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Spirituality and Religion July 2026 |
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Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest by James MartinIn this memoir, James Martin recounts his experiences working in a variety of entry-level jobs during his youth, including positions as a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory worker, bank teller, and corporate employee, before entering the Jesuit order. Set primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, the narrative describes his lack of prior experience in these roles and the challenges he encountered while learning workplace responsibilities. The work presents a coming-of-age account that reflects on employment, personal development, and the formative impact of early work experiences. Through these episodes, the author considers themes such as responsibility, maturity, interpersonal relationships, and ethical conduct. Photographs from the author's early life are included.
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How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day by Bill BurnettHow to Live a Meaningful Life is a nonfiction self-help book by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans that explores approaches to finding meaning and purpose in everyday life. Drawing on design thinking principles developed through Stanford University's Life Design Lab, the authors examine contemporary research on well-being and personal fulfillment. The book presents practical strategies for cultivating qualities such as engagement, coherence, community, and reflection, with the goal of helping readers make intentional choices about how they live and work. Emphasizing small, actionable steps, the authors offer tools intended to support personal growth and life satisfaction.
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Pope Leo XIV: The Biography by Elise Ann AllenOn May 8, 2025, the whole world watched with great anticipation as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, and the new pope who emerged to greet us from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica was a surprise to all. He was a man no one expected, a “dark horse candidate,” as the media came to call him, and the first-ever American to be elected—Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. But why him? What did the other cardinals see in Robert Prevost? Who is Leo XIV? How did his path lead him to the Holy See, and what can we expect from him? Elise Ann Allen offers here the only biography of Pope Leo XIV, featuring the Holy Father’s very first interview after his election. She gives readers an intimate and detailed account of the life of Robert Prevost, from his birth in Chicago and his first years as a priest in the Augustinian order to his years as a missionary in Peru and the vital role he came to play in the Vatican as head of bishops. The result is an inspiring picture of a man of profound character, spiritual leadership, integrity, warmth, and citizenship in the world. This biography is replete with revealing stories and reflections from those who know Leo XIV personally, details of his pastoral ministry over the years, and analysis of his global perspective as a dual citizen of the United States and Peru.
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| Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom by Jet LiJet Li’s story defies legend. Born into extreme hardship, he fought his way to become the youngest national martial arts champion in Chinese history at twelve years old, dominating opponents twice his size. He then became one of the first internationally renowned movie stars from China with films including Once Upon a Time in China, Hero, and Fearless. These films redefined martial arts for the modern world, making him a household name. But behind the glory lay a deeper battle: a search for meaning beyond fame, fortune, and physical skill. After a near-death encounter in the 2004 tsunami, Li turned inward, deepening his study of Tibetan Buddhism and dedicating his life to philanthropy, though he was at the height of his Hollywood career. For the very first time, Li shares the ten insights that have guided his life, in which anyone can find wisdom, guidance, and power, including: life is movement; the secret to self-defense; separate the suffering from the pain; be a grandson to the world; and learn from everyone. Li invites readers to share his interior life, to hear untold stories from his martial arts and film career, and to meditate with him on the nature of spiritual awakening. If you look deeply, you can see Li’s life philosophy in many of his movies, and in Beyond Life and Death he fully links his own story and spiritual journey with ten actionable insights that anyone can apply to live a healthy and happy life. |
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Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy by Chris DuffyChris Duffy, a comedy writer and podcast host, examines the role of humor in personal well-being, creativity, and social connection. Drawing on personal experiences, including his time as a schoolteacher, as well as observations from comedy, psychology, and the social sciences, Duffy explores how humor can be developed as a skill rather than treated as an innate trait. The book combines autobiographical anecdotes with practical guidance on recognizing humor in everyday situations, taking social risks to foster connection, and using comedic principles to navigate challenges. It presents humor as a tool for resilience, communication, and self-reflection in contemporary life.
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The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness by Arthur C. BrooksIf you struggle to discern life’s meaning, you’re not alone. Millions today describe a growing sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose and significance. And there’s a reason: Rapid cultural, economic, and technological changes have rewired our brains, reducing their ability to perceive depth and purpose. In The Meaning of Your Life, social scientist and happiness expert Arthur C. Brooks shows you how to push back against these changes and find the meaning you need to live a happy, fulfilling life. Relying on cutting-edge science, he offers practical, evidence-based strategies for breaking free of the powerful trends and personal habits that dull your focus on the why of your life. Drawing on the great philosophers and the world’s faith traditions, he shows how everyone can—and must—approach life’s most important and mysterious questions and provides a blueprint that will help even the most skeptical person find a life of spiritual transcendence, passionate love, and true calling.
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Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice by Anna PielaReligious freedom is foundational to American culture. While many churchgoers and clergy are accepting of some religious pluralism, Islam is often misunderstood or even feared by US Christians. Anna Piela and Michael Woolf provide much-needed background information about the history of Islam, the origins of religious diversity as an American value, and examples of how Islamophobia impacts our culture negatively. They invite the church to counter these biases and misgivings through study, worship, and prayer, using liturgical tools linked with the lectionary. Begin this journey toward interfaith dialogue with your church today!
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| Everything in Color: A Love Story by Stephanie StalveyStephanie grew up in an evangelical community where love and obedience were overlapping themes. In this world, sin was inevitable, her body was a temptation, and desire was dangerous. Her own thoughts could not be trusted, because she was only saved if she believed the "right things" about God. But as she grew, built a life of her own, and fell in love with a young seminarian named James, the complexities of the human experience became impossible to ignore. Was God truly so exacting and judgmental? Could faith exist beyond these rigid borders? Could love be both passionate and pure? Her connection to James―honest, caring and sensual―became a safe place for her worldview to expand. And when their son was born, she understood love in a whole new way… suddenly, everything was sacred, everything was in color. |
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| From Senator Reverend Raphael G. Warnock, a sermon in the public square on the issues that plague us most. Senator Reverend Raphael G. Warnock is a transformational voice in Congress and the pastor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, and for the semiquincentennial of America, he exhorts us to reach for the highest and noblest aspects of our national character. Senator Warnock argues that we suffer not from a paucity of resources but from a poverty of moral imagination. His sermon on the book of Isaiah draws from ideals resonant in his own faith and all the great faiths and other moral traditions, offering a bold vision of how to live and relate to one another in the land. A moral topography, he calls it, a geopolitics that centers love and justice, or as Dr. King would so often say, the beloved community. The Crooked Places Made Straight examines six crises at the center of American life: voting rights and voter suppression, gun violence, mass incarceration, the persistence of poverty, dark money in politics, and the climate emergency. This is not a naive faith, either. As Senator Warnock writes: Isaiah is no stranger to frustration with institutional leadership. He knows well the perils of public corruption, sophisticated legalized bribery, and a political class more interested in preserving its own power than in serving the people. . . . He’s fed up with political leaders who are focused on their own gain at the expense of the people. “Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves,” he says. For Senator Warnock, democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea. A vote is a kind of prayer. The Crooked Places Made Straight is his inspiring vision for a more just and equitable America where communities thrive with hope and possibility and every child has a chance. |
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Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life by Laura Lynne JacksonWho am I, really? Why am I here? How can I more fully understand my connections to others and the world around me? And how does that understanding reveal the magic the universe has to offer? According to Laura Lynne Jackson, to answer these questions is to live an "illuminated life." Jackson knows that her psychic gifts are not unique to her. She believes that everyone is capable of perceiving energy, identifying, and interpreting messages sent to us by the Other Side. In Guided, Jackson shows that our loved ones who have passed form our Teams of Light, and that they never stop sharing their wisdom with us. By embracing the connections they reveal, we are put on a path to our best life--a life that Jackson calls illuminated. An illuminated life is one characterized by connectedness and creativity. It is one of alignment with purpose. It is a life of peace and confidence. And it is a life every one of us can discover for ourselves, if only we are open to the guidance that is sent our way. In Guided, Jackson shares the unforgettable and moving experiences of regular people who have learned how to respond to the messages sent to them by their Teams of Light in order to discover their higher paths. Offering solace and comfort though times of grief, and chockfull of inspiring, motivating stories, Guided points the way toward an illuminated life for us all.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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The Public Library
501 Copper NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
505-768-5141abqlibrary.org |
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