june 2020 – good to read

Mike Millard
Love in the Time of Trump is a veteran journalist’s account that recalls the Vietnam War era, the psychedelic ’60s and the progressive human values generated during that freewheeling and transformative period. Even so, it sounds an alarm amid the repressive politics of our present day, when an emerging, corporate-driven fascism threatens to dismantle our democracy and yoke the lives of working people to the enrichment of the few while destroying the natural life of the planet. This contrast evoked via memoir recounts the formation of a personal perspective that warns directly of a historic disaster that approaches, while hoping that it can still be avoided. Mike Millard, a veteran journalist with roots in the Pacific Northwest, has written and edited for newspapers, magazines, wire agencies and websites.
BookBaby, February 2020

Nigel Pennick
There are still many places left in England, or anywhere in the western world, where we are able experience the land as it used to be before it was parceled up and commercially exploited. When it is was lived off and interacted with by our ancestors. Its features were imbued with magic and meaning, and much of it was sacred because the land had a soul that spoke to ours. Nigel Pennick tells us about these days long gone and how it came to pass that our communion with the land was lost. He also shows us how we may retrieve some of the magic inherent in our landscapes, in our own backyards or when exploring the countryside around us. Traces of the sacred arts of geomancy, feng shui and magic still abound, our spiritual connection with nature is not lost but waiting for us to be rediscovered. (sgs)
Destiny Books, May 2020

Rutger Bregman
From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn’t merely optimistic—it’s realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. But if we believe in the reality of humanity’s kindness and altruism, it will form the foundation for achieving true change in society, a case that Bregman makes. Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another.
Bloomsbury, June 2020

Otessa Moshfegh
While on her daily walk with her dog in a secluded wood, a woman comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground by stones. “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.” But there is no dead body. Our narrator is deeply shaken; she has no idea what to make of this. She is new to this area, alone after the death of her husband, and she knows no one. A triumphant blend of horror, suspense, and pitch-black comedy, Death in Her Hands asks us to consider how the stories we tell ourselves both reflect the truth and keep us blind to it. Once again, we are in the hands of a narrator whose unreliability is well earned, and the stakes have never been higher. One of the most anticipated books to be published this year.
Penguin/Random House, June 2020

Katrina Rasbold
This practical book covers everything from the history and divine figures of Brujería to the healing, protection, and money magic that you can use in daily life. Explore power words and breath work, treat spiritual maladies, perform different types of limpias (cleansings and clearings), and learn about Brujería as a business. Katrina Rasbold gives you an insider’s look at this sacred practice and how it helps others as well as yourself. Featuring hands-on exercises, simple techniques, and how-to instruction from a professional bruja, this beginner-friendly guide is the best choice for understanding and practicing Brujería—the healing witchcraft of Mexico and the American Southwest. Adapted from a twelve-month series of classes this book presents a wide variety of topics, including magical tools, the body’s energetic systems, and effective spellcasting.
Llewellyn.June 2020