In 2007, Christine Valters Painter and her husband, John, made their first visit to Ireland and in 2012, made the choice to move to Galway. There, this bestselling author of The Artist’s Rule and Illuminating the Way and online abbess of the Abbey of the Arts became immersed in Celtic spirituality. From that experience comes The Soul’s Slow Ripening. Here, Painter presents twelve Celtic practices, such as the practice of thresholds, soul friendship, and walking the bounds, to help the reader discern God’s invitation. Each practice is broken into sections: a discussion of the practice as a path of discernment, an appropriate Irish saint, a scriptural reflection, practices which include photographic and written explorations, and a closing blessing. For those who wish to delve deeper, Painter includes additional instruction on contemplative photography and lectio divinia and a list of Celtic Christian spiritual resources. For those looking for a fresh perspective to enliven their spiritual journey, The Soul’s Slow Ripening provides twelve, thought-provoking opportunities.
(Book received for free from Ave Maria Press in exchange for review.)
For over thirty years, Joyce Rupp, O.S.M., has provided insightful, inspiring spiritual guidance through her writing, retreats, and conferences. Indeed, her lengthy list of bestselling books creates a testament to the lifetime Rupp has spent helping others seeking the Divine in their lives. Now, Kathy Reardon has compiled in 
In the summer of 1862, the creative retreat of a group of young artists at Birchwood Manor on the Upper Thames goes horribly awry. When the dust settles, the fiance of the artist Edward Radcliffe is dead and a famous diamond called the Radcliffe Blue has disappeared, as has Radcliffe’s muse, never to be heard from again. Later, Edward drowns in despair over losing his muse. A century later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist with a story of her own, discovers a picture of one of the group in a beautiful old satchel and feels compelled to discover the story behind the items. From these threads and others, Morton seamlessly weaves the stories of several generations to reveal the magical, spellbinding truth. Morton is a master at pacing and plot, making 
In 
Joyce Rupp, a member of the Servite (Servants of Mary) community, has spent a lifetime providing spiritual guidance as a retreat director, conference speaker, and prolific author of over a dozen books which have sold more than a million copies. Nevertheless, 
America’s Test Kitchen has created 
Hot summers are simply made for light novels that transport the reader to different and, preferably, cooler climes. Jenny Colgan, the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner, provides just the ticket in 
Have you ever shaken your head in frustration after reading a modern or contemporary poem, certain you didn’t get the “real meaning?” Matthew Zapruder’s