My Bookstack, September-October 📚

Saints and real people.

It’s All Saints’ Day throughout the world—a day when Christians remember the saints that have gone before. Below, I share seven books that I’ve read recently, and it’s occured to me that each of my five-stars reads introduced me to characters who—though not saints in every sense—display a measure of saintliness that absolutely sets them apart.

• John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis reveals scientists, physicians, health care workers, and philanthropists who have made—and continue to make—a difference in the fight against tuberculosis. In my opinion, John Green himself is a saint for writing this book and opening our eyes to the needs that still exist.

• Kristin Hannah’s The Women tells us a fictional story (based on actual lives) of the brave young women who sacrificed comfort, physical health, and mental wellbeing to care for young men injured and dying in the Vietnam War. These women deserved far more respect and appreciation than they ever received.

• Sharon McMahon’s The Small and the Mighty weaves together the stories of twelve ordinary Americans who, through their selfless and humble acts, brought about liberty, justice, and lasting change in America.

• And finally, in Mom Loves the Dogs More, Cindy Ojczyk exhibits more patience and compassion toward our four-legged friends than most of us could muster. She’s definitely a saint in the pet-rescue world!

I hope my reviews will inspire you to pick up one or more of these books and consider how you also might bring goodness to our broken, hurting world. Through our everyday actions, we all have the potential to be saint-like.

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

*BookStack, vol. 11, September-October, 2025.

Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection (John Green) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly Recommend. How many times have I had a TB test in my life? Since I worked in nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, and schools, it was often a job requirement. But the tuberculous disease—once known as consumption—was something I knew little about until I listened to this excellent book. John Green explains the discovery of the disease, the sad but fascinating social evolution from an illness of poets to a disease of poverty, and the eventual discovery of effective treatments.

Although the book is full of historical and scientific facts, Green engages his reader (as always) by weaving in the personal story of his friendship with a young man named Henry—infected with the disease—whom he met on a Health mission in Sierra Leone. The young man’s journey is heartbreakingly tender and illuminates the global challenges—and hopeful possibilities—of eliminating the world’s deadliest disease. (Audiobook) (Note: I actually read this book in July, but forgot to review it in my previous BookStack…oops!)

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Bill Bryson) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️(3.5)

Recommend with Reservation. The memoir of Bryson’s attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail offers many highlights. It’s educational, giving historical, geographical, and environmental facts about the trail. It’s very humorous as Bryson and his companion (Stephen Katz)—two, shall we say, buffoons?—attempt this excruciating feat. It’s also touching, as Bryson learns patience and compassion, and has several moving encounters with his natural surroundings along the way. While the middle section of the book, when he was on his own, seemed slow and dry to me, I really enjoyed the beginning and ending portions when Katz joined him.

At the same time, I was put off by the offensive stereotypes sprinkled throughout the narrative. Poking fun at “fat” people, ridiculing others’ quirky behaviors, and making derogatory statements about those who live in less-developed areas of the country (e.g., backwoods Kentucky) were attempts at humor that fell flat for me, and even made me cringe. Perhaps if he had written it today (it was published in 1998), Bryson would have been more politically correct. Since several people have recommended Bryson, I’ll give him another chance with a more recently published book. (Audiobook)

Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue (Cindy Ojczyk) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly Recommend. In her debut book,

Cindy Ojczyk

(”O-check”) does it all! She shares her passion for fostering dogs with the Second Chance organization she partners with in Minnesota. She writes a memoir of a family struggling through teenage mental health challenges, vulnerably sharing her own insecurities in parenting. And she uses her gift of language to pen an engaging and exquisite story of rescue, grief, love, and healing.

If you love dogs (or horses, or cats, or teenagers), you’ll love Cindy’s stories. From four-legged friends who take on human characteristics in the eyes of their loving caregivers, to family dynamics that threaten to undo mother-daughter relationships and sister bonds, each chapter is a vignette of humor, joy, frustration, fear, and finally, resolution. Mom Loves the Dogs More reminds us that in rescuing others—whether dogs or daughters—we often find ourselves rescued too. (ebook & Paperback) (Note: I was privileged to be on Cindy’s book launch team! You can follow Cindy on Substack to see more of her engaging writing.)

The Women (Kristin Hannah) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly Recommend. I wasn’t excited about reading another “war” book. Although I love historical fiction, I had recently read several books set in World War II, some of which focused on the service of women, so I thought The Women might be more of the same. It was not. This book is a gem, and I’m so glad I picked it up.

The Women takes place during the Vietnam War from the early 60s until it ended in 1975. It was eye-opening to realize all that took place during my childhood that I was oblivious to at the time. The tension between political parties and pro-war vs anti-war factions was so relatable to the current divisions in our society, reminding me that “we’ve been here before,” and as a nation, we survived. Hannah’s descriptions of the devastation and death of so many innocent lives (both American and Vietnamese) are difficult to read but so important to fully understand the atrocities of war and the physical and mental wounds that our soldiers—and nurses—returned with. She also instills great compassion for those who returned, only to be shunned by society, and for the women whose role was largely ignored or even denied.

As she does, Hannah weaves beautiful stories of friendship, family, love, loss, and healing thoughout The Women. It was hard for me to put this book down, and my thoughts returned to it for days after. (Hardcover)

Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommend. Laurie Halse Anderson is adept at capturing the teenage voice through the angst of high school freshman outcast, Melinda. Melinda’s former friends shun her after she calls the cops and breaks up a party. What her friends don’t know, and what Melinda is unable to share with them or anyone—including her parents—is that she called the police because she had been raped.

Although the book focuses on the emotional and physical consequences of rape, Anderson conveys the topic with mild graphic detail, making it an excellent choice for high school English (or Health?) classes. First published in 1999 (and made into a movie in 2004), Speak was written before the “Me Too” movement, yet its lessons remain critical for young men and women today.

With the help of a supportive art teacher and in expressing herself through art, Melinda finds her way back to friendship and self-acceptance. I do question why the story barely touches on and seems to end without Melinda’s receiving any counseling. When a teenage girl’s grades sink drastically and she suddenly stops talking (almost entirely), the red flags should be flying. I would hope today’s parents and teachers would be more proactive in getting a student in this situation the help she needs. (Audiobook. CCFW¹ Recommended Read.)

Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell (Karen Walrond) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommend. After hearing

Karen Walrond

interviewed on back-to-back podcasts about her latest book, In Defense of Dabbling, I decided to pick up her earlier book, Radiant Rebellion. The timing coincided nicely with my 63rd birthday, as I gained some new perspectives on aging.

In this book, Walrond shares the wisdom she’s gained through interviews with other writers, thought-leaders, influencers, experts, and friends. She denounces ageism and shares insights on our aging bodies, as well as the myths the beauty industry promotes. She explores the importance of spirituality and connection with others. And she encourages readers to continue expanding their horizons as they age through curiosity. I appreciated the advice and inspiration in this book, and look forward to using the reflection questions at the end to work through my own process of “Radiant Rebellion.” (Hardcover and Audiobook)

The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement (Sharon McMahon)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly Recommend. The Small and the Mighty is an inspirational read that tells the stories of ordinary Americans (many of whom were women) who made a lasting difference in American society. Through their selfless, brave, and humble acts, these “Small and Mighty” heroes made a significant impact on American freedom, women’s suffrage, Black civil rights, and education for all. While I usually enjoy historical fiction for the added storylines, McMahon brings factual history to life with fascinating, detailed accounts as she connects these historical figures with their impact on society. Her writing is captivating and leaves an emotional imprint.

The quote that will stick with me is this:

“Progress is usually born out of struggle. But struggle doesn’t always mean progress, does it? What do we need to add to struggle to create progress? The answer is hope.”

With our nation’s current struggles—in which many of the rights our forerunners fought for are being stripped away—this book is an important reminder to keep hope alive, and do our part—however small—to assure continued liberty and justice for all. (Audiobook)

And…that’s the stack!

Let me know if you’ve read or plan to read any of these gems! Or, just let me know you were here by “hitting the 🖤.”

Do you know any other book lovers? Please share my BookStack with them!

Happy Reading! 📚

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1. CCFW: Calvin Center for Faith & Writing. This organization at Calvin University (my alma mater! )in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosts the Festival of Faith and Writing every other spring. I’ve registered to attend in April…if you love to read or write, I’d love to see you there! The organizers give a list of recommended books written by authors who will be presenting. For a recap of my first time at the festival, check out: