Big Talk's Book Talk

2020

Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement

Dixon, Ejeris & Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi (eds.)

An incredible selection of essays about the experience of disability, what transformative justice could look like, and where we are in terms of… Read Review →

2019

Emotionally Focused Family Therapy: Restoring Connection and Promoting Resilience

Furrow, James; Palmer, Gail; Johnson, Susan M.

I return to this book every time I start work with a new family. It's a quick read, the writing is clear and not too theory jargon and the case… Read Review →

2018

Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with Love

Real, Terry

No joke, this is SO GOOD. We need more accountability and responsibility in relationships, and also that we don't have control over others. It's… Read Review →

2016

Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing

Mohr, Melissa

I didn't realize 50% would be about the holy and 50% about the shit but alas! The title is very accurate. History, philosophy, linguistics and the… Read Review →

2018

Educated: A Memoir

Westover, Tara

This author has such an incredible way of taking her stories and making them something almost anyone could relate to. To be raised by a severely… Read Review →

2022

Nettle & Bone

Kingfisher, T.

There were so many tropes and themes I loved about this book, which was impressive for something basically 250 pages. I love an adventure where the… Read Review →

2019

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World

Thom, Kai Cheng

It's important to read this one in emotional bursts. Sometimes a chapter, or sometimes only a few pages at a time. There was so much that I could… Read Review →

2018

Severance

Ma, Ling

I have to admit, the plot line was more interesting to me than the actual book, and yet I definitely recommend it to a very specific audience. This… Read Review →

2026

Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last

Bellamy, Tom

a curious read about a topic I'm still not sure how to classify. It's an aerial perspective on a psychosocial phenomenon, so while I learned a lot, I… Read Review →

2026

The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy

Bauer, Susan Wise

This book is history and philosophy of modern western illness. There were things in this book that will affirm many Americans experiences, especially… Read Review →

2019

This is How You Lose the Time War

El-Mohtar, Amal & Gladstone, Max

This book is a paradox in all forms. It's weird and not written like anything you've seen before but somehow, the love letter format back and forth… Read Review →

2017

Transforming ADHD: Simple Effective Skills to Help You Focus and Succeed

Crosby, Greg and Lippert, Tonya K.

A decent exploration of what it means to experience ADHD and a helpful strengths focused framework to help you understand yourself, a loved one or a… Read Review →

2026

Was That Racist: How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life

Carter, Evelyn R.

So grateful to the author and publishers for giving us this work! As a white therapist, I encounter many well intentioned folks who will benefit from… Read Review →

2026

To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right

Mathias, Christopher

If you live in the PNW, and want to read a history book of why 'antifa' became a buzzword, look no further this book ROCKS!! Who doesn't want to read… Read Review →

2026

Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits

Mak, Cecily

A lovely memoir style proposal of how to get connected to our wise self. The author used their experience with alcohol to propose reflection points… Read Review →

2026

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy

Montgomery, Beronda

Black Botanical Wisdom, as a Celtic white woman in the US, is the gap in spiritual reality I was looking for. Pulling from learned wisdom of… Read Review →