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. This was a short "month" because we did the #OpenBook for March late. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!
3-19-24 Toward the Dawn - Mary Connealy - One of the challenges of being a book reviewer is that sometimes I am assigned books in the middle of a series. Sometimes this is fine - they work as a standalone. On the other hand, this one had a complicated backstory that I think one could probably only appreciate if they read the first book. This is a Western romance about an inventor and an heiress who both are wanted by people who wish them harm. They enter a marriage of convenience to try to build a new life in Wyoming, but their past comes back to haunt them. (Read for a book review publication.)
3-24-24 How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen - David Brooks - I enjoy David Brooks' columns so I was eager to read this book. We have an epidemic of loneliness in our society and for various reasons, many of us have lost the ability to truly connect with other people. Brooks offers concrete ways to engage in conversation and build empathy. Overall, I found this book very helpful. The only section I wasn't a fan of was on personality. He rejects the Myers-Briggs classifications (which I have found helpful in life for understanding both myself and others) and instead embraces a different classification system which seems much more biased in favor of some traits. For example, extroversion is definitely seen as better than introversion.
3-27-24 A Generous Lap: A Spirituality of Grandparenting - Kathy Coffey - While I am old enough to be a grandmother, I'm not one yet, nor am I in any real rush, but I have reached the stage of spiritual grandmotherhood where when I encounter small people, I relate to them more as a grandmother-type figure rather than a mother. So, I considered this book preparation for the next possible life stage. Coffey talks about both the blessings and tasks of grandparenthood as well as the lessons God teaches grandparents through their interactions with their grandchildren. I wished it had focused a bit more on the importance of praying for one's grandchildren, but this is more of a hands-on sort of manual. What do grandparents have to offer grandchildren and how do they reflect God's love while doing so. (Read for Catholic Library World)
3-27-29 A is for Amish - Shelley Shepard Gray - This new series of Amish fiction is off to a great start! This series features four siblings who grew up English but who have decided they want to become Amish like their grandparents. Will Amish life be all that they dream it will be or will they miss the life they left behind. What happens when they end up falling in love with members of the Amish community? This story focuses on two of the siblings - Martin and Kelsey - and sets the stage for the books to come. (Read for a book review publication.)
3-28-24 Praying for Our Adult Sons and Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God - John and Therese Boucher - Parenting takes on a different dynamic once children are grown. Praying for our adult children is so important, especially since our ability to directly intervene in their lives can be somewhat limited. This book was great because it was honest about the difficult situations our children may find themselves in and the pain those situations can cause for a parent's heart. It offers many practical suggestions for ways to pray for your children. I recommend this one for any parent of adult children.
Since spring of 2019 (Five years!!!!), 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).
3-20-24 On the Measurement of Tones - Peter Kalkavage - This was the final book on the music section of the curriculum. It was written in 1983-1984 and discusses the Pythagorean approach to music and offered more mathematical discussion of the creation of tones.
The next book on my list is Don Quixote. I got it from the library. It is almost 1000 pages. This could take a while. I should probably start crying now. :) Why am I doing this to myself?
9 comments:
OOOO, I'm interested in both of those YA books, and as someone who IS ready for some grandchildren, I'm going to tuck away that recommendation as well. I always come away from your Open Book with new additions to my TBR. Thanks, Patrice!
It's been a long time since I read a Shelly Shepard Gray book. She's so prolific. And, I think, consistent in her quality.
LOL - I admire your persistence in your reading plan. I didn't realize Don Quixote was so long! I don't recommend this approach, but being sick for the better portion of a month did allow me to get through the 1,000+ page Gone with the Wind much more quickly than I'd anticipated!
Thanks for linking to An Open Book!
I have to say, Don Quixote is not as bad as I feared. I’m about a third of the way through, so there is hope!
Don Quixote is a charming book! I read an excerpted version in a college Spanish class. I'm reluctant to try it in translation, because books are always better in the original, but I don't think my Spanish is good enough anymore to read it now.
Barb, your Spanish is clearly better than mine! I’m definitely reading in English!
38 years ago my Spanish was better than yours! No guarantees about now.
These look so interesting! I definitely admire you for picking up Don Quixote. A year or two ago, I planned to read it because it's a classic that I've heard is great, but when I saw it was 1000 pages, I decided against it. Maybe I'll try it when I'm no longer in the toddler stage ;) Great job persevering those books, it's amazing you've been working through those lists for five years!
I have dreams of re-reading The Aeneid in Latin. I doubt I could get beyond the first page these days.
AnneMarie, I usually avoid any book over 500 pages and my children are far from the toddler stage! Thanks for stopping by :)
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