My Scribbler’s Heart

An Open Book

/ CAstfalk / 12 Comments

An Open Book Logo

Welcome to the March 2019 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

The Lost Art of Reading Nature's SignsMy husband stumbled across The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals – and Other Forgotten Skills while searching for a book about hammocks. (Yes, there are books about hammocks.) Not only do I love this cover, but this book is filled with so many fascinating, practical observations about animals, the weather, plants, the sky, and more, that I’m eager to bring it outdoors and put it to use, should spring weather arrive.  The author, Tristan Gooley, has an Indiana Jones thing going on in his author photo and is a seasoned world traveler.

Hidden Among the StarsIf you like split time novels, Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson is a beautifully written story set in both present day and during the Nazi occupation of Austria. It  follows the lives of a handful of young Austrians. One is a gifted Jewish musician, one is the young man who loves her, and another the childhood friend who loves him. Interwoven is the story of Callie, aka Story Girl, a lonely bookstore owner in possession of two books connected to Austria and hidden treasure. There is mystery, romance, and tragedy, but, in sum, it’s a novel about the power of stories – children’s stories and our own stories – internalizing them, living them, and marveling at the way the master storyteller has perfectly interwoven each of them.

AttachmentsI loved the highly original Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Both fun and touching, it is told in part through the email exchange between two women friends/co-workers and part through narrative from the man charged with monitoring their interoffice messages. I loved almost everything about this story – the author’s voice, the characters, the setting (a newsroom at the brink of Y2K), the romance. I could’ve done without a liberal sprinkling of the F-word, but it was not excessive and always in character. Also worth noting here: reference to “off-screen” premarital sex.

ConnectionsConnections: Five Stories Celebrating Renewal and Redemption by R. L. Mosz is a quick read of varied short stories that include both Catholic and other-worldly elements. These hopeful stories are great when you have fifteen or so minutes to read. My favorite is the first story, “Golden Boy,” about a man’s fall from grace.

AwakeningI’ve just started reading Awakening by Claudia Cangilla McAdams, and what a great time to share a perfect Lenten selection for teens! A contemporary young teen awakes to find herself in Jerusalem, 33 A.D. Think The Wizard of Oz meets The Passion of the Christ. In what I’ve read so far, the author captures a young teen’s thoughts and feelings very, very well.

The PrinceMy sophomore’s class is moving into the Renaissance, and he’s reading some of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. This kid’s curriculum makes me want to go back and re-read so much of classic literature that was somewhat wasted on me in high school. The Prince discusses how a great man conducts himself and the conventions of princely government.

Thrifty Guide to Ancient RomeFellow author (and homeschooling mom) Quenby Olson mentioned The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome: A Handbook for Time Travelers, and I knew I had to get my hands on a copy for my daughter to read. Written by Jonathan W. Stokes and illustrated by David Sossella, the book presents a lot of interesting facts about Roman life and history in an easy-to-read, fun manner. Cleopatra’s Perfectly Normal Family Tree, color-coded according to means of murder, is hilarious.

I Am God's StorytellerWhile I haven’t yet gotten a hard-cover copy of Lisa Hendey’s new book for children, I read an advance electronic copy and am eager to read I Am God’s Storyteller aloud to my youngest children.  The picture book traces salvation history from creation through the Old Testament and then Christianity using the framework of stories and storytellers, including the prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles. It beautifully nourishes the divinely sparked creativity in each of us, but especially in children, who naturally gravitate to stories.

On Beyond ZebraWe’re coming up on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and it’s time for me to help my kids dress up as a character from one of his books. (Last year, my son dressed as Sam I Am with his green eggs and ham.) I like some Dr. Seuss books better than others, but my favorite as a child was On Beyond Zebra!, and that’s the one we’re reading here. In classic, tongue-twisting, silly Seuss fashion, it takes a look at the letters that come after Z.

What are you reading? Share it at An Open Book and find new book recommendations too! #openbook Share on X


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.


Holding on to Hope

/ CAstfalk / Leave a comment

Hope Faith Love

Last month, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for a national writing contest for teens. I was randomly assigned to the poetry category, which left me somewhat anxious. Other than pages of song lyrics I composed in high school, I’ve not written poetry. I’ve read some, but not a lot.

I asked for prayers and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I read entries and did my very best at evaluating the poems entrusted to me. Writing, and poetry in particular, can be very personal. And subjective.

The selection of poems impressed me, mainly because of the heartfelt emotions the students bared. And while some poems were a bit clumsy or poorly written, many demonstrated great skill.

What struck me most about the poems, however, was not their level of quality, but the hopelessness that marked many of the entries. Continue reading →

Mining a Rich History, An Interview with Author Carmela Martino

/ CAstfalk / 6 Comments

Your historical novel Playing by Heart is based on the real lives of the talented and accomplished Agnesi sisters from 18th-century Milan. How did you first learn of them, and what inspired you to make them the subject of your novel?

I came to know about the Agnesi sisters in a rather roundabout way. Even though I have a B.S. in Math and Computer Science, I’d never heard of mathematician Maria Gaetana Agnesi until I came across her name in an article about forgotten women of history. I was appalled that there’d been no mention of her in any of my math classes or textbooks. Continue reading →

An Author’s Best Friends: An Interview with Meez Carrie & Franciscan Mom

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

Let me introduce you to two fabulous women, Carrie and Barb.

Both are voracious readers, bloggers, magazine editors, and the best friends to authors that I’ve ever met! These ladies have written, raved, reviewed, tweeted – you name it – in sharing books.

As an author, I’m so grateful for both of these women, who voluntarily trumpet about the good books they read. They’ve helped authors reach an untold number of new readers with their promotions, articles, and reviews. They are the avid readers authors write for. And, they’re both responsible for the addition of dozens of books to my personal to-read list!

An author's best friends: Interview with avid readers Meez Carrie & Franciscan Mom Share on X

Let’s get to know Carrie and Barb better, and then be sure to follow them and their endeavors and check out their beautiful magazines! Continue reading →

An Open Book

/ CAstfalk / 10 Comments

An Open Book Logo

Welcome to the February 2019 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

Snow, squalls, and cold weather have kept us confined to the house more than we’d like, but that leaves lots of time for reading, right? At the end of the day, I’m eager to make a mug of hot tea (Constant Comment, please), wrap myself in a hand-knitted shawl, and hold a book or my Kindle on my lap!

Day the World Came to TownI discovered The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland via a post shared on An Open Book in January. I’m listening on audiobook, and both the text and the narration have drawn me into the lives of the real-life characters featured.  Alternately moving, gripping, and, ultimately, uplifting, author Jim DeFede took me right back to my own experience of 9/11. A great choice for teens and older.

Made This WayMade This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues by Trent Horn and Leila Miller presents ten hot-button moral issues, a natural law approach to explaining the Catholic position on them, and tips for guiding both young children and teens. This clear-thinking, common sense approach is a boon to parents and anyone charged with teaching young people about controversial issues such as reproductive technologies, same-sex marriage, pornography, and transgender identity.

Trust in LoveI’ve read At Home in Persimmon Hollow by Gerri Bauer, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover this addition to the series: Trust in Love (Persimmon Hollow Legacy Novella 1). I loved the Southern Florida setting–a part of the United States I’ve never considered as part of the American frontier–and was happy to revisit it. So far, I’m getting acquainted with two Catholic immigrants–one Irish, one Italian–working side by side. I sense a sweet romance budding.

The InfernoWorking his way through the Middle Ages, my teenager is reading The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. I get treated to after-school updates about who has been confined to what part of Hell. I read portions of The Inferno in high school, too, and would like to read The Divine Comedy in its entirety as an adult.

The Invisible ManBesides marveling at the $1.50 paperback price on the front of my 1980s edition of The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, my teen has enjoyed this story as a leisure read. I love that he loves classics. He’s discovered that it’s less the horror novel he expected and more a science fiction story, similar to other books he’s read by Wells.

The IslandIn my daughter’s backpack, she’s carrying The Island by Gary Paulsen. In it, a teenage boy discovers a lake island where he learns about nature and self-reliance. (Common themes in Paulsen’s books, from what I’ve seen.) Just reading the description makes me long for the slow summer days of my childhood spent outdoors, trudging up and down paths and along creeks and ponds, observing and thinking. I think our kids could do with a whole lot more of that. At least when we thaw out from these sub-freezing temps!

Young FliersI *think* my daughter has, through the use of the inter-library loan system, now read everything she wanted to read in this well-loved series. In Wilbur and Orville Wright: Young Fliers (Childhood of Famous Americans) by Augusta Stevenson, the reader sees the Wright brothers as young boys, eager to create things that fly. The series tells the stories of children–before they were famous. My fifth-grade daughter highly recommends these chapter books for children.

Baby Sister for FrancesA Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban is one of my children’s favorites. Interestingly, it was not a favorite of mine when we first read this story of a young anthropomorphic badger who runs away to beneath the kitchen sink  with a package of prunes when a baby sister comes along, hogging her mom’s time and attention. As we read this sweetly illustrated book aloud, my kids reminisce about their own experiences with “running away” and their first impressions of Frances.

Before You Were BornI received a copy of Before You Were Born by Joan Lowery Nixon from my obstetrician’s office after my first son was born in 2003. We have the 1980 edition, which includes very, uh, 1980-ish illustrations: abstract with lots of swirling colors. The text is marvelous, tracing a child’s beginnings from conception through birth, emphasizing how loved the child was at every stage of development. I see Our Sunday Visitor released a new edition in 2006 with more contemporary illustrations. It looks great!

What are you reading? Share it at An Open Book and find new book recommendations too! #openbook Share on X

[inlinkz_linkup id=815075 mode=1]

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.


A Prescription for Hell-in-a-Handbasket Sydrome

/ CAstfalk / 12 Comments

Hell in a Handbasket Prescription

Every now and then I feel a little world-weary. I’m sure you’ve felt it too. The ol’ Come Soon, Lord Jesus-weary, if you know what I mean.

10 Tips for Treating Hell-in-a-Handbasket Syndrome. Share on X

Recently, my world-weary mood seemed to be teetering on the edge of dejection. You can imagine the things going on in the United States that may have contributed to that feeling. Those, and other worries closer to home, forced me to consider how I could adjust my perspective and lift my mood. Here are some ideas that help me and might just help you:

  1. Unplug. Limit time on websites and social media. For me, this meant checking notifications and groups only and avoiding scrolling through feeds.
  2. Step out of the 24/7 news cycle. We used to get our news in limited doses. Ironically, I felt better informed then than I do now.
  3. Get a good night’s sleep. During this time, I was averaging 5-6 hours sleep each night. It’s not enough for me anymore.
  4. Get outside – literally. It didn’t help that during this time it was either extremely cold or raining heavily (both of which included gray skies). And, the entire outside world reeked due to adjacent farms coating the fields in fertilizer. Even so, stepping into the larger world and especially into God’s creation is remarkably refreshing.
  5. Get outside – figuratively. Leave behind the world around you and lose yourself in a novel (lots of recommendations here), movie, or music. Immerse yourself in the arts.
  6. Focus on the  people around you, especially those who matter most. Invest time in your significant other, children, or friends. Look them in the eye, listen to them, be with them. Your interactions with them carry far more weight than a shrill scroll-by post on social media. Same goes for doting on any furry companions you may have, who, blessedly, do not speak.
  7. Look inside. Focus less on the flaws of the world and more on perfecting yourself.
  8. Be a student of history. Things have been bad, really bad, in lots of times and places. We don’t have the market on depravity.
  9. Pray and fast. Self-explanatory, no? Fasting resources here.
  10. Trust in God. See the little blessings. See the big ones. Trust that it’s all in His capable hands.

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!

Relevant Fiction Reviews: Children’s Classics

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

Relevant Fiction Reviews

Timeless children's classics the family can enjoy! Share on X

I’ve read a fair number of children’s classics over the years. There are those I read or had read to me as a child. Those I’ve read to my children. And those I’ve read since for my own enjoyment. While I’ve enjoyed them at every stage, I do think that books we experience as children can find a special place in our hearts.

I’ve reviewed a handful of children’s classics below. If you’re looking for a listing without the reviews, there are many more books on my children’s classics Goodreads shelf. I also encourage you to check out the many children’s classics reviewed on Sabbath Rest Book Talk.

A Little PrincessA Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first I admit to being somewhat bored with this book and ready to chalk it up to another children’s story I didn’t “get” because I was first reading it decades beyond the target age range.

However, Sara’s magnanimous way of living grew on me as she suffered a reversal in fortune and her true character was tested. It is one thing to be kindhearted when you have so much largesse and quite another when your mettle is tested.

In the end, A Little Princess is a charming tale, probably best-loved by children, about loyalty, generosity, kindness, perseverance, and the kind of outlook that finds joy and beauty in simple or adverse circumstances.

The Door in the WallThe Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An enjoyable chapter book for kids set in medieval England. Young Robin, crippled and alone, is taken under the wing of a friar, where he learns to see possibilities where there appear to be none. The attention he receives help to restore his body, mind, and spirit.

A hopeful story of love, loyalty, and heroism.

HeidiHeidi by Johanna Spyri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read and re-read Heidi when I was a child. But over several decades, I’d forgotten much of it.

Reading it aloud to my children, I was re-introduced to the beauty of Heidi’s simple mountain life and the relationships with Uncle Alp, Clara, and Peter. The setting and the characters are the highlights of the book as the plot seems rather thin.

As an adult, I recognized the simple Christian messages interspersed throughout the novel, which were well-placed.

A lovely classic enjoyed by many generations!

FrecklesFreckles by Gene Stratton-Porter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Freckles left me with mixed feelings. I loved the setting – all of the exotic flora and fauna of the Limberlost. Freckles was a sympathetic, admirable character.

But, Freckles and the Angel were a bit too perfect for my taste. Too much of Freckles’ value was laid on the shoulders of his parentage and too little on his own character. His love for the Angel was a bit over the top – kissing a preserved footprint in the muck!

Too much emphasis seems to be placed on parentage, above character. While others seems to love Freckles for who he is, despite his circumstances, he himself measures his worth solely by his parents’ presumed character.

Part of my displeasure probably stems from my reading with a 21st-century outlook. And, reading as an adult, when I think this may capture the imaginations of children more than it did mine.

Caddie WoodlawnCaddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book aloud to several of my children. The little ones lost interest, but my 9-year old loved it. She had recently devoured the Little House on the Prairie series, and this appealed to her in the same way.

For myself, I found Caddie Woodlawn a pleasant story with likable characters, humor, adventure, and even some heart-tugging moments as Caddie matures and things come full circle.

A lovely book that families can share and enjoy!

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!

Guest Post: Your Theme in 2019

/ CAstfalk / Leave a comment

Your Theme in 2019

Every January, we commit. 

We commit to exercise more and eat healthier.  We resolve to have the best year ever at work. And yet, we neglect the essential part—our spiritual connection with Jesus. 

Some people have the same reaction to the term “spiritual goals” as they do to the word “budget”! Begrudgingly, we settle for the more-easily-said-than-done, simple fixes.  If you ask a friend how they’re going to improve their spiritual relationship with Christ this year, they may give you one of these examples: Continue reading →