When I was growing up in the Bronx, NY, I loved going to the library. My mom and I would walk across Mosholu Parkway from our home. Mom would go food shopping – to go to the butcher, the bakery and the supermarket. I went to the library, where I headed straight for the new book section, opening the crisp covers, reading the flaps, flipping the printed pages. I’d stack the books – six was the limit – check them out one at a time – and carry the pile in my arms to meet up with mom.
To this day, new books still excite me. That’s why I so enjoyed attending the 2017 Book Expo at the New York Javits Center earlier this month. The Expo is an annual event where publishers showcase new books. From Simon & Schuster to Hachette, Workman, Penguin and more, I walked every aisle to see each publisher’s offerings.
What’s Hot In The World of Books?
Now that I’ve finally finished combing through my notes and all the catalogs I collected, it’s time to share the themes and trends that caught my attention. Are you ready for what’s hot in the world of books? Note that some of these books may not be available until later in the year.
Here’s the scoop:
Mindfulness and Yoga With A Dosage of Happiness
If you’re not being mindful or you’re not happy, not to worry because there are hundreds of books (or maybe more) to bring you into the present and make you joyful. As a yogi, I was pleased to see that these topics are trending, yet not sure how I would find time to practice if I spent all my time reading. Here are some titles to choose from:
♥ Mindfulness On the Go – “a set of 52 cards and a 64-page illustrated book, all in a flip-top box with an easel to display your mindfulness cards.”
♥ The Yoga Healer by Christine Burke – with “remedies for the body, mind, and spirit, from easing back pain and headaches to managing anxiety and finding joy and peace within.”
♥ Beyond Mindfulness by Stephen Bodian – says it’s “the direct approach to lasting peace, happiness, and love.
♥ Relax into Yoga for Seniors by Kimberly Carson, MPH, E-RYT and Carol Krucoff, E-RYT – including a six-week program for strength, balance, flexibility and pain relief.
♥ Yoga Bodies by Lauren Lipson – about “real people, real stories & the power of transformation”
♥ The Mindful Way to a Good Night’s Sleep by Tzivia Gover, Director of the Institute for Dream Studies – promises to help you “discover how to use dreamwork, meditation, and journaling to sleep deeply and wake well.” Sounds like a good read for my menopausal and post-menopausal friends, since no one ever sleeps!
♥ A Book That Takes Its Time – “an unhurried adventure in creative mindfulness.”
♥ Breathe Like A Bear by Kira Willey – mindfulness for children. (I liked this small book, it makes mindfulness fun for kids.)
…add a dose of happiness ⇒
♥ Can You Be Happy for 100 Days In A Row? by Dmitry Golubnichy – there’s a hashtag for this book #100HAPPYDAYSCHALLENGE.
♥ Signs of Hope – Messages From Subway Therapy by Matthew Levee Chavez – who knew there are signs of hope in the subway?
…if you still cannot find relief and just want to remain a curmudgeon
♥ The Trouble With Reality – A Rumination on Moral Panic In Our Time by Brooke Gladstone
Do You Want To Know How To Live Longer or Age Well?
♥ The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner – features “9 lessons for living longer from the people who’ve lived the longest.” His new book is The Blue Zones of Happiness – with “a blueprint for a better life.”
♥ The Spectrum of Hope by Gayatri Devi, M.D., Director of the New York Memory and Healthy Aging Services – “an optimistic and new approach to Alzheimers Disease and other dementia.”
♥ Sixty by Ian Brown will be out in paperback in August. It’s a diary of Ian’s sixty-first year. (Definitely going to be reading this book in 2017 during my countdown to 60.)
♥ The Longevity Code by Kris Verburg, M.D. – about “the new science of aging.”
♥ If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face? by Alan Alda – maybe the secret to a long life is good communications.
♥ Silver Hair by Lorraine Massey with Michele Bender – a handbook on how to “say goodbye to the dye and let your natural light shine.”
♥ The Naughty Nineties by David Friend- boomers will enjoy this read which reflects on all the ways the world changed in the 90s with “the rise of the web, reality television, and the wholesale tabloidization of pop culture.”
♥ Age Proof Living Longer Without Running Out Of Money Or Breaking A Hip by Today show financial expert Jean Chatzky and the Cleveland Clinic’s chief wellness officer. – sounds like a healthy and wealthy combination for a long life.
Need A Little Inspiration?
These books will rev up your mind, body and soul:
♥ Quotes That Will Change Your Life edited by Russ Kick
♥ Things That Join The Sea and The Sky by Mark Nepo, a wonderful poet
♥ Wisdom from Michelle Obama or Wisdom from David Bowie
♥ Contemplation Cards – 60 different cards with words for reflection & intention
♥ Every Day is Epic by Mary Kate McDevitt – a 365-day guided journal
♥ 200 Women Who Will Change The Way You See The World – the editors interviewed 200 notable women including Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Goodall, Julie Taymor. All were asked the same five questions about life, happiness, and making changes.
…not inspired yet? Maybe your pet can help!
♥ Really Important Stuff My Cat Has Taught Me by Cynthia L. Copeland – does your cat have all the answers?
♥ Waggish by Grace Chon and Melanie Monteiro – these pictures of dogs will make you smile.
♥ The Dogist Puppies by Elias Weiss Friedman – an “irresistible gift for dog lovers.”
♥ What It’s Like To Be A Dog by Gregory Berns – “adventures in animal neuroscience.”
Novels For Summer Reading
I can’t describe them all, so I will just share the titles of the new novels that were featured on posters and in the exhibits : The Burning Girl ♥ Rich and Pretty ♥ Another Brooklyn ♥ The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O ♥ Same Beach, Next Year ♥ The Force ♥ Dragon Teeth ♥ The Secrets You Keep ♥ Black Mad Wheel ♥ Rich People Problems ♥ Burn Town ♥ The Nightingale Won’t Let You Sleep ♥ Camino Island ♥ Spoonbenders
New Novels For Fall Reading
There are many more novels coming later in 2017: ♥ Odd Child Out ♥ Wonder Valley ♥ The Quantum Spy ♥ The Child Finder ♥ Forest Dark ♥ Grist Mill Road ♥ The Woman in the Window
It’s Time To Start Cooking
Here’s a collection of new cookbooks hitting the shelves and hopefully foodies’ kitchens. All are yummy and feature mouthwatering photos that will make you want to cook and bake: ♥ The Healing Slow Cooker ♥ The Sullivan Street Bakery Book ♥ Everyday Korean ♥ Tasting Hygge ♥ Bowls
Proudly Wear Your Imprints
♥ Literary Tattoos by Lotta Scott
♥ Lithographs.com offers tees and other attire with text from great books.
Last But Not Least
Couldn’t forget to mention that my favorite children’s Golden Book was featured at the show — The Pokey Little Puppy.
What are you reading this summer?
Judi
