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

Many years ago, when I belonged to a local library’s writing group, I became aware of Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study. The author was a local success story in publishing, and there was often mention of her. It took me a decade or more, but I’ve finally gotten around to reading the novel. In this fantasy, a young woman is spared execution and offered a position as food taster for the commander of Ixia. She’s kept captive by the need for a daily dose of antidote only her captors can supply. So far, so good.

Close to the Soul by Mary Jo Thayer is another book that’s been on my to-read list for a long time. This story that follows Carolyn Fandel from her early teens through young adulthood demonstrates the impact of rape, specifically in a 1950s Catholic American household. It has a beautiful pro-life message and demonstrates the good that can eventually come from such a horrific crime. That alone makes it a timely and worthwhile read. The style isn’t quite to my taste, and I had some minor quibbles with inaccuracies, but I’m glad I read it.

I’m starting to have trouble keeping up with Amy Matayo’s books! I think I’ve missed one and another launches soon, but I did get to complete Walking in Circles, a romance between a young woman from an abusive home and a football player with a different kind of suffering in his past. Shane is kind, patient, and the best kind of boyfriend material — if only Emma can overcome her trust issues, particularly when it comes to men. Includes a sweet intergenerational friendship and treats the matters of abuse, illness, and death with the proper amount of seriousness without becoming maudlin.

Shadows: Visible & Invisible by seven Catholic Teen Books authors (including me!) recently released, and I was able to read it from cover to cover. Social media posts have spread a lot of nonsense about the origins of Halloween and the roots of its celebration, and this collection is meant to re-introduce young Catholics to the religious roots of Hallowtide with mildly spooky stories in a variety of genres. This was a fun project to be part of, and I enjoyed remembering details about my childhood parish church to create my story, “Bogey in the Belfry.”

My oldest son decided he ought to read Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel while he was still a young Catholic. The book was given to him by one of his former teachers. I remember when this book came out, and re-reading the description, I kind of wish I could go back to being a young Catholic and read it. “Weaving together insights from history, literature, theology, and music, Weigel uses these touchstones to illuminate the beliefs that have shaped Catholicism for two thousand years. With clarity and conviction, Weigel examines the foundations of Catholic faith and explores the topics of grace, prayer, vocation, sin and forgiveness, suffering, and-most importantly—love.”

My son’s also been reading (or maybe listening to) How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery by Kevin Ashton. This isn’t a new book either, but it appeals to our endless curiosity about what it takes to create and succeed. “Ashton showcases the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and countless ordinary and usually uncredited acts that lead to our most astounding breakthroughs.”

Finally, he’s been reading The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. The ancient Greek philosopher discusses how to live well and how happiness is tied to the practice of virtue. The text was highly influential in the study of ethics in the West.

My oldest daughter is finding she has a little more time to breathe this school year than last and was able to read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien relatively quickly. I think she’d had at least parts read to her in the past, and she’d seen the movie adaption, but she much preferred reading the book and loved the bucolic world of the hobbits.

This daughter is also on her way to becoming the first of my children to read one of my novels, Rightfully Ours. Being aware of all my writing weaknesses, this makes me a bit apprehensive, but she insists she’s enjoying it very much so far. This is my only novel that features teenage main characters, and I refer to it mainly as a coming-of-age story that leans heavily on the Theology of the Body. There’s also a little suspense, and I love some of the symbolism I unknowingly wove into this book.

In school, she read Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave. I’d never read this part of Republic. In it, Socrates “describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners’ reality.” There’s more to it, but that’s what I’ve been able to glean.

Lives of the President: Fame, Shame, and What the Neighbors Thought by Kathleen Krull isn’t my middle school daughter’s typical read, but her teacher forced her to pick something informational from the shelf. A little variety will do her good. She can consider it a palate cleanser. The book purports to emphasize presidents’ “bad habits, silly nicknames, and strange pets, and focuses on those who had the most impact on history.”

My youngest son, also now a middle school student, read Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka. I recognize the author’s name as his Time Warp Trio series was among my oldest son’s favorites many years ago. This is a collection of ten humorous short stories by a variety of authors, including Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and prolific children’s novelist Kate DiCamillo.

My son’s also reading No Talking by Andrew Clements with his sixth-grade class. It’s a boys vs. girls battle among fifth graders as to who can go longer without talking. Clements seems to be a popular author among late middle grade/middle school teachers since his books are funny yet include great lessons.

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