Erin Darlyn

I loved Fibershed and found it so inspiring. There is so much useful research in this book. It really shines a light on how unsustainable our current clothing industry is, and how recently this change has happened, whilst also encouraging the reader to think differently. It also offers examples of people who are making a difference in their own local communities.

I made the switch to natural fibers a few years ago and started making more of my own clothes with linen and cotton fabrics. I began learning to knit and to spin yarn and sourced some local, raw alpaca fleeces that I have been gradually transforming into wearable items. I have a few things that I have died with natural materials thus far - some pink linen dyed with avocado (I will likely make a dress with it) and some gray linen died with rosemary and tea that I am sewing into an apron now. This book made me want to expand on this practice and focus on having fewer items in my wardrobe, but an overall wardrobe comprised of heirloom-quality, well made pieces that support my local fiber shed as much as possible (without harming the ecology) and that tell a story of connection. It has been a dream of mine for years to grow enough flax one year to process, weave, and turn into a dress. Reading Fibershed has encouraged me in this and shown me that it is possible and there are people doing it! I should say, though, that we don't all have to go to this extreme to make a positive change, and the author does make that clear.

Some people will find the idea of sourcing a wardrobe from their own local fibershed difficult, either because of where they live or because most clothing these days is made overseas. I would encourage such readers to think of their fibershed, then, as being a larger area than the one the author was able to focus on in her experiment. She was living in an agricultural region in an agricultural, multicultural state with a lot of craftspeople and farmers. If you do not, think about expanding that radius for your own experiment. Even if you limited yourself only to items made and produced in your own country, you would still be sourcing from a fibershed much more local than one overseas!

I found myself reading portions of this book aloud to my husband, who has since said that he wants to read the book himself next, and I already sent a copy to a relative who has recently become interested in transitioning their wardrobe to natural fibers. Highly recommend!

There are some really good thoughts presented in this book. There is also a lot of filler. The book is slow to get going and slow to conclude and it can feel a bit unfocused at times. I found the middle chapters to be the most compelling.

I did not always agree with the author's philosophies, primarily when it came to typical western worldviews and assumptions about biblical teachings that modern scholars view with skepticism. The book does contain some valuable information and perspectives, though. I especially liked the sections where the author discussed the words ezer and hayil and how English Bible translations have influenced the way we view their interpretations. If there had been more of this type of analysis in the book, I would likely have given it a higher rating.

There are a couple of places where a very privileged western worldview peeks through in the author's words in insensitive ways, which didn't sit well with me.

Overall, it was a bit fluffy but offered a fresh perspective on a couple of things here and there that will stick with me as I dive deeper into my own study.

This book is beautiful and enormous. I particularly enjoyed seeing some of Da Vinci's less popular works, alternate versions of some of his more famous ones, and his sketchbook pages.

Some of the images are repeated multiple times throughout the book and others are printed very small; thus, I did not feel that this particular version is worthy of 5 stars.

This small but thick book is a beautiful showcase of Monet's work and life. I wish that some of the images that were printed at postage stamp size had been given more space, as there were a few of those that ended up being my favorites and I had to look them up online to see them well. A great introduction to his work.

I was so excited when I found Morgan???s newest book of poems at the bookstore ahead of launch day earlier this week! I discovered her work in June and thoroughly loved All Along You Were Blooming and How Far You Have Come.

This third book of poems earned another 5 stars from me. It???s stunningly beautiful. Every time I read her poetry collections, I want to get extra copies of the books so I can frame the colorful pages and hang them all over the walls in my office. The artwork she creates to accompany her pretty words is so lovely. I especially loved the rich rainbow of colors she used in this volume.

Morgan???s poetry is always so timely for me. It touches my soul, helps me to feel hopeful and reminds me I am not alone. She speaks my heart language.

Beautifully done, Morgan! Congratulations on the release of your newest book this week!

1 star. I re-read this book for research purposes. The first time I read it, I was in a teen girl's Sunday school class and was harmed by it. This time around, I read the original version that I read in the early 2000's and this updated version, whilst also referencing the teacher's manual.

While this updated version removed some of the most harmful pages (the calorie counting chart, body measurements page, etc.), and did add some more diverse illustrations, I found that the underlying insidious tone was still present and that this version was even more triggering for disordered eating. I would not recommend it.

I have a full review on this book available here, as it was just too long to share in its entirety on Goodreads.

Link to Original Review

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Beside Still Waters is a daily devotional that contains just over a year???s worth of daily entries. The entries are not dated, so you can take as long as you???d like to read through it without feeling constrained to a dated schedule.

I buddy read it with my Gran over the course of about a year and a half. We would each read the day???s entry, then share our thoughts with each other, which made reading through it a sweet experience I will always treasure.

There were some things I liked about the book and others that I didn???t.

Things I liked about it:

- The language used has been updated to be more seamless for the modern reader. (Some of Spurgeon???s writing elsewhere can feel a little dense and dated and thus requires more focus to get through at times.)

- The tone of the book is often very sweet and compassionate. Parts of it are beautifully poetic. I started reading through it after I lost my Dad and I found some of the entries comforting and gentle. Some of them even brought me to tears.

- The overall tone is encouraging and uplifting without being blatantly ???breezy??? (by that I mean breezing right on by hard things or sticking only to glossy subjects) or fluffy.

- The entries address a wide variety of circumstances, emotions, and seasons of life. I think most people could find entries that resonate with them to some degree.

Things I didn???t like about it:

- There are some passages that really did not age well. For example, on page 192, Spurgeon lauds Columbus??? voyage as having been arranged by God.

- There are a few entries in which Spurgeon paints God as an abusive tyrant with a big stick, which just does not line up with a faithful theology.

- There are a couple places where the stigma surrounding mental health that was more prevalent even a decade ago is evident. Spurgeon often tries to paint anxiety and depression as things that are incapable of existing alongside faith, which is just not true and is an idea that has been harmful to many people.

- There are a handful of entries which gloss over, diminish, negate, or attempt to bypass grief, loss, hardship, and deep spiritual wounds. They sometimes imply that we shouldn???t feel grief or pain because we still have God, regardless of who or what we have lost or what kind of pain we have endured. One passage says, ???Our life is one long holiday when the Lord Jesus keeps us company,??? in the context of someone who is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. There is an undercurrent of unhealthy coping that runs through some entries and attempts to invalidate the humanness of emotion, grief, and the process of healing.

- One entry suggests that healing of deep wounds should be immediate when we think about God???s love for us. While I realize that God???s love is healing and brings healing, the healing process is different for everyone and the time it takes to heal also varies, just as physical wounds do. Broad-brushing healing for everyone and reducing it to a singular experience that is put forth as the norm for all people who are hurting is not helpful.

- Some entries demonstrate a lack of awareness of the implications of the author???s ideas about God. For instance, one entry claims, ???The most violent people could not move a finger if strength were not lent them by the Lord.??? I understand what the author was trying to say here, but I found it poorly worded and couldn???t help thinking about the implications of that kind of theology of God. ???So why does He lend it to them, then???? was the question I wrote in the margin. The page after that one claims, ???Surely He who takes the trouble to give you a kingdom will not let you starve on the road to it.??? Again, I understand what he was trying to say. But many people do starve. Words matter, and we have to follow our ideas through when we present them to make sure they align with a faithful theology. Glossiness and platitudes rarely correspond with reality.

- One entry suggests that poor people should just be content with their lot in life and trust God, excusing the people and systems that keep poor people poor instead of amplifying the social ethic Jesus taught. In another entry, Spurgeon tells people who have no income, friends, home, or health to focus on the fact that they have a Savior, therefore they ???have all things.??? Again, I realize what he was trying to say here, but it just doesn???t align with a loving approach when speaking directly to people who are homeless, jobless, and penniless (as he was in this entry). Telling people who have nothing that they have Jesus and then doing nothing to clothe or feed them goes against the values Jesus demonstrated.

- One entry claims, ???Everything that happens to you is for your own good.??? This is false and dangerous. While God promises to work everything out for good in the end, a lot of things that happen to people are just evil, crappy, and harmful. They aren???t for our own good and God doesn???t claim that they are (neither does the author of Romans). Abuse and other criminal offenses do not happen to us for our own good. That God might work things out for good later does not make the bad things that happen to us good. God brings and works goodness in spite of them. Evil is not good.

- He occasionally speaks using absolutes (always, never, etc.) which just don???t ring true. For example, on page 266, Spurgeon says, ???Your faith will never be weak when you are weak, but when you are strong your faith cannot be strong.??? Page 301 says, ???Jesus??? power can only be perfectly revealed in His people by holding, keeping, and sustaining them in trouble.??? (Emphases added.)

Overall, there were some really sweet sentiments and beautiful quotes throughout the book, but it is not one that I would recommend to a new believer or to someone who is not prepared to read it with discernment.

Link to Original Review

Priscilla???s Letter: Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is a well written, thought-provoking exploration of the idea that the canonical book of Hebrews could have been written by Priscilla (of Priscilla / Prisca and Aquila).

While we cannot be absolutely certain of Hebrews??? authorship from just the information we have available today, Ruth does a fantastic job laying out a case for the possibility that Priscilla was the author. She demonstrates the ways the unnamed author of the book uses feminine language and identifies with women throughout the book of Hebrews, examines the other potential authors of the book (and shows why they cannot be candidates for authorship), then presents all of the factors that could point to Priscilla as the author using well-cited, well-researched historical and contextual information.

Having now read the book, I agree that there is good evidence that the usual suspects for authorship are unlikely and that it is entirely plausible that the writer was a woman. Ruth makes a compelling case for Priscilla???s authorship and the book is a fascinating read. I definitely recommend it.

4.75?????? rounded up. Link to Original Review

The NET Bible (New English Translation) Full Notes Edition is a lovely Bible. The copy I purchased and that is shown in the photos in the blog post linked above is the genuine leather-bound, comfort print edition. It has a smooth, veg-tan leather feel with a camel brown colored cover and three attached satin bookmarks. The Bible itself is quite hefty and thick. It has a good hand feel, though it is large enough that I might not carry it around everywhere with me.

I took about eight months to read through the entire edition and kept notes about some of the things I appreciated about it along the way. Overall, I really liked it but I did notice a couple of things that kept it from becoming my favorite translation.

Things I loved about it:

- The abundance of translators??? notes. This edition boasts over 60,000 translator notes and is the most comprehensive edition (in terms of such notes) I have ever come across.

- Most Bibles I have read have brief footnotes to indicate where there is a case for an alternate translation of a word or phrase. Study Bibles also often have contextual notes that can cover a large part of the page. In this edition, though, those three columns of extras that you see in the photo above (see the blog post) are translator notes. In these notes, the translators shared their process for arriving at the translations they chose and share their reasoning for choosing the translation they did, as well as alternate translations and the reasons why some translators lean toward those alternate options. They reference different original texts and codices, differences in original languages, where some copies of original texts differ, and more.

- I really appreciate the transparency the edition provides through these notes. I was able to glean so much from the information provided, and there are also some contextual notes included in these sections throughout. Having access to these notes made me wish there was a Full Notes Edition for every Bible translation out there.

- The language is engaging and easy to read and understand.

- Many of the translator???s choices were linguistically inclusive.

Up until I reached some passages in the New Testament, this edition was tied with my current favorite Bible translation as one of my favorite versions. There were times when I thought it might even inch ahead of my favorite and become my top preference. However, there were a few things about it that kept it from usurping my favorite version???s position in my heart.

Things that kept this edition from becoming my favorite:

- Luke 13:10-17 presents what, in my opinion, is an unfortunate translator???s choice. The chosen wording in the passage implies that a woman???s disability was demonically induced. Though the translators acknowledge that the Greek does not read the same way they have worded the English translation in their notes, not everyone is going to read all of the translators??? notes when they are reading the passage, and I can see this passage being misused to harm disabled people if taught without discernment.

- Romans 16:7 demotes the status of Junia and Andronicus to that of ???well known to the apostles??? rather than ???outstanding among the apostles,??? and Romans 16:1 demotes Phoebe to ???a servant??? of the church in Cenchreae rather than a deacon.

- There are a couple of places where the translators have added words that they acknowledge are not in the Greek. For example, in 1 John 1:5 and 3:11, ???gospel??? is added before ???message.??? This adds clarity, perhaps (depending on your perspective, I suppose), but is not there in the Greek. I also did not think it prudent that they changed ???brother??? to ???fellow Christian??? throughout the book, as it is a less inclusive reading than ???brother.??? ???Brother??? could mean ???any fellow or man.??? Translating it ???fellow Christian??? changes the meaning of the text to one that only requires love for other Christians, which has significant implications in application.

Overall, I did truly enjoy reading the translation and the plethora of translator???s notes. I will revisit it often and would definitely recommend reading it but it will probably not become my daily reading translation.

Your Story Matters is such an inspiring book. I initially picked it up because I try to read a little bit about writing every year and when I saw Ann Voskamp???s testimonial on the cover of this book, I was immediately sold on it. Ann???s lyrical writing style had quickly earned her a spot on the list of my very favorite authors several years prior, and I trusted her recommendation.

Leslie is a writer and writing teacher. In this work, she walks the reader through the process of learning to write our stories in meaningful, vibrant, and skillful ways, even if we aren???t sure where the story is quite yet. She teaches us to slow down and just be a witness to our own lives, to flesh out a map or timeline that can help us to navigate along the journey, to craft compelling scenes with our words, to reflect on deeper meanings and truths, to bring value to our readers and find ways to connect with them, to edit well, and to take steps to share our stories. The book is thoroughly inspiring. I definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in writing or in learning more about the process of writing, even if only for your own personal journaling practice.

Two of my favorite quotes are found in the introduction:

???Every day we are different; the world awakens new, and the memories of what was and what we???ve been, and the discovery of who we are now, could all be lost. But we have this chance now to stop. We???re stopping to ask the questions we did not know to ask. We???re stopping to find the difficult and beautiful truths of our lives. And what a gift it will be, to send this awakening, these crafted and compelling words on to others, that they - and we - may not pilgrim alone.?????????writing the truest words we can find from our lives can order our chaotic present, help us make sense of a jumbled past, move us from grief to hope. Writing can bring healing to wounds; it can even open the door for reconciliation and forgiveness. Learning to tell a truer story will help us live a better story.???

If you are also a lover of words, I think you will enjoy it!

I listened to this book rather than reading a hard copy, as the audiobook is narrated by Joanna and there is something quite special about being able to listen to the author of a book read it in their own voice. It's my favorite way to enjoy a modern memoir.

Whilst full of lovely sentiments, inspiring thoughts and sweet memories, I found myself wishing that Joanna had let us in a little more as she wrote. The book gave me the feeling that she was holding back and I think it could have been so much more special if she had gone just a little bit deeper.

This book is outstanding, engaging, and very thoroughly researched. I loved it and learned so much. If you work with plant-based anything, I highly recommend reading it. As a clinical herbalist, organic gardener (aspiring farmer) and sustainable herbalism teacher, I will be suggesting it to all of my students.

This book is best suited to someone who has not yet been diagnosed with ADHD and has not yet done much, if any, research on what it looks like in women but is curious about whether they could have it.

It is a very basic introduction to the topic and the information provided never dives much below surface level.

I did not find the workbook sections to be useful, and the sections on strategies are super basic. If you are an adult with ADHD you probably already do most of the things they suggest naturally and they only provide a brief paragraph to introduce each of them before moving on to the next.

Not my favorite resource by far, but I could see myself recommending it to someone who is wondering if it's possible that they could have ADHD but has not yet decided to seek assessment.

4.5 stars

I really liked this book. After reading two other books that were very basic, introductory level books on neurodivergence (one of which heavily pathologized it and the other of which was not very useful), this book felt like a breath of fresh air. The author approaches neurodiversity from a positive perspective and highlights both her own story and the stories of other neurodivergent women throughout the book as she discusses ADHD, ASD, SPD and other neurodivergences. I really enjoyed reading about her interviews with different mental health professionals who shared their insight and work, and some of her own ideas resonated as well.

This is not an in-depth book about every “disorder,” nor is it a psychiatric how-to manual for living, but I did find it to be an enjoyable, uplifting read that helped me to feel seen, understood and less alone as an entrepreneur with a recent diagnosis and as a person with an unconventional vision for a healthier world. I also came away with a long list of resources, books and ideas to pursue next in my own research.

There are a few (6) minor profanities scattered throughout, which may be off-putting to some readers, and she does use the outdated term “Asperger's” in the book (Asperger's is a diagnostic term that was removed from the DSM-V in 2013 and has some problematic ties). The book might not resonate with some people who are more severely disabled by their diagnosis(es) or with people whose life experience is drastically different from the author's.

This book was given to me as a gift and I loved reading it! It is filled with beautiful photos of different species of wool-producing species, as well as their fleeces / fibers in raw, cleaned, spun, and knitted states. I am allergic to sheep's wool but I enjoyed reading about the different breeds of sheep so much that I almost ordered samples of several different fleeces just to see if perhaps my body would allow me to work with them. (I may still do that one day.) I loved that the camelids, goats, rabbits and other fiber animals were also included.

The stories of the different sheep breeds and other animals were fascinating and I especially loved reading about the at-risk and scarce species.

This seems to be a well-researched labor of love that must have taken so much time to compile. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the fiber arts.

The premise of this book has merit, and there is some useful information in it, but it is also based on a borrowed premise and, as such, there was not much in it that I had not heard elsewhere.

There are hundreds of spoilers in this book. If you have an extensive or diverse TBR, you may find yourself needing to skip paragraphs or even multiple pages of content to avoid spoiling a story you want to read. This might make it less than useful for some readers. Additionally, while the author???s analyses are insightful, they are also sometimes ???fluffy,??? and the book does contain some editing errors / typos.

I think this book best serves as a beginner???s introduction to storytelling. It???s limited in scope but does give the reader a jumping off point.

Reading Ladder to the Light was so refreshing for me. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the author's perspectives and came away with a lot of inspiration to carry with me on my own path. The book really started to resonate once I reached chapter 5 and it was then (and in the few chapters following) that so many of the things that have been on my own heart lately started to come together in really beautiful ways. Thought provoking, poignant and full of wisdom; I will carry some of the words in this book with me for the rest of my life.

This quote was one of my favorites:

“Without kinship, a nation is a nation in name only. It is a random collection of isolated people, all competing with one another, bound together by rules that often favor the few over the many. Consequently, the foundation for community is inherently unstable. The nation is always susceptible to struggle and injustice. It lacks a spiritual core.Kinship provides that core because kinship means not conformity but relationship - deep, spiritual relationship. In the Native American context, this means every person's right to be who they are and believe how they wish. It also means they are part of an intimate family relationship, grounded in sharing, cooperation and mutual respect. It means being a nation without boundaries or hierarchies. it means being willing to take less so others may have more - not because it is the law, but because it is love.”

Thank you for sharing your stories and wisdom with us, Elder Charleston. I am grateful.

Rating: 2 stars of 5

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady???s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners, is a hilarious commentary on how women were viewed, treated and expected to behave during the Victorian period. It???s written as a sort of satire and pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the antiquated ideas that were prevalent amongst the source materials the author used.

The book focuses largely on advertisements, books and other published materials from the era. At times, these are laughably absurd and at other times, infuriating. The most amusing samples, perhaps, are some of those written by male physicians of the time, who apparently had no clue what they were talking about when it came to female physiology or psychology. One of the ideas a male doctor put forth in one of the latter chapters had me laughing so hard I was crying as I was trying to read the passage aloud to my husband.

Whilst entertaining, there were a few things I did not like about the book. There are some inaccuracies throughout. If you are looking for a comprehensive, historically accurate read, I would not recommend this book as your best option. Something by Ruth Goodman, perhaps, would be better. Her book, How to Be a Victorian, is good.

The irreverent tone in which the book is written is occasionally off-putting in the beginning but the sarcasm becomes quite grating as the book goes on. Whilst funny at first, it really got old after awhile.

There are some sections that can be quite triggering. I would recommend skipping the chapter on diet altogether if you would find irreverent discussions of weight and weight loss troubling. The way that chapter is presented is appalling, and it isn???t entirely the fault of the source material. The author contributes to it as well.

Overall, it was an amusing, though not altogether enjoyable, read. I wouldn???t not recommend it, but I also would not purchase any copies to give away and I will not be keeping my copy in my library.

This book is a helpful resource for people who are experiencing abuse or who think it is possible that they are but are not quite ready to call it abuse. It deals primarily with spiritual abuse that often manifests itself in faith communities, but is also applicable to other types of abuse that can occur outside of religious organizations (physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, etc.).

Dr. Mullen shares his own story of his family???s healing journey after experiencing spiritual abuse as he breaks down some of the tactics used by people in positions of power to abuse others. He describes common red flags, language that should serve as a warning that something might not be right, and gives suggestions for handling such situations whilst also keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.

I found the book to be well-written and accurate. I also related to some of the author???s story about the spiritual abuse his family endured and found his recommendations helpful. Further, there is a lot of great information here that people can use to help ensure that their faith communities are safe spaces for everyone and that they are aware of the steps they can take to be sure they are not perpetuating harm.

Here are a few quotes that I underlined in my copy:

- ???Remember, knowledge is the foundation for reclaiming the power that has been stolen from you.???

- ???Many have asked me how I protect myself from vicarious trauma or from becoming overly despairing and cynical. My answer: I look for and cultivate beauty.???

- ???Abuse is a community concern. Therefore, the question must be asked of each of us: In what ways am I perpetuating an abusive culture through my silence or tacit endorsement of those who are in the wrong????

- ???Our response reveals whose voice we honor more. Consider these words from Judith Herman: ???It is very tempting to take the side of the perpetrator. All the perpetrator asks is that the bystander do nothing. He appeals to the universal desire to see, hear, and speak no evil. The victim, on the contrary, asks the bystander to share the burden of pain. The victim demands action, engagement, and remembering.??????

- ???Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.??? - Elie Wiesel

The end of the book has a lengthy list of resources for people who have experienced or are experiencing various kinds of abuse so they can find the help they need. This includes resources for people who are not being abused that can be referred to in order to help create safe spaces for people in their communities.

I do recommend this book.

If you are experiencing abuse, there are people who are ready and willing to help you. With just those few seconds of courage it takes to make a call or send a message, you can connect with people who are ready to listen and provide assistance so you can also begin your own healing process.

If you live in the United States and are being physically abused by someone in your home, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline 24/7 toll-free at 800-799-7233. If speaking aloud is dangerous for you, you can also text START to 88788.