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An Open Book

Welcome to the April 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I’ve almost finished Karen Ullo’s forthcoming historical novel, To Crown with Liberty (Chrism Press). A split-time novel set during the French Revolution and late 18th century Louisiana, the story of Alix de Morainville of the French nobility, is told through her own eyes. The reader experiences the persecutions and executions of the Reign of Terror and the wilds of the American south as farms and plantations bring civilization to the swamps of Louisiana. Some prominent historical French and American figures appear throughout. The faith interwoven in the story makes it stand out from purely historical and less personal sagas. Even without having read the conclusion, I highly recommend this novel, which will be launched on May 1.

I received a copy of The Family That Prays Together Stays Together: A Bead-by-Bead Family Guide through the Mysteries by Fr. Willy Raymond, CSC from Catholic Mom. It is a good introduction to the Rosary, designed for the reader to focus on a single mystery each day, working through the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries in four weeks’ time. For those already familiar with the Rosary, it offers a chance to slow down and focus on each mystery with its scripture reading and reflection.

I also had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Maria V. Gallagher’s forthcoming Glorious Encounters with Mary. The author shares her deepest sorrows and greatest joys, drawing you in as if she were inviting you into her living room, where you can share your triumphs and challenges in the light of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. From the Resurrection of Jesus to the Coronation of Mary, the reader can see in the Blessed Mother’s experience their own encounters with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The celebration of virtue and the examples of the saints help foster the reader’s own response to the universal call to holiness.

My college son has been enjoying the audiobooks available on Spotify. He recently listened to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. He enjoyed what he called the Monty Python-esque humor. He thought it worked particularly well as an audiobook because of its lightheartedness and randomness.

He also read ‘In the Beginning …’: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall by Pope Benedict XVI. A portion was assigned reading for class, but since it was rather short, he proceeded to read the entire text. Translated from German, these homilies provide a Catholic understanding of the early biblical writings. My son expected the text to be heady and hard-to-understand but found them easily comprehensible and informative.

My high school daughter has been reading The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare with her class. This is her first time reading a Shakespeare play, and she’s really enjoying it. In this comedy set in 16th century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress wealthy Portia and turns to his friend Antonio for help. Antonio becomes indebted to a Jewish lender, Shylock. Under the terms, Shylock is entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. It’s Portia who saves the day.

My middle school daughter is reading Saint José: Boy Cristero Martyr by Fr. Kevin McKenzie. This novel, which my older daughter and I previously read, is an engaging, realistic portrait of Mexican teen Jose Sanchez Del Rio’s piety and courage. Its focus on Saint José’s bravery rather than his captors’ brutality makes it appropriate for young readers. It serves as an excellent introduction to Mexican history, Church history, and sainthood.

I’ll be sharing a longer review at Catholic Mom, but Our Lady of Sorrows: Devotion to Mary’s Seven Sorrows for Children by Patrick O’Hearn is a treasure for families. It explains the devotion and for each of the seven sorrows, it provides the relevant scripture verses, an introduction written from Our Lady’s perspective that helps foster compassion for the Blessed Mother in children, the Hail Mary (in both English and Latin), a concluding prayer, and beautiful illustrations. Adalee Hude’s beautiful artistry depicts both the individual sorrows and Mary’s immaculate heart, pierced by swords. I look forward to praying this devotion more frequently with my family.

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An Open Book

Welcome to the March 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

For the first time in An Open Book history, it’s a week late. If you even noticed – sorry! I’ve been under the weather for, well, longer than I’ve ever been under the weather, but each day I’m a little better, and thanks be to God it seems it’s merely viral and not anything of a serious nature. 

If I can say anything good about being sick and fatigued for so long, it’s that I was able to complete the lengthy Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell much more quickly than I anticipated. After all these years and coming to it with a mature perspective and greater knowledge of both life and history, it’s still a five-star novel for me. Now, on to what else we’ve been reading!

When I was feeling worst, I needed relief from the brutality of war and death in Gone with the Wind, so I picked up Pepper Basham’s Authentically, Izzy. I always enjoy her writing, and this novel was chock full of fun literary references and likeable characters set in both the Blue Mountains of the American South and a fictional Scottish-like isle. It’s mainly an epistolary novel, which I enjoy, although I think by its nature, it increased the book’s length beyond what was necessary. The repetition of the characters’ bookish natures and the heroine’s wonderful creativity became somewhat tiresome. Still, it suited my mood and was an enjoyable contemporary Christian rom-com.

Last month, I forgot to include one of my oldest son’s Christmas gifts, which he read on his break between semesters. King Alfred: Burnt Cakes and Other Legends by David Horspool came recommended by one of his instructors. As you might guess, it includes legends surrounding the 9th century English king. From my son’s review: “This book provides a well-rounded, all-around view of Alfred, not only relaying the history of King Alfred, but exploring the historiography, popular perception, and legends of the famous king. Each chapter takes a specific legend or notion about Alfred, explores the history behind the story, and then shows how that story has affected Alfred’s perception over the years. I had no idea how prominent of a figure Alfred was, maintaining a status as a household name until around the mid-twentieth century, and the book really introduces the reader to the prominence and importance of both the figure and this period in history.” He also appreciated the genealogy chart and maps included, though more maps of Viking and Anglo-Saxon movements would have been helpful.

Continuing with his Star Wars reading list, my son also read Balance Point by Kathy Tyers, part of The New Jedi Order series. He gave this one four stars but is ready for a break from the series. Refugees fleeing a murderous race are sent to the overcrowded planet Duro. The Solos and Skywalkers get tangled up in the drama as the Yuuzhan Vong target Duro next.

Michael Crichton’s Prey was a quick spring break read. From his review: “A stay-at-home dad who has fallen on hard luck in his programming career is one of the only people who can stop unrestrained, intelligent, and evolving nanotechnology from becoming man’s most fearsome predator in Michael Crichton’s Prey. The book draws primarily on developments and theories from both biology and computer science (topics that I found easier to comprehend than those in other Crichton novels) in this thrilling sci-fi suspense. The novel is like a cross between Jurassic Park and Sphere in terms of story and themes with some elements of The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” (By the way, you can follow my son’s Goodreads reviews; I’m biased, but I think his reviews are top-notch.)

Continuing his reading for a class on leadership, he also read Leadership Insights for Wizards and Witches: Exploring Effective Leadership Practices Through Popular Culture by Aditya Simha. As you might guess, the book uses examples from the Harry Potter series to demonstrate successful and unsuccessful leadership techniques.

My high school daughter was on a bit of a Jane Eyre binge after we watched another movie adaption. After re-reading her favorite passages from the Charlotte Bronte classic, she began reading Erin McCole Cupp’s Unclaimed from The Memoirs of Jane E, Friendless Orphan trilogy. It’s a wonderfully creative cyberpunk adaption of the literary classic. It seems especially timely, once again, since this orphan Jane was an unclaimed embryo.

For Lent, she’s also been reading the spiritual classic The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of The Little Flower by Saint Therese of Lisieux. Saint Therese’s writing is accessible enough that my younger daughter has been snatching this away from her sister and reading it as well.

With her class, my middle school daughter is reading The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, a book that appeared in An Open Book in 2020. In summary, a gang of orphans on the streets of Venice steal from the wealthy, and a pair of runaway brothers find their home with them.

Our school ditched Scholastic for its most recent book fair, and we were very pleased with the selection of books offered by I:55 Book Fairs. My daughter picked up Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen and devoured it. The book relates the interconnected stories of five children living in different parts of Europe during World War I.

Also on my daughter’s reading pile were Leslea Wahl’s Blindside books—The Perfect Blindside and eXtreme Blindside.(It’s getting difficult to keep up with this child’s reading pace.) These teen adventure mysteries with a little romance and faith themes are fun, easy reads. Both feature Olympic snow boarder Jake and high school journalist Sophie. They make a fun pair as they solve mysteries, and I always happily recommend these books for teens.

When I received an advance copy of Antony B. Kolenc’s Penny and the Stolen Chalice from OSV Kids, my daughter snapped it up. Penny is a new, non-Catholic 6th grader at a Catholic grade school, and she doesn’t understand exactly what the big deal is about a stolen chalice. When her friend Jayden is accused of the theft, they team up to uncover the truth. I’m looking forward to reading this too and passing it on to my youngest son.

Finally, my youngest son enjoyed Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks. (Interestingly, I noticed the audiobook version is narrated by actor Jack Black.) The hero is stuck within the world of Minecraft and must uncover the secrets of the island he is stranded on to survive. My son said it was alternately funny, sad, and scary. Who would’ve thought Minecraft would have this level of staying power? Not me.

In addition to reading the Star Wars Jedi Academy series, which appeared here several years ago, my son is reading Rules by Cynthia Lord with his fifth-grade class. It’s a Newbery Award winner about a twelve-year old, Catherine, with an autistic brother. New friends, including a paraplegic boy, force her to examine what it means to be normal.

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An Open Book

Welcome to the February 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell several times, but it’s been decades since the last re-read. I’ve been eager to read it again to see how it holds up now that I’m older and an author. So far, I’m still loving Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize winner and marveling at how faithful the movie adaption is to many details. It’s been a rather slow read so far only because it’s long and I’m reading a paperback. Without a decent booklight, a lot of my reading time is lost (since I read ebooks at my younger children’s bedsides at night).

Katie Bailey was a new-to-me author, and Season’s Schemings was an enjoyable rom-com featuring the marriage of convenience trope. I’m partial to ice hockey, so this made the story appealing. After being dumped by her longtime boyfriend on national television, Maddie Grainger goes to work for an NHL team. During a drunken night in Las Vegas, she marries the hockey team’s star, Seb Slater. Seb will be the new man she can rub in her ex’s face at her family’s Christmas gathering, and she is his means of staying in the country when his work visa expires. This is a secular market rom-com and includes a little more innuendo than I’m accustomed to reading lately, but it’s a closed-door romance that didn’t offend.

I wrapped up my Christmas reading early in 2024 with Christmas in Mistletoe Square, a collection of Christmas novellas by contemporary Christian authors. Each story is tied to the same town, so the same shops and people re-surface in each story. This was a strong, consistent collection with stories by Pepper Basham, Cara Putnam, Teresa Tysinger, and Janine Rosche. Basham’s was my favorite, but they were each enjoyable. 

After several Christmas seasons, I also finally finished Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection. This package included ten full-length novellas, and the quality was very uneven. There were a few gems, but others were either only okay or disappointing. Not bad for a 99-cent e-book set. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s available as a set any longer.

Our parish offered copies of Beautiful Eucharist, edited by Matthew Kelly, this Christmas season. It is a short collection of pieces (some original, some adapted) reflecting on the Eucharist. Authors run the gamut from Catholic Mom foundress Lisa A. Hendey to Venerable Fulton Sheen. The essays are short and meaningful with suggestions for further reading and are perfect for contemplating either in front of the Blessed Sacrament or on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

My son is back at college and continuing to work his way through various Star Wars novels, mainly in The New Jedi Order series. Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse by James Luceno continues the saga of the New Republic battling the Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Leia Organa Solo, estranged from her husband, Han, is helping to evacuate refugees from various planets while her brother, Luke Skywalker, is holding together the Jedi Knights. My son gives it 3.5 stars, saying, “not Luceno’s best work but not his worst.”

Not part of the same series, but including crossover characters, The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton includes a love triangle involving Leia, Han, and the “dashing and wealthy” Prince Isolder. My son enjoyed the book’s humorous moments, though some of Han Solo’s actions (such as kidnapping Leia) seemed out of character. The book also provided backstory on the Nightsisters, who have become more prominent in recent Disney Star Wars offerings, albeit as even more creepy and occult characters.

For a class on leadership, he also read a book by his instructor, Michael J. Urick, entitled A Manager’s Guide to Using the Force: Leadership Lessons from a Galaxy Far Far Away. The book is an attempt to explore effective leadership practices through pop culture, specifically the Star Wars universe.

The Book of Lost Tales, Part One by J.R.R. Tolkein details the history of writing Middle-Earth, which is, as I understand it, earlier versions of The Silmarillion. Despite it being interesting, my son found this a difficult book to get through. 

Finally, he gave five stars to a short story by Richard Connell, “The Most Dangerous Game.” In this story, according to the description, “a big-game hunter from New York . . . becomes shipwrecked on an isolated island in the Caribbean and is hunted by a Russian aristocrat.” Read on the recommendation of a friend, this story is one of the best short stories he’s listened to. It includes a nice twist, unique characters, and is well-written overall.

My high school daughter quickly read Going Deeper: A Reasoned Exploration of God and Truth by Leo Severino. The book provides a logical, systematic approach that demonstrates how faith and reason go hand in hand and helped satisfy some of her philosophical questions. I read the book in 2018 and described it as “Perfect for those who can’t reconcile faith and reason, are intellectually curious (and honest), doubters, seekers, or those who defend the faith.”

As a class, she is also reading parts of Dante’s Inferno. They’ve only just begun but have already watched a Word on Fire video by Bishop Barron explaining how the entire tale is about man’s spiritual journey. This is a classic I should return to someday as I think I also read only excerpts in high school.

My middle school daughter loved Susan Peek’s Saint Magnus: The Last Viking. She thought the writing was really engaging and recommended it to her older sister, so long as she wouldn’t mind the bloody scenes. (Magnus was martyred and this is, after all, a Viking tale.) The novel centers around the conflict between Magnus Erlendson, a pious, heroic prince, and his cousin Hakon, who’s been banished from their kingdom.

With her class, my daughter is also reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. A description of the Newbery Award winner: “Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are ‘relocated,’ Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life.”

Also, Rabbit: A Practical Guide to Caring for Your Rabbit by David Taylor didn’t leave her hands for days. I was peppered regularly with facts about breeds and the care and feeding of rabbits along with the at least thrice daily plea, “I want a rabbit.” This is what happens when you spend time at the Farm Show amongst rabbit breeders.

My youngest son is reading Lizette M. Lantingua’s Mission Libertad with his fifth-grade class. I covered that book (again) last year, when his sister read it, but it’s worth repeating that as an adult, I learned more about what communism looked like on a daily basis from this book than any other source. It’s a great mystery for young readers that includes the history of 1970s communist Cuba and the lived faith of Cuban Catholics.

Finally, my son picked up War Stories by Gordon Korman from the Catholic Schools Week book fair, and he’s really enjoying it so far. Since both his grandfathers served in World War II, it’s taken on a special interest for him. Trevor loves playing war-based video games, but he learns about the complex nature of war from his great-grandfather Jacob, who helped to liberate a French village in World War II.

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An Open Book

Welcome to the January 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I didn’t hit my Goodreads reading goal for 2023, despite finishing strong. I may have to downgrade my goal for 2024, but these are the books that ended our year in reading.

I’ll read Christmasy books well into January. Sticking with the liturgical season and all.  Like a Winter Snow by Lindsay Harrel is a sweet romance Christmas novella with a heroine who is so invested in helping to care for her mother that she’s assumed way more responsibility for her welfare than is reasonable. A Christmas getaway to England for her friend’s wedding gives her (eventually) the perspective she needs when she meets a handsome Englishman.

A Paper Snowflake Christmas by Maddie Evans includes all the Christmas trappings you expect – snowy weather, a cute kid, some family drama, and, of course, a sweet romance. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the main characters, but I liked the (former) troublemaker hero, Devlin, who has taken responsibility for the child his sister abandoned, and Marlie, the origami-making young woman at the center of the story.

I re-read two exquisite corpses created by Catholic Teen Books authors in preparation for their eBook publication. “A Fowl Christmas,” written in 2021, focuses on teenage Derrick, whose mom’s stranded out of town and whose dad injured his leg. The family Christmas feast is in jeopardy, but with the help of his brother, Blake; his friend, Grace; and a bargain involving some chickens and the old ladies down the street, maybe Derrick can still pull off this holiday meal.

In “A Saint Nicholas Eve Carol,” written in 2022, Ebby’s been paired with Bear, a kid with Down’s Syndrome, for the Saint Nicholas Eve Confirmation retreat. One minute she’s scheming how to ditch Bear and the next she and her friend Pastelle are transported into a twisted version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Will Ebby let Bear take the fall for her friends’ mischief, or will Ebby stand up for him once she realizes there’s a lot more to Bear than she realized?

In case you’re tucking away ideas for next Advent, we found 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath by Lisa M. Hendey to be a great addition to our Advent traditions. Five minutes proved to be the perfect amount of time for our busy family to focus on the season together before bedtime prayers. Each day includes some scripture, a short reflection, and – our favorite part – an opportunity to reflect on in which people or events throughout the day we’d encountered Christ. This allowed us to think of the kindnesses done to each of us by family members, friends, teachers, and even strangers.

In 2022, I made it through more than ten months with the WINE devotional Called by Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women, edited by Kelly M. Wahlquist. In 2023, I picked up where I’d left off. Like any such collection, there is a wide variety of contributors, and some passages resonate more than others. Overall, there were many salient points and scripture-focused meditations that helped slow me down so I could ponder what God might be trying to communicate to me in the midst of my busy life.

A New Year’s Kiss, a short romance collection by nine authors, is one of the most consistent of such collections I’ve read. Each short includes—you guessed it!—a New Year’s Eve kiss. I’d already enjoyed longer works by about half of the authors, but I am glad I’ve been introduced to the remainder of the authors, whose stories I loved too. Prompted by individual authors’ newsletters, I downloaded a copy for free, which the authors have referred to as a limited-time offer, so maybe this will be available for retail sale soon.

My college son was all about books this Christmas, and he’s already finished one of the books we gave him. He thoroughly enjoyed Osprey Essential Histories #12: Campaigns of the Norman Conquest by Matthew Bennett, one of many books recommended to him by his Medieval Warfare instructor. He called it “a very accessible and comprehensive review of the Norman Conquest, definitely not a bad place to start for anyone interested in Medieval history.” He found the illustrations and graphics included very helpful to his understanding.

He also added another Tolkien book to his growing collection, Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. According to the description, “The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien.” Christopher Tolkien presents the legend in his father’s words, along with passages of later text that illustrate how the narrative changed. 

My high school daughter has been reading the play Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw. This 1923 play dramatizes the French saint’s life using records from her trial. Since the only thing I could draw from my daughter’s over-taxed brain was that “she liked it,” I refer to what I wrote when her older brother read the same play. Unhappy with the way Saint Joan of Arc had been portrayed, Shaw sought to write a play that showed the saint in a more realistic light – proud, naïve, and foolhardy. With this play, Shaw is said to have reached the height of his fame as a dramatist.

For Christmas, she received Murder at Penwood Manor, the fifth book in the Harwood Mysteries series by Antony B. Kolenc. I covered this book here recently, saying “In the latest installment, Xan, Lucy, and Christina must uncover the killer of a much-hated blacksmith. The obvious suspect is Laurence, returned from the Crusades and plagued by demons. But what of his love, Muriel? And his brother, Rolfe? And the wicked Trapper? The spiritual theme in this story is a timely and often-overlooked vice: envy.” My daughter’s frequent comment while reading is, “I really don’t like Christina.” #TeamLucy

My middle school daughter has become an avid reader. Before Christmas, she read Treachery and Truth by Katy Huth Jones, a favorite of her older siblings. She appreciated that this true tale of Good King Wenceslas included a lot of historical information but in an interesting novel. The story of the 10th century saint is told from the perspective of his faithful servant, Poidevin.

A Single Bead by Stephanie Engelman included a lot of what my daughter described as ordinary events but presented in a way that was enlightening. I think what she’s getting at is that the story of a teenage girl collecting the scattered rosary beads of her deceased grandmother deftly demonstrates the power of prayer and the presence of God in the most mundane of circumstances, if we have eyes to see.

For Christmas, my daughter received a copy of The Relic of Perilous Falls (Will Wilder #1) by Raymond Arroyo. Will Wilder is a 12-year-old boy who alone can see the evil creatures endangering his town. It’s up to him to stop them. My daughter appreciated the lessons the reader can take away from the story, including those about temptation. As a fan of the original Percy Jackson series, I thought she’d like this one.

My youngest son is in the midst of starting some new books, so he gets a pass this month.

This Christmas picture book inspired by the traditional ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is great for reading aloud. Its familiarity and rhythm are comforting, and the illustrations are engaging. ‘Twas the Day Before Christmas in Bethlehem Town by Leslie Bond Diggins makes a great Christmas gift or addition to the family library to be re-read each Christmas.

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My 5-Star Reads in 2023

I sifted through my year of reading and selected all of my 5-star reads. Below are the seven adult novels and three Young Adult novels (Blink and We’ll Miss It, The Merchant’s Curse, and Murder at Penwood Manor) that earned those coveted five stars.

Scroll down for the half dozen children’s books I gave five stars and then two prayer books as well.

All recommended! Enjoy.

Adult and YA Fiction Children’s Books Prayer Books

What were your favorite books read in 2023?

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An Open Book

Welcome to the December 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

December already! We’re closing out the year with a new look for An Open Book that includes the updated Catholic Mom logo and look. Share what you and your family are reading by linking your blog or social media post or simply commenting.

A Faith Such as Heaven Intended is the fifth book in Amanda Lauer’s Heaven Intended series. The story begins in Gettysburg, a place close to my heart and my home, and then moves to Washington City (Washington, DC) during the final year of the Civil War. Amidst the death and destruction of war, brainiac surgeon Ben Holt’s stalwart Catholic faith is just what it takes for determined surgical assistant Ruth Simmons to experience the forgiveness and peace that’s long eluded her.

I downloaded Not Until Christmas by Valerie M. Bodden as a freebie for signing up for her author newsletter. This Christmas novella was just the sort of comfort read I needed after a trying few weeks. It’s a friends-to-more contemporary Christmas romance. The hero was afraid of loving after many losses and his timing with the heroine was always off. Nothing earth-shattering here, but well-written enough for me to try a novel by the author in the future.

Since I’d kicked off my Christmas reading, I went ahead and read All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon. It’s a full-length novel and another contemporary Christian Christmas romance. It has all the seasonal fun you’d expect – hot chocolate, ice skating, and Christmas decorating. Mackenzie, with her sometimes-crippling social anxiety, is a lovable heroine, and Jeremy, nice guy and office rival, is well-suited to her.

Seasons of Memories by Jennifer Rodewald is a Christmas story that wraps up the nine-book Murphy Brothers series. All seven brothers make an appearance, but this story centers on their parents, Kevin and Helen. After Kevin has a heart attack in the weeks leading up to Christmas and their fortieth wedding anniversary, the couple recalls the challenges and blessings of raising a big family. From the other books in the series, you may think the Murphy parents did everything right, but Seasons of Memories gives the reader glimpses of their darkest days. It’s refreshing to read about a Christian marriage beyond the midway point instead of at the beginning.

If you’re curious about but unfamiliar with the universal prayer of the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours, The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours by Barb Szyszkiewicz is a good starting point. It’s a quick read that gives you a good overview of the prayers, the books used to pray them, and, above all, is encouraging. I’m inspired to begin with Night Prayer this Advent.

After watching the movie, my college son read V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. He described it as “Batman if George Orwell wrote Batman.” From his review: “V is a lone vigilante working to topple a fascist British government that rose from the ashes of World War III. V for Vendetta tells a timeless tale of the struggle of government versus the people, security versus rights, tyranny versus just rule, safety versus life and liberty—a tale that never ceases to feel all too real.”

Over Thanksgiving break, he also began reading Gods and Generals, the first book in the Civil war trilogy. It concentrates on the lives of Generals Lee, Hancock, Jackson, and Chamberlain preceding the Battle of Gettysburg. Jeff Shaara is the author in this prequel-of sorts to his father’s, Michael Shaara’s, novel The Killer Angels (which I recommend).

My high school daughter binge-read most of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier so that her brother, dad, and I could watch the Alfred Hitchcock movie adaption with her. A fan of Jane Eyre, she was eager to read another Gothic romance and loved it! The novel is set mainly at Manderley, a beautiful estate along the English coast. It’s haunted, figuratively speaking, by Rebecca, the deceased wife of Maxim DeWinter. The heroine, whose name the reader never learns, comes to Manderley as the young bride of widowed Maxim, where she discovers that all is not right and there was more to Rebecca than most knew.

My daughter has not yet begun reading Old Christmas from the Sketchbook of Washington Irving, but I wanted to share it before Christmas. She picked up this book, re-published to look like the original 18th century edition, at a library book sale. She’s eager for some classic, cozy Christmas reading. I’d nearly forgotten I listened to an audio adaption a few years back. While I enjoyed the charming vignettes, it couldn’t hold my attention. I’m curious to learn what my daughter thinks of it.

My middle school daughter read Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, but since I’ve covered the Anne of Green Gable series pretty frequently here, I’ll skip ahead to the next book she read, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. In this mystery, sixteen unlikely people are present for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. The deceased millionaire has chosen a stranger to inherit his fortune via a game.

You can’t live where I do and not learn about Milton Hershey. My daughter recently read a short biography of the chocolatier and founder of the Milton Hershey School, Chocolate by Hershey: A Story about Milton S. Hershey by Betty Burford. This short book relates Hershey’s childhood and his rise to success via delicious milk chocolate.

What was Ellis Island? by Patricia Brennan Demuth is another short book from my daughter’s reading list. It appears to be part of the What was . . . ? series and includes information about Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954 as well as its restoration in the 1980s. My daughter was curious enough to look up my grandfather’s records from Ellis Island (though he entered the country through the port in Philadelphia).

My youngest son loved one of his older brother’s old books, Mistakes Were Made: Timmy Failure #1 by Stephan Pastis. Timmy is an eleven-year-old detective. If you remember Pearls Before Swine, the creator of that cartoon strip is the author here. It’s a humorous book aimed at middle schoolers, with lots of illustrations.

My fifth-grade boy has also been reading some Roald Dahl books. He read The Witches with his class, and he’s completing Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator for a book report. It’s the follow-up to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in which Charlie, Willy Wonka, et al “are sent hurtling through space and time” via a giant elevator.

I recently read New Friends Now and Forever: A Story about the Holy Souls by Susan Tassone and enjoyed it so much that I featured it in its own blog post. Twins Ben and Hope befriend an elderly man in their parish, becoming his prayer pal and praying for his departed wife. Their prayers also inspire them to acts of charity. The illustrations by Yorris Handoko are bright and inviting. There is great attention to detail in every image and a Seek-and-Find adventure for children in the back matter of the book with more information on the sought images. A great addition to a family or Catholic school library.

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Relevant Fiction Reviews: Take Me to the Blue Ridge Mountains

I’m entranced by the Blue Mountains of Virginia, and I love reading books set in the region. I’ve collected a handful that capture that beautiful setting that make me want to head to the mountains. Again. Even their covers beckon me.

Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof
The Norgaard brothers, Jargon, Thor, and Haakon, will linger in my imagination for a long, long time. And not only because they are “braw,” fierce protectors, and (for the most part) honorable gentleman. Joanne Bischof’s characterizations are extremely well done – so much so that I could be convinced the brothers were actual historical figures. I can easily imagine Thor stomping through the farm house; Haakon jumping into the pond or climbing the rafters, armed with a rifle; or Jargon steadfastly standing by each.

I recognize the challenge Thor’s character brought to the author, as he is deaf and mute. Certainly a writer’s challenge!

The rural Virginia orchard setting also took up residence in my imagination as I experienced its workings through Aven’s eyes and Thor’s other senses. The setting is its own secondary character, as well rounded as the human characters that live and work in and around the farm.

A beautifully written story that merits a re-read. Charming the Troublemaker by Pepper D. Basham
I enjoyed this second book in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series set in Appalachia much more than the first. (And I’d forgotten so many of the specifics of the first book that I think I can say you don’t need to have read A Twist of Faith to enjoy Charming the Troublemaker.)

Both Rainey and Alex are well-developed and likable, but Alex’s originality really shines. Physically, he’s your standard romance good-looker, but personality-wise, he’s a standout. Lonely with a tender heart, a little goofy yet smart – he’s memorable.

Light humor and gentle faith themes make this “kissing book” a fun, easy read. I appreciate that the romance acknowledges the challenge of premarital chastity and accompanying physical attraction, even if it’s addressed lightly.

It doesn’t hurt that the Shenandoah National Park area of Virginia is one of my favorite places in the world. It makes a great setting. Honeysuckle Dreams by Denise Hunter
Honeysuckle Dreams may be my favorite Denise Hunter novel yet! Two romance conventions for the price of one: a marriage of convenience AND friends to lovers.

I loved both Hope and Brady – and their scenes with little Sam. Even the incidentals resonated with me – the radio job, the car mechanics, the panic attacks.

Overcoming fear by trusting in God sounds simple, but as Hope discovers in dramatic fashion, it’s not easy. When you’ve been hurt, true intimacy is a mighty big risk.

This is one I’ll read again!

If you’re looking for more suggestions of Christian fiction set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, these books have been recommended to me:

Shenandoah Home by Sara Mitchell Virginia Autumn by Sara Mitchell Swept Away by Liz Bradford The Highwayman by Shannon McNear

And, of course, my own Stay With Me is set, in part, in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

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New Friends Now and Forever and Other Books for Catholics to Read in November

November is the month dedicated to the holy souls, and there is no better time to read Susan Tassone’s beautiful new book, New Friends Now and Forever: A Story About the Holy Souls. Yes, this is a children’s picture book, but there is something here for adults too – I promise!

Twins Ben and Hope befriend an elderly man in their parish, becoming his prayer pal and praying for his departed wife. Their prayers also inspire them to acts of charity.

The familiar prayer for the holy souls acts as a refrain in the story:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Purgatory is explained for children as a merciful gift that allows us to grow in holiness.

The illustrations by Yorris Handoko are bright and inviting. There is great attention to detail in every image and a Seek-and-Find adventure for children in the back matter of the book with more information on the sought images.

Adults and children alike will close the cover on the book with a better understanding of Purgatory, gratitude for God’s boundless mercy, and a great love for and solidarity with the souls that have gone before us.

New Friends Now and Forever is a great addition to home and classroom libraries.

Other books I recommend that will inspire you to pray for the holy souls and saintly intercession:

All souls:

Day by Day with Saint Faustina by Susan TassoneTortured Soul by Theresa Linden

Saints for children:

Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times by Meghan Bausch Light of Heaven: A Children’s Book of Saints by Adalee Hyde The Women Doctors of the Church by Colleen Pressprich

Saints for teens:

God’s Forgotten Friends: Lives of Little-known Saints series by Susan PeekFriends in High Places series by Corinna Turner

Saints for women:

Saintly Moms: 25 Stories of Holiness by Kelly Ann Guest

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An Open Book

Welcome to the November 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

They Call Her Dirty Sally is far and away the most-reviewed (and I’d guess, best-selling) of Amy Matayo’s novels. I’ve loved so many of her books, and I’m so happy to see her readership broaden. Oddly though, this novel isn’t one of my favorites from her. The story is borne from a home and a woman observed in Matayo’s childhood. Those childhood musings are developed and brought to life in a story of small-town Arkansas, where a hospital fire resulted in tragic loss of life. Journalist Finn Hardwick, whose parents had ties to the town, arrives to cover the anniversary of the fire. There, he meets Billi Ellis, a motel receptionist who helps him uncover the town’s secrets and, in the process, the cause for Sally’s ostracization. While I appreciated Sally’s story, I found the character too passive for my liking and the conclusion underwhelming. The modernish (1990s) characters, Finn and Billi, were likable but didn’t have much of a story arc.

Reading Corinna Turner’s unSPARKed series reminds me of the Zorro chapters my dad spoke so fondly of. Not that a swashbuckling Spaniard has much to do with a dinosaur dystopia, but the episodic adventures have me coming back to see what will happen next. In Wild Life, siblings Darryl and Harry have teamed up with hunter Josh, who is keeping them hidden from the big-city bureaucrats who threaten to move them in-city for their safety since their parents are (presumably) dead. But the trio believe Darryl and Harry’s dad has been kidnapped, and with help from Father Benedict and other hunters, maybe they’ll be able rescue him. If they can keep from getting eaten.

My college junior rescued Irish Fairy Tales by Jeremiah Curtin from our attic.  He really enjoyed this book, which he said is a great introduction to Irish fairy tales. As he wrote in his review, it “covers many of the important themes and tropes, such as the mischief of fairies, humans being taken/replaced by fairies, the relationship of fairy folklore with religion, etc. Curtin’s work in Irish folklore would later even influence W.B. Yeats, so I suppose it has Yeats’ stamp of approval too.”

He’s also been taking advantage of Spotify Premium to listen to a lot of H.P. Lovecraft stories. They’ve been hit and miss for him, but his favorite thus far has been “The Alchemist.” He says, “Cool atmosphere set in a gothic medieval castle with some mystery, intrigue, and of course unknown horrors lurking in the darkness.”

My middle school daughter recently read Corinna Turner’s Mandy Lamb and the Full Moon before Halloween. She read through this unique adventure very quickly. Mandy Lamb is a half-sheep girl, thanks to some genetic engineering. There’s a lot of depth to this exhilarating story of Mandy and her dog-like friend, James.

My high school daughter, seeing what her sister was reading, was reminded that she hadn’t yet read the short Mandy Lamb spin-off The Wolf, the Lamb and the Air Balloon. This quick read covers Mandy and James’s day out and serves as either a good introduction to the full-length book or a fun visit with characters the reader has already come to love.

Back in middle school, my daughter’s friend loaned her The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, which is, apparently, already a Netflix film. My daughter quickly read this story in which two girls, Sophie and Agatha, experience a reversal of fortune. The “good” girl, Sophie, is dumped at the School for Evil, and the “bad” girl, Agatha, is send to the School for Good. It seems to be a popular fantasy series, but my daughter had little to say about it beyond that it was “okay.”

Finally, my sixth grader read a short biography, W.K. Kellogg by Laura Hamilton Waxman. We’d watched The Food That Built America  episode (Season 2, Ep. 16) that included the (very strange) Kellogg brothers, but apparently this book is about the less odd of the two brothers. Kellogg, of course, is famous for having developed the cornflake and going on to revolutionize the breakfasts of Americans.

My youngest son discovered Game Over, Pete Watson by Joe Schreiber, a book last shared in An Open Book more than seven years ago when his older brother read it.  From the description (because I didn’t get one from my child): “Mega-gamer Pete Watson needs just twenty dollars more to buy the all-new Brawl-A-Thon 3000 XL. So he sells a beat-up CommandRoid 85 arcade game (containing top-secret government intel!) owned by his boring old dad (super-spy trapped inside the CommandRoid!), to an exterminator (evil mastermind bent on global destruction!!!). Pete’s gaming skills are put to the test as he fights evil villains, giant mechanical bugs, and a global cyberattack from within the CommandRoid. And tries to impress Callie Midwood with his skills, or whatever.”

My fifth grader is also reading Pinocula by Obert Skye, the third book in The Creature from My Closet series. Pinocula is a lying jokester who’s a mash-up of Pinnochio and Dracula. Perfect for spooky season. My kids have enjoyed various books from this series, all light reads. 

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An Open Book

Welcome to the October 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

On a recent visit to see our son at Saint Vincent College, we stopped by Fort Ligonier, a French & Indian War outpost about an hour east of Pittsburgh (then Fort Duquesne). The college is only about 10 minutes from the fort, and I hadn’t been there since I was a child. My son took interest in a historical book that will likely appear in this space at later time, but my husband picked up lighter reading: Ghosts and Legends Fort Ligonier by Cassandra Fell and Dr. Walter L. Powell. It seems to have limited availability outside of the museum store, but it’s what you’d expect—lore and legends from in and around the historical site, which has been excavated and re-created.

It’s a little early for spooky season, but I’ve been looking forward to reading Man of Shadow & Mist by Michelle Griep, the second novel in the Of Monsters and Men series, for a long time. I even added it to my summer reading list. (Just one more book, and I’ll have completed it!) This book is a take on Dracula with Bram Stoker himself playing a minor role. Set in 1890 England, native Transylvanian Sir James Morgan is regarded as a vampire by his superstitious North Yorkshire neighbors. After all, he’s seldom seen in sunlight and sheep are turning up dead, drained of blood. Librarian Rosa Edwards considers the accusations baseless and can’t help but be captivated by this magnetic, mysterious man who works tirelessly to find a cure for a secret disease from which both he and a loved one suffer. Michelle Griep’s prose delightfully captures the Gothic ethos in this Christian historical romance.

Blueberries for Sal Cookbook: Sweet Recipes Inspired by the Beloved Children’s Classic by Robert McCloskey was my selection from the library’s summer reading program. Playing heavily on nostalgia for the children’s classic, it features a variety of blueberry jams, breads, pies, puddings, and more. The recipes are simple and look delicious! I’ve got my eye on the Blueberry Skillet Cornbread. This little hardcover book paired with some muffins would make a great hostess gift.

Not one, but two of my children are reading Beowulf—my son for pleasure, my daughter for Humanities II. Rather than cobble together a description from my rusty memory, I’m sharing the Amazon description: “Composed toward the end of the first millennium, Beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel’s mother. He then returns to his own country and dies in old age in a vivid fight against a dragon. The poem is about encountering the monstrous, defeating it, and then having to live on in the exhausted aftermath.”

My high school daughter is also reading certain tales from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer with her class. The edition she’s reading offers the Middle English original on one page and modern English on the opposite page, which is helping her to understand particular words and phrases that might be unfamiliar. 

My daughter also read a short story that she shared with me: “Mr. Lupesco” by Anthony Boucher. It’s a clever story of a young boy and his imaginary friend, and it shows up in a variety of collections with other short stories. I’ve seen it described as horror, but I’d describe it more as a weird tale. It’s worth the short time it takes to read.

As her summer reading program reward, my daughter chose The Jane Austen Escape Room Book. She was sold as soon as she spotted the cover, which is beautifully illustrated by Marjolein Bastin, who has designed editions of beloved classics like Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. The book includes characters from Pride & Prejudice in an intriguing tale in which the reader must solve puzzles and riddles to help Elizabeth find her way back to Mr. Darcy. My daughter has enjoyed working through the puzzles in this lovely book.

My middle school daughter read The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia T. Toney to fulfill one of her historical fiction requirements for school. She enjoyed this short novel set on an early 20th century Louisiana strawberry farm. Young Sal, from a family of Italian immigrants, is unwittingly drawn into a crime. Bootlegging, police corruption, and bigotry mark this tale that reads like classic children’s literature.

I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t think I’ve ever read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. If I have, I’ve forgotten it. I should probably rectify that. At least both my daughters have now read this beloved classic about an orphaned girl who discovers a secret garden on her uncle’s property.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is a Newbery Award winner concerning an orphaned boy. Like many award winners, it tackles big issues such as racism, poverty, and homelessness. My children have, thus far, had the same middle school English Language Arts teacher, and this is the third child to read this book. Expect its return next year around this time for my now-fifth grader.

My fifth grader is reading Roger Lancelyn Green’s King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, which his sister bought him at the library book sale. She thought the Minecraft-like cover of the classic would entice him to read it, and she was correct. I can’t seem to find that cover online, which is probably related to the fact it turned up at the library’s used book sale. I’m pleased that he is really enjoying this retelling of the Arthurian stories.

With his class, my son is also reading Frindle by Andrew Clements. This is his second time through this story about a boy who renames the pen the “frindle.” It catches on, spreading through his school and beyond and ends up teaching Nick Allen, who’d been a bit of a trouble-maker, about actions and consequences.

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