Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour in Hewett Centre, and our Library Team offers related reading lists based on the topic of the Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming service featuring Janet Pivnick on Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 11 a.m. All are welcome in Hewett Centre after the Sunday service to check out some books, and to have coffee and conversation.
VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:
1. Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families, by Peggy Gillespie, 2023, 306 GIL [From LibraryThing: “… celebrates trans and nonbinary people and their families in stunning photographs and their own words. … So often trans and nonbinary people’s stories are told only through the lens of their struggles and challenges, including their political battles for legal rights, but trans and nonbinary people live rich and fulfilling lives full of joy and community too. … is a sweeping compilation of life stories and portraits of trans and nonbinary people, as well as their partners, parents, children, siblings, and chosen family members. The compelling stories in Authentic Selves provide a glimpse into the real lives, both the challenges and the triumphs, of these remarkable people and their families-people like Senator Sarah McBride, disability justice advocate Parker Glick, drag entertainer TAYLOR ALXNDR, September 11th first responder Jozeppi Angelo Morelli, model Lana Patel, youth activist Elliott Bertrand, and so many others-all of whom are working to create a more just, diverse, and compassionate world. …”].
2. The Addiction Ministry Handbook: A Guide for Faith Communities, by Denis G. Meacham, 2004, 259.42 MEA [From LibraryThing, a review by uufnn: “… quoting from the book’s back cover, “Denis Meacham is affiliate minister at First Parish Brewster (Cape Cod, MA) and director of its Center for Addictions Ministry. Meacham also maintains a private addictions therapy practice. A trained psychotherapist and licensed drug and alcohol counselor, … ” About the book: Rev. Patricia Hoertdoerfer, Children, Family and Intergenerational Programs Director, UUA said of this book, “Faith communities can and do make a difference in the lives of families struggling with addiction problems! Meacham’s ‘Addiction Ministry Handbook’ is an excellent resource for Unitarian Universalist congregations and their lay leaders–for the knowledge found on every page, the inclusive attention to our broad spiritual foundations and the practical tools it provides for caregivers and addiction ministry committees.” …”].
3. The Art of Loving, by Erich Fromm and Ruth Nanda Ashen, 1989, 157 FRO [Gift of the Unitarian Family Life Centre. From LibraryThing: “… powerful insight: “Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” The Art of Loving is a rich and detailed guide to love-an achievement reached through maturity, practice, concentration, and courage. … Erich Fromm, a celebrated psychoanalyst and social psychologist, clearly and sincerely encourages the development of our capacity for and understanding of love in all of its facets. He discusses the familiar yet misunderstood romantic love, the all-encompassing brotherly love, spiritual love, and many more. A challenge to traditional Western notions of love, The Art of Loving is a modern classic about taking care of ourselves through relationships with others. …”].
4. Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself, by Candace Plattor, edited by Arlene Prunkl, designed by Bobbie Cann, 2009, 362.29 PLA [Gift of the author. From LibraryThing: “Are you feeling exasperated and helpless about your family member’s addiction? Are you at your wit’s end, having tried everything you can think of to make them stop? If someone you love is engaging in addictive behaviors such as alcohol and drug misuse, eating disorders, smoking, gambling, Internet addiction, sex addiction, compulsive overspending, or relationship addiction, you are undoubtedly experiencing unpredictability in your relationship. Some of the most common emotions you will experience include: Guilt and shame; Anger and anxiety; Confusion and powerlessness. Whether the addict in your life is your spouse, partner, parent, child, friend, or colleague, the key to changing this reality for yourself lies in shifting your focus from your loved one’s addiction to you own self-care. This book presents a dramatically fresh approach to help you get off the roller-coaster chaos of addiction, maintain your own sanity and serenity, and live your best life.”].
5. In Sickness and In Health: How to Cope When Your Loved One is Ill, by Earl A. Grollman, 1987, 155.9 GRO [Gift of Sheilah Thompson. From a Google AI Overview: “… coping involves practical self-care (rest, hydration, asking for help), emotional support (listening, reassuring words, finding joy), managing changing family roles, seeking professional help, and creating comfort for the sick loved one, focusing on shared strength and acceptance. Key strategies include learning about the illness, establishing routines, accepting help, making time for joy, and being present with soothing words like “I’m here for you””].
6. A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews, 2005, FIC TOE [From LibraryThing: “… world according to the unforgettable Nomi, a bewildered and wry sixteen-year-old trapped in a town governed by fundamentalist religion and in the shattered remains of a family it destroyed. … we’re told the story of an eccentric, loving family that falls apart as each member lands on a collision course with the only community any of them have ever known. A work of fierce humor and tragedy .., this searing, tender, comic testament to family love will break your heart. …”].
7. Fall On Your Knees, by Ann-Marie MacDonald, 1997, FIC MAC [From LibraryThing: “The Piper family is steeped in secrets, lies, and unspoken truths. At the eye of the storm is one secret that threatens to shake their lives–even to destroy them. Set on stormy Cape Breton Island off Nova Scotia, … chronicles the lives of four unforgettable sisters. Theirs is a world filled with driving ambition, inescapable family bonds, and forbidden love. …”].
8. Sacred Dying: Creating Rituals for Embracing the End of Life, by Megory Anderson, 2003, 155.9 AND [From LibraryThing: “Explores difficult questions surrounding the act of dying and attendant care, offering thoughtful rituals and prayers to support the needs of the dying while comforting the living.”].
9. I Don’t Know What to Say, by Robert Buckman, 1988, 155.9 BUC [Gift of Suzanne Spencer. From LibraryThing: “When people we love are dying, we all too often are unable to help them – or even talk to them – or face our own conflicting feelings about the impending loss. … demystifies the dying process and offers practical advice for the friends and families of the terminally ill. … Dr. Robert Buckman, a distinguished oncologist who was himself once diagnosed as having a fatal illness, confronts these questions: – What should a patient be told about his or her illness? – How can the patient’s supporters cope with demands that may seem angry and irrational? – What are the crucial differences between caring for a dying parent, spouse, or child? – How can you help someone dying from AIDS, cancer, or a dementing illness?”].
10. Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities at the End of Life, by Ira Byock MD, 1998, 306.88 G [From LibraryThing: “… longtime director of a hospice in his hometown, and a prominent spokesperson for the hospice movement, Dr. Byock believes that the day is at hand when no pain among the dying will be considered unmanageable. Through the true stories of patients, he shows us that much important emotional work can be accomplished in the final months, weeks, and even days of life. Dying Well brings us to the homes and bedsides of families with whom Dr. Byock has worked, telling stories of love and reconciliation in the face of tragedy, pain, and conflict. It provides a blueprint for families, showing them how to deal with doctors, how to talk to friends and relatives, and how to make the end of life as meaningful and precious as the beginning.”].
11. Love and Salt Water, by Ethel Wilson, 1990, FIC WIL [From LibraryThing: “Ellen Guppy is the reluctant heroine …. Saddened by a painful childhood, Ellen has adopted a skeptical independence and learned too well to hold her heart in reserve. But, as the novel unfolds, Ellen undergoes something of a sea-change, learning to accept love along with the sorrow that is rarely far from love. … a mature and, at times, disturbing synthesis of Ethel Wilson’s major themes: the independence of human lives, the strange alchemy of chance, and the healing illumination of love.”].
12. Twelve Weeks in Spring: The Inspiring Story of Margaret and Her Team, by June Callwood, 1986, 362.1 CAL [Gift of Ann Foster. From LibraryThing: “… inspiring story of a group of people who came together to help a friend battling cancer, and thereby discovered their own unexpected strength and humanity. In February 1985, 68-year-old Margaret Frazer was told by her doctor she had terminal cancer. A retired, single woman, whose family was far away, she faced a situation all too familiar in our society – a lonely death in a sterile hospital. Margaret’s lifetime of giving to others was repaid, however, when many of the people she had touched made a remarkable choice. Most of these people were strangers to each other, and sometimes even to Margaret. The Friends of Margaret developed into a smoothly functioning hospice team that cared for Margaret in the comfort of her own home. …”].
13. When Your Loved One Is Dying, by Earl A. Grollman, 1980, 155 GRO [Published by Beacon Press. From LibraryThing: “A professional counselor on death, dying, and bereavement, Grollman offers reassurance and emotional support for people dealing with the knowledge that a loved one is dying, providing practical advice on putting crucial personal matters in order.”].
14. Fear and Other Uninvited Guests: Tackling the Anxiety, Fear, and Shame That Keep Us from Optimal Living and Loving, by Harriet Lerner, 2004, 152.46 LER [Gift of Dawn Stewart. From LibraryThing: “… Often unrecognised, fear and shame drive our choices and attitudes in ways that most of us never figure out. As Lerner explains, fear is not an amorphous unknown to be transcended or overcome but an emotion to be recognized, explored, decoded and embraced. Once we befriend fear, it can actually help us achieve calm, clarity and fundamental peace. Lerner teaches us the best ways to deal with fear: to expect, allow, and accept its presence in our lives, to mindfully observe and attend to how it feels in our bodies and, ultimately to own it. We can become experts on our personal triggers of anxiety, learning when fear signals real danger and when it’s best to plough through it because it comes with the territory of making necessary changes. The very worst thing we can do in the face of fear is to run from it or try to avoid it. Fear is not something to be conquered or eliminated–or even tackled, for that matter. Instead, we need to pay close attention to the message it is trying to convey. Using her wonderfully rich and inviting therapeutic voice along with personal memories and examples drawn from her practice, Lerner gives fear its due. We needn’t let anxiety, fear, and shame silence our authentic voice, close our hearts to the different voices of others, or stop us from acting with dignity, integrity and brio. We need to harness fear and put it in service to our best selves.”].
15. Families Apart: Migrant Mothers and the Conflicts of Labor and Love, by Geraldine Pratt, 2012, 331.4 PRA [From LibraryThing: “In a developing nation like the Philippines, many mothers provide for their families by traveling to a foreign country to care for someone else’s. Families Apart focuses on Filipino overseas workers in Canada to reveal what such arrangements mean for families on both sides of the global divide. The outcome of Geraldine Pratt’s collaboration with the Philippine Women Centre of British Columbia, this study documents the difficulties of family separation and the problems that children have when they reunite with their mothers in Vancouver. …”].