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Book Review: Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm by Hamish Brewer
Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm by Hamish Brewer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm by Hamish Brewer is the kind of book that doesn’t just sit quietly on your shelf—it grabs you by the shoulders and reminds you why the work of changing lives… Continue reading
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Book Review: Long Bright River by Liz Moore
By Michelle Allen Liz Moore’s Long Bright River is one of those novels that doesn’t just tell a story — it settles into your bones. Set against the stark, unflinching backdrop of Kensington, Philadelphia, Moore weaves a narrative that is equal parts mystery, family drama, and social commentary. But at its heart, this is a… Continue reading
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🌿 The Art of Reading Something Twice
By Michelle Allen Some books pass through our lives like travelers — lovely to meet, easy to forget. And then there are the others, the ones that stay. The ones that become part of the furniture of our memory, tucked onto the shelves of childhood, motherhood, and every season in between. For me, that book… Continue reading
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The Quiet Art of Lifelong Learning
By Michelle Allen I’ve always believed in lifelong learning — not as a slogan, but as a way of moving through the world. Maybe that comes from spending nearly three decades as a secretary for adult and alternative education, where our motto was simple and profound: “From the cradle to the grave.” I watched people… Continue reading
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🌿 Learning to Live Between the Moments
By Michelle Allen The habit that has improved my life the most is learning to pause before I respond. Not a dramatic pause. Not a grand spiritual awakening. Just a small, human moment—one breath, one heartbeat, one gentle settling of the mind before I speak or act. It began during a season when life felt… Continue reading
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🌿 The Hard Years — And the Quiet Strength That Carried Me
By Michelle Allen Every life has chapters you can name without hesitation. Some are soft and golden. Some are messy and complicated. And some… some you only survive by putting one foot in front of the other. If I had to title one chapter of my life The Hard Years, I know exactly which season… Continue reading
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🌿 When a Story Is Enough: Why Not Every Book Needs a Sequel
By Michelle Allen There’s a certain kind of magic that happens at the end of a good book — that quiet moment when you close the cover and just sit there, suspended between the world you were in and the one you’re returning to. It’s a feeling that doesn’t need a follow‑up. It doesn’t need… Continue reading
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🧹 The Wicked Witch Actually Had a Good Point
By Michelle Allen There’s something oddly comforting about revisiting childhood stories as an adult — especially the ones with villains who, upon closer inspection, might not be villains at all. Take the Wicked Witch of the West. Green, dramatic, a little smoky around the edges… but honestly? She had every right to file a complaint… Continue reading
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🌿 The Geography of My Heart
By Michelle Allen There’s a certain magic in imagining a life somewhere else — not out of dissatisfaction, but out of curiosity. Travel has a way of widening the heart, and sometimes the places we visit (or dream of visiting) linger long after we’ve returned home. If I could live anywhere in the world, I… Continue reading
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🌿 The Art of Imperfection: Finding Calm in the Mess
By Michelle Allen I’ve always been drawn to order — clean spaces, tidy lists, predictable rhythms. But lately, I’ve been wondering if a little chaos might actually be good for the soul. Not the kind of chaos that wounds or disrespects — not the loud, reckless kind that leaves scars. I’m talking about the softer… Continue reading
