The Cultivating Reader – Literary Leaf-Mould provides a fresh source of recommended books gathered from classic and contemporary authors. I will introduce you to varied genres through the ages—classic literature, poetry, and inspiring nonfiction. I’ve even included a cookbook! You may find just the right choice for a book club because breaking bread together over a good read builds fellowship. My prayer is for you to set aside time alone or with friends and linger over good words.
“But, Psyche, we must be serious; yes, and busy too. How have you lived? How did you escape? And oh—we mustn’t let the joy of the moment put it out of our minds—what are we to do now?”
“Do? Why, be merry, what else? Why should our hearts not dance?”
—C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces [1]
Indeed. Let your heart dance!
Do you have a special place that inspires your soul? Some find joy in the cool of the forest or snowy mountain peaks, others are drawn to the wide-sky landscape of a grassy meadow. My comfort is on our wide-empty Atlantic beach. This is where the sea breeze always clears the clutter in my brain.
While considering our theme of merriment on a recent beach walk, I looked up to see several pelicans gliding inches above the rolling waves. Pelicans make me smile because they are feathered contradictions: unnaturally large, pouchy bills and clumsy, cloddish build, but when they fly! Absolute agility and grace, perfectly synchronized and evenly spaced between each member of the flock. I watched as five pelicans swept over the ocean, always equidistant from each other, then high into the sky and back to skim the sea, keeping the same form as they skimmed over the surf. They always fly in perfect formation.
I look down at the cool saltwater ripple over my toes and watch a piece of conch shell pirouette, being spun about in the incoming tide. The cresting waves curl in synchronicity toward the beach, rolling aqua blue to clean white, then pull a little sand back in retreat. The salt air of an incoming tide smells differently than when it is receding. Approaching low tide carries a warm seaweed-ish scent; outgoing tide is crisp and clear. A flock of plovers poke their beaks into the sand in precise places, then skitter away like a group of fluffy, feathered clockwork toys. Every creature, every wave, and every breath of wind moves around me in a purposefully designed dance that I could watch for hours. (Truthfully, I stopped taking a book to the beach because there is too much to see!) Overwhelming simplicity sighs between the sapphire sky and the tan-toned sand. I raise my hands high and smile that God includes me in this moment.
Are you listening to the whispers of our Creator or the shouts of the world? What keeps us from allowing mirth to lift our hearts? Do we choose to firmly set our gaze on every difficulty, trying to control what cannot be altered, soaking in despondency? Do you rest or walk in quietness, or tune into another podcast?
Slow down. Unplug. The Lord surrounds you with birdsongs, breezes scented by flowers and rain, and brilliant sunsets, but unless you lift the worldly gate that blocks your connection to holiness and beauty, you will miss His voice—His quiet, persistent call to the Dance.
You are enfolded in a glorious, eternal rhythm that began with the Holy Trinity—the perichoresis or mutual indwelling among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The fullness of God, three-in-one, synchronous. Oh, do not miss the gift to make merry with our Creator!
The following book recommendations will fill your imagination with delight and wonder.
1. To see childlike merriment through mythic eyes, read Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.
This is Lewis’s last novel, a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, but through the voice of Orual, Psyche’s sister. There are masterful parallels to Christian themes of love, both disordered and pure; redemption by perceived duty compared to childlike faith; and the masks that we wear to keep us from unguarded love. Orual’s sullen nature blinds her to the beauty that Psyche effortlessly sees. This is a book that grows in depth, significance, and beauty at every reading.
2. Meet merriment in inspired recipes and charming paintings in Art of the Chicken by Jacques Pépin.
The whimsical title sets the stage, inviting you into a wonderful collection of personal vignettes and all manner of chickens by this well-known French chef and self-taught artist. With a similar charm as Robert Capon’s The Supper of the Lamb, Pépin writes this narrative-style cookbook that reads like a conversation in the kitchen with an old friend. His recipes are delightful, but his chicken illustrations and inviting stories complete this delectable read.
3. Read about finding joy in the dark times in No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler.
Imagine living your life, pursuing big dreams, raising a family, authoring books, and then receiving a cancer diagnosis at age 35. Kate’s sharp honesty and humor as she walks us through her diagnosis and recovery is inspiring and at times funny. I appreciate facing challenges with grittiness and bravery, finding miracles in the ordinary, and Bowler’s story reminds us to be open to the unexpected.
4. Poetry should sometimes be silly and fun to read aloud, so I recommend The Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.
The theatrical production of Cats is based on this delightful set of poems written by Eliot in 1939. Meet Mr. Mistoffelees, Old Deuteronomy, Skimbleshanks, and the rest of the furry felines through rollicking rhymes and merry meters. Just try and read “The Song of the Jellicles” without grand gestures and a lilting voice! And I encourage you to find the purrrfect copy illustrated by Edward Gorey.
5. In praise of a simpler time of childhood conviviality, read A.A. Milne’s The World of Pooh.
It must be acknowledged that we grownups spend most of our days rushing through tasks, dashing out on errands, and perpetually plugged into podcasts even while out for a walk. Take a cue from Christopher Robin who tells Pooh, “ . . . what I like doing best is Nothing.”
“How do you do Nothing?” asks Pooh after he had wondered for a long time.
“Well, it’s when people call out at you just as you’re going off to do it, What are you going to do, Christopher Robin, and you say, Oh, Nothing, and then you go and do it.”[2]
Unplug and do Nothing for a little while. Magic and merriment await on butterfly wings!
6. I believe it is nearly impossible to dance, or watch dancing, without smiling! (White Christmas and Holiday Inn come to mind!) Just for this issue, I’ll include classic film suggestions. The following titles include some of the best musical dance sequences in movie history. These are available on streaming services, with reviews found online.
- Sun Valley Serenade (1941): Starring Glen Miller and his orchestra (they perform “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and other well-known songs), Sonja Henie (gold medal ice skater), Milton Berle.
- Stormy Weather (1943): Starring Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller. I played this film every year for my middle-school humanities students and I couldn’t keep them in their seats—they had to join in the dance!
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor.
- On the Town (1949) Three sailors on 24 hours of leave in NYC. Gorgeous cinematography! Starring Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen (who was also in White Christmas)
- Easter Parade (1948) Starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland with music by Irving Berlin.
Dear reader, I pray that these book and film suggestions invite you to joy, and may your heart be lifted in merriment!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:4–7 ESV
[1] C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces (Houghton Mifflin, 2012), 105.
[2] A.A. Milne, The World of Pooh (E.P. Dutton), 307.
The featured image is courtesy of Amelia Freidline and is used with her kind permission for Cultivating.
Annie Nardone is a lifelong bibliophile with a special devotion to the Inklings and medieval authors. She is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute and holds an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University. Annie is the Director of Visual Artists for The Cultivating Project and columnist for Cultivating Magazine. She is founding board member, managing editor, and author for the apologetics quarterly, An Unexpected Journal. Her writing can also be found as travel blogger for Clarendon Press U.K., with published poems at Calla Press and Poetica.
She holds a MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute. Annie writes for Cultivating, Literary Life, and Clarendon House Books, and is a managing editor and writer for An Unexpected Journal. Annie collaborated on three books in 2022, published by Square Halo Books and The Rabbit Room. She recently designed a curriculum detailing the intersection of theology, the arts, and history and is a Master Teacher for HSLDA. She resides in Florida with her Middle Earth/Narnia/Hogwarts-loving family, and an assemblage of sphynx cats and feline foundlings.
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