Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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Spirituality and Religion May 2026 |
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| The Supreme Gift: Love Is the Greatest Thing in the World by Paulo Coelho, translated by Margaret Jull CostaDrawing on spiritual traditions across cultures, this brief meditative work posits that love is humanity’s highest calling. Originally published in 1991 in Brazil and told in Paulo Coelho’s signature parable‑like style, it adapts a 19th-century sermon for a more modern audience, inviting readers to consider how compassion, care, and generosity shape personal purpose more than faith alone. |
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| How to Know Your Self: The Art & Science of Discovering Who You Really Are by J. Eric OliverIn an age obsessed with self-analysis, this lively and thought-provoking book asks whether the “self” we’re trying so hard to understand is quite what we think it is. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and ancient philosophy, J. Eric Oliver suggests that earlier traditions were less focused on inward identity and more concerned with how to live well among others, inviting readers to loosen their grip on selfhood and live more spaciously. |
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Every Day Counts: Start Where You Are. Use What You Have. Do What You Can.
by David Pollack
Former NFL player and ESPN college football analyst David Pollack takes readers on a journey through the principles of resilience and personal growth. With compelling personal stories and practical advice, this motivational guide is more than simply a football memoir or self-help book. It inspires readers to begin anew at any stage in life. Every Day Counts is not just a book--it's a blueprint for readers in becoming the best version of themselves and learning that actions determine their destiny.
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| A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness by Michael PollanEmbracing the mystery of consciousness from every angle -- scientific, philosophical, spiritual, and literary -- Michael Pollan asks the question: what does it mean to be aware? Ranging far beyond the human mind, he explores how consciousness may take shape both artificially and throughout the natural world, encouraging readers to look more closely at their own inner lives and to consider the possibility that the universe itself is more alive than we might think. |
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Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging
by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez
A gay Christian's behind-the-scenes account of evangelical megachurches and eight years in conversion therapy. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez charts a path to authentic faith beyond religious trauma, and reclaims wholeness after leaving the only world he ever knew.
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| The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca SolnitSurveying decades of cultural, ecological, and social change, Rebecca Solnit’s hopeful reflection argues that profound transformation often unfolds quietly and unevenly. By tracing movements toward interconnection and collective responsibility, she invites readers to look beyond despair and recognize how new ways of living emerge from endings. |
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This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith
by Darcey Steinke
It's a blessing to live while Darcey Steinke is writing. -- Maggie NelsonA work of art that could only have emerged from the crucible of truth... absolutely beautiful. -- Elizabeth GilbertDarcey Steinke, acclaimed author of Flash Count Diary and Suicide Blonde, explores the world of pain for those who suffer and those who love them.Steinke gets to the heart of pain with her usual brilliance, humor, candor, and empathy. In chapters that trace the body--The Spine, The Heart, The Knees, and more--she introduces sufferers to new and ancient understandings of pain through history, philosophy, religion, pop culture, and reported human experience. Leaving no stone unturned, Steinke takes readers under the knife, through the archives, and across oceans. She interviews working physicians, analyzes the writings of Frida Kahlo, recounts her own back surgery, and journeys to Lourdes, where she finds herself invited to participate in the famed pilgrimage site's rituals.For readers of Joan Didion, C. S. Lewis, Sheila Heti, and Leslie Jamison, This Is the Door beautifully illuminates the experience of pain and its myriad effects on the body, mind, and soul. Whether you are hurting or know someone who is, whether your pain is somatic or spiritual, This Is the Door is a revelation.
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| Spirit Daughter: Own Your Power, Change Your Life by Jill WintersteenPart memoir and part spiritual guide, this book traces astrologer Jill Wintersteen’s journey from burnout and anxiety toward intuition and inner clarity. Rooted in mindfulness and cosmic spirituality, it encourages readers to trust their inner wisdom, work with cycles of change, and release comparison in favor of a more aligned, self-directed life. |
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| Shaolin Spirit: The Way to Self-Mastery by Shi Heng Yi with Stefanie Koch, translated by Caroline WaightRooted in Zen, Taoist, and Buddhist philosophy, this guide draws on the Shaolin tradition to explore self‑discipline, resilience, and clarity of mind. Blending historical insight with practical exercises in movement, breath, and attention, it presents self‑mastery as an embodied practice -- especially for readers seeking steadiness and ethical grounding in an increasingly reactive world. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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