#OpenBook for June 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!

 

5-2-24 Shield of the Mighty - Connilyn Cossette - I'm usually not a fan of biblical fiction, but I really enjoyed this tale about a captain in King Saul's army who carries heavy wounds from his past and desperately wants to prevent the Philistines from destroying the city of his birth, even if it means kidnapping a skilled perfumer and healer to bring to King Saul's court to do it. Needless to say, the beautiful perfumer is not happy (especially since her husband died in Saul's army and she does not support the king) and does everything in her power to escape, but on their journey together as they face all sorts of dangers, she comes to see him for the man he truly is. This romantic adventure kept me turning pages. (Read for a book review publication.)

5-3-24 Hope's Harbor: A Devotional Journal to Guide Your Healing - Trish Stukbauer - This is a lovely journal intended for use by those who are grieving a loss. It offers sixty reflections, many of which are based on psalms, and room in the book to write out your own thoughts as you move through the waves of grief. I really like the cover image on this book as well. 

5-6-24 The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County - Claire Swinarski - This one has been recommended by a number of people, both in #OpenBook posts and in my Facebook feed so I was eager to read it. This is Catholic fiction published by a mainstream publisher which is great to see. There is a lot going on in the book - family relationships, PTSD, grief, an internet scam, romance, and a community of people that truly care about each other, all against a Catholic background. The only negative in this story is that the Lord's name is taken in vain a number of times. Why? The story wouldn't have lacked anything without the swearing. I prefer books that don't have me praying "Blessed be His holy name" as I make my way through them. Other than that, though, it was really good!

5-9-24 By Evening's Light - Leslie Gould - This is a dual timeline story set in 1948 and 2019 about two Amish/Mennonite women trying to recover from heartbreak and struggling to find their place in the world. Treva has returned to her grandparents' farm in Lancaster after leaving a man she hoped to marry in Haiti because she realized she couldn't live there. She plans to go to Alaska to work, but her plans are upended when her great-great aunt has a heart attack. As she helps care for her aunt, the older woman shares her own story of heartache, her painful childhood in Germany, and her efforts during the Cold War. I enjoyed this story and learned some things about Nazi Germany the Cold War era that I hadn't known before. (Read for a book review publication)    

 

 

5-10-24 The Language of Your Body: Embracing God's Design for Your Cycle - Christina Valenzuela -  I picked up this book with some suspicion. Nearly four decades in, I can honestly say I have never regarded my cycle as good. It has been a near-constant source of both physical and emotional pain and suffering in my life. I am familiar with Christina's work at https://pearlandthistle.com/ where she teaches fertility education from a Catholic-friendly perspective. I used one of her courses to help prepare my daughter for life as a woman. I am a proponent of all women learning to chart their cycles because understanding your hormonal and physical changes is empowering. While this book covers some of that and offers information on various charting methods, it is much more than a book on natural family planning. Valenzuela provides a theological exploration of our lives as women. Having cycles is a considerable part of that experience, although she is very inclusive of those who do not have cycles for any reason. She also does not shy away from the suffering that many women have as a result of their cycles. This book is groundbreaking. In addition to its obvious appeal to women, it should be required reading for priests and all those who minister to women in any capacity. I could definitely see it as part of a course on women's spirituality.

 5/11/24 Saint Jeanne Jugan: God's Tenderness for the World - Eloi Leclerc - There is a parish in nearby Enfield, Connecticut, named in honor of St. Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879). I knew nothing about her which prompted me to pick up this short biography. She began The Little Sisters of the Poor in her late forties and then was forced to live as a lowly member of the order for twenty-seven years with no acknowledgment of having founded the order due to the jealousy of a priest. Her life is a remarkable example of service to the poor and humility. The Little Sisters of the Poor have a convent and assisted living facility in Enfield, which explains why the parish is named after her. 

5-12-24 The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras - I'm always impressed by the amount of information contained in these "Handy Little Guide" books. Gingras does an amazing job of explaining the history of novenas, why and how to pray them, and indulgences associated with them. She highlights a few special novenas that you may want to add to your prayer collection. She also shares her own stories of praying novenas. Reading this book is like talking to a dear friend who wants to share one of her favorite ways to pray with you. Whether you already use novenas or have never prayed one and want to learn more, this is a lovely little book!

5-13-24 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration - Fr. Michael Gaitley. I first made my Marian Consecration in 2015 which I renew each year on May 13th, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. This year, I decided to go all in and do the full preparation again. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to make a Marian Consecration (or simply interested in learning more). It focuses on what St. Louis de Montfort, St, Maximilian Kolbe, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II have to teach us about loving Mary, Marian Consecration, and how she brings us to her Son.

5-16-24 Becoming Madam Secretary - Stephanie Dray - If you enjoy historical women's fiction, this is a must read! It tells the story of Frances Perkins, the United States' first female cabinet member who served under President Franklin Roosevelt, from 1909 - 1935, with an additional chapter in 1963. I knew of her, but I knew little about her before reading this book. This is a 500 page book, which is longer than what I'm usually willing to take on for a leisure read, but it was so worth it! Even before being part of the cabinet, she fought for a shorter work week, against child labor, and for safer factories. As Secretary of Labor, she was the driving force behind Social Security. This book explores both her public and private life. The author's note at the end says she was deeply religious, a fact which she chose not to delve into in the book. I was shocked to learn she was actually declared a saint by the Episcopal Church in 2009 with a feast day of May 13! 

5-19-24 The Museum of Lost Quilts - Jennifer Chiaverini - The Elm Creek Quilts series is one of my favorite series of books. There are 22 books in the series that began in 1999. I don't think I've read all of them, but I've definitely read most. I was so excited to see there was a new book coming out, I put my library hold on this one months ago! It is set in 2004 and focuses on the youngest of the Elms Creek Quilt founders, who is working on her master's thesis in history and comes home for the summer to get some inspiration. While she is home, she is recruited to assemble an exhibit of quilts that have had historical importance to the local community. She dives in to researching the quilts, ruffling some feathers in the process. Getting to read this book was like visiting with old friends and it involved quilts and history, two of my favorite things! 

5-24-24 The Christmas Tree Farm - Melody Carlson - I've enjoyed many of Carlson's Christmas books over the years, so I was excited to read her latest offering. This is a classic Hallmarkesque Christmas romance. A late thirty-something woman returns home to save her family's Christmas tree farm. Her first love lives next door in a trailer with his preteen daughter. I'm sure you can see where this is going! However, it was a delightful feel-good Christmas tale. (Read for a book review publication)

 

5-26-24 Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship - Annabel Abbs - This work of historical women's fiction takes place in England in the 1830s and tells the tale of Eliza Acton, a poetess who was also one of the first modern cookbook writers, a feat she accomplish with the help of her servant Ann Kirby. The novel also explores the treatment of those who were mentally ill at that time. I found it very interesting! 

6-2-24 The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading - James Patterson and Matt Eversmann - This was a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to work in a library or bookstore (no doubt the dream of many a book lover). It was a series of short essays by a variety of booksellers and librarians at different stages in their careers working in big cities and small towns, chain stores, independents, public and school libraries. They discussed both their joys and challenges (censorship and book protests were a big issue for the librarians). The book is divided into five sections but the choice of essays for each section seemed a bit arbitrary, which wasn't a big deal. Several of the essay writers also mentioned James Patterson, who was one of the authors, which seemed a bit odd, but other than that, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

 6-2-24 The Cloverton Charade - Sarah Ladd - This is a regency romance about two antiquities dealers thrust into society life as they are hired to discretely evaluate separate parts of an estate's collection. There is history and animosity between their families, but when a secret is uncovered, they will have to work together to uncover the truth. This was a good blend of romance and mystery and an enjoyable read (read for a book review publication).

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). 

On Kingship - St. Thomas Aquinas - This was written between 1260-1265 and is an interesting portrait of the medieval vision of kingship. Some of the ideas were ones that I have encountered previously in reading Aristotle on this Great Books journey. Aquinas discusses various forms of government and their pitfalls, the duties of a king, and the ideal locale for a kingdom. I wonder what Aquinas would say about government if he were alive today.  

Summa Theologiae, Questions 103-105 - St. Thomas Aquinas - I was a bit confused as to what exactly I was supposed to be reading in the Summa based on the TAC syllabus. However, I think I was in the right general section. These questions focused on the government of the world, divine government, and whether there are any limits to God's power.   

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli - This was written in 1513 and was Machiavelli's attempt to describe the political realities he saw around him. He rejected the theology and idealism that was common in political treatises that came before. He explained what it took to be a good ruler and it became a manual of power for those who ruled. I had always heard how shocking this book was and only used the term Machiavellian used with derision, so I was surprised that I didn't find anything in this book particularly unusual, but that is probably because I am viewing it from a 21st century mindset rather than from the perspective of people living in the 16th century. 

 

 

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

 5-16-24 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer - This is a powerful first person story about William Kamkwamba's quest to build a windmill to bring electric power to his family in Malawi, Africa. it is hard to read in parts because his community was experiencing a deep famine and they were starving, but it is also incredibly inspiring! I was amazed by the gift of his mind and his creativity.  

5-29-24 The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Dear Pen Pal - Heather Vogel Frederick - We continued with the third book in this series. This time the young ladies are in the eighth grade and are reading Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster (which I never heard of before this book, so I have requested that from the library).  They also have new pen pals from a small town in Wyoming. We are looking forward to the next book in the series! 

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