#OpenBook for November 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!

 10-3-25 The Doctor's Convenient Marriage - Lauralyn Keller - This is the third book in the Second Chances at Harmony Springs series, but it can be read alone. It features two doctors who enter a marriage of convenience. Tori wants to practice medicine, which her father will not allow her to do. Harrison needs to marry to claim his inheritance to set up a hospital out west. They move from Boston to Harmony Springs, where Tori's sister Ella lives, and put their plan into action, but what began as a practical arrangement may turn into more. (Read for a book review publication). 

 10-4-25 OSV Kids Discover: The Pope - Colleen Pressprich - This is designed to appeal to children, but adults can learn a great deal from it as well. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation of the papacy, the men who have held the office, what papal life is like, and the duties of the office. In these pages, you will learn about symbols of the popes, the history of the Papal States, important places in Vatican City, papal writings, ecumenical councils, papal apartments, papal pets, what happens when a pope dies, the most notable popes in history, and much more. It is colorful, full of illustrations and photographs, combined with informative text. There is something to catch one’s attention on every page.

10-4-25 How Edith Found Jesus - Caitlin E. Bootsma / illustrated by Ann Kissane Engelhart - This is a lovely picture book to introduce young people to Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. It shows how Edith grew up loving learning as the youngest child in a large Jewish family, became a teacher, was introduced to Christianity and became Catholic, entered a Carmelite monastery, and was taken prisoner in World War II. She kept sharing God's love even in prison. After she was sent to Auschwitz to die, she went home to Jesus. Obviously, Edith's life was greatly impacted by the horrors of the Holocaust. The book handles the subject delicately, although parents may wish to provide age-appropriate background. The last image is a beautiful portrait of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross being welcomed by Jesus into heaven. 

10-8-25 The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest - This book was recommended to me by a fellow writer in reference to praying for those away from the Catholic faith. I purchased it back in April. It has been my "waiting" book - a book to pull up on my Kindle app on my phone whenever I find myself waiting somewhere. I'm so glad that I read it. Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (October 16, 1866 - May 3, 1914) was devoted to her Catholic faith, but her husband was against it as were many in the social circle she inhabited. But she continued to practice her faith and offer prayers and sacrifices for their conversion. After her death, her husband found her diary, began practicing the faith, and ultimately became a priest. 

10-9-25 Mists over the Channel Islands - Sarah Sundin - This story takes place on the Channel Island of Jersey (the original Jersey that New Jersey was named after) during World War II. Dr. Ivy Picot struggles to keep her family's medical practice going, a challenge made harder after her older sister begins dating a German soldier and working for the German headquarters. Meanwhile, her younger brother is aiding two Dutchmen who volunteered to work with the Germans in order to send information to the Allies. Ivy is attracted to one of them, but she could never associate with someone who is helping the enemy, especially since Ivy is part of an underground ring helping to care for those who have escaped from the German prisons and work details. (Read for a book review publication)
 

 10-12-25 Under the Tulip Tree - Michelle Shocklee - This is an excellent book about a young southern woman whose family lost everything in the stock market crash, who was then hired to work for the Works Progress Administration to interview former slaves and record their stories. Her first interview is with Mrs. Frances Washington, whose painful story soon captivates her and leads her to some difficult realizations about her own life. 

10-16-25 Snowbound at Christmas - Lacy Williams, Wendy Klepfenstein, Wendy Galinetti, and Traci Summeril - I was excited to get assigned a Christmas book to review this late in the year for the book review publication I work for. Usually, Christmas books are assigned in June/July! This is a trio of clean Western romances set around the theme of couples being stranded in a fierce snowstorm in Wyoming. An independent livery owner, a determined widow, and a desperate heiress all find love and new beginnings in this sweet set of tales. (Read for a book review publication)

10-17-25 Song after Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews - Julie Hedlund - I knew little about Julie Andrews' life. When I saw this picture book advertised, I was intrigued. It is a lovely introduction to the life of this famous singer/actress/writer that follows her from when she was a little girl first learning to sing and appearing on stage to her adult roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, with a page about her life outside of the stage. It also has a two-page timeline of important events in her life. 
 

 10-18-25 Just Making: A Guide for Compassionate Creatives - Mitali Perkins - I had seen this book advertised in a secular publication and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was written from a rather Catholic perspective. Perkins explores the question of whether it is worthwhile to pursue creative activities in a world in which so many people are hurting. (Spoiler alert: the answer is yes). If you are a creative person in need of some encouragement, I highly recommend this book. 

10-21-25 Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling - Kerry McDonald - This is a book aimed at both parents and educational entrepreneurs (with some overlap) who are looking for alternative methods of education. This is less about traditional homeschooling and more about education in institutions, whether that be homeschool co-ops, microschools, homeschool resource centers, or traditional schools with innovative approaches. It offers parents information on things that they may wish to look for in nontraditional schools and entrepreneurs a guidebook for establishing these types of institutions. 
 

10-22-25 The Heirloom Garden - Viola Shipman - Set in 2003, this is the story of a World War II widow whose young daughter died of polio. She spent her life hybridizing flowers and locking herself away from the world, at least until a hurting Iraq vet and his family move next door. Together, with the help of their commitment to gardening, they all will all experience healing. This was an enjoyable leisure read. 

10-23-25 Taming Lady Temperance - Karen Witemeyer - Because she grew up with an abusive alcoholic father, Noreen O'Sullivan is passionate about the temperance cause and determined to shut down the saloon in Albany, TX. She is also a new member of the Secret Society of Spinsters, established to help unmarried women support each other. Deputy James Paxton is charged with keeping the peace in the small town, but that may be easier said than done when Noreen is determined to make life difficult for the saloon owner, and James can't help falling in love with the fiery woman. (Read for a book review publication) 

10-27-25 The World's Fair Quilt - Jennifer Chiaverini - I was browsing the library shelves and came across this new book by one of my favorite authors. It was like Christmas! The Elms Creek Quilt Series was written in the 1990s and early 2000s, but Chiaverini started writing new books for it last year, picking up the characters' lives in 2004. This story takes place then and in 1933, when Claudia and Sylvia Bergstrom were teenagers, creating a quilt to take part in the competition for the World's Fair held in Chicago. If you enjoy quilting or historical women's fiction, you will love this story, and you don't need to read the other books in the series to appreciate it. 

10-29-25 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse -Charlie Mackesy - I had seen images from this book used as memes, but I didn't realize it was an actual book until I saw an ad for the sequel. It's a charming book, but I think some people may have difficulty reading the handwritten text. I'm not sure how to describe the book, so here is the Amazon description: "Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book based on his famous quartet of characters. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse explores their unlikely friendship and the poignant, universal lessons they learn together."

10-30-25 The Bird of Bedford Manor - Michelle Griep - In 1820 England, Juliet Finch resorts to poaching on Bedford Manor's land to feed herself and her aunt. When the heir to the property catches her, she could be sentenced to death or banishment, but instead, he hires her to help find the person who has been tormenting his younger sister with threatening notes. Part mystery, part romance, this book kept me interested. (Read for a book review publication) 
 

 10-30-25 Eucharistic Fire: A Retreat with St. Carlo Acutis - Fr. Rich Conlin with Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo - One of the beautiful things about St. Carlo Acutis is that he is an inspiration to both young people and adults. This short book is designed to be used as a three-day retreat to help you increase your love for the Eucharist and share that love with others. It is a lovely book to reflect on and share with your family. 

 10-31-25 Hooked on the Heart - Maddie Evans - This was my waiting-in-line Kindle book for the past month or so. It is a feel-good clean rom-com about the owner of a yarn shop who offers to give her handsome new neighbor cooking lessons, not realizing that he owns a restaurant! What will happen when she finds out the truth?

11-2-25 Once Upon a Christmas Carol - Melody Carlson - I enjoy reading Carlson's Christmas stories each year. This one was about a 40-year-old woman, Carol, who ends up hanging out with her long estranged aunt in Michigan when the flight she was supposed to be taking to the Bahamas got cancelled due to snow. It featured family drama and a touch of romance. It was a feel-good story to relax with.  
 

 

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 junior year). 

Still in progress - I'm in Volume 6! The end is in sight! - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon -  Gibbon was an English essayist, historian, and politician who wrote this epic six-volume work between 1776 and 1789. It's incredibly long, and I have little interest in the Roman Empire. 

 

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Does Writing or Making Art Matter in a Hurting World?

 

In a world with so many problems, does writing or making art matter? Is it a worthy use of our time, or should we be using our gift of time to do something, anything else that has a more direct impact on improving the plight of those who are suffering?  That is one of the questions that Mitali Perkins ponders in Just Making: A Guide for Compassionate Creatives. 

I had seen Just Making advertised in a secular publication. I am always interested in reading books about creativity, especially creativity as a vocation, and so I requested it from the library. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a rather Catholic book. I tried to find out if Perkins is Catholic. I honestly don’t know. She was raised Hindu, converted to Christianity in college, and is married to a minister. However, she has taught at a Catholic college and her work is clearly informed by Catholic thought. A whole lot of saints are quoted in this book.

Perkins shares that she “wrote this book as a guide for creative people who are concerned about justice . . . Many of us want our labors to matter in the world—to create healing, repair, and goodness. We want our making to be just” (2).

She begins by discussing quilting and sewing, art forms that have traditionally been practiced by women for many years. I quilt as a hobby and was touched by her comment, that “while it may not be obvious to the viewer, a quilter is very much responding to the call to ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ By creating a quilt that keeps someone warm, a quilter is serving others” (17). Cooking (something I do often but am not especially good at) is another creative gift. “Cooking for others is a divine art because it offers tenderness to frail and needy bodies” (33).

But sewing and cooking create practical items that provide tangible benefits. What about writing a story, painting a picture, or singing a song? How are those creative acts helping the world? “Art created by others builds our courage to live the just life. We read a hero’s journey in fiction, and it fortifies us to face our own all-is-lost moments. A song like Sara Bareilles’s ‘Brave’ can get us out of bed to face a tough day. Visual art can inspire us to innovate and attempt big, new things” (36). Perkins quotes fine artist Carol Aust, “Art is vital because the world needs beauty, community, truth telling, and joy” (54).

In the second and third parts of Just Making, Perkins explores the forces that work against us when we try to practice our creative gifts and how to keep making in spite of them. Yes, our art does matter, especially when we are called by God to do it. If you need some encouragement or inspiration to keep creating in spite of the challenges, I highly recommend reading Just Making.

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Lessons from Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur

 

Earlier this year, a fellow writer recommended I read The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband From Atheist to Priest in the context of praying for those who have left the faith. I’ve been reading it in bits and pieces for several months, and I’m so glad that I did. I had heard of Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (October 16, 1866- May 3, 1914), but hadn’t known much about her before reading this. I’m thankful for a new heavenly friend.

 

A Woman of Faith

Elisabeth Arrighi was born into an upper-middle-class family in Paris and received a quality education. She married Feliz Leseur in 1889. Elisabeth always suffered from medical concerns, but the young couple had an active social life for many years until her health became too poor. Felix had medical training, but worked as a journalist and then a director of an insurance company. Their marriage was a happy one, but the difference in their faith lives created tension.

Feliz had been raised Catholic but rejected the faith as a young adult. He agreed to respect her faith when they married, but in time, he began to tease her about it, forced her to read anti-Catholic literature, and made her observance difficult. She abandoned her practice of the faith for a short time, but then returned to it with a firm sense of purpose. She kept a journal recording her interior prayer life. She never harangued her husband about his lack of faith – she simply offered a good example, prayed, and offered sacrifices for his conversion.

She suffered from liver trouble and ultimately died of breast cancer. Felix saw the way her faith comforted her in her sickness and ceased his criticism of it. After her death, he found her journal. He returned to the faith in 1915 and entered the Dominican order in 1919. He was ordained a priest in 1923.

Excerpts from Her Diary

I highlighted many passages as I was making my way through the book (too many to share in an article), but here are a few that stood out.

“Help me, my God, and, without my knowing it, use me for a little good. According to a comparison I like, let me be the rough vessel giving forth light and warmth.”

“I can do nothing for her but pray. Nothing but that! But that is everything!”

“Not to argue; to work instead through contact and example; to dissipate prejudice, to reveal God and make Him felt without speaking of Him; to strengthen one’s intelligence, to enlarge one’s soul more and more; to love without tiring, in spite of disappointment and indifference. Above all, to draw to oneself the humble and the little ones so as to lead them to Him who loves them so much.”

“It is best for God alone to dispose of what we offer Him; if we knew the result of our efforts, if the mysterious influence worked by our sacrifice and prayer were revealed to us, pride, always near, would have its way.”

“I believe it is my duty in awaiting the divine hour to preach Jesus Christ only through my prayers, my sufferings, and my example.”

“In prayer we do not see the result of our efforts, however certain they may be; we are truly instruments in the hands of the divine Artist. We can remain humble even while knowing the great joy of working for God’s glory and the good of souls.”

“Perhaps He will wait until He has taken me to Heaven and pressed me against His Heart before giving faith to those I love; and perhaps He will then grant me the unspeakable joy of seeing in His light what my sufferings, privations, and spiritual isolation”

“Let us influence those about us, not by vain preaching, but by the irresistible force of upright convictions and the example of our lives.”

“We should make each day a resumé of our whole life by filling it with prayer, work, and charity.”

“I must work for souls without trying to ascertain the results of my labor, leaving to God the work of conversion or sanctification, which He alone can accomplish, and looking upon myself as a humble instrument in His hands, an instrument used for purposes of which I myself am ignorant.”

“Penance and prayer are the most important works, the most efficacious means of salvation for the soul itself and for others, the most useful instruments in the task of reparation to which chosen souls are called.”

“To the end of time, our daily words and actions will bear fruit, either good or bad; nothing that we have once given of ourselves will perish, but our words and works, handed on from one to another, will continue to do good or harm to remote generations.”

 

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#OpenBook for October 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!

9-4-25 A Daughter's Choice - Kelly Irvin - This is a delightful Amish romance about two young people, both struggling with their faith, who bond over their love of animals. (Read for a book review publication)
 

9-10-25 Whispers at Painswick Court - Julie Klassen - This is a Regency-era romance/mystery. Anne Loveday goes to Painswick Court to serve as a nurse to Lady Celia, an older woman with lung trouble. However, it soon becomes apparent that everyone there has a secret, including the charming Dr. Finch, whom Anne begins to take an interest in, despite her determination not to marry. In addition, Lady Celia keeps experiencing "accidents" that seem to indicate someone wants to harm her. The action takes a while to build in this one, but the second half makes up for it. (Read for a book review publication)

 9-12-25 Every Shade of You - Ginny Kochis - Kochis is skilled at writing about young people with mental illness. This story focuses on Dewitt Griffin, a teenage artist with bipolar disorder, and her relationship with Nathan Cartwright. As they attempt to navigate young love, her mental illness, and her parents' efforts to help her, they will both have to make difficult choices. While there is nothing graphic in it, this is a YA book that deals with challenging topics. I would recommend it for ages 15 and up. 

9-13-25 Jane Austen at Home: A Biography - Lucy Worsley - I already knew quite a bit about Jane Austen, but this is a highly readable, comprehensive biography that includes two sections of photos. I enjoyed it a great deal.
 

 9-16-25 The Strange Case of Jane O. - Karen Thompson Walker - This book is not something I would usually pick up, but the premise intrigued me, and I found it to be a fascinating work of fiction. It is told from two points of view - a psychiatrist who is treating Jane O. and Jane O. (who writes letters to her young son). Jane has an exceptional memory. She never forgets anything that happens to her and can recall what was on the bookshelves of a room years later, but she is beginning to hallucinate and she goes to see the psychiatrist to seek help. What is real and what isn't? I loved this book way more than I expected to. 

9-18-25 Plain Jane's Secret Admirer - Anne Blackburne - Jane Bontranger has been pining for Sam Mast for years, but he doesn't seem to know she exists. Little does she know that he was the one who gave her the unfortunate nickname of "Plain Jane" when they were young to hide his own feelings for her. He decides to start sending her secret admirer letters and gifts, even though his best friend tells him to confess he made a foolish mistake when they were children and admit his true feelings. Sam is too scared to do that, especially once they start spending more time together. This is a feel-good Amish romance. (Read for a book-review publication).

 

9-22-25 Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time - Jeff Speck - In an attempt to have contact with people outside of my family, I joined a four-week book club at my local library (as an added perk, they also served us lunch). This book is all about reducing car culture and emphasizing walkable spaces. It has definitely challenged some of my assumptions and made me think more about the spaces where I do enjoy walking and what makes them feel safe and inviting. 

 

9-23-25 My Friends - Fredrik Backman - This is the intertwined story of a group of young friends many years ago, who work together to help one of them embrace his artistic talent, and a young woman who is also an artist, who encounters two of these friends when they are about forty years old. All of these individuals have rough backgrounds and this story is hard on the heart for that reason, but it is ultimately a tale of hope. While several of the characters in this book experience same-sex attraction, this is a book about love, not sex, and there is nothing graphic. It was a powerful story that I appreciated reading. 

9-24-25 The Lies We Trade - Kristine Delano - This is a Wall Street / domestic thriller, which is a genre I hadn't previously encountered. Meredith Hansel has a high-powered Wall Street job, but all is not what it seems. With a marriage on the rocks and a rogue employee threatening her, all the plates she has been juggling start crashing down. It was a compelling story that definitely raised my fear factor, but I wish I understood more about finance because I didn't really understand what the issue was on that front (other than everyone seemed out to get Meredith and she didn't know who to trust). (Read for a book review publication).

 

9-25-25 Snow - Meera Trehan - This is a middle-grade fantasy novel about a princess who made a wish for snow, except then the snow covered the kingdom permanently and drove out all the residents, including those she loved most. She's been trying to atone for it ever since. But one day, a girl from the outside enters the kingdom, and the princess begins to think all hope is not lost. This is a story of family dynamics, science, forgiveness, and bravery.  (Read for Catholic Library World)

9-26-25 Incredible Catholic America: Smallest, Tallest, Oldest, Oddest - Marion Amberg - This is a fun and interesting book about people and places of distinction in the United States. Catholic trivia buffs and those interested in learning more about the Catholic faith in America will find this book worth reading. 

9-28-25 Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography - Anika Burgess - This is a fascinating look at early photography from 1839 to World War I. I had never realized how dangerous early photography was or the great lengths photographers had gone to in order to get a photo. This book explores how photographers used photos to explore the hidden world (microphotography), emphasize social causes, and produce special effects. (It also has a brief section on the development of porn.) My favorite story/photo in the book told of how pigeons had cameras on them to develop aerial photography. There is an absolutely adorable photo of a pigeon with a camera hanging from its neck! I learned a great deal from reading this.    

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 junior year). 

Still in progress - I'm in Volume 5! Someday I will finish this, although I am having less time to devote to this project due to other responsibilities - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon -  Gibbon was an English essayist, historian, and politician who wrote this epic six-volume work between 1776 and 1789. It's incredibly long, and I have little interest in the Roman Empire. It is going to take me a while to get through this one.

 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!