Books – Life of Kim

Three British TV Shows, Two Books on Spiritual Matters, and a Poem on Peace

October 1, 2025September 30, 2025KimLeave a comment

I am still getting over Covid, which I had earlier in the month. As someone with asthma, allergies, and some other chronic conditions, it’s taking me longer than I’d like. So, I’ve been reading several books and watching a lot of shows during my downtime.

Let’s start with the poem: I came across it while searching for a John O’Donohue poem for this Substack post I wrote about peace. John O’Donohue wrote in a way that drew his readers toward wisdom, nature’s beauty and the deep things of the soul. His poetry soothes me like the arms of a loving mother: comforting, clear, and kind.

Blessing For Peace by John O’Donohue (from his book Benedictus)

As the fever of day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.

We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.

For those who risk their lives each day for peace,

That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.

That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression.

That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.

That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares

And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.

Next, the two books I finished this past weekend both left me inspired and encouraged.
The first is Elaine Paigels’ Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus. I wasn’t sure if this would be the sort of book so high-minded and intellectual that the gospels would be torn into tatters or presented as simply myths.

Instead, Paigels presents any historical evidence there might be to support the stories while also clearly sharing what isn’t there. She looks at topics such as Jesus’ virgin birth, his resurrection, his claim to be God and doesn’t mock or tear down anyone’s faith. She just shares facts that are known and leaves it up to the reader to choose what to believe from there. Paigels, is, after all, a historian of religion, so I would say she did her work thoroughly. If you want to read more about the life of Christ from a historical perspective, I recommend this book.

The second book I read was Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground by Mirabai Starr. This book encourages us to find the sacred and the divine in everything we do, everywhere we go. To hear the voice of God in birdsong or our partner’s voice, to connect to Divine Presence anywhere we happen to be: a meditation room, a church, at work, in the garden, making dinner. She pulls in the voices of famous mystics like Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh, and everyday people she knows such as a writer friend and the woman who does her nails at the local salon.

Mirabai is so welcoming of others’ experiences, opening up the way for any of us to be mystics, to support and enrich our spiritual lives wherever we are and whatever we are experiencing. I also really appreciated her chapter on grief and how grief connects us to the Divine and to one another. I recommend this book if you’re looking to enhance your spiritual life.

Now for the three British TV shows:

Lynley is the latest TV rendition of Elizabeth George’s ongoing DI Lynley mystery series. If you’re familiar with the books or the earlier Inspector Lynley series from the late 1990s/early aughts, this is a fresh take. The mysteries were interesting enough to keep me guessing and the new versions of both the aristocratic Thomas Lynley and his detective sergeant side-kick, Barbara Havers were likable enough. Their chemistry is a bit different, as Lynley’s and Helen’s, his love interest. It has gravitas but doesn’t get depressing and adds just enough lightness to keep it balanced.

Playing Nice is a four-episode suspense/drama about a couple who find out that their son is not their biological child. The boy who they’ve raised as their own was switched with their biological son in the NICU. Their lives unravel quickly as a sociopath attempts to not only take the son they’ve raised, but prevent them from ever seeing their biological son. Starring James Norton of Grantchester and Happy Valley and Jessica Brown Findley of Downton Abbey.

Line of Duty is a police show and I watched all six seasons this month. AC-12 is a police department whose purpose is to root out corruption in the police force and catch bent cops. It’s intense and, if you like this sort of show, it’ll be difficult to stop at the end of each episode! Each season, there is a particular police officer connected to a suspicious incident that AC-12 is investigating, often undercover. The good news is a seventh season is in the works.

What have you been reading and watching lately? Please share in comments!

Fiction to Read or Consider

February 16, 2024KimLeave a comment

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Family Family by Laurie Frankel had such an unusual feel to me. Themes include teen pregnancy, adoption, and childhood trauma, but it isn’t sad or even serious. Everything almost feels like a joke.

Her main character, India Allwood, is bright, determined, creative, and goes after what she wants. She makes mistakes but makes the best of tough situations too. All the characters seemed weird, too quirky, and bit unreal. The lighthearted feel the characters and the writing had seemed too bright, too glossy, too fake like Hollywood where India lives with her adopted kids. I like that India won’t paint herself as a victim, but she also doesn’t seem to think her poor choices are worth learning from. I found her habit of ripping up pieces of paper and throwing them all over like confetti whenever (and wherever) she celebrated really irritating.

At the end some things come to the surface and are dealt with, but everything wraps up a bit too perfectly. It’s almost as if the book was written from a kid’s perspective, except it wasn’t. If you read it, I’d love to know what you think.

North Woods by Daniel Mason felt like a collection of short stories all centered around one place, instead of a novel. But I don’t like short story collections and I loved this book. It had an element of magic realism with ghosts and also a strong sense of the swiftness of time passing, and of the never-ending cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

There was a deep reverence of wild nature embedded into the novel. When I finished reading it I wanted to bow and kiss the earth and embrace the trees nearby. The author also imbued an interest in human history, starting from Puritan times and going into the future. I found it so creative and refreshing to have story after story of humans interacting with the land, the trees, wildlife, and the house as the years went on. Most were written in story form, sometimes as a letter, article, or poem. Certain characters I cared about more than others, but I never was bored. North Woods is a sweeping, unforgettable novel that is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Highly recommended!!

One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall is a mystery/thriller that has a few surprises up its sleeve. I knew that all must not be what it seemed as it starts out with Cole’s POV because this novel is a commentary on the #MeToo movement. Cole obviously thinks he’s “one of the good guys” and just seems too good to be true but he’s the only viewpoint for more than half of the book. So something felt off but I just didn’t know what exactly.

And then, as Leonora takes over telling the tale, the reader begins to be clued in to what is really happening. And that there is a clever, daring, carefully-laid trap for one unsuspecting person. It didn’t have the same feel as a typical murder mystery because of the point the book is trying to make is so loud and clear. It takes over any mysterious elements. It definitely held my interest and had some creepy/scary elements. I liked the switching POVs in the second half as it gave a clearer picture of what was going on. Trigger warnings include IVF treatment and violence toward women. Oh and I forgot to mention the book is set on the English coast with dangerous cliffs and mist and cozy cottages and the stormy sea. If any of these elements or the novel’s theme interest you, I think you’ll enjoy reading One of the Good Guys.