#OpenBook for November 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!

 

10-6-24 Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence - Jennifer Holland - I'm a dog person and I found this study of canine intelligence to be fascinating. Dogs are amazing creatures and can do and learn so much. If you are interested in dogs, neuroscience, or how dogs learn, I highly recommend this book!

10-10-24 The Indigo Heiress - Laura Franz - It's 1774 and Juliet Catesby helps run her father's tobacco and indigo plantation, but her life is upended when her father informs her she must marry Scottish tobacco lord Leith Buchanon in exchange for paying off the debt the family owes him. This was an enjoyable story about a strong woman forced to make the best of an unexpected situation, with twists and turns along the way. I also think the cover is beautiful! (Read for a book review publication) 

10-13-24 The Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heat, and the Medial Miracle That Saved a Child's Life - Dr. Rachel Clarke - This is a powerful, both sad and hopeful story about a heart from a nine-year-old girl that was used to save a nine-year-old boy. It takes place in the UK. Dr. Clarke does a remarkable job discussing the case with both empathy and objectivity. She also explores the history of organ donation and transplants, which was interesting. 

10-14-24 Finding God in Times of Depression - Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP - It's that time of year again when the seasonal depression is settling in, which made it the perfect time for me to read and review this book for CatholicMom.com. It is a small, purse-sized book that features thirty short Scripture passages, reflections, and prayers to help readers turn to God in their hour of desolation and discouragement. The author has lived with depression herself, and so she offers no platitudes. She understands the pain and the darkness and strives to help people trust that God is walking with them on this difficult path. 

10-20-2024 An Uncommon Love: The Life, Legacy, and Lessons of Sisters Mary and Eleanor Dooley - Edited by Fr. Mark Stelzer. - Sisters Mary and Eleanor Dooley were prominent figures at Elms College, where I completed both my B.A. and M.A.A.T. and worked for five years. Sr. Mary was president of the College my first two years. While I never had the pleasure of meeting personally with her, her presence and legacy loomed large. I did have Sr. Eleanor as a professor when I was studying for my master's degree in theology. She was such a beautiful soul. She saw God in every person and you truly felt as if you were in the presence of a saint when you were with her. Sisters Mary and Eleanor served the Church in the Vatican II and post-Vatican II era, were highly educated, and left a lasting impact on all they met. They were truly remarkable women. This book is a series of essays about them, the intellectual and social movements that shaped them, and the legacy they left behind. Anyone interested in learning more about them or the role of women religious in the late twentieth century will appreciate this book. 

10-24-24 Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene's Story - Jill Eileen Smith - This work of biblical fiction imagines Mary Magdalene's life as a young woman, possessed by seven demons, before she is set free by her encounter with Jesus. The first part of the book is the most imaginative and presents a truly harrowing portrayal of demonic possession. After she is healed by Jesus, the remainder of the book follows the Gospel story but is told through Mary Magdalene's eyes. (Read for a book review publication)

10-27-24 Counting Miracles - Nicholas Sparks - Each year, I look forward to reading the new novel from Nicholas Sparks. As one would expect from a Sparks' book, this one does feature a romance. Former Army Ranger Tanner goes to Asheboro, North Carolina, to search for info about his birth father, whom he never knew. There, he meets a single mother and physician, Kaitlyn, and there is instant chemistry, but the relationship is complicated because he has no plans to stay. The romance is  fine - there was one seemingly obligatory premarital sex scene that I just skimmed over - but the true blessing of this book is in the interwoven story of one of Kaitlyn's patients, an older man named Jasper. His story is a modern retelling of the Book of Job. Premarital sex aside, this is a very Christian book that I really enjoyed. 

11-1-24 Midnight on the Scottish Shore - Sarah Sundin - This romantic adventure set in 1941 and 1942 on the Scottish shores features a member of the Dutch resistance who was pretending to be a Nazi and tried to escape by offering to be spy for the Nazis in Scotland (thinking she would then disappear). She got captured by a Scottish lieutenant, who turns her in to his commander, who then recruits her to be a double agent. Sparks fly between the woman and the Scottish lieutenant, but he still thinks she is a Nazi, plus fraternizing with any spies is definitely against the rules. This was a fast-moving tale full of both romance and intrigue. (Read for a book review publication.)

11-2-24 Library Girl - Polly Horvath - This is a middle-grade book that I took out of the library to read myself. It is about a girl who was abandoned in a library as a baby and was raised by four of the librarians there. When she is eleven, they start to give her more freedom to explore the outside world, and she soon discovers it doesn't match up to the world she has dreamed up from her lifetime of reading, at least not until she discovers a boy whom she thinks might be her twin brother, raised in equally unusual circumstances. I really wanted to love this book, but truthfully I found it meh. I did like it enough to read until the end. 

11-3-24 The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science - Dava Sobel - I didn't know much about Marie Curie before reading this book. It is a biography of her life, but it emphasizes not only her role as a trailblazer of science but also the women scientists she mentored. While I didn't understand much of the scientific explanations, it was a fascinating look at women in science and the obstacles that they faced in doing their research. 

11-4-24 40 Days of Gratitude: Finding Joy Through Giving Thanks - by yours truly.  This is the most personal book I've ever written, and I honestly don't know if anyone will find any value in it, but I'm putting it out in the world. I offer 40 reflections on simple joys in life that I am thankful for and encourage others to focus on their own blessings. Here is the official description: 

Cultivate Joy and Hope in Your Life by Giving Thanks

Are you searching for more joy and hope in your life? Taking time to thank God every day can help both your spiritual and physical well-being. This set of forty on simple blessings written from a Catholic perspective invites you to contemplate the gifts God has given you. Whether you use it as a Thanksgiving/Advent/Christmas activity, Lenten prayer practice, or any other time of year you need a spiritual pick-me-up, it is sure to help you appreciate the good things in your everyday life.

If you'd like to download a free .pdf of the book, you can do that here. It is also available on Kindle and Paperback.

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).

10-5-24 On Faith and Works - Against the Lutherans - Cardinal Thomas Cajetan - Cajetan, born in 1469, was a Dominican and a scholar of the works by Thomas Aquinas. He became the Church's delegated spokesperson against Luther. This work was written in 1532. It discusses the meaning of faith, the role of works, and whether works have merit in the eyes of God.

10-16-24 Discourse on Method - Rene Descartes - Published in 1637, Descartes discusses the method he has used to "think well." He read many books and went to school but found those resources lacking. He decided he would rather seek knowledge in himself or nature. He says he is only trying to explain his own position, not encourage anyone to copy him (but as he is considered the father of modern philosophy, people clearly did). He also discusses moral rules and offers proofs for the existence of God and the immortal soul.  

10-31-24 Rules for the Direction of the Mind - Rene Descartes - I didn't get a whole lot out of this one. It was a series of twenty-one rules on how to figure out the truth, but I think they were mostly geared to figuring out math problems.

 

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

 

The Mother-Daughter Book Camp - Heather Vogel Frederick - We finished up the last 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. The ending of this tale, with all the young ladies embarking on their adult lives, made me cry. I'm so glad that my daughter and I read this series together.

 

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Finding God in Times of Depression

 

Whether you suffer from depression year-round or it rears its ugly head in the colder months due to the lack of sunlight, Finding God in Times of Depression by Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP, offers some short, soothing prayers and reflections to aid you in turning to God for help and healing in your time of need.

Sr. Kathryn Hermes understands the feelings and challenges of depression as she has personally experienced them. She shares that “a stroke when [she] was twenty-one melted into years of emotional struggles with the darkness and doubt that depression brings.” She knows what it is like to feel that “the gentle breezes of spring will never again bless our life” and that in those difficult moments, “we most need to know we are not alone. We long for the warmth and assurance of Jesus’ tender care” (2-3).

The irony is that when we most need to turn to God, it can be a great struggle to find the motivation or the words to pray. We are often tired and barely holding on. Doing anything can feel like a monumental feat. While at those times, we can turn to the wonderful standard prayers of our faith, such as the Our Father or Hail Mary, or simply call on the name of Jesus, it can also be helpful to have reflections and prayers geared to the experience we are facing.

Sr. Kathryn provides thirty excerpts from Scripture, along with reflections and short prayers to help on the journey through depression. There is also a collection of prayers at the end of the book, including the beautiful “I Believe” by Maire nic Dhia, which expresses the desire to believe and trust in God.

As Sr. Kathryn reminds us, “God is not put off by a desolate heart’s cry . . . our heart’s pleading is itself a prayer” (23). The Scripture passages she has chosen to share in this work emphasize that we are not alone in our feelings of desolation and discouragement. Many of those who have walked before us have struggled in similar ways and turned to God in their distress. God hears our prayers and accompanies us in our personal darkness, even when we feel abandoned and on our own. We are encouraged to “remember that Jesus is walking with [us] through it all” (8).

Finding God in Times of Depression is a small purse-sized book, perfect for carrying with you to use when you have a free moment or for keeping on a prayer table or nightstand. It can provide hope in the midst of the trial of depression and remind you to turn to God for hope and comfort. 

 

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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.  

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