Open Book for January 2023

 

Welcome to  #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

12/10/22 Christmas Bells - Jennifer Chiaverini - I always enjoy Chiaverini's books. This one is from 2015, but I had never read it. It was a great Christmas story featuring a dual-timeline story - one about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the midst of the Civil War who wrote the poem "Christmas Bells" which was later put to music; the other features various characters facing their own challenges in a modern timeline. As a bonus, it has a whole collection of Catholic characters in the modern story (the author is Catholic). 

12/12/22 Forged in Love - Mary Connealy - This inspirational romantic suspense is the first book in a new series that takes place in 1870 Wyoming, where women have the right to vote and the ability to live more independently than in other places in America at that time. After Mariah Stover survives a stagecoach robbery, she is determined to continue her life as blacksmith. But it soon becomes clear that there is a mark on her head, and the Deadeye Gang wants her dead. Clint Roberts is the local cook, in love with Mariah, who wants to care for her protect her, but she isn't willing to accept his proposal if it means giving up her work. (Read for a book review publication.)
 

 

12/16/22 Teresa of Calcutta: Dark Night, Active Love - Jon M. Sweeney - In this biography of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Sweeney attempts to provide an objective portrait of a saint many have idealized. This is not an easy task, however Sweeney does an admirable job, illustrating that St. Teresa, while most certainly holy and clearly a saint, was also human. He discusses her life and work, including an examination of those who disagreed with her and her methods. It is a slim volume and by no means an exhaustive biography, but it is an interesting addition to the literature about St. Teresa of Calcutta. (Read for Catholic Library World)

 

12/17/22 A Christmas Memory - Richard Paul Evans - Each year, I look forward to reading Richard Paul Evan's new Christmas book. This year's offering is a semi-autobiographical novel about his friendship with an older man when he was going through a hard time as a child. I think it was probably a hard story to write and at places it is a hard story to read, but it is a tribute and thank you to an important person in his life. If we're lucky, we all have someone like that who has touched our lives when we needed them most. 

 

12/18/22 The Generosity Habit - Matthew Kelly - Looking for something to work on in 2023? Matthew Kelly inspires readers to be more generous, offering simple ways to do this every day. This book features simple suggestions along with inspiring quotes. It is an easy read, but it has the power to change your life. 

12/22/22 After the Shadows - Amanda Cabot - This was a romantic mystery about a woman who returns home after the death of her abusive husband. On the day she comes home, her father (who is a minister) dies of an apparent suicide. With the help of a local schoolteacher, she struggles to clear her father's name. She and the schoolteacher also advocate on behalf of a disabled girl who is scorned by the community. (Read for a book review publication)

12/23/22 The Amish Christmas Candle - This was a set of three Amish Christmas novellas. I didn't really enjoy the first one (it was a bit racy for Amish fiction), but the last two were both very good.

 12/24/22 The Christmas Star - Donna VanLiere - This was a lovely story about a seven-year-old girl in foster care who serves as an unlikely matchmaker for a couple to have a second chance at love. 

12/25/22 The Christmas Spirit - Debbie Macomber - This story set in the 1970s has a pastor and a bartender switching jobs for the week before Christmas. They both learn a great deal about each other's lines of work as well as impart a few lessons of their own about the true meaning of Christmas. There is also some romance thrown into the mix. 

1/1/23 The Orchard - Beverly Lewis - This story takes place in the early 1970s and features a set of twins. The young man, Evan, decides to reject his Amish faith and enter in the army to fight in Vietnam. His sister, Ellie, is left behind to pray for him and care for the family's orchard while finding some romance along the way. It was a good story about the challenges of both fighting in Vietnam as well as the way Amish men were punished for being conscientious objectors when they stayed home.

Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for sophomore year). 

I am currently making my way through On Duties by Cicero.  It's a long work, but I'm about half way through the book and am enjoying it so far! It seems really relevant to today. The world would be a better place if more people followed Cicero's advice in this work.

My twelve-year-old daughter and I read the following books this month:

 

12/21/22 Wonder - RJ. Palacio - This tells the story of August Pullman, a boy with a severe facial deformity who is attending 5th grade for the first time after being homeschooled his whole life. It is a good story told from multiple perspectives. It also can prompt important conversations about being different, bullying, and friendship.

1/2/23 Lacey's Story - W. Bruce Cameron - My daughter and I have enjoyed this series of books about dogs finding their purpose in the world. We were excited to see a new one had been written! It was very enjoyable!

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