Welcome to the July 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

For Father’s Day, we made a little trip to a local bookstore that sells primarily used books. We were like kids in a candy shop. Those books will be showing up here as we read them, starting with a historical book my husband grabbed: Beer in America: The Early Years 1587-1840, Beer’s Role in the Settling of America and the Birth of a Nation by Gregg Smith. Part American history, part brewing history, it has some mixed reviews on Goodreads, so take that for what it’s worth. It covers the science, social importance, and historical role of beer in our country.

The second book in Erin Lewis’s Chalice Book series, Enkindle in Me, follows ex-con Dallas Malone as he tries to navigate the world outside of prison after the death of his best friend, Channing. Following his prison conversion, the world is a source of new temptations and old baggage threatening to derail his discernment for the priesthood. This Catholic fiction series is best read in order. The third book is yet to come.

I’m always happy to see more Catholic romance available, so I happily read Marie Veillon’s Third and Ten, a contemporary rom-com the author describes as “closed door with the door kicked open” or medium-spice. It’s a smooth, easy read in the genre. Tenley Robin returns from Texas to her Cajun roots as her father’s health fails. She steps in to help her mother and raise her teenage nephew, who has been in her parents’ care. Sparks fly as she gets reacquainted with her nephew’s teacher/football coach, JD Bourgeois III, who has returned home after a brief stint in the NFL. More thoughts in my full review.

My oldest son has been looking for some Tim Powers books, based on a Jimmy Akin recommendation. He didn’t find the ones he was looking for at the used bookstore, but he did pick up a couple of others, including The Anubis Gates. The beginning was a little slow going, but at more than halfway through, he’s enjoying it. The book blurb: Brendan Doyle, a specialist in the work of the early-nineteenth century poet William Ashbless, reluctantly accepts an invitation from a millionaire to act as a guide to time-travelling tourists. But while attending a lecture given by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1810, he becomes marooned in Regency London, where dark and dangerous forces know about the gates in time.

He usually has an audiobook going to, and he’s been listening to Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. (I had to laugh at the Goodreads publication date: January 1, 180.) This collection of the philosopher/Roman emperor’s writing includes a variety of timeless spiritual reflections and exercises. My son is struck by the proto-Christian character of the book, which I think is emblematic of the Stoics.

A graphic novel series also made for some quick reading. The X-Files: 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles and Adam Jones is a crossover—X-Files and 30 Days of Night. While I’m familiar with all seasons of The X-Files, I’m unfamiliar with the latter. My son was intrigued by the setting—Wainbright, Alaska during its seasonal 24/7 darkness. Sounds like horror tempered slightly by Agents Mulder and Scully.

It’s hard to keep up with the reading habits of my middle school daughter. On a recommendation from another An Open Book post, I requested Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein from a local library. My daughter loved this book! (It looks like it’s been turned into a series with new covers, but she read the original, the cover of which I much prefer.) Twelves kids are part of an overnight library lock-in. The kids must solve clues and puzzles to discover the hidden route out.

To end the school year, she also read Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? by Avi. This middle-grade mystery involves a stolen book. When Becky is accused of being the thief, she and her brother set out to find the real culprit. They find clues in other books, which lead them to treasure. 

For her summer reading project, my daughter was assigned Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of Certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq. as Revealed by His Horse by Robert Lawson. The subtitle is basically the summary. Ride alongside the main character during the American Revolution! My daughter said the changing perspective of a British horse made it interesting.

I was impressed with An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics by Sr. Mary Bosco Davis, OSF, and Sr. M. Lisetta Gettinger, OSF when I received a review copy. My daughter, who at 12 is above the 4-8 year reading age, loves it and carries it to Mass. I’m WELL above the recommended reading age, and I’d happily use it as well. Comprehensive, varied, and easily digestible, it is an ideal resource for children’s visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Lectio divina, the Rosary, litanies, stories of the saints – all that and more are included, and its compact size and hard cover make it ideal for practical use and re-use.

Tasked with coming up with a theme for upcoming fleece-to-shawl carding/spinning/plying/weaving competitions, my oldest daughter took a suggestion from her older brother and decided to go with a golden fleece/Jason and the Argonauts theme. However, the girls needed a little refresher on the tale. Enter Jason and the Argonauts retold by Felicity Brooks. This short paperback includes the classic stories as well as an index of names and places (with pronunciations) and a map.

We also checked out Ancient Myths: Jason and the Argonauts by John Malam. I think it’s Patrice MacArthur who says she enjoys learning with picture books because they simplify and distill a variety of events, persons, and topics. I wholeheartedly agree. This book gives a more graphic novel-style interpretation of the stories with many sidebars offering additional explanations of characters and events.

My youngest son read Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. He chose it from the school library, but now that I read a review by an adult author, I’m not sure if this was the best choice for an 11-year-old. Amazon customers say 12-14 years, but this novel grapples with the gritty realities of the Vietnam War including violence and racial issues. If someone has read this and can soothe my conscience, please do.  My son didn’t express any concerns about the content.

I’m so glad I read Go and Fear Nothing: The Story of Our Lady of Champion. It tells the story of Adele Brise, whose cause for canonization is moving forward, thanks to the bishops in the United States. Adele Brise was a Belgian immigrant to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in 1859 on the Wisconsin frontier. When charged by the Blessed Mother with catechizing the children on the frontier, she doubted her abilities, to which the Blessed Mother replied, “Go and fear nothing. I will help you.” A lovely picture book to introduce children to the only approved Marian apparition in the United States.

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