A new week, a new word… you choose the book. Welcome to week 8 of the Year of Words Book Club. This week I’ve chosen the word JOY! You are welcome to choose whatever word you wish, and whatever book makes you happy. If you don’t have the full list of words, join the book club, and you’ll be emailed the list. You can also find the complete list in the files section of the Book Club group. 🙂

This week, while looking for Joy books, I came to an interesting realization. Some words are tightly connected to concepts, whether you see them that way or not.

Joy for example is very closely tied to religion. Many, many of the books I found this week for Joy were religious based. I personally try to recommend a more secular book selection, but if you prefer religion based books there are definitely a plethora of them out there for this topic.

What I found interesting about this, is when I think of Joy I don’t connect it with religion at all. Makes you stop and think about the word, what it means to me, and to society in general. Which leads to some deep thoughts on the word joy. 🙂 So tell me, what do you think of when you think about the word joy? We’re having this conversation in the Book Club… join us!

So… on to the recommendations. 🙂 I did manage to find a decent selection of fiction and non fiction this week, and I’m waffling on the book I’m choosing for the week. 😉

Book Recommendations for the Word Joy

 

Fiction: 

 

 Ahoy For Joy

Description from Amazon: 

For Belfast teenager, Michael Colgan, words haven’t always come easily. However this changes after he meets Anna, a Dutch schoolgirl, on holiday. During their romantic, care-free, pen-pal exchanges, full of tales of the present and hopes for the future, Michael gives no clue of his true life, at a time when the ‘troubles’ dominated Northern Ireland.

Anna is enchanted by Michael and his words, which include poems painting beautiful visions of idealistic Irish life as well as stories describing the warmth and humour of the people surrounding him.

What Michael doesn’t write about is the trauma he experiences, which leaves him all but invisible to his peers, silently suffering as the conflict rages around him. Little does he know the profound effect that his words will have on others…

This book was published in 2014, and has only a few reviews, but everyone who read it loved it. It has a total of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

 

The Secret of Joy

Description from Amazon:

IS THE HALF SISTER THAT REBECCA STRAND
HAS NEVER MET SHORT? TALL? RICH? POOR? PRETTY?
FUNNY? MARRIED? LONELY? HAPPY?…

Rebecca is about to find out. The New York City paralegal thought nothing could shake her life off its fast track — which includes her handsome lawyer boyfriend and their extravagant condo. The shocking revelation that she even has a half sister comes from her dying father, in a hospital bed confession of a long-past summer affair…and now the dad she adores has one last wish: would Rebecca deliver a cache of letters he never sent to his other daughter, Joy Jayhawk, in a tiny coastal Maine town?

But when Rebecca arrives in Wiscasset, with the life-changing letters stashed in a leather box, nothing goes as she imagined — and Joy Jayhawk is less than thrilled to meet her. Joy already has her own life, her own family, and her own business: she runs a bus tour for singles, a matchmaking excursion that’s brought lovers together, healed broken hearts, and changed lives. Rebecca joins the singles tour in the hopes of unlocking a door into Joy’s life and forming a relationship with the only family she has left. But as she spends more and more time with Joy and the women who dub themselves The Divorced Ladies Club of Wiscasset — and starts a flirtation with a seriously hunky local carpenter — Rebecca realizes it’s her life and heart that are ready for healing and change…and that sometimes, you just have to go along for the ride.

This book is 352 pages, and was published in 2009. It has 36 reviews, and 4.3 out of 5 stars. It looks like a fun, easy read.

 

The Joy Luck Club

Description from Amazon.com

Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who’s “saying” the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. “To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable.” Forty years later the stories and history continue.

With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.

I don’t think any list of “joy” books would be complete without The Joy Luck Club! This book was republished in 2006, and has 288 pages. With 833 reviews and a 4.2 out of 5 rating I don’t think you can go wrong!

 

She’s Not There

Description from Amazon.com

 
“I think my real name is Samantha. I think I’m your daughter.”
 
Caroline Shipley’s heart nearly stops when she hears those words from the voice on the other end of the phone. Instantly, she’s thrust fifteen years into the past, to a posh resort in Baja, Mexico—and the fateful night her world collapsed.
 
The trip is supposed to be a celebration. Caroline’s husband, Hunter, convinces her to leave their two young daughters, Michelle and Samantha, alone in their hotel suite while the couple enjoys an anniversary dinner in the restaurant downstairs. But returning afterward, Caroline and Hunter make a horrifying discovery: Two-year-old Samantha has vanished without a trace.
 
What follows are days, weeks, and years of anguish for Caroline. She’s tormented by media attention that has branded her a cold, incompetent mother, while she struggles to save her marriage. Caroline also has to deal with the demands of her needy elder daughter, Michelle, who is driven to cope in dangerous ways. Through it all, Caroline desperately clings to the hope that Samantha will someday be found—only to be stung again and again by cruel reality.
 
Plunged back into the still-raw heartbreak of her daughter’s disappearance, and the suspicions and inconsistencies surrounding a case long gone cold, Caroline doesn’t know whom or what to believe. The only thing she can be sure of is that someone is fiercely determined to hide the truth of what happened to Samantha.

This book is BRAND NEW! In fact, it doesn’t even come out until tomorrow! You can preorder today, and have it downloaded to your kindle when it becomes available tomorrow… which is what I think I might do! This was not the original book I had chosen to read this week… but eeeek. Reading a book the first day it comes out?! That’s fun!! The preview reviews are really good!

 

 

Joy for Beginners

Description from Amazon.com

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Having survived a life-threatening illness, Kate celebrates by gathering with six close friends. At an intimate outdoor dinner on a warm September evening, the women challenge Kate to start her new lease on life by going white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon with her daughter. But Kate is reluctant to take the risk.

That is, until her friend Marion proposes a pact: if Kate will face the rapids, each woman will do one thing in the next year that scares her. Kate agrees, with one provision – she didn’t get to choose her challenge, so she gets to choose theirs. Whether it’s learning to let go of the past or getting a tattoo, each woman’s story interweaves with the others, forming a seamless portrait of the power of female friendships. From the author of The School of Essential Ingredients comes a beautifully crafted novel about daring to experience true joy, starting one small step at a time.

This book was republished in 2012, and is 288 pages long. It has 130 reviews, with a 4.3 out of 5 star rating. A frequently used word to describe this book is “lyrical”.

 

 

Self Improvement

The Joy Diet

Description from Amazon.com

Welcome to The Joy Diet, a menu of ten behaviors you can add to your way of living and thinking to enhance every day’s journey through the unpredictable terrain of your existence. You can add these behaviors gradually and watch your life become steadily more vivid and satisfying. Or you can go on a “crash Joy Diet” to help you navigate life’s emergencies.
The ten menu items are:

• Nothing: Do nothing for fifteen minutes a day. Stop mindlessly chasing goals and figure out which goals are worth going after.

• Truth: Create a moment of truth to help you unmask what you’re hiding—from others and from yourself.

• Desire: Identify, articulate, and explore at least one of your heart’s desires—and learn how to let yourself want what you want.

• Creativity: Learn six new ways to develop at least one new idea to help you obtain your heart’s desire.

• Risk: Take one baby step toward reaching your goal. The only rule is it has to scare the pants off you.

• Treats: Give yourself a treat for every risk you take and two treats just because you’re you. No exceptions. No excuses.

• Play: Take a moment to remember your real life’s work and differentiate it from the games you play to achieve it. Then play wholeheartedly.

• Laughter: Laugh at least thirty times a day. Props encouraged.

• Connection: Use your Joy Diet skills to interact with someone who matters to you.

• Feasting: Enjoy at least three square feasts a day, with or without food.

No matter what your long-term goals are, The Joy Diet, written with Martha Beck’s inimitable blend of
wisdom, practical guidance, and humor, will help you achieve the immediate gift of joyful living in the here
and now. Begin your journey today.

I am a huge fan of Martha Beck. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, and think I may try to squeeze it in this week. It is 244 pages, and was published in 2003. It has 77 reviews with a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Martha Beck is magical… and if you’re looking for some concrete ways to create more joy in your life, this is the book for you!

 

 

Joy in Every Moment

Description from Amazon.com

Happiness is already here in this moment, just waiting to be discovered! Mindfulness expert Tzivia Gover offers an inspiring treasury of small, creative ways to shift your perspective and uncover surprising bits of joy over the course of your day. Whether you’re making dinner, commuting, exercising, working at the computer, or brushing your teeth, every moment of your life offers an opportunity to uncover happiness. Short essays are accompanied by practical exercises to try and exquisite illustrations by artist Olaf Hajek. This is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to increase their daily experience of joy, including yourself.

This 221 page book was only recently published in November of 2015. It has only 17 reviews, but they are rave reviews, with a 4.9 out of 5 rating.  If you’re not sure it’s for you… I definitely suggest you read the reviews. 🙂

Memoirs: 

 

Fight Back with Joy

Description from Amazon.com

When Margaret Feinberg learned she had cancer, she
knew she would need great strength to overcome it. She believed the
weapon she selected for the battle would change everything. And she
decided that weapon would be joy.

Joy is More Than Whimsy.
It’s the Weapon You Can
Use to Fight Life’s Greatest Battles.

Through months of treatment, questions, and hopes, Margaret
discovered that joy is a far more dynamic force than most of us realize.
It has the power to reignite our passion for laughter and celebration.
It can free us to rise above endless demands as we become more content
and thankful. It can change unchangeable circumstances and bring a peace
rooted in the remarkable love of God.

Here Margaret shares her journey of using joy to fight back
fear, regret, and pain. Whatever you face today, discover with Margaret
how to embrace a way of living that’s deeper and fuller than you’ve ever
known–a life radiant with joy.

This too is a relatively new book, published in January of 2015. It is 223 pages, with 236 reviews. This is a religious book, but it’s also her story. Fight Back with Joy has a 4.8 out of 5 star rating. People are raving about this book in the reviews. If you’re thinking this might be your book for the week, I definitely recommend taking a look at the reviews.

 

 

Choose Joy

Description from Amazon.com

“Sara’s story only grew louder, braver, bolder with her death. It’s a story that we all need to keep hearing.” –Lisa-Jo Baker, bestselling author of Surprised by Motherhood

Sara Frankl knew she had a terminal disease, but she didn’t let it stop her from living. In the face of immeasurable pain, Sara chose joy–again and again. Her unforgettable message of hope and purpose lives on, even after her death, in her words.

CHOOSE JOY is a compilation of the lessons Sara learned while she was dying, written in her own words and sewn together by her close friend Mary Carver. It is a reminder to see the beauty in life, even when it looks nothing like you hoped or planned.

In a world full of tragedy, choosing joy is no small task–but, as Sara knew, the importance lies in thechoosing. Once you learn to make that choice, every day, no matter what happens, joy will come.

This is a brand new book, it was just published in January of 2016. It’s already received a ton of rave reviews. It is 208 pages long, and has a 4.9 out of 5 star rating. This book is also in the Christian category and is also a book about death, grief, and overcoming with Joy. I highly recommend taking a look at the reviews.

 

What I’m Reading this Week. 

 

 

 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Description from Amazon:

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

This book is 320 pages, and was reprinted in 2010. With over 500 reviews this book has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating. If you think this is a story your kids might like, there is also a young reader’s edition, as well as a picture book edition of this book. I personally think it’s a fantastic book for kids. I’ve sent this one to Hanna’s kindle hoping it will get her curious. 😉

 

Excessive Joy Injures the Heart

Description from Amazon.com

Anxious, insomniac, and adrift in her life, Claire Vornoff drives out into the country to become a patient of Declan Farrell, and an education of sorts begins. An iconoclastic practitioner of alternative medicine, Farrell is magnetic and unsettling, and Claire tries in vain to resist him. As she dreams her way through her life, all the while refusing to listen to her friend Libi’s dire pronouncements, her attachment to Declan Farrell deepens, and soon she finds herself caught up in a series of unexpected and startling events.
Set mainly in Ottawa and Toronto, this stunning novel charts the anatomy of obsession, capturing along the way the dilemmas of contemporary urban life. Harvor creates an erotically charged atmosphere, always alert to the pathos of love’s ambiguities. Bold, original, astute, and above all deeply human, Excessive Joy Injures the Heart reveals things about us we didn’t know we knew. This is truly an outstanding debut.

This is a 336 page book, published in 2002. It has only a few reviews, with some mixed, but mostly good. It’s got a 4.7 out of 5 star rating. And… it’s off my shelf. #readmyowndamnbooks 🙂 You can read the reviews and see what you think.

I can’t wait to see what word and book you choose for this week. Make sure you join us in the book club. Enter your info below and the entire list will be sent directly to you, and you’ll be taken to join the book club group where you can track and share with the rest of us!