The Maple Staple Bookstore welcomes five works to its Spotlight Shelf, bringing together grief, humor, love, faith, and personal experience through spiritual guidance, limericks, and poetry. Some pages are written for readers carrying loss, while others invite laughter, reflection, or a renewed appreciation for the people and moments that shape a life. The collection moves easily between solemn and lighthearted subjects without losing sight of the human need for comfort, meaning, and connection. Taken together, these books show how writing can steady the heart, open room for joy, and give language to feelings that are not always easy to express.
“Grieving with GOD: A Spiritual Pathway through the Grief Journey” by Chaplain Mary George-Whittle looks beyond the familiar idea that grief unfolds in orderly stages. She describes it as an emotional, spiritual, psychological, physical, and intellectual journey that can leave people feeling lost after the death of a loved one, the loss of an ability, or a changed way of life. The book offers advice, insight, wisdom, and helpful interventions for the difficult moments that arise along the way. It also makes room for readers who are uncertain about God, angry with God, or simply looking for comfort, while each chapter closes with a verse from Scripture. George-Whittle is a retired board-certified chaplain who served in spiritual care and wellness leadership in Oregon and Ohio. She studied religious studies at Capital University, earned a master's degree in theology from Ohio Dominican University, and has led retreats and workshops on grief, prayer, uncertainty, and spiritual life.
A lighter rhythm follows in “Wordle Limericks: Flamericks” by Dr. Marshall Flam, a collection built around the five-letter word of the day from the online game Wordle. The book gathers 607 limericks arranged across 33 categories, including humorous, philosophical, literary, artistic, mathematical, and classical bawdy verse. Historic, scientific, and more esoteric entries are accompanied by footnotes, giving readers a chance to learn while enjoying the wordplay. Its motto, “Laugh & Learn,” captures the balance Flam set out to create: entertainment with enough context to reward curiosity. Flam is a retired oncologist and hematologist who practiced and taught medicine in Fresno, California, for forty years. He earned a degree in life sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate School of Medicine. His interests include tennis, skiing, singing, cooking, mixology, and, more recently, writing limericks.
Love moves to the center in “BELOVED: Universal Love” by Rodney R. Rhodes, a collection of poetry exploring love, raw emotion, and the life lessons that lead to a deeper understanding of what love means. Rhodes is an internationally known author of poetry and short stories, best known for “Souls of Black Men,” “RUNNING BASS,” and the “Wise Man on the Corner” series. The book presents a bold and colorful collection of poetry, inviting readers on an emotional journey through love and life. Rhodes also credits Tracy L. Hill, a Memphis College of Art graduate, for the book's artwork, and Jennifer Young, whose contribution of a word inspired him to write about the feeling of love.
Faith and personal history come together in “Poems of My Life” by Jack MacArthur Porter Sr. The collection includes poems and reflections on family, love, hardship, loss, healing, redemption, and hope. Parents, pastors, siblings, friendship, and the strength Porter finds in God all appear within its pages, placing personal experience within a collection grounded in Christian themes. Written for readers seeking encouragement or comfort, the poems draw attention to the struggles and triumphs found in everyday life. Porter was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and has been writing poetry since childhood. He studied psychology and sociology and earned a master's degree in addiction counseling. He served fifteen years in the United States Navy and worked for twenty-five years in addiction counseling. Porter is also an elder at Lily of the Valley church in Lemoore, California, where he has served for more than thirty-four years, and is the author of “My Recovery Discovery.”
Humor becomes a way of holding steady in “The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times” by Vincent J. Tomeo. The collection began with a blank page and a memory of the dancing hippopotamus from Disney's “Fantasia.” The image made Tomeo laugh, inspired a poem, and eventually grew into a chapbook. Written during the pandemic while he was also dealing with bladder cancer, the book reflects his choice to seek beauty, laughter, contentment, and peace rather than remain fixed on fear or negativity. Tomeo describes humor as medicine that can ease physical and mental anxiety when life feels especially heavy. A poet, archivist, historian, and community activist, he has been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize and has published poems and essays in numerous literary outlets, including The New York Times. His other work includes “My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York.”
These five works use spiritual guidance, limericks, poetry, and humor to approach grief, love, faith, illness, and everyday experience. Find them on The Maple Staple Bookstore's Spotlight Shelf and discover writing created to comfort, entertain, and encourage reflection.
About The Maple Staple:
For bookworms, by passionate writers.
At The Maple Staple, books come alive beyond mere pages. It's more than a bookstore—it's a community hub for book enthusiasts and budding authors. Celebrating diversity, they curate books from up-and-coming independent writers, and offer a platform to underrepresented voices. With captivating events and book clubs in the heart of Toronto, they foster a vibrant literary community, igniting inspiration and transformation through the enchanting power of words.
— WebWireID363232 —
