#OpenBook for February 2025

 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!

 

1-11-25 - Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog - Kathy Callahan - I continued my reading on how to care for / train a puppy. I really enjoyed this book. It was very helpful. But I really think that I am not up to getting a puppy. I need a year-old dog that knows how to be a dog. Now, if only I can convince my daughter of that . . .

1-12-25 Hidden Libraries: The World's Most Unusual Book Depositories - DC Helmuth - I'm always eager to read a book about libraries. This one features lots of interesting libraries from around the world, including some Little Free Libraries, one that straddles the U.S. / Canadian border, some in tiny villages, and others in remote regions of the world. I enjoyed reading about these libraries and viewing the lovely photos.
 

 

 

1-18-25 How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days - Kari Leibowitz, Ph.D. - As someone who suffers from seasonal depression, I was interested in reading this book. As the same suggests, it is primarily about changing your outlook on winter and trying to appreciate the good things about it instead of focusing on the bad. Dr. Leibowitz examines the cultures of places that have very long, cold winters to see how they embrace winter to offer advice for the rest of us. It was interesting and she does have some valid points. At times, it got a bit repetitive in the sense that I felt like she was just repeating the same point with different examples, but it was interesting from both a psychological and cultural perspective.

 

1-25-25 The Secret Lives of Color - Kassia St. Clair - This was a fascinating look at the history of color - how various pigments were developed and how they were used. This is a subject I never really thought about before. We tend to just take color for granted. Even when using paints, I never considered where they got their names or how they were developed. This book was was full of interesting facts and anecdotes and I recommend it to anyone interested in history or art. 
 

1-26-25 Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood - Lucy Jones - I was beta-reading a lovely manuscript about becoming a mother from a Catholic perspective and came across the term "matrescence" which I had never heard before. It means the process of becoming a mother. In searching for that term online, I found this book. Lucy Jones, a mother in the UK, shares her own pregnancy / birth / early motherhood stories against the backdrop of the larger societal expectations / lack of support that new mothers face. She also delves into how the minds and bodies of mothers change as a result of pregnancy and giving birth and the the mental challenges many women face. 

While the author is pro-choice and references trans men giving birth, please do not let that keep you from reading this important work about motherhood, especially if you or someone you love is having a difficult time with that transition or if you are in the position to help a new mother. It's been a long time since I've given birth, but this book spoke to me and the young woman I once was, trying desperately to take care of myself and a new baby while feeling alone and completely lost. 

1-27-25 Jumping into Joy: Caitlyn and Peter's Rosary Adventures - Theresa Linden - This is an innovative way to teach children age 6-9 about the mysteries of the Rosary. In the tradition of the Magic Treehouse and Chime Travelers series, nine-year-olds Caitlyn and Peter time-travel to witness the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary as they happen to Mary and Jesus in order to better appreciate saying the Rosary. Further books about the other sets of mysteries are planned.  

1-27-25 Green Saints for a Green Generation - Libby Osgood, CND, editor - This is an academic work that features eleven essays highlighting various members of the communion of the saints (some canonized; some not) who have worked to care for the earth and inspire others to do the same. The final essay is a call to action for all of us to become green saints. This is definitely not a leisure read, but it was thought-provoking. (Read for Catholic Library World)

1-30-25 The Marriage Pact - Kathleen Fuller - This is a sweet Amish tale about a fake romance that turns into something more. Perry is a confirmed bachelor, a problem his mother is determined to fix. Daisy thinks she is in love with Maynard, who is not interested in her, so her mother sends her to her aunt's house in the hope that she might meet someone new. Conveniently, her aunt lives next-door to Perry, and when the two become friends, they decide to pretend to date each other to keep both their mothers happy. This book is perfect for when you need a light read. (Read for a book review publication)

2-2-25 The Backyard Bird Chronicles - Amy Tan - Tan records over five years of what happens with her backyard birds that she feeds daily. It features beautiful full-color drawings that she did of the birds. I enjoy watching the birds and squirrels that frequent my own backyard soup kitchen, but Tan knows way more about the birds that visit hers. Her drawings are amazing as well. This is an interesting book for anyone who enjoys bird watching or who has kept a Charlotte Mason style nature journal.

2-3-25 In Plain Sight - Leslea Wahl - This was a great Catholic teen/YA read about Emerson and her father who moved from Arizona to Minnesota in the midst of a freezing January. As they and their charming dog, Zuri, adjust to their new environment, Emerson makes new friends, including the handsome Reid, and there are mysteries to solve involving secret rooms and what Emerson and her father are doing in Minnesota in the first place. Emerson also wrestles with her faith in a meaningful way.

 

 

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). 

1-10-25 Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes - This was a long book with tiny print so it took me a while to get through. It was fairly interesting, however. Thomas Hobbes was born in 1588 and wrote this in 1651. His central concern was to keep peace and avoid war, especially civil war. He advocates for the natural rights of man. He is for all-powerful sovereigns who protect the rights of the people and allow them to make the most of their lives. He also felt that people should only claim rights they were willing to give to others. The last portion of the book discussed the Bible and the Church and was very pro-Protestant. 

1-29-25 Treatise on Theology and Politics - Benedict Spinoza - Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher whose aim was to free government and individuals from ecclesiastical authority. He published this work anonymously in Latin in 1670. In it, he does some examination of Scripture, attempting to determine who actually wrote which books and trying to decipher what the true meaning of Scripture is. He takes a look at the Hebrew state and how it was run. He also argues that the secular ruler should be in charge of religious practice in a given state. Yet, he is also for freedom of opinion and worship. 

 

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

 

In progress - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares - I had seen the movie of this years ago, but it is my first time reading through the book about four fifteen-year-old girls who find a pair of magic jeans that fits and flatters all of them. They agree to share the pants, sending them to each other as they spend the summer between their sophomore and junior year apart from each other.

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