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!
2-9-25 Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism - Barry M. Prizant - I honestly don't recall where I saw this book mentioned, but my oldest son (age 23) is on the spectrum and I still find learning about autism to be interesting and helpful. This book looks at the "why" behind so-called autistic behaviors such as repeating certain phrases, talking at length about what they are currently enthusiastic about, and meltdowns. It was very enlightening. I recommend it for anyone with a child on the spectrum or who works in education.
2-10-25 Biblical Heroes: Stories of Faith and Courage - Mark Hart - I really enjoyed this book aimed at middle-schoolers. Hart introduces children Abel, Isaac, Joseph, Miriam, Ruth, David, Josiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Esther, Mary, The "Loaves and Fishes" kid, and Timothy. Each chapter starts with an anecdote from the author's life showing how he screwed up in some case when he was young. He then shares the story about the scriptural person as well as lessons young people can learn from them. This was an informative, interesting, and practical book that would be great in a religion class.
2-12-25 The Angel of Second Street - Barbara Tifft Blakey - This was an enjoyable story set in 1880s Eureka, CA. Ida Dempsey is an orphan raised in comfort by her aunt and uncle. Her main desire is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all who need to hear it, especially the prostitutes on Second Street and the Chinese in her community. Her love interest, Blaine, is eager to support her, but her family is against it, and his family wants him to have nothing to do with her. (Read for a book review publication).
2-16-25 The Heirloomist - Shana Novak - I believe I heard about this book in Country Living, where Novak writes a column by the same name. She takes photos of people's treasured objects and tells the stories behind their meaning. This features 100 such objects and stories. Some of them made me cry. It also made me think about the objects I treasure and the stories behind them.
2-27-25
The Shop Down the Lane - Leslie Gould - This is a delightful Amish story in the vein of
You've Got Mail (the wonderful movie featuring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). Lois Yoder and Moses Lantz had history together when they were young, but they haven't seen each other in five years. Now, Moses has bought out the shop Lois works in and they do nothing but get on each other's nerves. However, they both join a birding circle letter under assumed names and begin a correspondence, growing quite fond of each other, at least until they plan to meet and Moses doesn't show up because he realizes who his new friend actually is. (Read for a book review publication)
2-23-25
How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists - Ellen Hendriksen, Ph.D. - I've struggled with a very poor sense of self-worth most of my life. My interior voice is downright cruel. This book wasn't going to fix me, but I felt seen reading it. There is a certain comfort to knowing I'm not alone and I now know more about the reasons for this tendency. The author herself suffers from the same problem and wrote it because it was the book she needed.
2-24-25 A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Age with Grace - Maria Morera Johnson - The author was retired from teaching, had an empty nest, and needed a sense of purpose. She went searching for saints and other strong women who had a meaningful second act of life. She shares her own very interesting story along with highlighting the lives of women such as Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur, Marie Curie, Dorothy Day, St. Jeanne Jugan, Dolores Hart, and more. It's a fascinating book, one that brings some hope to women of a certain age (such as me) who wonder if life still has any promise or possibility.
2-27-25 Legends of Gold - Mary Connealy - One of the downsides of being a book reviewer is that sometimes I get handed the second book in a series and I feel completely lost in the story. This is one of those books. That being said, it features an adult orphan whose family appears out of the blue, a tender romance, and a treasure hunt, so it was an interesting story set in 1874 California. If you are interested, I suggest reading Whispers of Fortune first. (Read for a book review publication)
3-2-25 The Heart of Winter - Jonathan Evison - This is a beautiful, honest novel about the life of marriage, with all of its ups and downs. In the present day, Abe and Ruth Winter are 90 and 87 and facing Ruth's cancer diagnosis. They have three children eager to help in their own ways, but Abe and Ruth are struggling to hold on to their independence and their dignity. Interspersed through that contemporary tale are scenes from their life together, from their unlikely courtship through all the ups and downs of life. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
3-3-25
God's Superheroes Amazing Catholic Men Vol II and
God's Superheroes Amazing Catholic Women Vol II - Mary Bajda - I loved the first set of these books and was so exited to see there was a new set. Each book features 36 holy individuals. I love learning about saints / blesseds / venerables that I haven't heard about before and these books feature many of those. These books are geared to preteens / teens, but adults can appreciate them as well.
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 junior year).
2-16-25 Paradise Lost - John Milton - This is one of the great books that I would venture to say most people have heard of, even if they haven't read it. It tells the story of Lucifer's refusal to serve, the battle in heaven, the creation of Adam and Eve, the first sin, and the promise of a Savior. Milton, who was blind, dictated it over the course of five winters before it was published in 1667. An updated version was published in 1674. Milton subscribed to the Arian heresy, that the Son of God was first among creatures, but he wrote this epic poem to tell a story, not argue doctrine. In general, I am not a big fan of epic poetry. It just so happened that as I was reading this, the creation story was included in the liturgical readings for each day, so I was getting a double dose of it! In my opinion, the Bible tells it better, but there is a reason this is a classic and Milton did an admirable and creative job of expanding the tale.
2-23-25 Le Cid - Pierre Corneille - This is a play first performed in Paris in 1636 or 1637. According to the introduction, it was a "big hit combining youthful love, heroic daring, tender lyricism, and violent declaration." It reflected conflict between two modes of life - individualism and refinement of court. I think like most plays, this would be better seen performed than read.
My fourteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:
3-3-25
Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine - This retelling of Cinderella features a twist - the young Ella was given a "gift" at birth of obedience and has to do whatever someone tells her to do. I had seen the movie years ago but had never read the book. We both enjoyed it!
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