#OpenBook for October 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!

9-4-26 War-Torn Love - Angela K. Couch - There are a lot of WWII novels out there, but this one focuses on what happens after the war as a young couple, who were engaged before he went to war, but now must get to know each other again and face the consequences of his alcohol-fueled poor choices when he was overseas. I really enjoyed this one. The author did a great job of portraying the tension and love between the main characters. (Read for a book review publication.)
 

9-7-26 Are They Dead Yet? The Art of the Obit - Sam Roberts - I enjoy reading obituaries in my local paper. I pray for the dead, but I also find it interesting to read about people's lives. Sam Roberts has written many obits for The New York Times. I couldn't help but think of the character Jeremy Piven played in Serendipity (one of my favorite movies), who had a job writing obits for the same famous paper. In any event, this book had some insights about writing obituaries and how people are chosen to be profiled in The New York Times when they die. I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, but it was worth reading. And yes, I do have my own obit written, which I update as needed.  

 

9-9-26 The Christmas Courier - Roseanna M. White - In my job as a book reviewer, I have the opportunity to read lots of Christian fiction, which I enjoy, but it is always a pleasant surprise to be assigned one with strong Catholic characters This World War II features both a priest and religious sister as siblings of the heroine, and her romantic interest has a deepening of his nominal religious faith, becoming a devoted Catholic. All of the main characters work for the French Resistance, and when one of them is captured by the Gestapo, it will take a Christmas miracle to win his freedom. One sentence I thought was beautiful. The priest visits the man in prison and gives him the Eucharist: "The wafer tasted like a promise on his tongue." (Read for a book review publication) 

9-13-26 Discover Her Art: Women Artists and Their Masterpieces - Jean Leibowitz nd Lisa Labanca Rogers - I don't even recall how I ended up requesting this book from the library, but I really enjoyed it. It is geared to younger readers (ages 9 and up), but anyone can appreciate these profiles of women artists, many of whom I had not previously heard of. It also offers tips on drawing and painting. You honestly could create a whole art class based on this book.  

9-15-26 The Palace Spy - Tessa Afshar - This is the third book of a trilogy set in Queen Esther's court after the events of the Bible. I've enjoyed all the books and they can each be read as standalones. This one features a young woman who wants to work as a horse groom in the palace, but when she is waiting in line to apply, she sees a royal horse about to bolt, and she ends up rescuing the queen. Not only does she end up working in the stables, but when she notices the horses' padding had been tampered with, Danna is also recruited to work as a spy to determine who is out to kill the queen. (Read for a book review publication.)  

 

9-15-26 Ineffable: Learning to Love the God Beyond Words - Allison Auth - This is a beautiful guide to prayer, which includes both speaking to and listening to God. It includes coming to know God through Scripture, various types of prayer, discerning God's voice, and spending time with God in silence. Allison shares stories from her own life and experience of prayer. She has truly been blessed with a close experience of God and offers practical advice on deepening one's relationship with God.  

9-16-26 Practicing Radical Advent: Purposeful Waiting in Seasons of Change - Laurie Brink, OP - We usually think of "advent" in terms of the liturgical season, but this book focuses on advent as any time of change and waiting in our life. Change can often be difficult. Brink shares personal stories and also invites readers to reflect on people from the Bible who also experienced times of change. This is recommended for anyone struggling with change. (Read for Catholic Library World.)

9-16-26 Discover Mary - Colleen Pressprich - This is a beautiful book for children (and adults) on the Blessed Mother. It is full of color images and information about the historical Mary, Mary in Scripture, Marian apparitions, and Marian devotions. I loved reading this one and learned some new things in the process! 

9-20-26 The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything - Kathryn Jezer-Morton - The author is a Millennial in her early 40s and has been posting on social media most of her adult life (I am so thankful social media was not a thing when I was young). She explores how we curate our lives for social media and also how the stories we view about others shape how we view our own lives. It doesn't come to any conclusions. She's not out to have people stop posting online, but there are a lot of interesting observations that made me think. 

9-24-26 Rebecca's Patchwork Love - Anne Blackburne - While not advertised as such, this is actually a Christmas story (which was a pleasant surprise for me as I love Christmas stories). Rebecca works for an elderly friend in her quilt shop, indulges her delight in all things Christmas, and is happily single at age 28. Rudy is the younger brother-in-law of a friend. He's 24, but she still thinks of him as a kid until their paths keep crossing. This is a feel-good, Hallmark-movie-type story. Unfortunately, it isn't being released until January, but I'm a firm believer that any time of year is good for a Christmas story. (Read for a book review publication)  

9-27-26 The Mythmakers:The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien - John Hendriix - This is a graphic novel that explores the relationship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien and how they influenced each other's works. I knew more about Lewis than Tolkien going into this book, and learned some new things. It's a good book for teens and up interested in the topic, especially those who enjoy graphic novels. 

10-2-26 The Falcon's Echo - Elizabeth Camden - This story is set at the Naval Academy in 1905 and mixes fact and fiction to create an enjoyable story. Athena Pembroke comes from a wealthy family with a long history of service to the Navy, but as a woman, the only way she can serve is as the college archivist. She's hoping to write a book about her grandfather's heroic role on the U.S.S. Somers. Lt. Cooper Wainright, who was demoted after taking responsibility for an explosion on the U.S.S. Falcon, is the new football coach, determined to lead Navy to victory over the Army team, even as President Teddy Roosevelt is pushing for changes to how college football is played. This was a pleasing combo of history and romance. (Read for a book review publication.)

 10-4-26 The Invisible Hour - Alice Hoffman - I don't recall where I heard about this book, but I'm reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne with my daughter, and this book is connected to that one. It also takes place near where I live. I enjoy books about my geographic area, but I have found that people don't seem to have a very high opinion of my part of the world. In any event, Ivy seeks refuge in a commune in Western Massachusetts after she is thrown out of her home for being pregnant, but the commune is not the panacea she had hoped for. No books are allowed and people have to wear letters around their neck for their "crimes." If they are repeat offenders, they are branded. Ivy loves her daughter Mia fiercely, but Mia discovers a library in town and soon begins sneaking books into the commune. One of them is The Scarlet Letter. After Ivy's death, the librarian helps her escape to the Eastern part of the state, but the commune leader won't let her go without a fight. She then begins time traveling, and she gets to meet Nathaniel Hawthorne, whom she has had a literary crush on. I enjoyed the story, but it is a pro-choice book, arguing that women should have total control over their bodies, even as the two women who face unplanned pregnancies both choose to have their babies.  

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 senior year). 

9-16-26 Experimental Researches in Electricity - Michael Faraday - This is a three-volume work. I read the first volume, understood little of it, and decided that was enough of an introduction to this work. This work is actually a series of lectures that he presented over the course of several years. Faraday (1791-1867) was an English chemist and physics, who did a great deal of work with electrochemistry and electromagnetism. He had little formal education, but is one of the most influential scientists in history. He developed the concept of the electromagnetic field and established that magnetism could affect rays of light. 

10-4-26 Origin of the Species - Charles Darwin -  Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist and biologist who attended University of Cambridge. Origin of the Species was published in 1859 and truly shook the world. I had obviously heard of this book but had never read it. Having grown up with the theory of evolution and not seeing any issue with God using this process to create the world, it didn't really have any shock value for me when reading it. Darwin's exploration of how species change both in the natural world and through human intervention was interesting, even if some of the details were beyond my scientific understanding, and he does acknowledge challenges with the theory. I especially appreciated the final sentence: "There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one: and that, whilst this planet has gone on cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved." 

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#OpenBook for September 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!

 

8-5-26 Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child - Cheryl Swope -  Cheryl is the mother of adopted twins, who both have myriad intellectual and socio-emotional challenges. In this book, she shares how she used classical education in her homeschool to help them achieve their full potential. In addition to her personal story, she shares a wealth of information on adapting classical education for those with special needs. An affiliated curriculum is available through Memoria Press. 

 

8-7-26 Lessons in Love - Kelly Irvin - This was a touching Amish romance between a young woman who has sacrificed her life caring for others and a widower/single father who is grieving the loss of his wife in a tragic accident that he feels responsible for. (Read for a book review publication) 

 

 8-14-26 Dressed for Success . . . Turned out for Murder - Donna Mumma - This is the third book in a cozy mystery series about women who work in an upscale department store in Florida in the 1950s. This time, one of their husbands has been accused of murdering his boss. Will they be able to clear his name in time? If you are interested in this one, start with Book 1 of the series because it is definitely not a standalone. (Read for a book review publication)

 

 8-16-26 The Time Hop Coffee Shop - Phaedra Patrick - This is a magical story about a woman longing for her past life, when she was the star of Maple Gold coffee commercials and her family was perfect. Now, she and her husband are separated, her relationship with her teenage daughter is strained, and she can't get an acting job. At a mysterious coffee shop, she makes a wish and is transported to the town of Maple Gold, where everything is perfect. I really enjoyed this one and requested other books by the author from the library. 

 

 8-16-26 Enchanting Book Nooks: Miniature Worlds and Settings to Craft and Decorate - Raphaele Vidaling - I love book nooks! My daughter and I have built a couple from kits. I had never even thought about making one from scratch. This book contains some interesting ideas for creating a book nook of your own. It's great for crafters who enjoy making miniatures. 

 

8-21-26 Tenderly Betrayed - Hannah Linder - Jericho has been searching for the man who killed his father most of his life, but when he finds him, he falls in love with his daughter. His duty to his father outweighs his love, however, and he has the man arrested and put on trial. Iris then wants nothing to do with Jericho, but he may be the only one who can save her from starvation. This story, set in 1815, has a Gothic feel. (Read for a book review publication)
 

 

8-23-26 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 1 - Beth Brower - This one was recommended by several people on the internet, along with my best friend! And yes, I did enjoy this "journal" about a young woman in 1880's London, trying to keep her inherited home from ruin by her unscrupulous cousin. This book has the added advantage of being a short, quick read, perfect for a leisurely escape. I've requested the next volume from the library.

 8-23-26 Home Body: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave - Joanna Gaines - I've been in the mood to look at pretty pictures lately, and this book filled that desire. I enjoy Gaines' style and often read her Magnolia magazine. This is a large coffee-table-style book, with loads of photos and information on home decorating. 

 

 8-24-26 Meadow Manor: My Majestic English Countryside Home - Rachel Ashwell - Another large book full of pretty pictures! Ashwell is the founder of the Shabby Chic brand, and this book displays the English manor she purchased and decorated. The text is partly one big ad for her brand, but the images are lovely. 

 

 8-26-26 Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible - No, I did not read the entire Bible this month, but I was sent a review copy of this new Bible by Our Sunday Visitor and wanted to give it a mention. This is a hefty softcover tome of the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition with added material by Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ on the intersection of science and faith. There is a section before the Old Testament and another before the New Testament exploring science, reason, and faith, including topics such as the evidence for God, the historicity of Scripture, the development of morality, the reality of miracles, and the evidence of Jesus' resurrection. Within the pages of the scriptural texts, there are also copious notes. The font is small, but there is enough white space to read it well. This is a useful Bible for at-home study for anyone interested in learning more about how faith and science are connected.   

8-28-26 Soul of the Revolution - Megan Soja - This story is set in the beginning days of the American Revolution. Elijah Pierce is a former Patriot spy who returns to his hometown of Boston to deliver a letter to Katherine White from one of her relatives in New York, but the letter completely upends her life, and Elijah desperately wants to support her. When Katherine is left on her own in the city, Elijah proposes a marriage of convenience and offers to take her to find Thomas, meaning they must travel across the Massachusetts wilderness, even as Elijah is being hunted by those who want him dead. This was a good blend of romance and adventure, and I appreciated that they stopped in my hometown of Springfield, MA, on their journey. (Read for a book review publication.)
 

8-28-26 Saint Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal - Shaun McAfee - I have long worn a Miraculous Medal around my neck and prayed to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, so I was excited to see this new children's book about the devotion. It is a lovely way to introduce children to the Miraculous Medal, and it includes information for older children/adults in the back of the book about the symbolism of the medal. 

8-29-25 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Driver's Manual - Reading does not get more exciting than this! LOL My daughter is turning sixteen in December, which means she is then eligible to get her learner's permit provided she can pass the test. She learns best with flashcards, so for the past month or so, I've been working on making flashcards of the material in this book. There are a lot of them! But I finally finished.

8-29-26 Smart but Scattered Teens: The Executive Skills Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential - Richard Guare, PhD, Peg Dawson, EdD, and Colin Guare - I read this one to try to help my ADHD-having daughter. It has lots of good ideas, but it all seems so overwhelming, and it mainly left me depressed. 

8-31-26 The Essential Guide to Catholic Homeschooling - Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur - Finishing writing and publishing this book was on my summer to-do list, and I finished it just in time. Here's the official description:

The Essential Guide to Catholic Homeschooling provides practical information on educational philosophies, choosing a curriculum, and developing a schedule, giving you the tools and confidence you need for a successful homeschooling experience. It also includes chapters on homeschooling children with special needs and coping with homeschooling challenges.

In addition, it features patron saints for Catholic homeschoolers, offering heavenly support on your homeschooling journey. It also shares profiles of Catholic homeschoolers, showing what their real-life days look like, along with a complete curriculum resource guide. 

 9-1-26 Stress Less: A Scriptural Journey from Anxiety to Peace - Steve Allgeyer - I read this one in my ongoing quest to feel less stressed and anxious (I also did an eight-week Catholic mindfulness program this summer). It provides a 30-day "fast" from stress, with Scripture quotes, reflections, and practical ways to move from stress to peace. It is published by Life Teen but isn't geared only to teens. Recommended for anyone suffering from anxiety.
 

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 senior year). 

8-5-26 Opticks or a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections, and Colours of Light - Sir Isaac Newton - The 4th edition of this work was published in 1730. In this, he originated the wave theory of light, but he also tried to embrace an erroneous (corpuscular) theory of light, so this book had actually gone out of print for 150 years until the 1930s. It is now seen as a good historical portrayal of 17th-century physics. It includes Newton's experiments with light and color. 

8-11-26 Treatise on Light - Christian Huygens - Huygens (1629-1695) was known as the Dutch Archimedes. He had a degree in law but continued studying math. In 1690, he published this treatise exploring how light works. It offered a means for understanding light in the solar system. 

8-13-26 On the Theory of Light and Color - Thomas Young - Young (1773-1829) was an English polymath. He began studying medicine in 1792 but was fascinated by light. He developed the double-slit experiment to demonstrate the interference of light waves and calculated the wavelengths of different colors of light, coming close to modern values. He gave this paper in 1801 to the Royal Society of London to dispute Newton's corpuscular theory that light is made up of tiny, fast-moving particles called corpuscles. Since the development of quantum mechanics, physicists have determined that light is both particle and wave.   

8-30-26 On the Loadstone and Magnetic Bodies - William Gilbert -  Gilbert (1540-1603) was an English physician (including physician to Queen Elizabeth I), chemist, physicist, and cosmologist. This was the first important work in physical science published in England. It is the foundation of magnetic science, and Gilbert encouraged others to repeat his experiments. It was a fairly interesting book about how magnets work and how the Earth is a giant magnet. He also argued for the rotation of the Earth, rather than the rotation of the heavens.   

 

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#OpenBook for August 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!

7-2-26 We Wish You a Messy Christmas - Melody Carlson -  One of the perks of being a book reviewer is getting to read Christmas books in the heat of summer, and Carlson's are always a delight. This one features a young couple who grew up as neighbors but fell in love when they reconnected in a nearby city. Unfortunately, the young woman's mother is a perfectionist who can't stand the young man's "messy" family. This was a fun read, and Carlson does a good job of portraying a woman with OCD and its effect on herself and her family. (Read for a book review publication)

7-2-26 In Vital Harmony: Charlotte Mason and the Natural Laws of Education - Karen Glass - Charlotte Mason is a big name in homeschooling circles, and I read this book to review for my homeschooling site. Glass does an excellent job of distilling Mason's thoughts on education for modern readers. It is recommended for anyone interested in learning more about Charlotte Mason and her educational philosophy. 
 

7-4-26 The Supper Club Saints - Claire Swinarski - I'm not sure how I felt about this story that portrays a Catholic family dealing with grief, change, and a daughter who had left to join a community of single moms led by an influencer who turned out to be dangerous. On the plus side, it is a Catholic novel published by a mainstream publisher (Avon). It features more swearing than I appreciate in a story; however, I acknowledge that, unfortunately, that is how most people speak today. The story is well-written, but it lacks the feel-good vibes that I tend to look for in my leisure reading. It's also the second book I've read about the dangers of influencer culture recently (I read Yesteryear, which I didn't include in my #OpenBook recommendations because it is rated R). If you are looking for an honest look at a family that loves each other but is struggling in many ways, this is a good one for you. 

7-9-26 Unwavering Heart: The Story of Rebekah - Angela Hunt - I never read biblical fiction on my own, but I was assigned this one for review. Hunt does a great job of making the tale of Isaac and Rebekah and their sons seem exciting and new, even though most people will be familiar with the story! If you enjoy biblical fiction, this is one you will want to read. (Read for a book review publication)

7-12-26 Rose in Bloom - Louis May Alcott - I had read Eight Cousins with my daughter and decided to read this sequel on my own. I did like this one a bit more. Rose is all grown up and trying to find her place in the world, including determining how to spend her large inheritance and deciding whom she should marry (of course, her main choices are all her first cousins, which I realize was done back when this was written, but now has a certain ick factor). Also, the one Asian character is portrayed in a ridiculing light (also normal for that time period, but once again, ick). This is a book I no doubt would have loved as a young girl, but it hits differently as an adult.  

7-16-26 The Forbidden Caller - This is the enjoyable second book of the Amish Widows Club series, but it can be read alone. Jenna Gruber is a young widow raising her daughter on her own after her husband died in a workplace accident at a lumber mill. The owner of the mill feels responsible for the accident and does all he can to help out Jenna and her daughter. Over time, their feelings for each other deepen, but he is Englisch and she's Amish, plus Jenna's in-laws are adamantly opposed to Jenna moving on from her grief. (Read for a book review publication.)

7-17-26 Mimi and Maurice: A Novel Based on a True Story - Jo Taylor - This story is based on the real-life relationship of someone a grandmother of a friend of the author knew and was put together based on their letters. The names have been changed. The two are distant cousins who never meet, but fall in love via letter. He is in Belgium and the Congo, while she is in San Francisco. They get engaged in 1936 and plan to meet in three years, but just as it seems they may get their happily-ever-after, World War II intervenes. The story covers the span of over twenty years and features several excerpts from their letters. It is an interesting historical portrait of a unique relationship, but because it was based on real life and real life is often messy, it may leave readers feeling unsatisfied. (Read for a book review publication.) 

7-18-26 All for Her: The Autobiography of Fr. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. - I am a writer for CatholicMom.com, which is part of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which began with the work of Ven. Patrick Peyton (1909-1992), a priest who devoted his life to promoting the Rosary and family prayer. It was amazing to read how God opened doors for him and the wonderful response to his message. It is a message that is so, so needed in our world today. If families would only pray together, life would be so much better, and yet, I know what a hard sell that is, even in my own family. Still, this book was informative and inspiring, and I highly recommend it.  

7-24-26 A Plain Confession - Suzanne Woods Fisher - This is the third book in a series I've enjoyed about a former Amish woman who returns to serve the Amish community as a doctor. Her brother is the local bishop. This one featured a couple of medical mysteries and a man who ran away from the Amish when he was sixteen, leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind, who has come back to seek forgiveness and the child he never met before he dies. (Read for a book review publication)

 

7-26-26 All Booked Up - Melody Carlson - After reading Carlson's newest Christmas book (above), I realized that she had another new book out I hadn't read. This was a delightful leisure read about a widowed woman in her early sixties who decides to rent out rooms to other older women in her spacious Victorian home in order to keep her house. They are an eclectic mix of women and trying to live together peacefully will be more of a challenge than they expect. 

7-27-26 Women of Wisdom: God Called, They Answered - Dawn Rusinko, OFS - This is a Bible study guide that would be a good resource for a Catholic women's group. Rusinko offers studies of Rahab, Hagar, the Widow of Zarephath, Susanna, the Hemorrhaging Woman, Jael & Deborah, and shows how God worked in their lives, along with lessons we can learn from them. Discussion questions are included.

7-27-26 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - I read this classic written in 1954 with my fifteen-year-old daughter. It tells of a group of British schoolboys who are alone on a deserted island, their efforts to stay alive, and their descent into warring factions and savagery. It is a novel about "the darkness of man's hearts." 

7-28-26 The Lamb of God: The Story of Our Lady of Knock - Fr. Donald Calloway and Patrick O'Hearn - This picture book provides a lovely introduction to the Marian apparition at Knock, Ireland, on August 21, 1879, in which a group of visionaries of all ages saw Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and an image of a lamb with a cross behind it. While no words were spoken, the vision still provided a powerful message of hope to the people struggling with the Irish famine.  

7-30-26 Devoted to Love - Tracie Peterson - This is the third book in a series about a philanthropic Minnesota family, but it can be read as a standalone. This one is set as the winds of World War I are blowing in Europe, and America will likely enter the war soon. But back in Minnesota, a young heiress opens a home for society girls facing unplanned pregnancies to honor her friend who was sent away when she became pregnant and then died in childbirth. This story has a content warning in the front matter because one of the girls she helps is a teen who was repeatedly raped by her father's political associate. (Read for a book review publication) 
 

7-31-26 The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team - Patrick Lencioni - Lencioni covers six types of "geniuses" that relate to getting things done, whether it be in the workplace, church, or at home. He emphasizes that most people have two areas they are strong in, two areas that they are competent in, and two areas that really frustrate them, but a team needs to have some members that can do each of these if it is going to function well. This book gave me insight into my own strengths and weaknesses, and it also prompted some interesting conversations with my family members as we discussed what gifts they each had and how that relates to their respective workplaces and in our family. As a side note, this book had a Catholic dimension, as one of the stories dealt with getting ready for a festival at a Catholic church. 

 

8-1-26 The Midnight Train - Matt Haig - This thought-provoking novel features an old man who dies and faces the review of his life before moving on to eternity. He gets on a train with a bookseller he knew in his youth as his guide, and the train stops at various moments in his life (both good and bad) that changed him. It got me thinking about what scenes in my own life I might see. It was a compelling story with shades of A Christmas Carol and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. 

8-2-26 Free Form Quilts + Patchwork - Jessie Cutts - This is a good book on quilting for those who want to try out quilting without being too fussy about it. Cutts' method uses scraps you have on hand and doesn't rely on patterns. It is a fun introduction to quilting that also allows you to use up scraps of materials and recycle them into something new. 
 

 

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 senior year). 

7-1-26 Metaphysics - Aristotle - In this work (which I admit I didn't understand a whole lot of), Aristotle defines a whole bunch of philosophical terms and discusses causes, being, and substance.   

7-7-26 On Being and Essence - Thomas Aquinas - This document had the blessing of being short! I am not a philosopher, and much like Metaphysics above, I didn't understand much of this one.  As the title suggests, Aquinas is exploring being and essence, the composition of material substances and the essence of immaterial substances. He also discusses the unity of body and soul, which, according to the footnotes on the version I was reading, was a radical change from those who came before him who preached a dualism of body and soul. 

7-23-26 Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy and His System of the World - Sir Isaac Newton - I primarily skimmed this massive tome full of mathematical proofs beyond my comprehension. It featured his laws of motion (which I recognized!) and the motion of bodies, especially those in space. I have since begun reading Opticks by Newton. In the preface of that book, I. Bernard Cohen discusses how Principia was difficult for even trained scientists to understand: "Not only was the masterpiece written in an austere mathematical style, consisting largely of definitions, theorems, scholia, and demonstrations, but it was in a definite sense written in archaic mathematical language." I feel better about my ignorance now. 

 

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The Little Rose That Could

 

I live at the end of a little dead-end street with only a few houses. For the past few years, the house at the other end of the street has had a beautiful front-yard garden of rose bushes. The breathtaking blooms always made me smile as I walked by.

But this year, I was sad to see someone has been mowing the yard and rose bushes every few weeks. My teen daughter thinks the woman who cared for them moved out, and the man left behind doesn’t want anything that reminds him of her. Whatever the reason, the rose bushes keep growing a few inches and then getting cut down to little stems.

But the other day, I was walking my dog early in the morning and noticed, against all odds, that a red rose was blooming on a tiny little bush. I admired its beauty and snapped a photo to preserve it for posterity. 

One of the themes in my house this summer has been perseverance. I have a chalkboard in my kitchen where I write inspirational messages and “Don’t give up!” has been up there since the start of June. But that little flower embodied that message better than words ever could. You can bloom even when all the odds are against you. God can bring a moment of beauty when you least expect it.

#OpenBook for July 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!

 

6-3-26 Life: A Love Story - Elizabeth Berg - This quick read (about 200 pages) was so good. Flo is 92, a widow with not much time left to live. She was never able to have children, but she was good friends with a young girl, Ruthie, who grew up next to her. She decides to leave her house and all its belongings to Ruthie, but she wants to tell her the story of the (emotional) value of some of the items, so she begins to write her a letter, in which readers learn the story of her life, especially her relationship with her husband. Interspersed with the letter is Flo's modern-day friendship with Tessa, a 51-year-old death doula. 

 

6-8-26 An Accusing at the Old Bailey - Erica Vetsch - This is the conclusion of a Regency-era series about an undercover spy, Sir Bertrand Thorndike, and his relationship with Phillipa Cashel, who runs a home for former ladies of the night and sometimes works on cases with him. He's once again on the case, this time holding a science symposium to discover which scientist might be a spy, but when one of the scientists turns up dead and his friend is a prime suspect, Bertie must solve the case before his friend is hanged. This is definitely not a stand-alone, but the whole series is enjoyable. (Read for a book review publication)

 

6-10-26 Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien - I saw this book advertised and it piqued my interest. I'd never heard of Pauline Baynes (1922-2008) before reading this picture book, and it was interesting to read about her and her role in bringing the worlds of Narnia and Middle-Earth to life.  

6-11-26 The Marquess's Masked Archer - Abbey Downey - When I was assigned this book for review and saw the cover and title, I sighed. I do not get paid enough to read these kinds of books! But I was pleasantly surprised. This was an Austen-esque romance set in 1907 Ohio society (Did I know before reading this that Ohio had a big society scene in the early 1900s? No, I did not.) Sylvie's mother is determined to marry her off, but she has other plans, which include performing as a disguised archer at the local amusement park. Meanwhile, the Marquess of Rockingham is in town for the summer working as an etymologist. While he had no interest in love, Sylvie catches his eye and he finds himself on a mission to woo her. This was a fun, lighthearted romance. (Read for a book review publication)

6-12-26 Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain - Maryanne Wolf - This is an older book (2008) and I imagine some of the information has been updated since then, but it was a fascinating look at the history and neuroscience of literacy, with a special section on dyslexia. It demonstrated through brain imaging how dyslexic brains work differently to read, almost in the same way that someone who has had a stroke can use different neural pathways to do tasks that they used to do automatically before their stroke. One of the great ironies of my life is that I, the great book lover, have a highly creative dyslexic daughter who hates books with the fire of a thousand suns. Wolf quotes an anonymous dyslexic child as saying, "I would rather clean the mold around the bathtub than read." I showed that to my daughter, who agreed 100%. 

 

6-13-26 The Patchwork Players - Jennifer Chiaverini - I'm always excited to read a new book in the Elm Creek Quilt series. This one is set in 2004. An aging actress doesn't want the period series she is part of to end, even though several of the other actors are ready to move on. In a last-ditch effort to keep the group together, she signs them all up for a quilting retreat with the Elm Creek Quilters. It was good to visit with my old friends in this series. 

6-16-26 Painting Prayer: Why Faith Needs Art-and Art Needs Faith - Alfonse Borysewicz - Borysewicz is a Brooklyn-based abstract artist who describes himself as "a painter who loves theology, struggles with his faith, and works out both through painting." In this largely autobiographical book, he explores the connection between abstract religious art and the Catholic faith. I'm always interested in the connection between art and faith, so I found it worth reading, even though his artistic expression does not appeal to my artistic sensibility. (Read for Catholic Library World) 

6-18-26 Murder, Plainly Written - Mindy Steele - Steele kicks off a new series about a group of Amish writers known as The Plain Order Ink Society. When Englischer Sadie Lynch, a bestselling romance writer, moves to town, Wanda (a member of the society) is excited to befriend her and meet a real author. But when Sadie is accused of murder, Wanda and her friends are on the case, working to clear her name. 
 

 6-18-26 Eight Cousins - Louisa May Alcott - I had never read this book by the author of Little Women, but I had a copy on my bookshelf and decided to read it to my fifteen-year-old daughter. It is about a thirteen-year-old who is being cared for by her aunts and uncles after being left an orphan and the experiences she has with them and her cousins (all of whom are boys). It is an old-fashioned story, and it was a bit young for my daughter. I'd say this would be a good read for a preteen girl who enjoys 19th-century tales. I've heard the sequel to this, Rose in Bloom, is good. I might get it from the library to read myself. 

6-21-26 Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton - Dale Ahlquist - There is a new Chesterton School in the works in my area. While I had heard of G.K. Chesterton, I've never read anything by him or known much about him. I decided to fix that a bit by requesting this book from the library. I feel like I got a good introduction to his work and thought. He was definitely a prolific writer and had a deep love for his wife. Much of his work was thought-provoking. However, the chapter title "Feminism and Other Fads" (and some of the content within that chapter) did make me cringe. 

6-23-26 Jesus Said, "Be Not Afraid!" - Janele Hoerner - This is a picture book designed for children ages 5-12 who are siblings of children with special needs, but the message is one we all need to hear: that we are loved, that we are called to serve and pray for each other, and that we can trust in Jesus even when life is hard (as someone who suffers from anxiety, that last one is so much easier said than done). 

 6-24-26 Every Given Day - Cathy Gohlke - This was an interesting novel set in 1918-1935. A schoolteacher's estranged sister is dying of TB and she goes to New York to care for her niece and nephew. There is the minor complication that her sister married the man she had been in love with when they were young. He's now a successful businessman, but also remarkably self-centered, with little care for anyone, including his family. After the Spanish flu takes a huge toll on the family, her nephew is diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, a death sentence of its own. When a kind Scottish doctor offers her a thread of hope, she grasps on to it, even though it is a difficult road. Gohlke illustrates the tragic cost of Type I diabetes in the days before insulin treatments and portrays the miraculous development of that treatment.  

 6-27-26 Chasing the Clouds Away - Debbie Macomber - I brought this book on retreat with me to read in my leisure time. It was a feel-good romance about a poor young woman who teaches a rich young man the meaning of generosity and caring for others. They fall in love in the process, but ironically her pride makes her push both him and his generosity towards her away. 

 

 

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 senior year). 

6-5-26 On the Passion of Christ (Summa, Part 3, Questions 46-59) - Thomas Aquinas - These questions explore the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus, along with his role as judge of the world. 

6-17-26 Physics - Aristotle -  In this work, Aristotle discusses causes, motion, and infinity. He also develops the idea of a "first mover" who must be indivisible, one, and eternal. 

 

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