Here’s a list books that embody gathering. You’ll find non-fiction books, cookbooks and fiction novels that are sure to touch your heart.
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The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
Every day we find ourselves in gatherings, Priya Parker says in The Art of Gathering. If we can understand what makes these gatherings effective and memorable, then we can reframe and redirect them to benefit everyone, host and guest alike. Parker defines a gathering as three or more people who come together for a specific purpose. When we understand why we gather, she says — to acknowledge, to learn, to challenge, to change — we learn how to organize gatherings that are relevant and memorable: from an effective business meeting to a thought-provoking conference; from a joyful wedding to a unifying family dinner. In dozens of fascinating examples, she breaks down the alchemy of these experiences to show what goes into the good ones and demonstrates how we can learn to incorporate those elements into all of our gatherings.
Feed These People: Slam-Dunk Recipes for Your Crew by Jen Hatmaker
With five children and a close-knit community of family and friends, bestselling author, podcaster, and inspirational speaker Jen Hatmaker has been sharing her love of cooking and food with her fans for years. Now she’s compiled all her favorite sure-thing recipes into one personal and highly entertaining cookbook, including chapters like Food for Breakfast (or brunch so you can drink), Food for Your Picky Spouse or Spawn, and Food for When You Have No More Damns to Give. This is real food for real people.
All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle
This book is everything. I immediately became infatuated with Hubert and Rose, learning about their love and life as the story moved from past to present. From family struggles and racism to drug addiction and loneliness, this book was not afraid to touch upon the not-so-pretty realities of life and look them in the eye. I was touched and moved throughout every page and cried mightily at the end for it gave me a lesson I needed to learn. How much time do we all have? And what are we going to do with what we’ve been gifted? There’s a connection for all of us in this book.
Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane
I love when I can get lost in a book and I definitely got lost in this one, but for a reason I was not expecting: horticulture. Really. I was so taken with May’s passion for plants and flowers that I could not help getting excited myself. That kind of passion is contagious. Beyond that, I was drawn to May’s story: a 40-year old woman who has neglected her social life and works to reignite it. She takes a journey visiting her close childhood friends and creates a set of rules for visiting in the process. I could relate to many of her sentiments and was intrigued by the viral hashtag she started: #fortnightfriend: a friend that would welcome you into her home for two weeks, a sign of a true friend. May pushes herself out of her comfort zone and discovers new things about herself, the people around her and the possibilities the future could hold. I think we all could benefit from a journey like this.
