Spirituality and Religion
May 2026

Recent Releases
Why I Am Not an Atheist: The Confessions of a Skeptical Believer
by Christopher Beha

After years committed to atheism, this thoughtful memoir traces one writer’s return to religious belief through philosophy (engaging with Bertrand Russell in particular), literature, and his own experience. Taking on big questions about meaning, suffering, and hope, it offers a rigorous and deeply felt journey for readers wrestling with their own faith or doubt, always leaving room for wonder.
The Supreme Gift: Love Is the Greatest Thing in the World
by Paulo Coelho, translated by Margaret Jull Costa

Drawing 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.
A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness
by Michael Pollan

Embracing 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.
The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change
by Rebecca Solnit

Surveying 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.
The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary
by Terry Tempest Williams

Through lyrical essays and closely observed stories, this book gathers moments of grace (which the author calls “Glorians”) found in nature, teaching, protest, love, and loss. Written in the shadow of environmental upheaval and collective grief, it invites readers toward stillness, attentiveness, and a renewed sense of the sacred woven quietly through ordinary life.
Shaolin Spirit: The Way to Self-Mastery
by Shi Heng Yi with Stefanie Koch, translated by Caroline Waight

Rooted 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.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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