What We’re Reading in May: Navigating Life’s Transitions with Resilience and Meaning

Life is full of turning points — some we choose, and others arrive unexpectedly. This month, we’re highlighting books that offer wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools for facing life’s transitions with strength, clarity, and even celebration. Here’s what we’re reading:

Life is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age
by Bruce Feiler (2020)
Bruce Feiler interviewed hundreds of people to explore how we handle major life disruptions — or “lifequakes.” This engaging, compassionate book offers a new framework for seeing transitions not as detours, but as opportunities for growth, creativity, and reinvention.

Thresholds: How to Thrive Through Life’s Transitions to Live Fearlessly and Regret-Free
by Sherre Hirsch (2015)
Rabbi and counselor Sherre Hirsch invites readers to reframe life’s inevitable thresholds — career shifts, relationship changes, health challenges — as doorways to personal freedom. Her blend of practical advice and heartfelt wisdom helps readers approach change with courage instead of fear.

When Life Changes or You Wish It Would: A Guide to Finding Your Next Step Despite Fear, Obstacles, or Confusion by Carol Adrienne (2003)
Though originally published earlier, Carol Adrienne’s guide remains a timeless resource for anyone standing at a crossroads. A career counselor and transition coach, Adrienne provides strategies for listening to intuition, overcoming fear, and taking confident steps forward when life feels uncertain.

Sacred Celebrations: Designing Rituals to Navigate Life’s Milestone Transitions
 by Elizabeth Murray (2023) — Bonus Book!
Sometimes a personal or collective ritual can help mark and honor life’s changes. In Sacred Celebrations, author and transition guide Elizabeth Murray offers inspiration for creating meaningful ceremonies around transitions such as graduations, retirements, new beginnings, and endings — helping us move through life’s chapters with greater mindfulness and gratitude.

Transitions are part of every meaningful life. These books remind us that with the right support, tools, and mindset, change can be a doorway to a richer, more authentic future. Happy reading!