The morning after a storm that snapped tree branches, sent people to their basements and trash cans to the curbs, I was sitting in a line of traffic adjacent to a small family-owned garden store.

A woman out front of the garden shop struggled to untangle flagpole ropes twisted in the storm. Hunched over in an awkward position, she couldn’t ...Read more

In a world increasingly fractured by political ideologies, cultural conflict and racial tension, many are searching for more than slogans — they’re looking for healing rooted in grace and shared humanity. This curated collection of books speaks directly to that hunger. Each work is grounded in a spiritually-based approach to reconciliation, ...Read more

To prepare for her first half-marathon, Kandi Schmitz signed up for a 5K run. Six friends and family members decided to join her.

The race was in Melbourne, Florida, a two-hour drive from Schmitz's home in Loxahatchee, near West Palm Beach. So she decided to make a beach getaway out of it. By the time hotel reservations were made, the entourage...Read more

In Linny Mack’s debut novel "Changing Tides," that’s exactly what happens to Sophie Bennett — and it’s the very wave that might carry her toward a new beginning. Mack delivers an emotionally charged neighbors-to-lovers romance that proves some endings can lead to beautiful beginnings.

The novel opens on an earth-shattering revelation: ...Read more

I find myself still pondering the surprise announcement from Warren Buffett, age 94 and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, that he is retiring because he was "beginning to feel his age."

I keep wanting the man to expand. Specifics on "feeling his age" would be helpful and greatly appreciated.

He did say he noticed he was operating at a different speed...Read more

“There’s no being free on the outside without being free on the inside,” proclaims the Mighty Matthias in Venessa Vida Kelley’s lush and luminous debut novel, "When the Tides Held the Moon." The themes of freedom, agency, self-empowerment, community and resilience play out in a nostalgia-tinged kaleidoscope in this historic romantasy set...Read more

"Cold Burn" is the second book in A.J Landau’s National Parks Thriller series and — after finishing it — I’m rushing to read the first one. Wow! This is one action-packed, page-turning and yet sophisticated thriller where the stakes couldn’t be higher — no less than the future of the world and the fate of all mankind.

It grabs you ...Read more

"Grief and Managing This Inevitable Part of Life" by Michael Dow, beautifully presented through the voice of Nurse Dorothea, is a sensitive, heartfelt and empowering book that offers readers both understanding and tools for coping with one of life’s most difficult challenges — grief. As the second installment in the Nurse Dorothea series, ...Read more

I couldn't get into spring cleaning this year. I couldn't get into fall, winter or summer cleaning either.

My housekeeping may be slipping. There was a time when I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom every week. Now I just write "SEND HELP" in the dust on my desk.

When people come over, see that and ask if everything is all right, I ...Read more

In "The Lost Diary of Mary Magdalene," Johnny Teague brings to life the hidden thoughts and emotions of one of history’s most misunderstood figures.

The story begins with an archaeologist, Giuseppe Campise, stumbling upon a clay pot containing Mary Magdalene’s personal diary in the ruins of Magdala. What should have been a groundbreaking ...Read more

Mac Cheek's dad died of a heart attack at age 56. So as Mac neared that age, he took precautions.

He regularly saw a doctor in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. He knew his cholesterol and blood pressure numbers and took medication to keep them in safe ranges. He enjoyed not only his 57th birthday but also his 60th and 65th.

Then ...Read more

Given their long gestation time, it’s stunning how some novels feel preordained to speak to the moment in which they’re published. "A Town with Half the Lights On" by Page Getz truly is one such book. Which is ironic given that it takes place in 2003, but the quirky, engaging and often maddening town portrayed in the book — Goodnight, ...Read more