Urrea here tells the mesmerizing story of the life of his ancestor, Saint Teresa Urrea.  Born into poverty on the rancho of her father Tomas Urrea in the 1870s, Teresa was raised in among the workers until first the rancho’s wise woman Huila and then Tomas himself recognized that Teresa was an illegitimate Urrea and took her in. Huila trained the girl in herbcraft, healing, and the other lore that was her heritage, and Tomas attempted to domesticate her, giving her shoes and teaching her manners.  But Teresa was destined to be a troublemaker. A shocking act of violence turned the wild girl into the Saint, returning from near-death with healing powers in her hands and revolution in her heart.  This brought down upon the Urrea rancho first swarms of pilgrims and later, the wrath of the Mexican government.

Sweeping in scope and style, infused with magical realism and delicious descriptions of the many smells and tastes and colors of the rancho, The Hummingbird’s Daughter is beautiful and, at times, funny and wise. Highly recommended for fans of Latino or historical fiction.

Daytripper is a dreamy and surreal graphic novel that follows the life of one man, Brás de Olivias Dominguez. Each chapter features an important period in Brás’ life in Brazil, and each story ends the same way: with his death.  A story about all the possibilities realized and lost in one person’s life, Daytripper is a philosophical story about choices, destiny, and chance.  The artwork is gorgeous. 

In The Power of Habit, Duhigg explains, through fascinating stories and scientific studies, why habits exist and how they can be changed.

This is a book about business--there are many illustrations of businesses transforming companies through the introduction of new habits.  This is also a book about science--with numerous examples of studies showing us how our brains work.  And finally, this is a book about motivating ourselves to find new habits in order to become better people.

While I grew tired of the writing style midway through the book (the back and forth of stories), I enjoyed the book immensely and got a lot out of reading it.  Some of the tales were truly inspirational, such as the story of the man who grew up with heroin addicted parents and transformed his life through the habits taught to him at Starbucks.  And perhaps, from reading the book, I learned how to develop a good new habit myself!

After returning from the frontlines of World War I, Tom Sherbourne looks forward to his new career as a lighthouse keeper on the isolated western shores of Australia: isolated, regimented and alone.  But when he meets the beautiful Isabel and is surprised how she is able to draw him out of his hard shell, Tom begins to imagine a fuller life for himself.  While at first the couple enjoys having their own personal piece of paradise out on Janus Rock, Isabel becomes more and more depressed after she is unable to have children.  Hours after burying her latest stillborn baby, a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a crying baby girl, perfectly healthy.  Isabel quickly latches on to the idea of raising her as their own, as a replacement for the son they had just lost.  In order to satisfy his wife’s wild need, Tom agrees, despite his strong doubts and occupational duty.

Three years pass and as Lucy grows, Tom begins to allow the little girl into his heart and his family is content living their simple life at the lighthouse.  However, on a visit to the mainland, the couple learns a disturbing story, one of a sad  young widow who lost her husband and baby girl at sea over three years ago. Both Tom and Isabel instantly know that the baby is their own Lucy.  What follows is an engrossing and gripping tale of a couple torn between doing the right thing and holding on to their desperate dream of a family.  Stedman explores the delicate emotions of his characters against the backdrop of a harsh physical environment, creating a truly beautiful novel.  A unique story not to be missed.