Mara the Huntress resides in the sunny little town of Archangel, California, the location of the Gate of the Underworld—a fact unknown to the general populace. Most people don’t even know that vampires exist. As Huntress, Mara does know, and it is her job to kill those that dare venture forth to the Upperworld to prey on the humans living there. She is well-suited to this purpose, gifted with skills and talents far surpassing those of ordinary mortals. Though some vampires manage to evade her, she has so far managed to prevent the unleashing of a full-scale infestation. She has been at this job for a good portion of her not-quite twenty years, and it seems she has everything in hand. Then one day she gets a chill of foreboding, a feeling that things are about to change . . .
For she stands in the way of the master vampire’s plan for world domination, and, he fears, may be a key player in the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy foretelling his destruction. One dark night he sends the mighty Prince (his second in command) to put an end to this Huntress, this bane of vampires, once and for all. Mara confidently goes out to face him, but finds she has met her match at last. Just as all hope seems lost, this powerful vampire turns from the “dark side” to become Mara’s ally in the battle against his own kind.
Welcome to the June 2020 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
The school year here went out with a whimper during stay-at-home orders, and our reading and listening routines are changing again. I spend almost no time in the car or alone, so my audiobook listening has really dropped off, but my teenager is trying listening to books for the first time when he takes daily walks.
I generally don’t read fantasy, but I make exceptions for author friends’ books, and I’ve been meaning to read Katy Huth Jones’s Mercy’s Prince, the first in a five-book series, for years. This is just the kind of fantasy I enjoy: it’s human-centric with names I can pronounce! I had no trouble immersing myself in the fictional world replete with an invading reptilian horde and noble dragons. A sweet and tender romance and some gritty (but not gruesome) battle scenes round out this Christian fantasy for teens and adults.
At Love’s Command is Christian historical romance author Karen Witemeyer’s latest release. This one includes more action than most of her novels, but since the hero is a cavalryman turned mercenary, it makes sense. The likable heroine is a doctor, unusual for her time. Karen Witemeyer writes with a consistency of quality that I admire.
Becky Wade’s Stay With Me, the first in the Misty River Romance series, tackles some tough issues not often seen in Christian fiction, the main one being opioid addiction. Despite the grim topic, Stay With Me remains hopeful, even humorous at times and includes beautiful faith themes that come together seamlessly by the end.
Farmgirls Die in Cages in Corinna Turner’s most recent release in her unSPARKed series. I love that these are published in short, serial installments, each one as exciting as the last. Great adventure fun for teens and adults. Life with dinosaurs seems plausible in this wonderfully designed future world.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a fifth century B.C. Chinese military handbook that my now-high school senior (gulp!) listened to on audiobook. He’s interested in both Western and Eastern classics, so this appealed to him.
My two oldest kids loved E.K. Johnston’s Ahsoka, so my son was eager to cash in on a deal for Queen’s Shadow by the same author, which he’s also been listening to. While not his favorite Star Wars novel, he’s enjoyed seeing some of the characters from The Clone Wars series, of which he’s a big fan.
My middle school daughter had planned on reading Roland West, Loner by Theresa Linden for a self-directed literature assignment, but the school year ended without it being realized. Instead, she’s reading it for pleasure (though I may work through the discussion questions with her afterwards). Roland West, a quiet, unassuming kid, is thrust into a new high school along with his bullying twin brothers. He discovers friendship, a mystery, and maybe even a miracle. This is another that both her older brother and I enjoyed and a fabulous introduction to the West Brother series, which is wrapping up with Fire Starters, just released on Pentecost.
Another Theresa Linden book makes the list this month: Breastplate of Righteousness, the second book in her Armor of God chapter book series. I had the pleasure of editing this little illustrated book that’s great for students in the early elementary grades. Each book includes simple lessons about virtue in the context of medieval students aspiring to be nights and dames. I have two young readers in the target audience for this one!
My youngest child dug into the books he received from his teachers to kick off his summer reading. Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel includes several short illustrated tales for young readers. My now-second grader also beganSuper Fly: The World’s Smallest Superhero by Todd H. Doodler. It’s what you’d likely expect. Mild-mannered Eugene Flystein and his Fantastic Flea sidekick take on the villainous Crazy Cockroach.
My younger readers have also picked up the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books that belong to their older brother, and, believe it or not, they’ve been zipping through my Garfield books from the 1980s while clutching my old stuffed animals. Apparently I’m so they’re so old that they’re not readily available anymore.
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I’ve got a bazillion books on my to-be-read list. There are paperbacks, hardcover books, ebooks, and audiobooks. There are books by friends and strangers. Beta reads and books to review. And they multiple like rabbits.
I will likely read many more books than these this summer. I plan to read some books aloud to my kids, read friends’ new books, and whittle those lists. (I’m looking at you, NetGalley!)
Welcome to the May 2020 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
Since our family schedule has been radically altered due to self-isolation, we’ve begun incorporating some reflection in our morning prayer using Mike Aquilina’s A Year with the Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living. This lovely leather book with a fancy ribbon bookmark includes a daily entry with a short passage from a church father, reflection questions, and a closing prayer.
My husband picked up a book on our shelf to dig into: Tolkien: A Celebration, edited by Joseph Pearce. This collection of fourteen essays reflects on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “great literary legacy and the spiritual values that undergird his imaginary Middle-earth.”
Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese is the most moving book I’ve read this year. This romance relies heavily on sacrificial love, which is always my favorite. Inspired by the author’s international adoption of her own daughter, the story traces Lauren’s path in becoming an adoptive mother, which comes into conflict with her blossoming relationship with the dinosaur-loving education tech wizard/substitute teacher Joshua, who is everything she’d ever hoped for in a husband. This one is not to be missed! (Kindle ebook on sale for $1.99 5/6/20 ONLY!)
I joined with readers on Litsy to read a short story by one of my favorite classic authors, Willa Cather. My Mortal Enemy is an interesting observation of love and, in part, an illustration of how we always hurt the ones we love the most. Cather, despite being a non-Catholic, has a tremendous grasp of the sacramentality of the faith.
Carolina Breezeby Denise Hunter is the second book in the Bluebell Romance series. In this installment, older brother Levi is matched with Hollywood starlet Mia. Levi is a likable enough hero in the story of three siblings and their efforts to make a go of the family inn following their parents’ death.
This Wandering Heart is a strong debut by Janine Rosche. This contemporary Christian romance is set (mostly) in beautiful Montana and introduced me to glamping. (Glamour + camping. I am the only one who didn’t know this was a thing?) The last quarter of this second chance romance between single dad Robbie and wounded school teacher/social media maven Keira/Kat Wanderfull is the strongest – fast-paced and rich in conflict.
Corinna Turner has added another fun adventure to her dystopian dinosaur unSPARKed series with Panic!, probably the most action-packed installment of the thus far. In this one, the stories and characters collide! The fragility of life and its unexpected turns resonate and leave you on the edge of your seat.
My time in the car has been significantly reduced lately, so I’ve found less time for audiobooks. Even so, I’ve begun listening to the final installment in Nancy Mehl’s Kaely Quinn Profiler series. The stakes are high in Dead End as special agent Kaely is called in to interview her serial killer father in pursuit of a copycat killer. This may be what it takes to push Kaely over the edge. Or it may finally push her into the arms of her brooding, widowed partner Noah.
My sixth-grade daughter sped through Carmela Martino’s Playing by Heart in two days, enjoying this lyrical historical novel based on the real-life Agnesi sisters of 18th century Milan. She loves historical fiction, and this story with faith themes and a bit of romance was a great fit for her.
While clearing out some books to convert our computer room into a bedroom, we ran across Valley of the Moon: the Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagrosby Sherry Garland, part of the Dear America series. The daily entries are set in Sonoma Valley, California, 1846. I think this is something both my daughters might enjoy.
My daughter is loving Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage by Carey Wallace. This attractive, oversized hardback book is filled with beautifully illustrated biographies of saints from early Christianity to modern times. I’m learning about some obscure saints right along with her.
This child also immediately absconded with The Kid’s Book of Prayers About All Sorts of Things. This book was recently given a fresh, contemporary look by Pauline Kids. I would’ve loved to have had a book like this as a kid with prayers for all sorts of situations – loneliness, birth of a sibling, loss of a grandparent, holidays, etc. With lots of white space and fun illustrations, it can become a treasured keepsake – part journal, part prayer book.
The youngest kid in the house received King of the Shattered Glass by Susan Joy Bellavance in his Easter basket. I first discovered this book through Erin McCole Cupp’s Sabbath Rest Book Talk series. This touching tale is perfect for children who are about the age of making their first confession.
Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!
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What a perfectly timed resource! Show of hands: Who’s feeling a little anxious? Who’s struggling to hand it all over to God, multiple times a day? 🙋🏻♀️ Worries about health, family, education, the economy, our world, and on and on. THIS journal is a prescription for finding peace.
Allison Gingras shares her personal lifelong struggle with worry and anxiety, helping you to journey to a place of peace and trust. This journal uses Scripture, the saints, devotions, and more to guide you with plenty of space for you to reflect. (And you can make it pretty with some colored pencils too!)
How did you first conceive the idea for Sisters of the Last Straw?
It is so strange how God works. I had a Bible study with a number of women for about thirty years. We were great friends and one night at our meeting we started laughing about how we all should have been nuns. Looking around at the five women in the group who are all good women, I had to laugh. We each have our own foibles and personality quirks. I laughed and said that we would probably be kicked out of any order because of our bad habits. Another woman said that we would probably have to form our own order. After much laughter and silly plans for the order, one of the women said, “We better call it the Sisters of the Last Straw.” I wrote my first story about the nuns for those women. Then I decided to write a children’s book to teach children that while all people have faults, we can love God and each other. That is how the Sisters of the Last Straw were created.
Amid the odd circumstances of this Easter, we’ve tried to keep our traditions. Streaming religious services isn’t the same as being there, but I’m grateful we’re at least able to do that.
We prayed a modified Stations of the Cross that became part scavenger hunt when the 7-year-old hung the fourteen photos randomly around the house. We made Resurrection eggs (search Pinterest for examples), baked Hot Cross Muffins (found here) and Paska bread, dyed eggs, and in place of the Easter flowers we usually buy, my daughter picked us a bouquet of violets. We’ll re-read a new favorite Easter book, The Other Side of Easter by Beth Gully.
It’s all lovely. But there’s a subtle undercurrent that something’s not right.
I invited Catholic Writers Guild members on the group’s Facebook page to recommend one of their books for reading during this pandemic. What follows are their recommendations, in the author’s words. It’s a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Choose a fun escape, something to expand your knowledge, fiction that edifies, or a means of deepening your faith.
Links below are to Amazon, but you can find most, if not all, at additional retailers and some on additional ebook platforms – maybe even on audiobook.
