Shadows: Visible and Invisible - a new Hallowtide anthology

 

Today, I am thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for Shadows: Visible and Invisible, a Hallowtide anthology by the Catholic Teen Book authors.

The talented Catholic Teen Book authors have combined their talents to create another exciting short story anthology. This time, the theme is Hallowtide, October 31^st, November 1^st, and November 2^nd, otherwise known as All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

One of the interesting customs I learned about in reading these stories is “souling,” where people would go door to door, promising prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. It’s similar to Trick or Treating but with a spiritual dimension. I pray for the Souls in Purgatory every day, and so I loved that these stories emphasized the importance of praying for the dead.

Grace and the Grave Robber by Leslea Wahl is a contemporary tale about a teen boy talking to his grandmother about whether to go to a Halloween party or a church-sponsored function. His grandmother shares a story about when she was young and her encounter with an unexpected man.

Bogey in the Belfrey is a historical work by Carolyn Astfalk that features Polish Hallowtide traditions and mysterious sounds coming from a choir loft.

Corinna Turner shares a dystopian tale in A Very Jurassic Hallowtide. When the main characters dig up a human bone, they pray for the dead and fast for souls, thinking it is the bone of a long-lost man, but when they discover whose bone it really is, they question whether they should be making the effort.

In Lucy and the Forbidden Secret, Antony Kolenc takes readers back to a monastery in 1186. Lucy’s father has just died and another sister takes a great risk to retrieve a special candle to pray for him.

Theresa Linden offers the contemporary tale Helpless. Vanessa doesn’t believe in ghosts but when she is hurt and stranded in a cemetery, she may change her mind.

Marie C. Keiser contributes a sci-fi story, At the End of His Tether, that takes place on a spaceship where a teen is chosen to be part of the cemetery crew taking care of remembrances.

The final story is a speculative work by T.M. Gaouette. The Far End of the Cemetery is an other-worldly tale about a soul waiting to get to heaven.

There is something for everyone in Shadows: Visible and Invisible. Fans of Catholic Teen Books may recognize some of the characters from other works, but you don’t need to have read those books to appreciate these tales. They are enjoyable for teens and adults and may even inspire you to pray for the dead.  

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site! Thank you :)

#OpenBook for October 2024

 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!

 

9/5/24 Unforgotten - Shelley Shepard Gray - This is a suspense-filled Amish romance. Bethanne was attacked by a man she had a crush on and it has taken her seven years to begin to rejoin society. A young man wants to court her, but she keeps pushing him away because he was friends with the man who attacked her. Meanwhile, her English cousin Candace recently won a local beauty pageant, but she has a stalker who won't stop until Candace belongs to him. And while the handsome police officer assigned to protect her will do all he can to keep her safe, it might not be enough. The suspense in this one definitely kept me turning pages. (Read for a book review publication).

9/6/24 His Angels at Our Side: Understanding Their Power in Our Souls and the World - Fr. John Horgan - My mother has a hard time reading, so every once in a while, she'll ask me to read a book for her and summarize it. This was one of those books. It was an interesting look at various angels and their role in our lives and the lives of the saints. Fr. Horgan describes various angel's roles in Scripture as well as Christian Tradition has taught us about angels. It is also a manual in living a faith-filled life. It definitely makes you think more about the angels and may convince you to ask them for help in your life.  

9-7-24 Maria: A Novel of Maria Von Trapp - Michelle Moran - I had been looking forward to reading this one for a while and was excited when it came in on my library holds list. In this novel, Michelle Moran explores the true story of Maria Von Trapp as compared to the version of her life shown in The Sound of Music. This tale has Maria seeking to meet with Oscar Hammerstein as the finishing touches are being put on the play. Hammerstein sends his staffer, Fran, to meet with her and try to allay her concerns. Fran listens as Maria shares her story and her objections to the portrayal. This is a very good story, which I enjoyed, but it was also a bit sad to lose the illusion from The Sound of Music. I won't be able to view that movie in the same way again. 

9-12-24 In Her Studio - This isn't technically a book; it is a magazine, but it comes in at 160 pages and is more like a coffee-table book so I decided I could include it. It is a lovely magazine about women's creativity and their art studios (however big or small they may be). I delighted in this celebration of women exploring their creative gifts. The magazine comes out quarterly. Single Issues are available on Amazon or you can subscribe and get back issues at https://stampington.com/in-her-studio/

9-15-24 The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It - David Carbonell, Ph.D. - I worry a lot, and mid-life challenges aren't helping the problem. I do recommend this book for people who worry. I liked that it offered strategies to help rather than simply saying to go on medication (I know medication can help; I just don't want to go that route. I have no judgment for people that do choose to take anti-anxiety medicine. I know it can be a life-changer.) Anyway, I'm going to type up a sheet of some of the suggestions from this book and hang it up where I can see it on a regular basis to remind me to use them! Hopefully, it will help.

9-15-24 The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner's Ready: 112 Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Slightly Impatient Home Cooks - Ree Drummond - I'm really not a cookbook person. Nor am I a Pioneer Woman fan - watching her is a near occasion of sin for me as envy rears its ugly head! However, I saw this at the library and picked it up for my food-loving daughter. It really does have some amazing recipes in it and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful photos. 

9-19-24 Shadows Visible & Invisible - Catholic Teen Book Writers - I always look forward to the story anthologies put out by the talented Catholic Teen Book writers. This collection is perfect for Hallowtide - October 31, November 1, and November 2nd - and is full of stories that will appeal to both teens and adults. This story collection emphasizes praying for the dead, which is wonderful. Several of the stories referenced a tradition of "souling" which was something I hadn't heard of before. People will promise to pray for the dead in exchange for soul cakes, which is similar to Trick or Treating but with a faith dimension.  

9-23-24 Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth - Catherine Ruth Pakaluk - This book is about the five percent of American women who have five or more children. The author has a Ph.D. in economics and is the mother of eight children (and six additional step-children). She interviews these women in an effort to discover their "why" for having big families and to determine what we can do as a society to reverse the birth dearth (we are not currently replacing ourselves with births). When I was younger, I admit I didn't understand why people would want large families and may have said some (unintentional) uncharitable comments, for which I am truly sorry. 

As a homeschooler, I am friends with many women who have large families and do amazing things both inside and outside of their homes. I am frequently in awe of them. With only three children, I have one of the smaller families, and in my early days of homeschooling when I only had two children, there were some unkind comments sent my way about the size of my family (maybe those people have evolved as well - we can all use grace). And so, I can appreciate the women in this book because I know women like them, while at the same time acknowledging that God didn't in any way call me to that life.   

9-24-24 Living the Good Fight: A Mother's Journey of Faith, Hope, and AML Leukemia - Tracy Kearcher - Tracy is a mom who recently joined the Catholic homeschool co-op I belong to. When she found out I love to read, she gave me a copy of her memoir of fighting (and beating) AML Leukemia. It is a powerful story of endurance and faith. What a challenging road she had to face and she did it while keeping her faith. While at times this book is difficult to read, it is ultimately a work of hope and encouragement for others who might find themselves in difficult situations. You can learn more about Tracy and her efforts to raise funds for leukemia research at https://www.kearchercookiesforacure.com/

9-26-24 I Can Pray Anywhere - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle; Illustrated by Jim Starr - This is a sweet picture book for toddlers/preschoolers with an important message. A little boy prays as he goes through his day, reminding children and the adults reading to them that we can pray anytime and anywhere! The illustrations add to the tender tale, bringing the little boy's day to life.
 

9-29-24 A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940 - Erica Hirshler - This was a fascinating look (with lots of photos) at women who were working as artists in Boston over a seventy year period. It talks about their lives, their work, and the challenges they faced trying to build careers in a male-dominated field. It also discusses the question women faced at that time of whether they could be artists and have a family. 
 

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).

I'm making my way through a collection of Shakespeare's works. 

 

9/8/24 MacBeth - Shakespeare - I think The Scottish Play is my favorite Shakespeare play. I enjoy the psychological thriller aspects of it. It is one I have seen performed a few times, so it was familiar to me and I enjoyed the reread. It was originally written/performed in 1606 and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy. It explores the perils of political ambition as well as the power of guilt and paranoia.  

9/8/24 The Tempest - Shakespeare - I'm giving myself credit for prior work on this one. My daughter had to read and perform in this play as part of her homeschool co-op last year, so I spent a lot of time with this play. It was written/performed in 1610-1611 and focuses on the shipwrecked Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Some of the themes include the use of magic, revenge, and complicated families. 

9/15/24 Sonnets - Shakespeare - Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets that were published in 1609. The first 126 are addressed to a young man. The last 28 refer to a woman. They deal with themes such as time, infidelity, love, jealousy, beauty, and mortality. 

And with that, I finished my summer of Shakespeare!

9-22-24 The Freedom of a Christian - Martin Luther - I had never read anything by Martin Luther other than the 95 Theses. This was published in 1520 and was directed to Pope Leo X. It sets forth much of Luther's ideas of justification by faith alone. While I had always heard that Luther was against works, that doesn't seem to be the case in this particular treatise. He was simply arguing that works should proceed from faith. Because we have faith, we do good works and follow God's will, but works by themselves won't get us God's grace. He also criticizes the role of the pope and the hierarchy. I found it very interesting to read. 

9-25-24 Decree Concerning Justification - Council of Trent - The Council of Trent met between 1545 and 1563 in response to the Protestant Reformation. This particular document emphasizes that people are justified by both faith and works, although faith is of primary importance. It also spoke out against the sin of presuming one is saved.

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

The Mother-Daughter Book Camp - Heather Vogel Frederick - We are about halfway through this final book in the series. The young ladies are spending their last summer before college as camp counselors at a sleep-away camp in New Hampshire. To help the young campers deal with homesickness, they start up a book club. This time, they are reading Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher.

 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!

#OpenBook for September 2024

 

 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!

 

8-8-24 Elizabeth Seton: American Saint - Catherine O'Donnell - It took me most of the summer to read this book. I worked on it a little at a time, taking notes for a potential writing project. This is a comprehensive biography of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The beauty of St. Elizabeth Seton is that she left a vast written record to pull from when examining her life. and so, much like St. Zelie Martin, whom I have  written about (The Life and Lessons of St. Zelie Martin), one is able to get a full picture of who she was as a person. She had her ups and downs, trials and tribulations. She was profoundly human and struggled with her children (which, for some reason, gives me great comfort). I've found a new heavenly friend in her.  

8-10-24 The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride - Joe Siple - I don't recall where I heard about this book - Facebook post? #OpenBook post? - but I'm so glad I added it to my to-be-read list. Mr. Murray McBride is 100 years old and doesn't have much to live for until he meets a 10-year-old boy who is dying and has five wishes he wants to fulfill before he goes. Murray decides to help the boy and the adventure is on! This is such a good story that made me cry harder than I have at a book in a while. Even better, Murray is Catholic and his parish priest plays a supporting role! 

8-15-24 Love in the Eternal City - Rebecca W. Martin - I originally read this contemporary debut romance by Rebecca Martin in April as a preview, but it is now available online so I am sharing it again!. After being dumped by her ex-fiance and sabotaged by her former best friend, Elena goes to Italy to begin a new life. She meets Benedikt, a handsome Swiss guard who is quickly enamored with the attractive American. However, her past and her mental health issues and his family dynamics cause some major issues for their relationship. Stalking and an assassination plot up the stakes.There's plenty of intrigue in this book to keep readers turning pages. This is a wonderful debut and I look forward to reading more fiction from this writer. 

8-18-24 Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore - Kiki Smith - Clothes can tell a lot about people and how they lived. The Smith College Historical Clothing Collection focuses on the everyday clothes of women over the past 200 years. It is a fascinating social history. This coffee-table style book features many images. It would be of interest to anyone who enjoys women's history, social history, or fashion. 

 

8-11-24 The Prayer Box - Lisa Wingate - I enjoyed this leisure read about a single mom, Tandi, trying to rebuild her life. When she is hired to clean out the house of an old woman who recently died alone, she discovers her prayer boxes, filled with letters to God and family secrets. Through learning about the old woman and following her example, Tandi learns how to have faith and take steps to put her own life back together for her and her children. 

9-1-24 Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves - Nicola Twilley - I can honestly say before reading this book I had never given much thought to refrigeration, other than to be thankful for it when I took the time to consider it. Mostly, having a refrigerator / freezer is one of those things I take for granted. This book provided a fascinating look at the history of refrigeration as well as how food from farms is cooled and makes it way to our local store. For better or worse, you'll never look at your refrigerator or your food in the same way after reading this book.

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).

I'm making my way through a collection of Shakespeare's works. 

 

8/11/24 Othello - Shakespeare - This tragedy was written in 1603 and deals with themes of passion, jealousy, racism, and more. Othello is a Moorish military commander who married his wife over her father's objections. Iago is Othello's ensign who is angry and jealous that Othello promoted someone above him. So, he stokes Othello's jealousy, leading Othello to kill his wife. 

8/30/24 Twelfth Night - Shakespeare - This romantic comedy was written in 1601-02. It is about twins Viola and Sebastian who look very similar and were separated in a shipwreck. Not that I remembered much about it, but I once saw a version of this play set in space!

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

 Wish You Were Eyre - Heather Vogel Frederick - We are almost finished with the sixth book of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series. This time the Mother-Daughter book club is reading Jane Eyre. One of the moms is running for mayor of Concord, and two of the daughters get to go on exciting adventures, one to Paris and one to Minnesota. There is also a French exchange student who seems to have a way of making all the young men (including the ones with girlfriends) fall at her feet.

 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!

Love in the Eternal City - New Catholic Romance

 

 Love in the Eternal City - Rebecca W. Martin - I originally read this contemporary debut Catholic romance by Rebecca Martin in April as a preview, but it is now available online so I am posting about it now! After being dumped by her ex-fiance and sabotaged by her former best friend, Elena goes to Italy to begin a new life. She meets Benedikt, a handsome Swiss guard who is quickly enamored with the attractive American. However, her past and her mental health issues and his family dynamics cause some major issues for their relationship. Stalking and an assassination plot up the stakes.There's plenty of intrigue in this book to keep readers turning pages. This is a wonderful debut and I look forward to reading more fiction from this writer. 

 

This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!

#OpenBook for August 2024

 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!

 

7-4-24 The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis - George Stephanopoulos - I was fortunate to hear George Stephanopoulos speak about this book in person at the Springfield Public Forum and was eager to read it! It was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at various crises the president/government has faced since the JFK era. I read it on July 4th which seemed very appropriate! Many of these events I remember living through. I recommend it for any history buffs or anyone interested in government and politics.

7-6-24 Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers - Lauren Burke and Hannah Chapman - I had the pleasure of getting to visit Orchard House (Louisa May Alcott's home) and picked this up for my daughter, who enjoys graphic novels. However, it wasn't her cup of tea, so I decided to read it. While I found it interesting and informative, I can understand why she didn't like it. Each author profiled has a short biography written in prose and then a few scenes from their lives are written in graphic form. If you don't have context, it can be a bit disconcerting. However, this was an innovative approach to author's lives and I did learn about some authors I had never heard of before.

 

 

7-12-26 Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics - Jo Boaler. This book should be a must-read for anyone teaching math whether at school or at home. It especially speaks to those for whom mathematical thinking does not come naturally. It discusses some innovative approaches to teaching math which also lead to improved test scores. It also talks about the importance of having a growth mindset, which is something I struggle with. 

7-14-24 ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD - Penn and Kim Holderness. My daughter has ADHD and I read this as part of my ongoing quest to both understand and help her. This was written by a husband and wife duo; the husband has ADHD, the wife does not. He shares his story and what has worked for him. She comments on the things she does to try to cope and help him. I liked that this book didn't sugarcoat things. It discusses both the strengths and challenges of having ADHD in a world that expects you to be neurotypical. There are many humorous stories in this book which made it a joy to read. While it does have a chapter on parenting children with ADHD and certainly you can learn a lot about what it is like to grow up with ADHD from Penn's stories, it is mostly geared to adults. I think this book would be especially helpful for married couples where one or both people have ADHD. 

7-16-24 Into the Sunset- Mary Connealy - This is the third book in a series about women trying to fight back and make a new life after escaping from an insane asylum where they were wrongly imprisoned in the old West. It is an interesting story with lots of action and themes revolving around women's rights and the rights of the mentally ill, but you would want to start with the first book in the series. (Read for a book review publication).

7-22-24 The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts - Mary Claire Haver, MD. This is one of the most depressing books I've read recently. On the plus side, it discussed all the things that can happen to you as you go through this change of life and takes those symptoms seriously rather than dismissing them. On the down side, it discusses ALL the things that can go wrong as you go through this change of life. It does offer some ways to help. Dr. Haver is a big proponent of hormone therapy but also discusses dietary changes and natural supplements. Overall, however, I was left with a horrible sinking feeling of what the next chapter of my life will look like. One day at a time, right? That's all I can do. 

7-24-24 The Botanist's Daughter - Kayte Nunn - I really enjoyed this dual timeline story about a young woman in Victorian England who sets off to fulfill her father's dying wish and find an elusive plant that has both the power to kill and tremendous power to heal. In modern-day Australia, another young woman discovers a metal box in the wall of her grandmother's home (which she just inherited). In the box are beautiful botanical drawings and some old seeds. She then sets off to discover where they came from. 

7-28-24 The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth - Zoe Schlanger - This was a fascinating look at what botanists are learning about plants. It describes experiments that show that plants can hear, see, and make decisions (such as choosing to grow roots in the direction of water and not competing for resources with other plants that they are related to). Plants have a lot more going on than people imagined. After reading this, I feel way more guilty pulling up weeds in my garden. Overall, though, I learned so much reading this book, and while faith isn't discussed at all, I think it is yet one more testament to the brilliance of God as Creator.   

8-1-24 Hope Like Wildflowers - Pepper Basham - This is a (too) sweet Cinderella-type historical romance set in 1917 North Carolina. Kizzie is a pregnant seventeen-year-old whose been kicked out by her family. She returns to the father of her child who is willing to acknowledge and provide for her but wants to keep her as a kept woman. A kind neighbor helps her see that she is a valued child of God and helps her on a new path to her happily ever after.  

8-1-24 Return to Me - Lynda Rozell - This was an interesting look at the symbolism contained in tabernacle art. I had never really thought about the design of tabernacles before. It features many pictures of various tabernacles.

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).

I'm making my way through a collection of Shakespeare's works.

7-4-24 Richard II - Shakespeare - The historical Richard II lived from 1367-1400. Edward III die in 1277 and he was crowned. This play was first performed and published in 1597. It focuses on a revolt Richard II faced from his underlings. Bolingbroke is ultimately triumphant and is crowned Henry IV. Richard die in 1400 while in prison (he was possibly murdered). 

 

7-12-24 King Henry IV, Part 1 - Shakespeare - I'm just not a fan of Shakespeare's history plays. I enjoy history (I was a history major in college) but have always been more drawn to social history than palace intrigue or military history. This one is about the rebellion of the Percies who had helped to Henry depose Richard II. It was first performed on February 25, 1598 and was the first history play with comic scenes. It was the seventh history play that Shakespeare wrote. 

7-21-24 Hamlet - Shakespeare - I was familiar with this play about the Danish prince trying to avenge the death of his father. I have seen it performed a couple of times, and while I didn't remember everything, I was able to picture some of the performances while I was reading. This is Shakespeare's longest play . It was written between 1599 and 1601.

8-2-24 King Lear - Shakespeare - Even with the SparkNotes, I had a hard time following this tragedy about an elderly king and his unscrupulous children. Everyone dies in this one and one person gets his eyes gouged out in what is considered the most violent scene in Shakespeare's plays. It was written in 1605.

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

7-5-24 The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Pies & Prejudice - Heather Vogel Frederick - In the fourth book of the series, the young ladies are now 15 and reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. We watched the Kiera Knightley movie version so my daughter would understand the references. One of the families is spending the year in England but the group is still able to gather and discuss via webcam. I've enjoyed this series so much. I'm going to be sad when it is over!

7-29-24 Home for the Holidays - Heather Vogel Frederick - It's Christmas and the various families are celebrating in far-flung places. Megan and Becca are on a cruise, Jess and Emma are in New Hampshire, and Cassidy is visiting her sister in California, where her family is considering moving. Holiday spirit is hard to find, however, as the young ladies fight with each other and old resentments come to the surface because being a teenage girl is hard! In this installment, they were reading the Betsy-Tacy books which I had never heard of before reading this. In an interesting note, the library book version we were reading was missing the last twenty or so pages. It doesn't look like they fell out of the book or anything; it seems to be a printer's error, so that was disappointing! I ordered it on Kindle so we could finish the story, but it is amazing that we live in a world where that is an option!

 

 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!

A New Christmas Quilt

 

I haven't been doing much quilting lately. It used to be my Saturday night project when we would watch movies together as a family, but lately it seems everyone has been going their own direction. Still, I've worked on this here and there over the past year or so. I didn't intend for it to be a Christmas quilt when I started and it will get used all year, but the color scheme has that Christmas feel. 

 I did a patchwork quilt this time around instead of the more artistic quilts I've done the past few times. I just wanted a change. I'm not sure what my next quilt will be. First, I need to repair some of the older ones that have become worn with use. But, it is always nice to complete a project!

#OpenBook for July 2024

 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!

 

6-6-24 Libraries of New England - Margaret Haller - This book is out of print and I got it through my local library system. (I don't even remember how I heard about it!) I'm a big fan of all libraries, but there is a special place in my heart for the old ones that smell that books. This book was written in 1991. I'd venture to say that at least some of the libraries featured in it have since been replaced by newer modern versions, but I have had the pleasure to visit at least some of the ones highlighted in my travels through New England. I was a bit disappointed that neither the Springfield, MA, library (a fine example of a Carnegie library) nor the Chicopee Main Library of my youth were highlighted, but I still enjoyed flipping through the pages. 

Here are a couple interesting facts I came across: 

The South Leicester (now Greenville, MA) library was established in 1793. "The books were not to be kept over six weeks, with a fine of four pence for every leaf turned down and every drop of tallow found in any volume." 

The Richard Sugden Library in Spencer, MA once had an emergency room in the basement!

The Hungerford Memorial Library in Harwington, CT, stands over the grave of Theodore Hungerford. As of 1991, the library was vacant but they planned to use it as a community center.

6-7-24 Eucharistic Saints: Twenty Stories of Devotion to Jesus - Meredith Hinds - This new book for children ages 5-12 includes twenty vignettes about various saints who had a devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Jacinta Marto, St. Catherine of Sienna, Blessed Imelda Lambertini, and Blessed (soon to be Saint) Carlo Acutis. The book does achieve its purpose of emphasizing devotion to the Eucharist, but the scenes are told in isolation with little background info on the saint. If you are already familiar with the basics of the saint's life, that is not a problem, but otherwise, one feels a bit thrown into the story of the saint. Still, this would make a lovely addition to a home or parish library, especially for children preparing for First Communion.

6-7-24 Leaving Loneliness Behind - Regina Boyd - There is a loneliness epidemic in our world. Regina Boyd is a licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist. In this combo book/workbook set, she offers some at-home therapy for those who want to connect more deeply with others to work on their relationships. She explores being vulnerable with others, communicating during conflict, healing past wounds, and giving of ourselves to others. She also offers lists of questions to help get to know other people better. Overall, I was impressed by this set and can see how it might help people both work on their own healing/issues and nurture relationships. (Read for Catholic Library World)

6-9-24 The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods - This story set in England and Dublin features three POVs - Opaline (1920s) trying to escape an overbearing brother who wants her to enter a marriage of convenience, Martha (today) who is running from an abusive husband, and Henry (today) who is searching for an elusive manuscript to write about for his dissertation. This story features a lot of magical  fantastical elements such as the bookshop which appears at will, a woman who can read minds, one character who may or may not be real, and other inexplicable happenings. It also touches on those wrongly placed in insane asylums and the abuses that took place in them. Overall, I enjoyed it even if I didn't fully understand it (I'm not sure you are supposed to "get" the whole story). It definitely kept me turning pages. It is a secular novel which includes some premarital sex (nothing graphic) and taking the Lord's name in vain a few times. 

 

6-13-24 A Healing Touch - Suzanne Woods Fisher - Dr. Ruth "Dok" Stolzfus was raised Amish but left to pursue her education. Now in her late fifties, she serves as a doctor to both the English and Amish. When a baby is left on her practice's doorstep, she and her husband decide to serve as foster parents, which deeply changes her outlook on life. Another plot line features Dok's assistant Annie, a shy young Amish woman who loves learning about medical issues and wants to become an EMT. Suzanne Woods Fisher is a well-known writer in the Amish fiction genre and her stories are always enjoyable. (Read for Publisher's Weekly)

6-16-24 Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad - Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard, Ph.D. - This book was published twenty-five years ago. I picked it up because I love quilting and was interested in learning more about the historical significance of quilting. I just happened to read it the week of Juneteenth, which seemed very appropriate! It discusses the secret code held in quilts as well as spirituals to help slaves find their way to freedom. It also discusses Masons a great deal. I know Masons and Catholics have a problematic history, but in this case, it seems like they were doing some good, helping slaves escape. It was an interesting book. 

 

6-24-24 Glorious Encounters with Mary: A Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary - Maria V. Gallagher. Gallagher follows up Joyful Encounterswith Mary: A Woman’s Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary with this book focusing on the five Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of the Blessed Mother, and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. In addition to explaining each mystery, Gallagher shares a personal story of how this mystery has been relevant in her life, offers ways for readers to grow in the virtue associated with that mystery, and profiles a saint who exemplifies that virtue. 

6-24-24 Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt - Deborah Hopkinson - This is a children's book that goes along with the book I read earlier this month about how quilts were used to help guide slaves to freedom. In this one, young Clara makes a map on her quilt to help show her fellow slaves how to make their way to the Underground Railroad. It is a wonderful book to read and share with children to help them learn about this chapter of our nation's history.
 

 6-28-24 The Christmas Gathering - Shelley Shepard Gray, Lenora Worth, Rachel J. Good - This was a lovely collection of three Amish romance novellas. I do enjoy Christmas stories, even in the middle of summer! The stories featured three couples that had to beat the odds. The first was an Episcopalian man and an Amish woman, the second were two young Amish from feuding families, and the third were two non-baptized Amish youth who had to choose whether God or their love of music (and each other) were more important. (Read for a book review publication)

6-29-24 The Art of Correspondence - The Editors of Victoria - Sometimes I just want to look at some pretty pictures. This was that type of book. It is a coffee table book that has large spreads of photos and sparse text. The text focuses on writing letters and journals and such, which I enjoyed, but this one was mostly about the images. It was very relaxing and enjoyable to look at! 

7-2-24 Defend Us in Battle:The Promises of St. Michael and the Heavenly Angels - Marge Steinhage Fenelon - Fenelon introduces readers to the Chaplet of St. Michael which includes "nine salutations (like decades of the Rosary), each addressed to one of the choirs, and each asking for a particular grace." Each chapter focuses on one of the choirs of angels along with how they can help us resist a particular vice. There is a whole lot of evil in our world and we need the angels to help protect us from it.

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). 

6-16-24 The Discourses - Machiavelli - This is a lesser known, longer work by the author of The Prince, in which he examines the history of Rome to provide guidance for current and future governments and the roles of leaders. He discusses the cyclical rise and fall of civilizations. I did not read every word of this tome, but I skimmed it all and got the general idea. 

Next up on the reading list is a collection of Shakespeare's works.

6-25-24 Julius Caesar - Shakespeare - I first read this play as a freshman in high school. I have much more historical knowledge and appreciation now to put it in context. It turns out it was based on Plutarch's lives of Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Marc Antony, which I have also read. It was first written and performed in 1599 and published in 1623. Shakespeare did take some historical liberties, compressing three years of history into six days of action. 

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

6-13-24 Daddy-Long-Legs - Jean Webster - This was a book they read in the Mother-Daughter Book Club series we've been reading. I had never heard of this book before. It is about a girl who grew up in an orphanage who has a secret benefactor who pays for her to go to college with the aim of her becoming a writer. We enjoyed it!

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