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August 2023 BOTM - Voting
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Poor Banished Children

The Last Ugly Person: And Other Stories, by Roger Thomas
Got to say was the hardest yet. there are a number I would love us to do.

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Books mentioned in this topic
The Tartessian Crown (other topics)Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith (other topics)
Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith (other topics)
The Journey of Tivo the Dauntless: Book One in the Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle (other topics)
The Mystery of the Black Lake (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Joseph Pearce (other topics)Manuel Alfonseca (other topics)
Gertrud von le Fort (other topics)
Roger Thomas (other topics)
Andrew Gillsmith (other topics)
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Voting will end at approximately 11:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 18.
The Voting List for June is:
Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith, by Joseph Pearce, nominated by Fonch
Pope Benedict XVI will go down in Church history as one of the greatest popes. In this heartfelt defense of Pope Benedict’s words and works, a tribute to his life and legacy and a homage to his sanity and sanctity, Joseph Pearce’s biography provides an unforgettable encounter with this great historical figure.
Voting History: June 2023 - 3
The Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle (5 vols.), by Manuel Alfonseca, nominated by Fonch
Inspired by the Narnia Chronicles, these five fantasy books show how redemption could have been in a different world. The books are:
1. The Journey of Tivo the Dauntless: Book One in the Chronicles of the Magic Jigsaw Puzzle
2. The Mystery of the Black Lake
3. The Silver Swan
4. The Secret of the Ice Field
5. The Lost Continent
Voting History: NONE
The Eternal Woman: The Timeless Meaning of the Feminine by Gertrud von le Fort, nominated by Stef
Mary's fiat to God is the pathway to our salvation, as it is inextricably linked with the obedience unto death of Jesus her son. Like the Son's acceptance of the Cross, Mary's acceptance of her maternity symbolizes for all mankind the self-surrender to the Creator required of every human soul. Since any woman's acceptance of motherhood is likewise a yes to God, when womanhood and motherhood are properly understood and appreciated, the nature of the soul's relationship to God is revealed.
Voting History: NONE
Faith of Our Fathers A History of 'True' England, by Joseph Pearce, nominated by Fonch
The Catholic Church has been a part of English history since the arrival of Christian missionaries to Roman Britain in the first century AD. England was evangelized in these early centuries to such an extent that, by the time the Romans withdrew in the fifth century, the Celtic population was largely Catholic.
This Catholic heart was ripped from the people of England, against their will and in spite of their heroic resistance, by the reign of the tyrannical Tudors. This made England once again a land of saints, though it was now a land of martyrs, Catholic priests and laity being put to death for practicing the Faith. The martyrdoms continued for 150 years, followed by a further 150 years of legal and political persecution.
Voting History: April 2023 - 3; May 2023 - 3; June 2023 - 4
The Last Ugly Person: And Other Stories, by Roger Thomas, nominated by Steven R.
The stories are very different from each other. And could easily be classified as different genres. Starting with a futuristic dystopian tale, an epic military story, an allegory reminiscent to The Pilgrim’s Progress, and concluding with a micro fiction western story. (From Steven R.'s review)
Voting History: June 2023 - 3
Our Lady of the Artilects by Andrew Gillsmith, nominated by Andrew.
Our Lady of the Artilects is a mind-bending supernatural science fiction novel where "The Exorcist" meets "Westworld,” with a light dusting of Snow Crash!
Voting History: NONE
Pierre Toussaint: A Biography by Arthur Jones, nominated by Kathleen
This richly detailed portrait of Pierre Toussaint, who was born into slavery, became one of the most admired men of his time, and is now a candidate for canonization, reveals both the journey of an extraordinary man and a fascinating glimpse into nineteenth-century America.
Voting History: NONE
Poor Banished Children: A Novel by Fiorella De Maria, nominated by Fonch
Poor Banished Children is the tale of one woman's relentless search for freedom and redemption. The historical novel raises uncomfortable questions about the nature of courage, free will and ultimately salvation.
Voting History: NONE
Race with the Devil, by Joseph Pearce, nominated by Fonch.
Growing up on the rough streets of Dagenham, England, Joseph Pearce was thrown into a life that led anywhere but to God and salvation. A world of hate and violence was all he knew, until one day he picked up the writings of G.K Chesterton and everything changed. Take a journey through the peaks and valleys of one of the most fascinating conversion stories of our time, written first-hand by Pearce himself.
Voting History: February 2023 - 6; March 2023 - 4; April 2023 - 4; May 2023 - 3; June 2023 - 2
The Restless Flame: A Novel About Saint Augustine by Louis de Wohl, nominated by Manuel.
This is a stirring novel which deals reverently but realistically with the fascinating life and era of St. Augustine, one of the most remarkable men of all time.
Voting History: March 2023 - 6; April 2023 - 5; May 2023 - 2; June 2023 - 4
The Saint Monica Club: How to Hope, Wait, and Pray for Your Fallen-Away Loved Ones, by Maggie Green, nominated by Maggie.
In the fourth century, a young man named Augustine turned his back on the Church, plunging into a frenzied life of lust and dissipation. His renunciation left Monica, his pious Catholic mother, weeping and praying for his salvation . . . for more than a decade! In these pages, author Maggie Green provides wise, compassionate guidance for members of what she calls “The Saint Monica Club”: good Catholics suffering like Monica the rejection of the Faith by persons they love dearly.
Voting History: ; July 2022 - 2; September 2022 - 2; November 2022 - 2; February 2023 - 3; March 2023 - 2; April 2023 - 5; May 2023 - 5; June 2023 - 2
The Tartessian Crown, by Manuel Alfonseca, nominated by John.
In this third novel in the Aeolian Family series, Julius Aeolius is a fourteen-year-old boy who lives with his grandfather Lucius in Cesaraugusta, present-day Zaragoza, in the days of the Visigoth king Theodoric. They start a long journey, for Lucius is obsessed with finding the Tartessian crown. According to legend, whoever owns the crown will be king of all Hispania. But who is the mysterious goth who insists on going with them? What is Lucius hiding, who seems to know more than he says? Will Julius win the love of Dido, the orphan girl who barely speaks, but who knows how to get them out of their troubles? In this journey through the most important cities and islands of the Mediterranean (Tarraco, Carthage, Malta, Rome...), the protagonist will face not just many adventures, but also an internal journey towards his own maturity.
Voting History: March 2023 - 3; April 2023 - 3; May 2023 - 3; June 2023 - 3
Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living by Charles J. Chaput, nominated by John
With a balance of wisdom, candor, and scholarly rigor the beloved archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia takes on life’s central questions: why are we here, and how can we live and die meaningfully?
In Things Worth Dying For, Chaput delves richly into our yearning for God, love, honor, beauty, truth, and immortality. He reflects on our modern appetite for consumption and individualism and offers a penetrating analysis of how we got here, and how we can look to our roots and our faith to find purpose each day amid the noise of competing desires.
Voting History: June 2023 - 3
Wheat that Springeth Green by J.F. Powers, nominated by Steven R.
J. F. Powers's beautifully realized final work, is a comic foray into the commercialized wilderness of modern American life. Its hero, Joe Hackett, is a high school track star who sets out to be a saint. But seminary life and priestly apprenticeship soon damp his ardor, and by the time he has been given a parish of his own he has traded in his hair shirt for the consolations of baseball and beer. Meanwhile Joe's higher-ups are pressing for an increase in profits from the collection plate, suburban Inglenook's biggest business wants to launch its new line of missiles with a blessing, and not all that far away, in Vietnam, a war is going on. Joe wants to duck and cover, but in the end, almost in spite of himself, he is condemned to do something right.
Voting History: June 2023 - 5
With Two Eyes Into Gehenna, Jane Lebak, Steven R.
A rosary in one hand. A dagger in the other. Sister Magdalena never heard of the Catherinite nuns until the day she faced her own death sentence.
Rome, 1562. It’s the era of the Index of Banned Books and the Roman Inquisition. Kings still burn heretics. The worst threats come from within the Church itself.
Only seventeen, Magdalena killed a priest who tried to rape her within the walls of her convent. His powerful family will see her executed, and then they’ll destroy her mother and young sister.
Instead, the Pope makes an offer. To save her life and protect her family, Magdalena can disappear into a secret religious order, one with a demanding physical regimen to go along with the prayers. She’ll pray the psalms and learn to climb walls. She’ll sharpen her mind and fine-tune her body. Perfected, she’ll infiltrate the Council of Trent.
Voting History: June 2023 - 2