It’s been a while since my last book review! As you might know, I had a very successful brain surgery for a benign tumor about 6 months ago and although I’ve been doing exceptionally well, I am just now starting to feel more like myself. I had a great opportunity to read some wonderful books which were piling up for my review during my recovery, so this particular book review is going to be packed full! Here we go. Enjoy.
First out of the box is my own book, “Self-care for Caregivers: a practical guide to caring for you while you care for your loved one”! I created this book to share 140 tips, strategies, and suggestions that will guide you on your caregiving journey to a brighter path and greater experience. Self-care is the secret sauce to becoming an empowered caregiver. This book is designed to be an easy and quick read with one tip per page in the areas of Emotional, Body, Soul, and Practical Self-care. I wanted to share what I learned and how I survived and even thrived on my caregiving journey. Please let me know what you think, and if you love it please review it on Amazon. It would mean the world to me!
Any book that offers to move me beyond burnout and help me make a difference has my vote. That’s exactly what “Conscious Service: Ten ways to reclaim your calling, move beyond burnout, and make a difference without sacrificing yourself” helps us do with 10 straight-up wonderful tips to empower our world without wracking our body and soul with exhaustion. As a Caregiver Warrior, this is not only helpful but life-changing. The author, Elizabeth Bishop provides strategies that open the door to the type of self-care prioritization that allows us to be our best at all times: energized and excited about our role in the world.
Lori Ramos Lemasters knows what it’s like to experience caregiver burnout and the inevitable challenges of caring for those you love. She found solace, inspiration, and strength by journaling during her caregiver journey and has written a wonderful guide to journaling for caregivers, “You’re a Caregiver, Not a Saint: Yeah Write”! Sharing exercises, prompts, techniques, and a helpful, intuitive workbook, she opens the door for self-expression which is so necessary for all caregiver warriors. Yeah, write!
Anytime I can read something that helps me roar and tap into my powerful divine self I’m ready! It’s so easy to forget who we are and to remember to celebrate our resilience and power when we are in the throes of caring. “Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman’s Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous and Peaceful”, is a guide for any woman who wants to live an examined and rich life, with an emphasis on goddess energy and feminist spirituality. Author Acharya Shunya does a magnificent job of offering the ancient goddess wisdom to modern-day dilemmas showing us the way back to our divine selves.
“Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey” by Suzanne Marriott is a stunning memoir written with honesty, grit, and tenderness. Every single caregiver reading this book will find themselves in the pages. This is a loving, authentic, and real look at love, marriage in sickness and health, and true self-discovery. This is an expansive story about finding ourselves as we care for others and the pain and joy of walking each other home. This raw story encompassing all the roller coaster rides caregiving gives us includes a long hard look at the intimate details of fighting doctors, death, and grief.
Lynne Twist has had an extraordinary life committed to the service of mankind. She has been at the forefront of the movement to rid the world of hunger for decades. Her latest book, “Living a Committed Life, Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself” written with astonishing clarity and agency is a testament to the mindset that changes the world. Filled with her personal stories and true dedication to changing the world, this is a life-changing book.
“The Well of Truth: Stories of the Spirit” is a fast read. Grace, the heroine of Elizabeth A. Gould’s stories, is a fascinating character and we can all see and feel her life through familiar eyes. Following her from childhood to full womanhood as she meets the challenges and joys of her life, we gain wonderful inspiration and insight into the grace an examined life has to offer.
There is a life manual! I found it in Rebecca A. Ward’s book, “The Paper Tiger Syndrome: How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear”. Based on her own life of lessons learned and truths revealed she has come up with a guide to living a rich and powerful life free from the paper tiger fears that can threaten us daily. Chock full of tips, strategies, worksheets, and accompanying workbook for chasing away fear, anxiety, and concern this guide leads us out of the jungle of living on the edge so we can live fulfilled and excited.
My parents died within 7 weeks of each other, and I distinctly remember the deep sense of loss and feeling like an orphan. I’ve heard this sentiment echoed often in the caregiving world. Ingrid Hanson-Popp captures and examines this extraordinary feeling in her book “Becoming an Orphan: Lovingly Letting Our Parents Go” with such grace. Combining engaging real-life stories of those who have gone through this journey with gentle, positive tips at the end of each chapter, Hanson-Popp has given us a true gift with this heartfelt book on an extremely important topic.
Finding or making peace with the death of a loved one is never easy and so many of us find comfort in our spirituality. Believing there is a plan and a place they travel to can provide great comfort. “Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters” written by University Of Notre Dame theologian Leonard J DeLorenzo is a beautiful testament to grief and loss through the eyes of the Catholic Church doctrine. Many can find solace in these pages
“A Cup of Tea on the Commode: My Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for My Mom. How I Survived to Tell the Tale” by Mark Steven Porro requires laughter, tears, and heartbreak to read. It also will ring a tolling bell for many caregivers out there, especially sons, husbands, and brothers. This could only have been written by a Jersey boy and it echoes my journey of returning to New Jersey to care for my Mom and Dad. Here’s yet another amazing caregiver being honest and raw inspiring us to keep keepin on.
All the above books can be found on Amazon by clicking on the links below:
“Self-care for Caregivers: a practical guide to caring for you while you care for your loved one”!
“You’re a Caregiver, Not a Saint: Yeah Write”!
“Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey”
“Living a Committed Life, Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself”
“The Well of Truth: Stories of the Spirit”
“The Paper Tiger Syndrome: How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear”
“Becoming an Orphan: Lovingly Letting Our Parents Go”
“Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters”
Well, that’s it for now! Leave me comments below and any books you have been reading that floats your boat. Much love!
If you loved this book review, you’ll enjoy this one too!
Dear Caregiver Warriors,
As one Caregiver Warrior to another, I offer advice, helpful tips, and strategies based on the experience, strength, and hope I found while surviving my own caregiving journey. It has become my mission to share my stories and the things I learned about being an empowered caregiver. To help spread the word and offer guidance to other caregivers, I have written a new book entitled “Self Care for Caregivers: a practical guide to caring for you while you care for your loved one.” It’s available at your favorite bookstore. There is even a audio version so you can listen on the go! If you find the book everything you hoped for, please let me know and please leave a review where you purchased the book! Your feedback means the world to me!
Your decision to become a caregiver reflects your empathy and kindness, showing that you are willing to go above and beyond to help those in need.
Thank you Eleanor! But I think all of us that show up as caregivers are willing to go above and beyond. It’s what we do! Now, we just have to learn to be kind to ourselves!