Carolyn Astfalk's Blog, page 6
June 19, 2023
Summer Book Club: In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, I’ll be facilitating a Catholics Read book club meeting. We’ll be chatting about Rhonda Ortiz’s debut novel, first in the Molly Chase series, In Pieces (Chrism Press).
This historical novel set in colonial Boston, while a romance, has wide appeal. There are rogues, spies, gossipy hens, and crusty sailors. More than that, there’s a lot to contemplate on duty, marriage, family, faith, dignity, conscience, and the pursuit of truth. Those are the kinds of things I hope we’ll talk about. And whatever YOU want to discuss!
It’s the perfect time to read (or re-read) In Pieces, because coming soon is book 2 in the series, Adrift.
Read more about Rhonda Ortiz and the Molly Chase series at Chrism Press.
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June 15, 2023
Catholic Teen Books Summer Reading Bingo
Looking for a simple summer reading program for yourself or your teen? Catholic Teen Books has you covered. Read a book in each of three broad genre categories to get a bingo, then enter to win! (See the bingo card below.)
Choose from among the nearly 100 books listed at CatholicTeenBooks.com. Categories can be found under the menu tab “Books,” so you can easily see which categories a title might fulfill.
When you’ve got a bingo, enter online. At then end of summer, one winner will be chosen by random to win $50 in books! See all the details and find the entry form at CatholicTeenBooks.com.
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June 7, 2023
An Open Book
Welcome to the June 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!May’s a little wild, isn’t it? Even without spring sports, recitals, sacraments, or graduations, May flew by in a blur of concerts, tests, and general busyness. That meant a little less reading for some of us. Plus, my daughters have been reading more books in series I’ve already shared here multiple times. My college student, who completed his semester in early May, made up for them though.
I was happily surprised to receive book mail with Pauline Books & Media’s reprint of Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. I’d heard of this spiritual classic, and my husband commented that it had been recommended to us by a friend. Turns out we have an ugly copy of it already. This edition from Pauline Books & Media is anything but ugly. With a durable leather-like cover, pretty gold ribbon, and thin pages, this book is both attractive and easily portable. Its chapters are super short, perfect for reading one or two each day and allowing me to ruminate. My husband was aghast that I’ve highlighted passages, but there are so many salient points I want to remember. Its focus is on attaining holiness through total submission to the will of God in every moment. It’s simple and yet so substantive. I’m so grateful to have discovered this treasure.
Gabriella Batel’s YA novel Don’t has me reading “just one more chapter” night after night. Its tone and mood are recognizable to me from other YA novels—a little bleak for my taste—but it’s a strong, polished debut and, as I’ve reached the halfway point, hard to put down. The point-of-view character, Paityn, has recently lost her stepfather, a police officer murdered by gang members. But Paityn, her pregnant mother, stepbrother, and friend are still mixed up in the continuing violence. And Paityn’s health is precarious, at best, as she suffers from frequent lupus flare-ups.
After enjoying a professional hockey rom-com last month, I reached for another—Desire or Defense by Leah Bruner. While it wasn’t a terribly substantive story (not that I expected it to be), I liked the characters well enough, especially the hockey player with the bad rep, Mitch. (As an aside, I’d love to see the hockey-player-who-needs-to-reform-his-image trope turned on its head. Let’s see a pretty boy who needs to be perceived as rough and aggressive.) After being suspended by the NHL, Mitch must coach some ice hockey hopefuls, among them, little brother to spunky nurse Andie. An enemies-to-lovers romance ensues. On the technical side, I was distracted by rampant comma splices and punctuation issues, but otherwise, it read smoothly.
My oldest son finally completed the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He happily finished The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, and it may be his favorite of the three (contending with The Two Towers). He preferred the books to the movies, enjoying a fuller experience of the stories. I think he’s trying to blot the Amazon Rings of Power series from his memory.
Wanting more Middle Earth stories to read, he also read The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien and enjoyed returning to the complex world the author built. This book was reconstructed by Christopher Tolkien and published after his father’s death. It is a tale set in the same world as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a tragedy in the classic sense, and culminates in a battle with a dragon. There are also illustrations throughout the hardcover edition we own.
The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods edited and translated by Jackson Crawford was a recent birthday gift to the same son. Compared to The Saga of the Volsungs, which he received for Christmas, this volume is less narrative and more poetry. Interestingly, many of the dwarf names in one of the early poems were used by Tolkien for his hobbits.
My youngest daughter has been picking up Our Friends in Heaven, Volume 1: Saints for Every Day January to Juneand Volume 2: Saints for Every Day July to December. As you’d guess from the titles, the saints are organized according to their feast days. Entries are short—a couple of pages—and include a biography and listing of the saint’s patronage. This is the fourth edition of a classic bestseller, and I think my daughter’s interest is growing as she gets closer to the age (in our diocese) of choosing a confirmation saint.
As my youngest son wraps up fourth grade, he’s read yet another book in the I Survived series, which are a mainstay of his classroom. I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis recounts the story of an American family vacationing in Japan when the tsunami hits. The family gets separated when they are pulled from their car—until their eventual reunion.
The Strange Sound by the Sea by Haley Stewart is the third book in The Sister Seraphina Mystery series. I admit I’m becoming attached to these adorable mice and their simple adventures. The Christmas story is still my favorite since it’s all sorts of cozy, but this trip to the seashore (as stowaways in G.K. Chesteron’s car) is fun as well. There’s a strange sound scaring the young mice at their seashore lodgings, and Dominic and Marigold must get to the bottom of it.
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June 5, 2023
My Summer 2023 Reading List
My annual summer reading post. Am I setting myself up for failure? I have more obligations than I’ve had in summers past, and reading time is more limited. Let’s look at my track record.
2019. I read 2 of 10 books. Yikes.2020. I read all 6 books on my list. Yay, me!2021. Boom! I read all 6 books. Again.2022. Only read 2 of 6. A measly third.Well, let’s hope I can return to my 2020-21 greatness.
A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
Blurb: In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.
Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.
But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is—and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny.
Why I want to read it: It’s been a long time since I read an Amy Harmon book, and her popularity seems to have exploded since then. I trust her with this story, and I’ve seen great reviews from readers whose opinions I respect. I’m ready to be swept away by this historical novel.
My Summer Reading 2023 Reading List
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Blurb: England, 1890
Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.
James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he’s desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.
When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can’t explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.
Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?
Why I want to read it: I enjoy Michelle Griep’s books, and I loved the first book in the Of Monsters and Men series. Plus, Dracula is still fresh enough in my mind to thoroughly enjoy the references I’ll find herein.
Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer
Blurb: Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.
After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.
With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.
Why I want to read it: It’s by Karen Witemeyer, who is incredibly consistent in writing historical romances that I love! I hadn’t even looked at the blurb before I added it to my list, but having read the blurb and seeing that’s it gives a nod to Snow White, I’m even more eager to read it.
Tangled Violets by Denise-Marie Martin
Blurb: Denise-Marie Martin’s debut novel exposes the greatest longings of the human heart: to belong and be loved. Tangled Violets is the riveting story of an adoptee’s search to find out who she is. Advanced degrees, professional success, and a string of failed marriages have done nothing to fill the void that has defined Lizzie Schmidt’s life. Armed with mostly false information, she embarks on an improbable journey of self-discovery, searching for her biological family before the days of the internet or consumer genetic testing made such reunions commonplace.
Tangled Violets is the shocking story of how far one woman is willing to go in search of love and acceptance—a journey that leads to joy, pain, lies, and absolute heartbreak. A tale of redemption and the healing power of forgiveness, this novel demonstrates that no matter what we have done or where we have been, no one is outside the mercy of God and the healing balm of his unconditional love.
Why I want to read it: The cover is just lovely, and this is a fairly recent novel by a Catholic author that I’ve been wanting to read.
Firetender by Erin Lewis
Blurb: Hot-headed Dallas Malone has spent most of his life putting up emotional walls around himself, softened only by his best friend Channing, whom he protects with the fierceness of a big brother. When the two are faced with sudden homelessness, Dallas’s impulsive decisions leave them fleeing from law enforcement and land him in prison. His mistakes threaten to ravish Dallas like a wildfire, unless he can learn to allow something more powerful than himself into his life.
Why I want to read it: Another recent Catholic novel, one I didn’t have much time to sample before publication. (Sorry, Erin Lewis!) But I’m eager to give it a read.
Blink and We’ll Miss It by Ginny Kochis
Blurb: Mae Griffin’s last blink was six hundred and fifty-three days ago, when she left Minnesott Beach, North Carolina, for good.
It might have been the move. It’s probably the lack of stress now that her mom is stable. All Mae knows is that her world no longer shifts. She doesn’t glimpse people from the past or fall headlong into their private moments. As long as she can go to school, keep her friends at arm’s length, and make sure Mom takes her medication, she’ll have a pretty solid end to junior year.
Except stability breeds complacency, and when Mae’s not looking, life falls apart. Reeling from a tragedy she should have seen coming, Mae returns to her grandparents’ centuries-old house on the Carolina coast, to the friendships she destroyed and the stoic, dark-haired boy who makes her heart ache.
Back to the blinks that plague her mental health.
As Mae’s blinks ramp up in intensity and frequency, she discovers an unsettling truth. Her greatest fear is the key to healing old, brutal wounds and unearthing family secrets that sparked a bitter feud. Torn between loyalty to the friends she once loved and protection from the pain of starting over, Mae must decide if she can open her heart. Not just to the life she let go, but to the parts of herself she’d rather keep hidden. Blink and We’ll Miss It is a poignant, swoon-worthy novel about finding the strength to forgive, the courage to move forward, and the vulnerability to fall in love.
Why I want read it: Yet another Catholic author. Also, look at that cover and all its color. I’m intrigued by all I’ve read about this book, the inclusion of some magical realism, the author’s diligence, and YA romance.
Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart: Ten Ways to Build Stronger, More Loving Relationships by Emily Jaminet
Blurb: Jesus invites you to experience his love through devotion to his Sacred Heart, a powerful source of spiritual and personal healing that can also transform your relationships with family, friends, and others around you.
In Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart, Emily Jaminet—executive director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network—identifies ten habits and virtues that come from the Sacred Heart. She also shows how you can intentionally practice these virtues in order to get closer to Jesus and strengthen the relationships that are most important to you.
Having Jesus at the center of family life isn’t reserved for the pious; it’s a form of practical spirituality that is open to everyone. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been a cornerstone of Jaminet’s life bolstering the faith of four generations of her family members. In this book she shares her own story as well as the real-life experiences of regular Catholics whose families have been changed for the better by the love and virtue that came from devotion to the Sacred Heart.
The habits and virtues include:
Encounter the King: welcome Jesus into your home with the virtue of docility;Welcome the Light: have courage to rid your heart of shame;Let Go of the Need to Control: rediscover the liberating virtue of humility;Put Jesus at the Center of Relationships: experience the release of forgiveness; andLive in the Kingdom of Peace: experience the transforming power of prudence.Each chapter includes a prayer, reflection questions, and wisdom from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque—who began the Sacred Heart devotion—and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Why I want to read it: I’ve been longing to do the Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for several years ago, mostly due to Emily Jaminet’s evangelization. What better time is there for me to read more about the Sacred Heart than June, the month dedicated to it?
Close to the Soul by Mary Jo Thayer
Blurb: Through grit and grace, Carolyn Fandel survives being raped by someone she knows and trusts. She will not accept defeat—even when confronted by her rapist a second time. Instead, she uses her tragedy to help hundreds of others, some of whom she will never meet. Set in the era of the Vietnam War and the new feminism, this book will have you crying and cheering for Carolyn as she navigates the challenges of life after sexual assault.
Why I want to read it: I’m long past due to read this Catholic novel. And look, I share the same name as the protagonist! I don’t think I’ve ever read a character with my name before.
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May 31, 2023
Rosary Reflections for Pregnant Mothers
This May, in the month traditionally dedicated to the Rosary, I read each of the Rosary Reflections for Pregnant Moms shared by CatholicMom.com. What a beautiful expression of our Catholic faith tailored to the cares and concerns of pregnant moms!
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Pregnancy is a monumental experience in a woman’s life – life-changing physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually. This companion recognizes the gift of motherhood and its significance. These reflections are ideal for pregnant moms, but relatable to mothers in any stage of life.
You can read my contribution, The Fourth Glorious Mystery. Here’s an excerpt:
“So much of pregnancy is spent protecting and nourishing our baby’s body. This continues after birth, of course, but during pregnancy, mothers are especially careful of what they eat, drink, inhale, and do in order to protect the growing baby. From cleaning products to alcohol and medicine, our foremost concerns are their effects on the baby in our womb.
The Assumption of Mary is a reminder of the everlasting value of our bodies from the moment of conception on. We are not embodied souls, mortal shells encasing our spiritual essence; we are body and soul. God willing, someday our bodies and our babies’ bodies will be glorified in Heaven.”
Get the entire Rosary ebook for free!Download eBookTHANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!
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May 3, 2023
An Open Book
Welcome to the May 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
I haven’t seen my husband picking up many books lately, but he’s apt to snag titles from the kiosk in the narthex of our church, and that’s where he got Converts and Kingdoms by Diane Moczar. It’s an accessible look at the bond between the Catholic Church and Western civilization over the centuries that examines the Church’s survival amidst the various forces and factions that have opposed it through the ages.
I wrapped up my string of contemporary rom-coms by reading Courtney Walsh’s My Phony Valentine. Having grown up an ice hockey fan in Pittsburgh during the pinnacle of Mario Lemieux’s career, I have a soft spot for professional hockey players. I was predisposed to like Dallas Burke, the considerate and misunderstood hero of My Phony Valentine. Dallas enters a contractual fake relationship with small-town chef Poppy Hart, an earnest, guileless woman who can’t help falling for Dallas from the start.
Through their arrangement, Poppy gains exposure for her business and Dallas’s bad boy image gets an update. But these two have more in common than they expected, both having lived with the consequences of bad decisions and people’s unjust judgments. (I collected my recent rom-com reviews in a Relevant Fiction Reviews post.)
I’m nearing the conclusion of The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese, the first book in the Fog Harbor series. The novel captures the melancholy seaside mood and setting so very well. Told in the present with flashbacks of sorts from a decade ago, it’s the story of three friends – Cece, her cousin Joel, and Ingrid. At the outset, we learn Cece, a wildly successful fantasy author whose career she owes to Ingrid, has died. Ingrid and Joel, once on a sure and steady path to marriage, are estranged; Ingrid’s publishing career is endangered; and Cece’s final manuscript is missing. The author holds onto each of their secrets through much of the book, keeping the reader guessing as to exactly what family secrets drove Joel and Ingrid apart.
Five stars to Stephanie Landsem’s Code Name Edelweiss! It’s an engrossing personal story based on fascinating history that works as a cautionary tale for 21st-century Americans. What happens when good people choose comfort and an insular way of life in the face of threats to life and liberty? Liesel, a 1930s German-American woman with responsibility for her two young children, mother, and brother is forced to confront the evil in her midst when she loses her job at MGM Studios. She reluctantly comes under the employ of a Jewish spymaster and is tasked with infiltrating the Nazi efforts in Los Angeles.
My oldest son read The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story by Angela Bourke. In late 19th-century Ireland, a young wife disappeared from her home. Claims she’d been taken by faeries were proved false when her badly burned body turned up. Her family was blamed, and the case created a media frenzy. The case became politicized during the ongoing tensions over Home Rule, playing up fears regarding Irish peasants.
Based on the recommendation of a singing tour guide in Dublin (shout out to Sean!), my college student is also reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Set in 1520s England, the novel concerns King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. It’s a winner of the Man Book Prize, but it looks like there are mixed reviews and a TV adaption thrown into the mix. Since high school, British history has often made my eyes glaze over. (Sorry!) I’ll need to check back with my son for his opinion.
I’m not sure how a lover of the classics has gone this long without reading Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, but my son is finally reading it as part of his coursework. I think everyone is familiar with it, but if not, it details Odysseus’s ten-year journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. As the description says, “at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance.” I’ve read it at least twice, but it’s been so long, I really need to re-read it.
My high school freshman is about to read her first Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. I’ve read a lot of Shakespeare, but not this play, which is odd considering that I was a Classics major. Set in Rome, 44 B.C., senators plot to assassinate the emperor.
My fifth-grade daughter floundered around a bit looking for a book, setting aside the sequel to A Wrinkle in Time. She likes action, and she’d not yet read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which her older siblings loved. So for several days now, she’s been lost in The Lightning Thief and spouting facts about Greek and Roman gods while we walk the dog each evening. Mythological gods and monsters meet the 21st century in this wildly popular novel for children.
She’s also begun reading The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. We own a copy of the book, and I’ve long been familiar with the title, but in reading the description, I discovered I’ve never read it. (Unless I’ve completely and totally forgotten it, which is just scary.) Louis, a trumpeter swan, cannot trumpet and therefore cannot win the love of the beautiful swan Serena. His father steals him a brass trumpet, and I have to ask my daughter what happens next!
Finally, my daughter is also reading Game Over by M.C. Ross. Kara, whose mother has gone missing, is trapped inside a virtual reality system, HIVE. The book centers around the attempts of she and her friends to escape the simulator.
My youngest child has been reading some Shell Silverstein with his class, including The Giving Tree and Falling Up. I’d never heard of Silverstein until my children began reading his poems and stories in school, so I can’t say much about his work. I’m glad that my children are encouraged to read poetry and enjoy it. I hope they’ll have more appreciation for it than I do (though I have a few favorites).
I know Lent is over, but it’s still worth sharing Louie’s Lent by Claudia Cangilla McAdam. What “to do” for Lent is a perennial challenge for Catholic children, and this picture book helps them to envision creative ways to embrace the hallmarks of Lent. If your kids are habitually giving up chocolate or video games, this will give them some fresh ideas to consider in living Lent well.
Similarly, How Our Family Prays Each Day: A Read-Aloud Story for Catholic Families by Gregory K. Popcak includes many ways Catholic families can make prayer a seamless part of their ordinary days. Lest kids think prayer must be long, formal, and regimented, this colorful book shows readers how to naturally incorporate the simple act of lifting our thoughts to God into our routine. Morning prayer, grace before meals, praying when an ambulance siren is heard, and bedtime are all represented along with other opportunities.
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April 24, 2023
12 New Picture Books for Catholic Kids
I had the pleasure of reading a lot of new(ish) Catholic children’s picture books lately. Here are my top dozen that I think children will enjoy most. Great for gifts, learning about the faith, studying the pictures, and reading again and again and again.
Lights of the Saints: A Shine the Light Book That Reveals the Miracles of the Saints by Corey Heimann The Women Doctors of the Church by Colleen Pressprich Jesus in Space: A True Story That’s Out of This World by Cecilia Cicone The Real Presence by Claudia Cangilla McAdamArthur the Clumsy Altar Server by Theresa Kiser Jesus, Were You Little? by Sally Metzger How Our Family Prays Each Day by Gregory Popcak Louie’s Lent by Claudia Cangilla McAdam The Poorest Shepherd by Maria Roan McKeeganThe Examen Book: Exploring Every Day with God by Paul Mitchell Anyone But Bear by Suzy SeniorSeven Clues: A Catholic Treasure Hunt by Scott Hahn & Maria Roan McKeeganClick the links above to take you to Amazon for descriptions. Find my reviews/ratings, where available, on my Catholic children’s book shelf on Goodreads.
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April 17, 2023
Relevant Fiction Reviews: Rom-Com Roundup
Sometimes I want to pick up something light, humorous, and romantic. I don’t equate that with fluff, which these books certainly are not. Some of these contemporary clean or Christian five-star romantic comedies have more depth than others, but none at the expense of a good story and likable characters.
The Great Date Experiment by Ashley MaysThe Great Date Experiment is the most un-put-downable book I’ve read in a long time! Smart, hilarious, real, and positive – I can’t wait for my teenage daughter to read this one.
Minor characters are interesting and Callie and Egan are adorable. Callie is strong but vulnerable, and I felt every ache of her tender heart while marveling at her capacity to devour large quantities of junk food.
Egan is wonderfully flawed yet attractive in his obvious affection for and devotion to Callie. But what really makes him special is his heartfelt desire to be better.
All those things are great, but the icing on the cake (or maybe the top layer of the cookie bar) is the truth so many of us – teens or not – need to hear. And that’s that we need to be discerning in our use of technology, using it to lift others up and create real relationships, not fall prey to the superficial, sometimes damaging interactions that are so commonplace.
Kudos to Ashley Mays! I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth StrongI wouldn’t have thought a romantic comedy largely about a guy stepping up his game for marriage (growing in maturity and resolve) could work, but then there’s Husband Auditions.
Funny (sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) and oh-so relevant, I found this Christian novel a real treat! On the surface, Kai Kamaka is simply a slacker. While Meri Newberg grows to love him while filming their YouTube show, he’s clearly not husband material.
But there’s more to Kai than Meri sees. There’s disappointment, heartbreak, and loads of potential. Of course, Meri’s not perfect either. She’s pretty much made marriage an idol, hence her cooperation with the Meri Me show and working through a dated list of ways to “catch” a husband.
There is lots to consider about marriage tucked in between Kai and Meri’s amusing adventures in this nearly perfect novel. I listened on audio, and the dual perspective narration was spot-on. Loved it!
Perfect After All by Cece LouisePerfect After All was pretty perfect, after all. (I couldn’t resist.) Light, fun, sweet, and swoony, with all the delicious angst you’d expect from a nice guy who’s been in love with his best friend’s sister since forever. You’ll be rooting for Kelsey and Rob to finally ‘fess up to their feelings and get together already.
The writing is crisp and clean, and the dialogue witty. It was the sweet, light read I was looking for.
First to Fall by Jenny B. JonesFirst to Fall is an enemies-to-lovers story with a marriage of convenience that begins with the couple being drugged in Vegas. Roofies aside, this is a Hallmark-esque story given new life by Jones’s smart, wry wit; some of the best-written banter you’ll find; zany minor characters, and beaucoup chemistry. I’m not quite sure if I like the zany minor characters, but they do make me grin, and Jenny B. Jones is at the top of her game here.
Lachlan Hayes, a successful tech entrepreneur, is lovable as a nerdy gamer at heart. Too bad Olivia Sutton, still smarting from a bad breakup, has totally and persistently misjudged him. Until their fake marriage allows her to see his softer side and gives her a window into his wounded past while he gets a glimpse of her softer side.
Their ending isn’t unexpected, but the journey is delicious fun!
My Phony Valentine by Courtney WalshHaving grown up an ice hockey fan in Pittsburgh during the pinnacle of Mario Lemieux’s career, I have a soft spot for professional hockey players. I may have had pictures of a few hanging on my bedroom walls as a teenager.
That being the case, I was predisposed to like Dallas Burke, the considerate and misunderstood hero of My Phony Valentine. Dallas enters a contractual fake relationship with small-town chef Poppy Hart, an earnest, guileless woman who can’t help falling for Dallas from the start.
Through their arrangement, Poppy gains exposure for her business and Dallas’s bad boy image gets an update. But these two have more in common than they expected, both having lived with the consequences of bad decisions and people’s unjust judgments.
A sweet, fun, romantic ride that will leave you smiling!
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April 5, 2023
An Open Book
Welcome to the April 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!Progress in my Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge has been abysmal! I’ve been trying to get back in the game these last couple of weeks, zipping through some books I’d been wanting to pick up. First, I needed a book to listen to on my way to pick my son up from college. Sadly, as I think I’ve lamented here before, I no longer have access to Hoopla Digital through our libraries. That was my go-to source for borrowing audiobooks. Luckily, we’ve got a free Audible trial going, and I was able to find a Jody Hedlund book to listen to for free.
Almost a Bride is the fourth book in The Brideships series. I previously listened to books 1 and 2. In this installment, Kate, who arrived in British Columbia on a bride ship, has not quite made it to the altar. She gets close and then gets cold feet, likely due to memories of her mother’s heartbreak after her father abandoned the family. When she encounters Zeke, a childhood friend of her brother’s, who has become a wealthy goldmine owner, she’s quickly enamored, as is he. Trouble is, Zeke’s stopped practicing his faith. Even so, the two are continually thrust together (funny how that happens), and they’ve both got some work to do in healing their pasts if they want to have a future together. Author Jody Hedlund has become a prodigious author, and I think the results are well-written books that hit all the marks for the genre but don’t have the depth I typically enjoy, especially in historical fiction. Still, I appreciate knowing what I’m getting, and Almost a Bride fit the bill for making my travels a little more interesting.
Clean, contemporary rom-coms and their illustrated covers are everywhere, and I’ve been enjoying ones by some of my favorite authors. Perfect After All by Cece Louise is second in a series, and I enjoyed it more than the first. I’m partial to long-suffering unrequited love (I guess from prior experience), and Rob and Kelsey really delivered on that one. Rob has loved his best friend’s sister Kelsey for years, always relegated to the friend zone while Kelsey maintains a relationship with her awful on-again, off-again boyfriend. But now that Kelsey and Rob are working together and Kelsey may finally be done with that wretched boyfriend, there could be a chance for these two to make a go of it. These characters were adorable, and it was a fun story. Sometimes the nice guys do get the girl.
In the same genre, I’ve been reading Jenny B. Jones’s First to Fall. This is also second in a series, though I haven’t read the first book. Still, there are familiar characters here from some of Jones’s other series set in fictional Sugar Creek, Arkansas. First to Fall is an enemies-to-lovers story with a marriage of convenience that begins with the couple being drugged in Vegas. Roofies aside, this is a Hallmark-esque story given new life by Jones’s smart, wry wit; some of the best-written banter you’ll find; zany minor characters, and beaucoup chemistry. I’m not quite sure if I like the zany minor characters, but they do make me grin, and Jenny B. Jones is at the top of her game here.
I’m about a third of the way through Kaye Park Hinckley’s Shooting at Heaven’s Gate, now oddly timed with the recent school shooting in Nashville. The story traces a seemingly unrelated cast of characters that I assume will cross paths at the book’s climax. So far, it has been a thorough introduction to the various players with deep dives into their personal histories and present predicaments as radically secular professor Malcolm J. Hawkins grooms disaffected Edmund to, I presume, perpetrate a crime.
I recommend to my fifteen-year-old daughter that she read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis this Lent. When she mentioned it to her English teacher, he loaned her a personal copy. With all her homework, she hasn’t made too much progress, but she has a plan for reading the remainder of the book and is thoroughly enjoying the insights gained by reading this classic series of letters from Screwtape, an assistant to Satan, to young demon Wormwood as he tempts his “patient.” This one is worth my re-reading it. Maybe it’s time we buy our own copy.
My daughter’s class is in the midst of reading Greek tragedies, most recently Agamemnon by Aeschylus and Medea by Euripides. Medea is probably more widely familiar, as it regards Jason the Argonaut, who won the golden fleece with the help of Medea. Jason abandons Medea, and she is out for revenge. I’m grateful my children study these classics, even when it reminds me of how my own education is lacking.
My eleven-year-old daughter recently read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. I was curious what she’d think of it since I read this much-loved book as an adult and gave it two stars. I didn’t even bother to review it; I disliked it that much. (I know I’m in the minority.) My daughter gave it three stars for her book report, so she liked it better than I did. If you’re not familiar, here’s the description: “A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O’Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg’s father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract [a wrinkle in time] problem.”
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is another classic (Newbery winner) my daughter recently read. I’ve not read this one, but I did see the movie adaption many years ago. Fifth graders Jess and Leslie spend their time in the woods, creating an enchanting land – Terabithia. Tragedy strikes, and Jess must deal with his grief.
I’ve included the Origami Yoda series in An Open Book three times already, so I’ll wrap it up with The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppet by Tom Angleberger as my youngest child makes his way through the series. This typically results in my finding all sorts of oddly folded scraps of paper vaguely resembling Star Wars characters lying about the house. In this fourth book in the series, the kids at McQuarrie Middle School are bored by the FunTime Education System meant to raise their test scores. With Origami Yoda’s help, the kids form an Alliance to fight back.
The most recent installment of the I Survived series on my fourth grader’s reading pile is I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 by Lauren Tarshis. I guess 2005 is history now, though it seems so recent to me. Barry and his family try to evacuate New Orleans, but they’re forced to stay put when his little sister gets very sick. Things aren’t too bad – until the levees break and the floodwaters sweep Barry away.
The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese by Haley Stewart is a fun read-aloud for children. I appreciate the hardcover, larger size of this book over a paperback, which makes it perfect for sitting with children alongside you. The format makes it easier for children to enjoy the bright, engaging illustrations by Betsy Wallin. It should be easy for kids to get lost in the exciting world of the mouse students of Saint Wulfhilda’s School, who live beneath the home of G.K. Chesterton. The adventure and mystery – a prize cheese goes missing! – are fun and capture the imagination.
I borrowed The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton (Andrews’s daughter) at the recommendation of another An Open Book post. (I can’t recall which, so if it was yours – thank you!) I have fond memories of my mother teaching me the simple song many years ago and then me singing it to my own children as well. This picture books tells of an Italian monk named Guido who eventually created the musical scale using do, re, mi. Even as an adult, I loved this book and learning about the development of musical notation. A great resource for music education!
Jesus in Space: A True Story That’s Out of This World by Cecilia Cicone is a melding of faith and science, and I love that it subtly demonstrates through lived example that faith and science are compatible, the wonder of the created world lending itself to belief in an omnipotent Creator. It tells the story of Astronaut Tom Jones, who, along with his crewmates, took the Eucharist into space on the shuttle Endeavor. It’s science, history, and religion all tied into one – a great vehicle for interesting children in any or all of these subjects.
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March 1, 2023
An Open Book
Welcome to the March 2023 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
My husband has been attending That Man Is You at our parish for years now, and each year the members receive a book. This year’s is The Hinge of the Hail Mary: The Art of Praying the Rosary by Mark Hartfiel. Inside are contributions by twenty authors, including Deacon Harold Burke-Slivers, Jason Evert, and Father Dave Pivonka. Four sections, with five lessons in each, cover the spirituality of the Rosary, intentions, and praying with others. The following sections offer reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary. Lessons are short, helping to make this a practical Rosary companion.
We’ve been experiencing some spring-like weather in February, and the warmer temperatures made me eager to dive into Margaret Rose Realy’s A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them. What a wonderful gardening book! Filled with beautiful illustrations by Mary Sprague, it is a guide to various plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers organized for ease of use in planning a garden with Catholic symbolism suited to your local environment. Find my full review at CatholicMom.
I’ve been reading Newearth: A Hero’s Crime by A.K. Frailey. This is the third book in a science fiction series. I’ve read the first and not the second, but I’m not having difficulty following along. I’m not too far in, so I’m going to give you the book blurb: “A planet-eating monster is heading to Newearth, and Cerulean is determined to find the one person who can save the planet. Allies living at home, investigating a distant planet, and flying through the universe must coordinate their efforts to fight off hostile enemies. Can human and alien worlds unite and build a future together?”
Amanda Lauer’s A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended, the fourth book in her Heaven Intended series of historical romances, straddles the line between sweet romance and historical nonfiction with a wealth of history concerning the Civil War-era South, particularly Georgia. Notable in this novel, which I’ve only recently begun, is the protagonist is a plantation slave.
For a cybersecurity class, my oldest son is reading The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll. Interestingly, the book was published in 1989, before the internet was as accessible to us as a glass of water. The author discovered at 75-cent accounting error that alerted him to an unauthorized user at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. From there he tracks the hacker “Hunter,” an international spy. The case eventually garnered the attention of the CIA.
For her Humanities class, my oldest daughter is reading Oedipus Rex, the first of the Theban plays by Sophocles. Ever so sympathetic, she said to me, “Poor Oedipus Rex. He didn’t know he was marrying his mother!” She had some previous knowledge of the play from her older brother and is truly enjoying it. Nothing says tragedy like unwittingly killing your father and marrying your mother, does it?
Both of my daughters quickly read and enjoyed Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl written and illustrated by Kim Hee-ju. Neither daughter seeks out graphic novels, been when one comes into the home, they will enjoy it. From the description: “Clare is a wealthy noblewoman with a handsome fiancé, but all she wants it to belong totally to Jesus. Her friend Francis preaches about giving up everything to follow Jesus, but Clare’s father wants her to get married and stop causing trouble.”
My youngest son picked out Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic! by Stephan Shaskan at the school book fair. I think he read it four times the day he got it. He even asked for Pizza and Taco on his birthday cake! I had no idea this book existed let alone was part of a series. I’m sure he’ll be asking for more. It’s a pretty simple graphic novel in chapter form. It’s well below this kid’s reading level but seems harmless.
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