A really good book can touch you deeply; it can move you, stirring thoughts and emotions from the inside out. Do you have favorites that made you laugh, made you cry . . . or changed your life in some way? I call it exquisite writing—when an author has the ability to capture a reader’s heart and soul. Some writers are masters at it!
In The Red Tent, Anita Daimant does it in the first five lines: “We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of the men, who had no way of knowing . . ..” I read those words standing in the middle of a bookstore and could not put that book down. I was compelled to draw the pages together, gently closing that precious copy, knowing it would not leave my hands until I had finished reading every last page!
But it isn’t just about exquisite writing – timely resonant content can grab us, too. We find that “perfect” book—the one that practically jumps off the shelf, asking to come home. Or perhaps it’s a title lovingly recommended by a friend. E squared and Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life: How to use Feng Shui to get love, money, and respect … are hot items at For Heaven’s Sake because owner Dianne Fresquez believes they are transformation catalysts. And she says classics like Ask and It is Given, Four Agreements, and the original Angel Cards never grow old! You can find our staff favorites on a special display in the book room at the Denver store. Or ask the book elves at Lakewood or Applewood what gift books they recommend.
My favorites are The Power of Reiki: an ancient hands-on healing technique by Tanmaya Honervogt; The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: how my bad boy brother proved to me there is life after death by Annie Kagan; Everything You Wanted to Know about the Afterlife by Hollister Rand; and Sue Lion’s How the Trees got their Voices (a beautifully creative children’s book). I recommend these books to clients over and over. They are tried and true. By the way, Sue Lion’s latest book, Fox Light: Magic Hidden in Plain Sight has been recognized with several prestigious awards and rave reader reviews.
As an author, I’m deeply touched when I hear one of my books made a difference in someone’s life – and gratefully, I hear that often. During a book signing at Whole Foods a few years ago, I spotted a woman taking strong, purposeful steps in my direction. She stood a little too close and blurted out, “Are you the one who wrote that book?” She was referring to my first book, Turtle Wisdom: Coming Home to Yourself. When I confirmed, that yes, I was the author, she went on to tell me that without her knowledge, her sixteen-year-old daughter had been meticulously planning suicide. Her daughter’s best friend loaned her a copy of Turtle Wisdom, and she later told her mother that it was because of reading my encouraging, life-affirming book that she decided not to take her own life. When I heard those words, well, in that moment, if no one else ever read my book, I felt as if my purpose had been fulfilled. One pebble dropped in the proverbial pond ripples out with an impact that goes way beyond what we can individually see.
A good book shared with a colleague or friend, may help to shift his or her perspective, or bring comfort, encouragement, or new direction. Finding Traction by Sherry Ray is a good one for someone frustrated, challenged, or stuck at work; You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay is a helpful reference for exploring what beliefs may contribute to physical health challenges, and Steven Farmer’s Animal Spirit Guides is an engaging way to ponder the meaning of signs and symbols found in the animal kingdom. We also carry Nature Speak and Animal Wise.
With books, the possibilities are endless. They are an abundant source of information, encouragement, and wisdom. And a beloved book is a true gift whose impact lives on long after it has been shared. Who might you gift a special book to this holiday season?
You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page
and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.
Paul Sweeney
Donna DeNomme is a popular practitioner and teacher through For Heaven’s Sake, offering psychic readings, empowerment sessions, workshops, and classes. Donna is now offering private sessions on Sundays and psychic fair Saturdays at the Applewood location 303-284-3470.
Donna is our resident Reiki Master Teacher, teaching all levels of Reiki through our Applewood event center. She is offering an online program to help launch your new year, Power Boost 2023, and a new online monthly women’s group, The Heroine’s Journey, beginning in January, 2023!
Donna’s award-winning, internationally published books, Turtle Wisdom (book, playbook, and cards), Ophelia’s Oracle, 8 Keys to Wholeness: Tools for Hope-Filled Healing, and As You Feel, So You Heal: A Write of Passage are consistent best-sellers at all of our stores.