The rosary has saved the world in the past. It will save the world now, by saving the family.
Father Patrick Peyton
In Theaters October 9, 2020
PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON is an inspiring documentary about a poor, uneducated Irish immigrant who sets sail for America in 1928 with nothing but his faith and dreams of becoming a millionaire. Arriving in Pennsylvania and unable to find work, he accepts the position as a janitor at the cathedral, which rekindles his long lost desire to become a priest and changes the course of his life. Nearing ordination, his life takes a radical turn when he is stricken with tuberculosis. Facing certain death, he sinks into despair. A visit from his mentor, who delivers a simple message to pray, lifts the darkness. Taking his advice to heart, Patrick prays fervently to Mary, the Mother of Christ, for her intercession and he experiences a miraculous recovery. Feeling deep gratitude, he dedicates his life to telling all the world about the power of prayer and encourages families everywhere to bring prayer into their homes. Never taking “No” for an answer, he convinces Hollywood’s biggest stars to help him spread the message, “The family that prays together stays together,” through the power of mass media including radio, television, and film. Father Peyton’s fame spreads around the world and audiences in the millions flock to his public prayer rallies. This is the story of a tireless missionary, an unlikely hero, and one of history’s greatest advocates for family prayer.
Welcome to the September 2020 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
In Spite of Ourselves by Jennifer Rodewald is what I call a marriage of inconvenience story. A drunken, quickie Vegas marriage of strangers can’t just be forgotten by either Jackson or Kenz. What follows is a sometimes funny, always heartfelt story of God writing straight with crooked lines. Jackson is an inspiring model of God’s faithfulness, and this book is one of my favorites this year.
I had to go back and read the first book in the Murphy Brothers series by Jennifer Rodewald: Always You. This novel is less dramatic that In Spite of Ourselves, a gentle friends-to-lovers novel with real and relatable problems being obstacles to a new romance. There are seven brothers in this family, so there is much more good stuff to come!
Crystal Walton has freshened up her first series, and I was happy to read Eyes Unveiled. It evokes all the confusion of burgeoning adulthood: discovering who I am, what I want to do, and my place in the world. It’s a story of self-discovery and sweet romance with the challenge of a bit of a love triangle.
Each book in Courtney Walsh’s Harbor Point series is better than the last. Just Like Home is an unlikely romance between professional ballerina Charlotte and high school football coach Cole. Gruff, rude, hurt, and angry Cole ends up being a perfect, endearingly sweet and romantic match for sheltered Charlotte, who is seeking love and acceptance in the wake of her long-distance friend’s (Cole’s sister) death.
Help from Heaven: True Stories of Rescues, Miracles, and Answered Prayers from a First Responder by Andrea Jo Rodgers is a collection of some of the author’s experiences as an EMT over the past several decades. Interspersed with Bible verses and short reflections, these are the kind of short tales that become addictive. What kind of predicament is it? Will they get to the hospital in time? Will they make it?
Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America by Loren Coleman provides a good overview of the popular and cryptozoological history of Bigfoot for the casual observer. I read this as research for a novel I’m writing and found it a solid and enjoyable examination of the phenomena heavily concentrated on the 1960s.
For his summer reading assignment, my high school senior chose Nation by Terry Pratchett, an author new to him. He seems reluctant to part with this book, even though it has to go back to the library. This multi-award-winning Young Adult novel concerns Mau, the last surviving member of his nation, alone on a desert island. Then he meets Daphne, the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Themes include death and nationhood.
Curious about H.P Lovecraft, he downloaded and quickly read The Call of Cthulhu. The description calls it a “harrowing tale of the weakness of the human mind when confronted by powers and intelligences from beyond our world.” My son said it was okay but that he didn’t find it scary, except in a Dracula sense, which I take to mean suspenseful, where what’s unseen is scarier than what is presented.
My daughter has mostly been finishing series she’d begun this summer, first Percy Jacskson and the Olympians, then the follow-up to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The New Chronicles of Rebecca by Kate Douglass Wiggin, which she found a bit disappointing, and then Theresa Linden’s West Brothers series. She’s currently reading Fire Starters, which is great preparation for Confirmation, still more than a year away for her. The West Brothers—Jarret, Keefe, and Roland—were away from the Church and have missed being confirmed, and their friends are on hand both to help them prepare and solve a mystery involving their parish church.
She also read the classic Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. We seem to have a family of pirate-lovers, and she enjoyed this as much as the rest of us have. It didn’t hurt that we found a fancy hardbound version with a ribbon bookmark and gold-trimmed pages at the library. It’s the little things.
I’ve been slacking off a bit with the little kids this past month, but my youngest read his reward book from the library’s summer reading program, Super Rabbit Boy vs. Super Rabbit Boss by Thomas Flintham. It’s the fourth book in the series, but that didn’t seem to bother my second-grader. He loves all things video games, and this book, heavy on illustrations, suited him just fine. He’d like to read the other books in the series.
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You won’t find “Theology of the Body Fiction” as an Amazon category. It’s a niche of contemporary Catholic fiction (also, unfortunately, not an Amazon category) that I describe as stories viewed through the lens of Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. It doesn’t spout passages from his addresses, but it recognizes the truths contained therein.
The go-to source for such fiction is Full Quiver Publishing. You’ll find several of my books there, some of those listed below, and books by Ellen Gable. (Full Quiver Publishing was founded in 2004 by Ellen and her husband, James Hrkach.)
Set within the expanses of the American frontier, The Woman in the Trees follows Slainie, an inquisitive pioneer girl, whose life is forever transformed when a mysterious seer shows up at her door. Amidst the backdrop of the Civil War, family tragedy, and the nation’s most destructive wildfire, Slainie must navigate her rugged pioneer life as she encounters love and loss, and comes face to face with the story of America’s first approved Marian apparition.
Excitement greeted the Wanderlight: A Pilgrim’s Adventure promotional pack the second I held it in my hands, from the 17-year-old, curious about a Catholic video game, to the younger kids, eager to give the demo a shot (especially mid-week, when they are ordinarily not allowed to indulge in video games).
They’d already seen the trailer for Loyola Press’s innovative game and were intrigued. Now, with a plushie version of the main character, Pilgrim; stickers; and a poster, they were eager to dive in.
Since earlier this summer, my kids have been enjoying Animal Crossing, a gentle sort of game that they equally enjoy – both the boys and the girls, from the high school senior down to the middle school tween and the lower and upper elementary kids. Waderlight holds a lot of the same appeal.
Book 1 in The Harwood Mysteries from Loyola Press.
About the book:
An attack by bandits in the middle of the night leaves a young boy with no memory of who he is or where he is from. Nursed back to health by the devoted monks in a Benedictine abbey, he takes the name Alexander, or Xan for short. Aided by the kindly Brother Andrew, Xan commits himself to finding out who he really is.
Does he have a family? Are they still alive? And who—or what—is the shadowy figure creeping around the abbey in the dead of night?
Embark on an adventure while reading Shadow in the Dark as young Alexander tries to recover his memory and, with his new friends, uncover the mystery of the shadowy figure in the dark.
Welcome to the August 2020 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
We’ve been doing a lot of reading this summer, especially since our local libraries have re-opened, at least in part. Let’s face it: there aren’t a whole lot of entertainment options this summer, so in addition to hanging out at the pond/creek, my kids are enjoying reading good books.
While his time on the road has been greatly diminished, my husband did begin listening to Grant by Ron Chernow on his way to and from Scout camp. Intrigued by a History Channel series on Ulysses S. Grant, he was eager to learn more about this former general and president of the United States.
Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray is a very well-written inspirational romance novel of healing, hope, and spiritual awakening. I love the direction the author is taking with this story, which reminds me a lot of one of my favorite novels, The Grace Crasher by Mara Faro. I also love this striking cover.
I was moved by this debut novel by Neena Gaynor, The Bird and the Bees, a Christian romance set mainly in Erie, Pennsylvania. The patient, stalwart third baseman Ketch Devine serves as a model of God’s unconditional love. There is a lot to ponder here about what it means to live and to whom or what we anchor our lives.
Ranger Redemption by Lynn Shannon is a well-executed romantic suspense novel with an intertwined small-town cast of characters that add layers of complicity and multiple suspects to the lineup. The story is well-paced with a sweet second-chance romance at its center.
I enjoyed the second installment in Dani Pettrey’s Coastal Guardian series, The Crushing Depths. It’s uniquely set on an oil rig off of the Virginia coast. There’s a big cast of characters and multiple crimes. If you’re looking for a fast-paced crime novel with a sweet romance, this one will fit the bill.
The Dunes by A.R.K. Watson is a short novella with a Twilight Zone vibe. This short fiction features a married couple and is set on the beach. Saying much more may ruin if for you, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself. At 99 cents, why not?
The second book in The Desperate Forest series by Cece Louise is at least as fun as the first. The Jabberwocky Princess is a historical YA novel with a contemporary feel and a little light magic (think dragons!). This is a fantastic series of clean romances for teens that have a bit of a fairy tale quality to them. More on that in the interview I did with the author last month.
I enjoyed reading Antony Kolenc’s Shadow in the Dark, new from Loyola Press. This historical novel for tweens and teens is set in medieval Europe and centers around a spooky mystery: Who or what is the shadow roaming the abbey grounds at night? The angel of death or a wayward monk? Such begins the series featuring young orphan Xan (short for Alexander) and his friend Lucy.
My oldest son is procrastinating on his school summer reading project by reading more from the Star Wars universe. He picked up Star Wars Myths & Fables by George Mann on our first trip to a bookstore this year! This attractive hardcover features various Aesop’s fable-like stories including various Star Wars characters in different times and places. He appreciated the artwork at the beginning of each chapter too.
We have a slew of decades-old Timothy Zahn Star Wars paperbacks in the attic, but my son was drawn to a more recent release by the same author at the library. Thrawn is short for Grand Admiral Thrawn, an officer in the Imperial Navy. The story follows his rise through the ranks in the early days of the Empire when many alien races are oppressed. This is the first book in a trilogy he plans to read.
My seventh-grade daughter chose The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan as her reward for completing the reading portion of the library’s summer reading program. This series came recommended by her older brother, and she has been tearing through it greedily as fast as she can get the remaining books from the library. In a world where Greek gods and demi-gods roam the earth, Percy Jackson discovers he’s the son of Poseidon, which puts his life in danger. When someone steals Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy must find it.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare came recommended by a librarian based on my daughter’s interest in colonial America. A young girl, Kit, flees her home in Barbados and arrives in Connecticut. Kit befriends a Quaker woman the local Puritans consider a witch.
Knowing how much my daughter loved Anne of Green Gables, I picked up a copy of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin from the library, and she loved it, informing me that this book actually was written before Anne and influenced L. M. Montgomery and various other authors. Imaginative Rebecca comes to live with aunts in Riverboro, where she comes of age.
George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff was required summer reading that my daughter liked (but didn’t love). Several kids time travel to Revolutionary War times where they witness General Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and try to get home. My daughter was a little frustrated by the magical rowboat plot device.
I ordered some (wonderful!) Usborne books and products for my kids this summer and grabbed Girls with a Voice and Girls with Courage by Ann Turnbull and Adele Geras. In Girls with a Voice, set in the 18th century, a girl dreams of becoming an opera singer. She’s sent to boarding school when her father loses a large amount of money on a failed investment, jeopardizing her musical education. In Girls with Courage, set in the 19th century, a girl is sent to her uncles’ home when her mother is having another baby. She must ride with her eye-patch-wearing uncle to discover what’s happened to her mother. (To buy, check in with an Usborne Books & More consultant.)
My third grader picked out a huge book from the library that she is steadily reading aloud to the rest of us (whether we’re listening or not). The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter includes all of the classic tales of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Squirrel Nutkin, and more with the original illustrations.
We brought home a slew of Berenstain Bears books from the library too. All four of my kids have loved the Berenstain Bears, and we read these books again and again and again. As a parent, I’ve always appreciated the honest but gentle and humorous way they tackle common childhood problems. One of the favorites this go-round has been The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
I’ve begun reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame aloud to the kids. It’s been a while since I read this one, and the chapters are pretty long for a children’s book. I enjoy introducing the kids to this world, which they connect with a particular area of the children’s garden at the nearby Hershey Gardens.
My youngest son has been readingPotterwookiee: The Creature in My Closet by Obert Skye. In it, the main character puts both books and a chemistry set in the closet and some amazing creatures result. This one was handed down from his older brother. Illustrations à la Diary of Wimpy Kid make it a fun read.
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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The Forest Tales heroines are spunky and sassy, definitely not helpless damsels in distress yet quite feminine. How important is it to strike that balance in a culture that, perhaps, has a tendency to see those attributes as mutually exclusive?
I personally find that balance between strength and femininity fascinating to explore. As a culture, it sometimes feels like we’ve forgotten how to celebrate what it means to be feminine. Biologically, men and women are different. One is not better or worse than the other, but there is a difference that our culture seems to want to ignore. I love to read and write characters that show these differences and celebrate them. We do a disservice to our young female readers if we paint a picture that to succeed in life or be strong, they need to forgo their femininity and act like men. On the contrary, women have many strengths that come more naturally to them than men. For example, studies have shown that women tend to be more empathetic than men. That is a huge strength that is important for leaders.
Because I write to a young adult audience, I try to keep in mind that many of my readers are going through puberty, which can be confusing and scary. We are seeing a huge rise in gender dysphoria in our teens, especially in girls, and I think part of the reason is that girls are not being taught to value their femininity anymore. Young girls are being told that femininity equals weakness and they need to stifle it, leaving them feeling confused and like strangers in their bodies. Instead, we should be teaching girls the true value of their femininity and how to understand and embrace it.
