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This month we wanted to highlight books that not only make for a medically healthy heart but a soulfully good heart too.
“The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart” by Sian E. Harding (Nonfiction) (Health) (Science)
Science is constantly solving the mysteries of the heart. Harding not only discusses the medical science and technicalities of the heart, but also the role that emotions play in the functioning of the heart.
“The Witch’s Heart” by Genevieve Gornichec (2021) (Fiction) (Fantasy) (Mythology)
In this reimagined tale of Angrboda and Loki, Angrboda must hide herself and her children at the edge of the world from Odin’s all-seeing eye. Previously robbed of her powers from Odin, Angrboda struggles with the slow return of her prophetic powers which reveal that the entire world may be in danger.
“30-Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Easy, Low-Sodium Meals” by Cheryl Strachan (Cookbook) (Health)
It is daunting to work eight hours a day, get good sleep, workout and get some kind of social interaction. And you want me to cook healthy homecooked meals on top of all that? Strachan’s cookbook offers a variety of 30-minute meals that are simple and good for you.
“When My Heart Joins the Thousand” by A.J. Steiger (2018) (Fiction) (YA) (Romance) (Autism) (Disability)
Alvie Fitz just has to make it to her 18th birthday without any major mishaps and she can avoid being sent back to the group home. She just has to “act normal” and swallow the pills and bad advice doctors and social workers give her. Her solace is her job at the zoo with her only friend, the one-winged eagle, Chance. Then, she meets a boy who is somehow stranger than she is and seemingly shows up to the zoo with a new injury every day. She feels she cannot get close to him, but fate has other ideas.
“Heart Matters: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon” by Kathy Magliato, M.D. (Memoir) (Health) (Science)
Magliato is part of an elite group: She is not only one of the few female heart surgeons in the world, but she is also one of the fewer who are trained to perform heart transplants. Read her fascinating memoir that went on to inspire the NBC show “Heartbeat.”
“The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings” by Edgar Allan Poe (1843) (Classics) (Horror) (Fiction) (Short Stories) (Poetry)
Poe’s classic tale of the heart will frighten even the hardest of horror fans. How does one escape the constant beating and thumping of a dead and buried heart?
“Cardiology for Kids: A Fun Picture Book About the Cardiovascular System for Children” by Brandon Pham and Betty Nguyen (2022) (Children’s) (Picture Book) (Nonfiction)
As part of the “Medical School for Kids” series, this book is a great introduction for kids (and adults) to the heart. Kids will learn all about the anatomy of the heart, blood vessels and different heart conditions and what they can do to have a healthy heart.
“Heartbreak for Hire” by Sonia Hartl (2021) (Fiction) (Romance) (Chick Lit)
Brinkley Saunders secretly works for Heartbreak for Hire, an agency dedicated to providing revenge to frenemies, jilted hearts and horrid coworkers. While it’s not what she thought she was going to do with her life, it is allowing her to save up for her dream of owning an art gallery and help women. However, when the boss hires male heartbreakers, Brinkley begins to question everything.
“The Haywire Heart: How too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart” by Chris Case, John Mandrola and Lennard Zinn (2018) (Nonfiction) (Health) (Fitness) (Sports)
This is the first book to examine heart health in athletes. Athletes should be the pinnacle of health because of all the exercise they get, right? “The Haywire Heart presents the evidence that going too hard or too long can damage your heart forever. You’ll find what to watch out for, what to do about it, and how to protect your heart so you can enjoy the sports you love for years to come.”
“The Heart’s Invisible Furies” by John Boyne (2017) (Historical Fiction) (LGTB)
Adopted by an eccentric, well-to-do Dublin couple, Cyril Avery is constantly reminded that he will never be a “real” Avery by his adoptive family. His only saving grace is his friend, Julian Woodbead. Go on the journey of self-discovery with Cyril over his life.
