Found: Letters on Life, Love, and God

by Isa Garcia

Isa Garcia believes that everybody deserves love letters. She wrote these letters in Found for you: the girl who has been feeling a bit lost; the girl who likes to run from pain; the girl who is ready to go; the girl who is a lot of things at one time or another. Isa knows that there are days when you would need to be reminded that you matter, you are not alone, and the world is a far better place with you in it.

In this book, may you find a friend who takes you as you are, a safe space for your secret hopes and fears, and the assurance that no matter where you are in your life right now, you will always be found.


SPECIAL FEATURES:
Illustrated, full-colored, pull-out postcards of quotes from the book.

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2016

About the author

Isa Garcia is a writer from Metro Manila, Philippines. She is the author of The Lessons of Neil, Found: Letters on Love, Life, & God (under OMF Publications), Like Lines on a Map, and the recently self-published The Light Years. She is 32-years-old and works in a small art school in BGC.

Reviews

[kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author and I are almost the same age, so whenever I read her work, it always feels like she is taking a leaf out of my life book. But what is more striking is how she's able to write about experiences and emotions in the most perfect ways. You can feel the joy, the pain, the hope, the fear, and you find yourself 'found' in her words. This book is a great way to showcase not only her talent, but also the heart that she has not only as a writer, but also as a person. Highly recommended for girls of all ages who need reminding that they are always enough, and that it's okay to want things and that it's healthy to say no to some opportunities.

Note: I received a copy in line with my work on Bookbed*. However, this does not affect my thoughts about this book. Want to share your book with me? Reach me here.

*Read our review of the book and our feature on Isa Garcia on Bookbed.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each letter was written with sincerity and it definitely contained some of the things I needed to hear.

2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: A book of letters - 12/52

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t be more grateful to have read this amazing book—Found: Letters on Love, Life, and God—just in time for Love Month! How sweet it is to be reading letters these days…

Reading the book felt like having a face-to-face conversation with the author. All throughout the read, it seemed like the author knew me personally as she’s gone through the same experiences I had. I’ve been encouraged and reminded of how much God loves me and how great and enough that love is. This made me realize that most of the disciplines that I have now are healthy, although I still need to work on some.

I love how she plays with words; Ms. Isa Garcia is a certified wordsmith! Reading the book made me want to meet the author in the near future as we have a lot of things in common—we share a lot of the same sentiments. I’m thankful for the author’s courage to share her heart with us, readers.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
1. “Love is the Man who takes the blame, who feels the whip on His battered back, and carries a wooden beam. He climbs the hill, and is nailed to the cross even though he did no wrong, all because of love.”
2. “Your heart’s not glass. It’s made of far better and tougher stuff.”
–> This one’s for those who are afraid to love again.
3. “Going along with someone is to know that to share love — no matter how brief or how long the moment — is always a privilege. The space we get to love somebody is always just enough.”
–> This reminded me to savor every moment.
4. “So many of the things you say Yes to in life will determine who you are and where you’ll end up. Your Yes is far too sacred to be squandered.”
–> This is something we should be reminding ourselves of every once in a while.
5. “When you leave, you begin to understand the worth of what you have walked away from.”
6. “I want to be sought after for the way that I love, for my capacity to inspire, for a big faith.”
7. “Truth is just that: The thing that stands tall even after everything else has crumbled away.”
–> I love how she defines truth in this book.

The calligraphy artworks included in the book are a breath of fresh air—wow! Check them out!

[ I received a complimentary digital copy of the book. This review is part of the blog tour for Found: Letters on Love, Life, and God. ]

[Julienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read on the 1st day of the year. It reminds the readers the essential things in life.

Dec 30, 2022:
This is the 3rd time I read this book. After all this time, it still speaks volume.

This book is the reason why I let go of things I am not in control. To be open to new possibilities in love and in life. And now, I am here, in a state where I didn’t see myself before, a state of peace, happiness, joy and finally finding myself contented on what I have.

The 1st and 2nd time I read this, I am still yearning for something grand. In my 3rd time reading, I am already found and now I am just agreeing with Isa. Most of the time, in letting go and letting it be, we can find ourselves and the joy it brings.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because many years ago, I read Isa Garcia's blog post on "the Staying Philosophy" and quite honestly, it changed my life's perspective. I was recently looking to locate it as it is something I like to read and remind myself of from time to time, but it was no longer available online, so I resorted to purchasing Isa's book and I'm so glad I did. "The Staying Philosophy" will always be a favorite, but Isa is incredibly honest and vulnerable in her other letters incorporated in this masterpiece and I am so grateful for that. She also has a way with language that just makes my knees quake, body shiver, eyes tear and heart pound. It's hard to remember the last time I have felt so fulfilled by something such as this. Without a single doubt, I would recommend.

[Bookbed · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Isa Garcia’s writing has always felt like someone read your mind, but told your thoughts through the lenses of your heart. This book may be a departure from her usual output of essays, but it somehow feels more like something you would expect from Isa—raw, emotional and relatable." Continue reading our review here.

Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
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[Camille Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of letters that talks about life, love, God, and oneself.

"The older I get, the more I think that holiness is less about being pure, and more about the having heart to try and keep trying. Because we're never going to get it a hundred percent right. Not in this lifetime."

A book that reminds the readers the essential things in life. Not everything is needed to be what the world shapes it to be. That is too so easy to get lost in the noise of the world, in the blaring clamor wanting us to have an achievement set on a time frame; to finish everything like we are rushing the world to revolve around us and to chase after an approval that we thought was so important, we sometimes end up disregarding what was real and what we really needed for ourselves. This book is a merely a wake up call for those who are depending on everyone's likes and satisfactions, that it is okay to do yourself. It is okay not to be okay sometimes.

[Precious Prestosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Found’ is a series of letters written for every girl who feels a little bit lost in life, curious about her purpose and perhaps, God. It is also for her who has experienced being hurt by someone dear to her. Perhaps, for her who is still enduring that pain, or even for her whose walls to protect her fragile heart are on the brink of breaking down.

To view full review, visit http://www.lettersandscribbles.com/20...

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on a bookstore and thought that I wouldn't want to read this, coz maybe it's just like those writings from influencers who create generic and very general topics. Somehow, this book made a way to get to me as this was gifted to me by a friend. The letters aren't as general as that by Joena San Diego (Letters of Solana). The letters, most of them, are addressed to a specific type of person, those who gone through certain events in life. And it really feels so personal.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are days when you will grasp at straws for something that seems close to what is true. There are days when your voice will shake with the weight of uncertainty. There are days when you will feel like you aren’t enough. And there are days when the small cure to sadness will be the simple marriage of love and words. This book exists for those days. This book exists for you.
I'm so happy that I found this book, even though I don't usually review these kind of books I'm thankful that I signed-up and was included in its blog tour. This book is a collection of letters about love, God, and life.

Found has five parts: God, Love, Life, the Tough Stuff, and You. Each part is composed of letters that are all filled with words woven in a way that will touch your hearts and souls, and will just make you feel understood.

I love how the readers can find a letter for whatever they're going through their lives at the moment. How a particular letter can potentially help someone with their struggles. I find this book both comforting as well as empowering, something that you can read whenever you're feeling quite lost and lonely. Or whenever you just need some encouragement in this big and sometimes dark world.

Throughout reading the letters, I could feel how personal this book is to the author. It's filled with her experiences, stories, lessons learned, and it creates this feel or bond between the author and reader where they share a connection through the book. I could also sense how important this book is to the author, and I'm both happy and thankful that she wrote this book to share to the world.

You are the living breathing proof that pain doesn’t get the final say. You are greater than the sum of your tragedies. Please never forget.

Love,
The girl who knows that you are more

There are moments in our life where we'll feel a little bit lost, or maybe completely lost. We will feel like we don't belong anywhere or to anyone, like we're not accepted or loved or important. But we do have a place in this world, we belong here as much as the next person does, and most importantly we belong to ourselves. This book is a helpful reminder to love yourself, to accept all your flaws and imperfections. To accept the fact that things will not always be okay, and that's alright because you don't need to know or figure everything that is happening to your life at the moment.

I was provided a digital copy of this, so I only saw the illustrations on-screen. It's a beautiful book inside and out, all the graphics were a pleasant addition to the book and I think that the physical version is more beautiful just because the illustrations would be spread in a whole page unlike the pictures on the ebook.

I hope you go through life with your eyes wide open, with your palms ready to catch moments of wonder. I hope you witness things that move you towards the great and the spectacular.

So if you want to be found, or you just want to find out something wonderful this book is perfect for you. I don't know if this review gave the book justice because I honestly don't have the words to fully express the beauty of this book. But you have my word. and I promise that you won't regret reading it, or at least your time wouldn't be wasted.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital review copy of this book and for including me to its blog tour.

MORE REVIEWS AND OTHER STUFF ON MY BLOG: https://geniereads.wordpress.com/


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I beautiful quick read. I read this in one sitting. It's a collection of letters that talks about life, love, God, and oneself. I find this collection comforting as well as empowering, something that you can read whenever you're feeling quite lost and lonely. I'm sure that I can find a perfect piece/letter from this book that would serve as a reminder for me when I'm struggling. Plus, the illustrations and lettering were gorgeous, I would love to see this book physically. I think it's beautiful inside and out.

These are only my scattered and initial thoughts. A full and coherent review to follow!

[Aiza Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books that had me captured as early as page 1 and has continued to do so with each succeeding page. It became a venue for me to face the monsters that had long been hiding which I dare not face while having an alter ego beside you holding you in solace. The book made me want to risk, to be passionate and simple be the me who has not figured everything out.

[France · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend to read one chapter/part a day in order to savor the different themes. The book reminds us that we will find answers and our way home in the right time. We all have our own journeys to take. I commend the author, Isa, for being vulnerable and genuine in her writing.

[Bob E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still read and revisit this years and years later. So genuine and vulnerable without being forced. It’s like hearing your older sister tell stories from when she was your age. Love this book, and the beautiful illustrations (most of which have been hanging on my wall since I got it!)

[Ailene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barely stopping myself from quoting this book nonstop.

[Alyanna Uy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. A must read.

[Ced · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely and relatable. Read and give this book as a gift. To the lost and unsure, read this and know you will be found.

[Stef Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for everyone.

[Beatriz Andrea Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the face of email and instant messenger, the practice of letter-writing has been all but forgotten. I'm no luddite, but I do think that it is a shame that we have lost this form of communication. Isa Garcia's book is a reminder of why. She writes like a long lost friend, with honesty and vulnerability, about real things. I hope that one day everyone in world is lucky enough to receive letters as beautiful as these from their loved ones, and I hope one day, everyone finds the courage to write and send them.