#OpenBook for March 2026

 

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!

2-5-26 The Ultimate Blindside - Leslea Wahl - This third book in an exciting series for teens continues the story of Jake Taylor, a world-renowned snowboarder, and his girlfriend, Sophie. A movie is being made of Jake's life and rise to fame, but even as their lives are playing out for the screen, they continue to deal with intrigue. Jake saves a woman and her daughter from a car trapped in icy water, but the woman is on the run from her dangerous husband and needs to stay in hiding. Jake and Sophie try to figure out who she is hiding from while striving to keep her and her daughter safe. Jake also has to deal with "friends" from his past and Sophie's laptop is hacked, wreaking havoc on her life. Teens and up will enjoy this fast-moving tale. I definitely recommend reading the whole series, starting with The Perfect Blindside. 

 

2-6-26 Circe - Madeline Miller - I read this one with my fifteen-year-old daughter. She had started reading it for school in the fall, and when she returned to homeschooling after the Christmas break, she wanted to continue with it. It is a mythological work told from the perspective of Circe, the witch best known for her appearance in the Odyssey. Fans of Greek myths will enjoy this one. Rated PG-13.

 

2-8-26 The Forget-Me-Not Library - Heather Webber - This is a feel-good story about a small town where people who need healing tend to end up because their cars break down as they are passing through. In the library is a cat who knocks books off the shelves to help people remember key moments from their past. Juliet Nightingale arrives in town grieving her grandfather and with a large chunk of her memory missing after being hit by lightning. Tallulah Mayfield is a single mom of two young daughters who recently began working at the library. Tallulah and Juliet become friends and help each other heal. They also discover love along the way. 

 

2-9-26 God Chose Me: Celebrating Who God Made Me to Be - Lexa Hale - This is a sweet board book celebrating how God makes each of us unique and loves us for who we are. 

 

2-10-26 Blossom as Saints: The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary as Invitations to Awe and Wonder - Allison Ramirez - This is the final installment of this lovely series on praying the Rosary. This one focuses on cultivating awe and wonder in our lives as we contemplate the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. I recommend the full series!
 

 2-11-26 When Will There Finally Be Peace: Answers to Questions about War, Violence, Refugees, and Reconciliation - Elisabeth Raffauf - This is a children's book on a difficult topic. It includes quotes from children from war-torn countries and provides an honest and age-appropriate look at the difficulties of war. It is published by Paulist Press, but it is not a faith-based book. 

 

2-17-26 Daughter of the Rebellion - Jamie Ogle - This isn't one I would have picked up on my own, but it was a fast-moving action-packed story about a gladiatrix in Rome and the Christian medicus who helps her realize her true value as a child of God. (Read for a book review publication)
 

 

 2-18-26 This Little Light of Thine - Susan Joy Bellavance - I admit I don't think much about the sanctuary lamp when I go to Mass, but this is a picture book that celebrates that light and how it reminds us that the True Presence of Christ is there. The illustrations by Byron Hamilton are magnificent. They are so warm and bright. They really have a heavenly feel to them! It is a lovely book to help teach children about the True Presence of the Eucharist.

2-21-26 Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear: A.A. Milne and the Creation of "Winnie-the-Pooh" - Gyles Brandreth - This is a biography of A.A. Milne (and to a lesser extent, his son Christopher Robin), who wrote the famous Winnie-the-Pooh stories. I had known little about Milne before reading this and found it interesting, even if the text meanders a bit. Milne was an accomplished playwright and novelist. The author had known Christopher Robin, and the work is well-researched. It shows the messiness of families and strives to be an honest portrayal of Milne's life. 

2-28-26 These Empty Places - Sarah Loudin Thomas - This story is set in 1930 in the Lake Toxaway region of North Carolina and highlights a strong friendship between two women. Claire Roth is a wealthy widow with a second chance at love. Lena Hawkins is a former socialite whose husband lost everything in the stock market crash. Claire and Lena become friends and Claire hires her to be her personal assistant and help establish a library in their community. (Read for a book review publication)
 

 3-2-26 Let Him Lead: An Invitation to Let Jesus Guide Your Heart & Your Life - Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR - This is a collection of 27 powerful essays on living a God-centered life. Fr. Jeremiah wrote these "while living as a hermit at the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, New York," where he ministered to a group of sisters as chaplain. He often said Mass for the sisters and those on retreat, and these essays grew out of the homilies he gave. They are well-worth reading and reflecting on. 

3-1-26 Canticle - Janet Rich Edwards - This is a fictional account of an invented medieval saint, whose story was inspired by actual medieval saints. Aleys longs for God. She rejects marriage and joins the Franciscans, but they have nowhere for her to live, so they put her with the beguines, an independent group of religious women, in the hopes that she might gain recruits. However, she begins to have visions and perform miracles, which puts her in danger. So, she ultimately becomes an anchoress, living on her own. This is a well-written, deeply researched book. While relying on Catholic sources, at the end, it dips a bit into teaching that would not pass orthodox muster (and indeed, the subject of heresy comes up). I did enjoy it, however, and it made me think about the challenges that holy women faced during the medieval period. 
 

Since the 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). 

2-7-26 Discourse on the Origin of Inequality - Jean Jacques Rousseau - In this work, written in 1754, Rousseau puts forth the idea that all men were created equal and in early times, lived in a state of that equality, but then society formed and leaders claimed power. The rich took over and the poor suffered. Among forms of government, he argues that democracy is the best because that puts power in the hands of the most people. He also maintains that man is naturally good, but became wicked due to advances in society which lead men to hate each other. The practice of virtues can help save society. 

2-9-26 Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation - I've read these before, but it was a good refresher on the founding documents of our country.  

2-10-26 The Constitution of the United States - I've read this one before as well, but it was well worth reading again, especially in light of current events.  

3-2-26 The Federalist Papers - Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay -  These were written by the Founding Fathers to help pave the way for the ratification of the Constitution. It was interesting to read the original intent of the Constitution and the safeguards that the writers attempted to put in place. 

 

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