a sampler for those who want to read more poetry but don’t know where to start. The last quarter of the book includes tips on mindful reading and bite-size biographies of each poet, making this a perfect gift to yourself or another. — Josh
Worth It: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms by Amanda Steinberg
Amanda Steinberg is the founder and CEO of the financial website dailyworth.com, which currently has more than one million subscribers. In Worth It, her first book, she writes about the relationship women have to their finances and self worth. Dave Ramsey, David Bach, Robert Kiyosaki, and Suzy Orman all have valuable, sound advice for addressing your finances but Steinberg has honed in on an element that hasn’t really been covered by those greats. With a lot of personal stories and some simple exercises, she leads you through identifying your “Money Story” and your “Money Type,” and equips you to easily take the wheel of your financial life. — Heidi
Goodbye Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up inspired many to clean up their messes in recent years and this book, also from Japan, expands on that trend. I’m not a full minimalist (I like my stuff!), but I do try to practice “less is more,” and I found this to be a compelling, personal book. Once a packrat obsessed with possessions and others’ perceptions, the author Fumio Sasaki now owns nothing but the bare necessities to live. As a result, he’s gone from depressed to content. The book starts with a section of photos ofvarious Japanese minimalist rooms and one world traveler’s complete possessions in a single small bag, followed by fifty-five tips for how and why to be minimalist, then some bonus motivations. It only took an hour to read, thanks to its spare, serene prose. Every nonfiction book should be this digestible. — Josh
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
“Grief is a demanding companion.” After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg (CEO of Facebook) finds herself navigating life in the completely unfamiliar, and unwanted, Option B. Through her own journey of loss and grief to get her feet back under her, she and her writing partner Adam Grant, who wrote the bestselling books Give and Take and Originals, have beautifully composed a companion to help those who are grieving from any of life’s myriad losses as well as for those who are witness to someone else’s grieving. We will all face loss of some kind, and this is a relevant guide back to resilience. — Heidi
