Writing is a notoriously solitary occupation, but bringing those polished words to the page or the screen is not.
Tapping furiously at your keyboard in your comfy clothes, crumbs dusting the keyboard and your favorite beverage at hand may eventually result in a first draft. Chances are if you didn’t need help and encouragement getting that far, you will if you want to push that draft over the goal line as a published product.
There are all sorts of writing communities out there. Some are as loosely associated as a shared hashtag. Others involve dues and duties. A plethora fall in between. You can find groups built around genres, locales, and various media.
For Catholic writers, a community built around faith can offer the support, encouragement, and development you’ve been seeking.
Almost ten years ago, with a couple of novels in various states of readiness for the world under my belt, I joined the Catholic Writers Guild. It is the single best thing I did to further my writing.
Welcome to the July 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
My husband has been doing a bit more work travel again, and that means time for listening to books. Luckily, he travels alone since most of the books he listens to relate to either politics or religion. He’s been listening to Mark Levin’s American Marxism, which explains Marxist ideology and names those elements present in American culture today. I find Levin’s voice rather dull, so I was glad to know that he’s not the primary narrator for this book.
Morning by Morning by Jennifer Rodewald is the penultimate book in the extensive Murphy Brothers series. This is the second book devoted to Connor, whose first book ended well but with his wife in precarious health. This book revisits Connor and his son, still grieving the loss of Sadie, but pairs them with divorced mom Jade, trying to make a new start apart from her borderline abusive husband. Both Connor and Jade have good reasons to avoid letting the other into their life, yet it seems God has other plans for their healing. This author never fears digging into all the hard emotions her characters experience, and it pays off here.
The cover of this book makes me eager to take a trek on the Appalachian Trail! Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter starts with Katie’s car hanging over a cliff, which is where she meets and makes an instant connection with the local deputy, Cooper. Turns out, Cooper is brother to her new boyfriend. Uh-oh. Cooper and Katie want to do the right thing. They try to do the right thing. But there’s an imprudent slip, and it has big ramifications.
Turn to Me by Becky Wade is the final book in her novels about the Miracle Five, a loose association of friends who miraculously survived an earthquake while on a mission trip in middle school. Luke, fresh out of prison, is the bad boy of the bunch, bound by a promise to a fellow inmate to keep an eye on his daughter. Finley is Luke’s polar opposite, a sunny hippie-chick running a dog shelter. Luke’s painfully honest thoughts about Finley’s lifestyle are humorous as he little by little lets down his guard enough to admit his feelings for Finley. The writing style put me off this book a bit, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped.
I was in the mood for something light and easy, and Sarah Monzon’sMolly fit the bill. After being fired from a Montessori school for her bluntness with the children, Molly accepts a nanny position for one of those students. Ben, widowed dad to said student, needs help in caring for his adorable daughter due to the heavy demands of being a medical resident. This story rolls along easily between two likeable characters. You know how it’ll end, but the way there is so enjoyable.
I can’t remember the last time I dragged my Kindle all over the house, using every spare second to read a book, butThe Great Date Experiment by Ashley Mays had me tapping through the pages at a rapid pace. This YA rom-com is fun and funny. Egan did something stupid and hurt his best friend Callie in their freshman year of high school. But a couple of years have passed, he’s sorry, and he’s devised a way to resume their friendship. He’ll take Callie on a series of dates that he’ll record and post online to beat his brother in contest of who can get 1,000 views first. Of course, more than friendship is rekindled between Egan and Callie, but this whole online thing is a problem. Viewers are mean, and it looks like Egan cares more about amassing viewers than he does about Callie. There’s a lovely message in there. This quickly became one of my favorite Christian YA books.
Loving Gabriel by T.M. Gaouette was a re-read of sorts for me. I’d read an early version of the book that differed slightly from the final product. This novel ends the Faith & Kung Fu series and focuses on the romance between former pop starlet Tanner Rose and pious Kung Fu teacher Gabriel. This is great for helping teens think about relationships and marriage. There’s also an element of suspense in this book that raises the stakes for the young couple.
I read Miracle at the Mission by Joseph Lewis in advance of its blog tour, which I participated in. Joe and Pete, high school friends, head to California where they’ll meet up with Pete’s Marine brother Luke and attend a ceremony at the Catholic missions. The president of the United States will be there too. And some Russian bad guys and their unwitting accomplices are up to no good. The author includes a lot of California natural and religious history with a lot of good information about St. Junipero Serra. It’s a nice mix of adventure, suspense, friendship, and faith.
Guest description by my college son, whom I’ve now decided shall write all of my book blurbs:
A thousand years before the rise of Emperor Palpatine, Dessel stands on the precipice of unlimited power. But as he becomes Bane of the Sith, will he be strong enough to learn from the long-forgotten teachings of the ancient Sith and claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, or will his abusive past and the Brotherhood of Darkness rise up to swallow him? Only one thing is certain, the future of the Jedi and Sith rests in Banes hands.
This is the essence of the Darth Bane Trilogy (Star Wars) by Drew Karpyshyn, of which my son readRule of Twoand Dynasty of Evil in June. He described some interesting moral dilemmas in these books, such as a clingy crustacean that strengthens and protects the Sith but also poisons its host if removed. And the Sith path to succession, which involves the apprentice defeating his master.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell is a series of interviews with Bill Moyer regarding themes and symbols that cross time, cultures, and religions. Campbell heavily influenced Star Wars creator George Lucas, among others, which is what drew my son to this book, which he purchased for a couple of quarters at our parish’s flea market.
My almost-high school daughter requested A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan from our library based on the An Open Book recommendation by Barb Szyszkiewicz and is glad she did! Jamie made a big mistake and must spend her summer vacation volunteering at the library. My daughter loved the themes of forgiving yourself and turning the page as well as the many literary references—especially to Jane Eyre.
A New Auntie’s Fear by Angela Lano is a very simply illustrated book for young children that could help initiate conversations about physical disabilities, especially cerebral palsy. It’s clearly written and can help build empathy in children by showing the fears and challenges of those who look and behave differently than they do.
My three youngest kids are either re-reading favorites or books their siblings read that have already been shared in An Open Book, so they have little to report this month. There are, however, some children’s books I had the opportunity to review.
What I love most about the Ascension Press bookPray and Think Imaginative Rosary Book by Candace Camling is how it teaches children how to mediate on the mysteries of the Rosary. Any number of books explain how to use rosary beads, recite prayers, or even focus on related images—including this one, but not how to meditate. Using a simple illustration for each mystery, it helps children focus on a specific part of the image (i.e., a dove, lilies, the Blessed Mother) and think about each, its connotations, and its symbolism with questions to prompt deeper thought. I found it helpful even as an adult.
The Gospels for Young Catholics from Pflaum Publishing is another book I may snatch from my kids’ bookshelf. After some introductory information, the book presents each of the Gospels using the Good News translation. While not my preferred study translation for adults, it seems easy to read for children. What I especially love about this book is its presentation. Yes, it’s colorful, organized, and well-illustrated. But it’s eminently useful. It presents the familiar Gospel stories referenced by page and chapter and verse but also a summary, reflection, and prayer. It even tells you when you’ll hear the Gospel at Mass. It also lays out several easy plans for reading the Gospels according to liturgical season or as part of a 40-day plan. Did I mention I’m going to steal this book from my children? It also includes a Gospel timeline, maps, and information about prayers, sacraments, the Mass, and lectio divina.
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Being that I, uh, only recently completed my summer 2021 reading list, I’m keeping this list short. Find below: the book, the blurb, and why I want to read it.
Blurb:Gone with the Wind, novel by Margaret Mitchell, published in 1936. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937. Gone with the Wind is a sweeping romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships of the war and afterward manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing on the struggle to rebuild the South. Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes, an honorable man who is happily married. After a series of marriages and failed relationships with other men, notably the dashing Rhett Butler, she has a change of heart and determines to win Rhett back.
Why I want to [re-]read it: This classic is probably, next to The Outsiders, the book I’ve re-read most. And guess what? I picked it up because of the The Outsiders. It’s long been a favorite, but I haven’t re-read it in a very long time, and I’m curious what impression it will make at this point in my life.
After recovering from their daring exploits in the exciting first book, The Ghosts of Westthorpe Academy, high school best friends Joe Pryce and Pete Figueroa return for another thrilling, action-adventure in Miracle at the Mission.
When one of them wins a St. Junipero Serra essay writing contest and is rewarded with a summer trip to California, they both embark on an adventure they will never forget. While visiting one of the historic Spanish missions founded by Father Serra, the boys meet a holy but mysterious old Franciscan monk who warns them of the dangers they would soon encounter.
It isn’t long before the boys are drawn into a series of events filled with suspense, intrigue, a high-speed car chase along the precipitous Pacific Coast Highway, and the schemes of foreign operatives seeking to bring harm to the President of the United States.
Caught up in the pursuit of the bad guys, the boys discover they have become suspects in the investigation by the FBI. Desperate to prove their innocence, they must rely on the guidance and wisdom of the old padre, who just happens to bear a strange resemblance to St. Junipero Serra himself.
With the world teetering on the brink of an international crisis, the story reaches its climax at another mission––Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel––where the boys and a large gathering of people witness an incredible miracle that changes their lives forever.
Fun, sweet, romantic, and mysterious with a splash of Christmas to cool off on a hot summer day.
My daughter and I listened to the audiobook version together over a long period of time. The narration was well done and well-suited to the story.
This novel has so much to offer: history, a marriage-of-convenience romance, mystery, faith, humor, Christmas, and a plethora of literary references. All this in an engaging story of a wonderfully original, genuine heroine with bookish tendencies and a reformed hero who is as loyal as he is dashing.
I loved how Grace’s innocence and enthusiasm shined throughout. The mystery was compelling and kept the story moving. A fun romance for Christmas or any time of year.
Welcome to the June 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews is an intriguing gender-swap take on the Charlotte Bronte classic, Jane Eyre. John Eyre, a teacher leaving behind a past marred by the death of his friend Helen, arrives to instruct Mrs. Bertha Rochester’s wards at Thornfield Hall. He’s instrumental in restoring the boys’ health from a weakened state, though they do not speak. Mrs. Rochester’s husband, whom we meet in letters Mrs. Rochester exchanged with her friend Miss Ingram, is not so much ill as, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Let’s say his malady is not a mental illness but a literary-style curse. While the twists the author introduces are interesting, the book is missing the chemistry of Matthews’ other novels and even of the original classic. I also think the switch in the main characters’ genders weakens their roles, but I’m less than two-thirds of the way through the book, and I may still be swayed. It’s not at all a bad book; as a reboot, it invites comparison.
The third installment of Georgiana Daniels’ KC Crumb Mystery, A Crumby Way to Die, brings KC’s man-bun wearing ex-boyfriend James into the plot as KC and her eccentric pals work to solve another case. There’s been a shish kebab stabbing at the bed and breakfast, and KC and her two canine pals are back to sleuthing. James’ presence has put KC at odds with love interest Officer Antonio Hansom, and she needs to exonerate James and send him packing so she and Antonio can resume their almost-romance. An entertaining cozy mystery!
For his birthday, my college son received the Darth Bane Trilogy (Star Wars) by Drew Karpyshyr. My son prefers to pretend these books are still part of the Star Wars canon and not expunged from the record by Disney. The first book, which he’s begun reading, is Path of Destruction. This series centers on the evil Sith, and it begins by relating Dessel’s transformation from a miner hiding amidst the Sith army to an acolyte in the Sith academy.
In eighth grade, my daughter’s class read Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The story is set in late 19th century Lithuania, during Russian occupation. When Audra’s parents are captured and sent to Siberia, she becomes part of an underground network of book smugglers. While her classmates enjoyed this book because of its intrigue, she disliked it. For one, she was frustrated by the main character’s propensity for changing her mind. Too “flippity-floppity,” she says. She also thought too much emphasis was placed on the necessity of books for preserving the Lithuanians’ heritage.
My daughter was inspired by Helen Keller: From Darkness to Light by Tanya Savory. In fourth grade, I studied Annie Sullivan, Keller’s teacher, for a student game show, and I used to know quite a bit about their story. For my daughter, this book served as a good introduction to Keller’s life as a blind, deaf, and mute person. Her only disappointment came at the end when she learned that Keller, Sullivan, and Sullivan’s husband were all socialists and birth control advocates.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie fit a need for the eighth grade reading challenge wrapping up along with the school year. My daughter loved this mystery, the first she’s read by Agatha Christie. She enjoyed the twists and the detailed clues, which reminded her of the Edgar Allan Poe stories she read in the fall. She wanted so much to talk about the book with me, but I’m making her wait until I read it as well.
A couple of years back, this same daughter was out measuring the girth of our maple trees to see if they were mature enough for tapping. They were not, but it did not surprise me when she picked up Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky. This informational book explains the history and practice of creating maple syrup as well as the differences between the various grades through the Lacey family’s sugaring experience. I also learned the origin of the expression “sugar bush,” which my mother said frequently.
My younger daughter has been consulting Amphibian, a DK Eyewitness Book by Dr. Barry Clarke. We love these DK books for their colorful photographs and interesting details. As you might guess, this one looks at both familiar and unfamiliar amphibians with details about their anatomy, behavior, and environment. Flipping through the book makes me want to take the kids to a pond with a bucket, where we can gather some tadpoles, something I loved doing as a kid.
My youngest son has been reading 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher by Lee Wardlaw. Steve Wyatt is a brilliant inventor. So intelligent, in fact, that he can be promoted to high school. In order to avoid skipping ahead, Steve sets out to cause so much trouble he can’t advance. Looks like a fast-paced and funny story for kids.
To Serve and Protect by Leslea Wahl is an adorable story about a family pet who steps into the role of protector while Dad is deployed. The text is simple enough for the youngest children, and the illustrations, including the dog (Siena), are adorable. Follow Siena as she does her best to guard the family from perceived threats. A great story for military families, but any child will enjoy it. (Though if they don’t have a family pet, it may leave them begging for a dog!)
I had heard of Saint Zita, but I didn’t know a thing about her until I read A Miracle in the Kitchen: A Legend about Saint Zita by Pamela Love. This story from Pauline Books & Media emphasizes the ordinary way in which a woman attained sainthood: working hard to serve others, even doing menial tasks, and by being a compassionate friend and caring for the sick. What will jump out at young readers is the miracle in which an angel appears and bakes bread for Zita’s employer in her stead and how that miracle led others to faith.
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.
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I didn’t always love libraries. Shocker, isn’t it? Wouldn’t an avid reader and writer have fond memories of library visits, snuggled against mom during story times and carrying out as many books as her little arms could hold?
That would be closer to my own children’s memories. No, my memories are of a dark, dank, old place. Dull, musty, stern, and lifeless. It gave me the heebie-jeebies. In elementary school, I won a writing award sponsored by the library. Somewhere I have a newspaper clipping of me, sitting alongside the other winners, on the steps outside of the library. Some enormous trees grew outside the library, maybe sycamores. The steps and those trees were about as close as I liked to get to the place.
Welcome to the May 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!
I’m still finishing my summer reading list from 2021. (Don’t judge me.) On it is Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe. I downloaded it to my Kindle while it was on sale after seeing so many rave reviews, despite not having read any of the author’s other books. I don’t think I even read the book description, so each page has unfolded as a surprise—and I quite like it that way. I knew only that it was set in the 1980s. For whatever reason, I expected a traditional Christian romance. That’s not what this is. Under the Magnolias is Southern fiction, a coming-of-age story, a YA romance, and more. I’m just over halfway through, but I’ve grown to love the quirky tobacco-farming family led by eldest daughter Ox, who is trying to raise six younger siblings while her widowed father descends into madness.
Nicole Deese is probably my favorite contemporary Christian romance author, and she’s hit the ball out of the park with All That It Takes (a follow-up to All That Really Matters). Val, a single mom living without the constant support of her parents for the first time, has landed a spot in a prestigious documentary competition that will cause her to come to terms with a past she’s kept well-hidden. She’ll do that while living above (and falling in love with) Miles, a pastor who’s been shuffled out of his megachurch missionary work to a less exciting, less visible role. There’s so much to say about this book and these characters, but its heart for women who come alongside other women in crisis is tender, touching, and a story that needed to be told. I highly recommend All That It Takes.
I also worked in a quick read of Jody Hedlund’s The Heart of a Cowboy, second in a series. A young, widowed scientist, Linnea, travels the Santa Fe Trail with a group of botanists and Flynn, who’s moving a herd of cattle and his younger siblings to his estranged older brother’s Colorado ranch. Jody Hedlund ramps up the chemistry between Linnea and Flynn, so there’s a lot of will they/won’t they throughout the journey. A couple details kept me from identifying fully with Linnea, but it was an enjoyable book, and I’ll be reading more in the series.
Maria V. Gallagher’s Joyful Encounters with Mary: A Woman’s Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosaryis new from Marian Press. It gave me an opportunity to slow down and contemplate the Blessed Mother’s life through each Joyful Mystery. Through personal stories, the lives of the saints, and gentle questions, Maria Gallagher guides the reader beyond rote recitation of prayers to living the scriptural mysteries alongside Mary. Perfect reading for Mary’s month, May, or as a gift for a Catholic mom in your life.
My eighth-grade daughter finished a book I may have read more times than any other: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. By halfway through, she’d become invested in the story of 1950s Oklahoma greasers and their fateful encounter with the upper-class Socs. It’s such fun when my kids read and love novels that were close to my heart at their age. Now we’ll be able to watch Francis Ford Coppola’s movie adaption together, the cast of which may have had something to do with my love for the book.
In fourth grade, my daughter has been reading the second in a series by Gordon Korman that she began last month. Zoobreak (Swindel #2), as you might guess based on the title, involves animals being broken out of a zoo, where they are badly treated. Then the animals must be hidden. And then broken in to a better zoo.
A slew of Catholic children’s books has passed through my hands recently. One is The Curious Story of Jonah by Bob Hartman from Ascension Kids. This colorful hardcover picture book is a faithful retelling of the biblical tale aimed at young children. While most stories of Jonah focus almost exclusively on his being in the belly of the whale, this story gives equal time to what came before and after. I love the bright illustrations by Honor Ayres.
The Wordless Weaver by Claudia Cangilla McAdam is set before Passover in Jerusalem. Shira, a talented young weaver, wants to create something beautiful for Yeshua. The story follows Shira, who is mute, as she is a witness to the crucifixion and has an encounter with the apostle John. It’s a sweet, hopeful story perfect for the Easter season but enjoyable any time of the year.
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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