#OpenBook for May 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!

 4-7-26 Prayer Book for a Domestic Priest: Essential Prayers for Husbands and Fathers - Andrew Schmiedicke - This collection of prayers would make a lovely Father's Day gift for the Catholic husbands and fathers in your life. It offers daily prayers, prayers for the liturgical seasons, blessings, prayers for special needs, etc. It even includes a funeral rite for a pet. Small in size, it is easy to have on a nightstand or carry in a laptop bag for easy access. 

4-8-26 Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives - Daisy Fancourt - Fancourt is a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London. This book contains a lot of scientific information and statistics, but the TL/DR version is that art is good for your body and mental health no matter your age and there are scientific studies to prove it. So, pick up the paintbrush, sing a song, go to a theater performance or art museum and help your health at the same time. 

4-10-26 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle - A couple of weeks before Lent I was searching for some spiritual practice to work on for the season when this book came in the mail. I don't know why it was sent to me - there was no message and it was published in 2018 so it wasn't a review copy, but I decided it was a sign I should read it for Lent, reading one chapter per day rather than one a week. I finished on the Friday before Divine Mercy Sunday. I've long had a devotion to the Divine Mercy message. I pray the chaplet daily and pray the Divine Mercy Novena each year from Good Friday to the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. This book examines St. Faustina's life and the Divine Mercy message. It is very well-written and encourages readers to practice works of mercy in their lives as well as to trust in Jesus' mercy. It also served as a vivid reminder of all the ways I fall short in my spiritual life. It is well worth reading. 

 

4-10-26 The Joy of Slow: Restoring Balance and Wonder to Homeschool Learning - Leslie M. Martino - I read this one to review on my homeschooling site (TodaysCatholicHomeschooling.com). The author worked for ten years as a classroom teacher and brings that experience, as well as that of homeschooling her children, to this book. She discusses the way children learn and emphasizes the importance of following student-led interests and cultivating an environment of learning in your home. 

4-12-26 - 12 Unforgettable Men of the Gospels: Reflections and Portraits of the Apostles - Melanie Rigney - I've never really spent much time thinking about the 12 Apostles, but Melanie Rigney changed that for me. These 12 portraits (Yes, Judas is included) highlight their role in Scripture and what is known of their lives after the Resurrection. Her goal was "to get the men Jesus chose off the stained glass and into your heart and soul." Rigney also includes a personal anecdote that relates to the Apostle, a prayer, and an additional, more recent saint who embodies some of the same character traits as that particular Apostle. If you've ever wanted to know more about this band of men who walked with Jesus, this is a great place to start.  

4-27-26 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - I reread this classic with my fifteen-year-old daughter. It is a powerful tale of racial prejudice in a small southern town, as well as a portrait of people trying to do the right thing, told from the perspective of young Jean-Louise Finch, aka Scout.  

4-19-26 A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness - Michael Pollan - This work explores what it means to be aware. Starting with plants, moving to animals, and then focusing on humans, it looks at what makes us aware from both a philosophical and scientific viewpoint. It also investigates whether AI could be considered conscious. It raises some interesting questions without coming up with any conclusive answers, a fact the author admits. 

4-21-26 A Heart that's True - Mark Guillerman - While this book had some minor editing issues, it was a powerful story of two young Lakota Sioux fighting to preserve their culture when they are sent to the Carlisle Indian School in 1910. Another storyline features a mixed-breed Newfoundland / wolf pup who has a bounty on his head. (Read for a book review publication.)

4-27-26 Twilight Tactics - Lynette Eason - This is a suspense-filled story with danger at every turn. A federal agent, Sully, and his partner are trying to protect a teen murder witness by taking her to a secluded ranch that helps vets recover from PTSD. There, Sully meets the beautiful Elena Thompson, who works at the ranch. She grew up in the prepper community that lives nearby but escaped as a teen. It soon becomes evident that someone is out to kill both the murder witness and Elena. This one definitely kept my adrenaline going as I read it.   

4-29-26 Storybook Ending - Moira MacDonald - This story is set in a bookstore, which is being used to film a movie, causing disruption but also increased interest. It has a "You've Got Mail" vibe in some parts, which the book acknowledges, and features some mistaken identities and secret love letters that end up in the wrong hands. It was a fun, clean leisure read that is ultimately about the importance of friendship and community. As a content note, there are some gay supporting characters in this book. 

5-1-26 The Darling's Daughter - Sydney Schmied - This is the first in a series of books based in an old-time theater in Ohio. This one is set in 1912. A young woman takes a job at a theater to try to solve the mystery of her mother's death. She enlists the help of a construction foreman, who soon becomes a love interest. While it had a couple of minor plot problems, it was an entertaining romantic suspense. (Read for a book review publication.) 
 

5-3-26 Training the Hard to Train Dog: Effective Training Techniques for Working With Shy, Controlling, and Stubborn Dogs - Peggy Swager - My exuberant/high-maintenance dog has definitely made progress since we first adopted him over a year ago from a shelter, but he certainly is not going to win any awards for his manners and going for a walk is still a full-body workout, so I got this from the library in the hopes of helping train him more. It had lots of good ideas. We shall see if it helps.   
 

 

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). 

4-13-26  On the Trinity (Summa Theologiae Part I Q.27-43) - St. Thomas Aquinas - When I was in graduate school, I took a whole course on the Trinity. There is no quicker way to make your head hurt than to try to understand the mystery of the Trinity, but St. Thomas Aquinas gave it a valiant effort (and no doubt understood much more than I do). These were his thoughts on the procession, relations, and characteristics of the Divine Persons.  

 

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