Welcome to the November 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

This month, my husband has been listening to Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You’ll Love to Do by Shoya Zichy and Ann Bidou. It includes a self-assessment to determine your personality style and then a corresponding chapter with potential career choices. It’s intended not only to help you manage a career but discover what work you’re most suited to in your existing job.

For a Halloween listen, my husband downloaded a book by one of his favorite authors from his teen years: Stephen King. LT’s Theory of Pets, read by the author, is a short (hour-long) story of a man whose wife takes off, leaving behind their Siamese cat. He’s hopeful that his wife is still alive, whatever has become of her.  It “explores the bonds between husbands, wives, and pets.” (Language warning.)

In between books for this month’s Sabbath Rest Book Talk, I’ve been reading Courtney Walsh’s latest novel, Things Left Unsaid. It reminds me of The Things We Knew by Catherine West in that it involves neighboring families returning to a summer home, each bearing a secret related to a death that deeply affected them all. Things Left Unsaid takes place in the fictional resort town of Sweethaven, Michigan, which is featured in some of the author’s other books. I’m zipping through the book, eager for these characters to communicate better with each other, to resolve all of their past hurts, and make up. Well-written and enjoyable. I’m anticipating a big helping of grace to be doled out before the end.

Next on my list is a debut novel by author Vijaya Bodach called Bound. Since I’m just beginning it, here is the blurb: “Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Joshi, an adopted girl from India, burn survivor, and primary caretaker of her intellectually disabled sister, Joy, has one dream – to be a physician. Her traditional Indian father relies upon Rebecca to care for Joy while he buries himself in work to drown his grief over his wife’s death. Leaving home is the only way Rebecca can envision reaching her goal. She helps Joy develop greater independence, and is devastated when Joy becomes pregnant. Rebecca tussles – with her father and with herself – over who is responsible for Joy and her baby. When Rebecca discovers the truth of what happened the day she was burned, she struggles to hold onto her dream while wrestling with questions of life, love, and responsibility.” I’m in!

My high school sophomore is reading The Eighth Arrow: Odysseus in the Underworld by J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B. In it, Odysseus (of Homer’s classic epic poem) breaks out of Dante’s hell. The novel includes a journey through the Underworld with Diomedes and encounters with various characters from Greek mythology, ancient history, and Renaissance literature. My son, who always thought it unfair of Dante to relegate Odysseus to hell, is loving the book. It melds well with the classics he studied last year in his Humanities classes.

My daughter’s fifth grade class has been reading Holes by Louis Sachar. This Newbery Medal winner features Stanley Yelnats (check out that palindrome!), who is sent to a boys’ detention center and made to dig holes. What is the warden looking for beneath a dried-up lake? My daughter guessed right away, but she’s enjoying it enough that not being permitted to read ahead is her only complaint.

The Haymeadow by Gary Paulsen is the book she’s been reading at home. Fourteen-year-old John Barron is tasked with spending the summer tending his family’s sheep. John must rely on his wits to withstand encounters with coyotes, a bear, a flood, and more. As in the author’s Hatchett series, this book involves the protagonist using  his ingenuity to succeed.

My first grader, who has pretty much taken over my bedtime story duties, needed something a little more challenging than most picture books, so I found a trio of Judy Moody books her sister read. She’s reading the first book, Judy Moody (was in a mood) by Megan McDonald. Judy is a feisty third grader who takes the reader on a series of little adventures.

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig  has long been a favorite around here – both reading it and acting it out. My kindergarten son seems to particularly enjoy it and asks to read it many nights. One rainy day, a boy is forced to stay inside with his parents, who brighten the afternoon by making him into a pizza – kneading him, topping him with pepperoni and cheese, and “baking” him in an oven (the couch.)  Warning: there is tickling involved!

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

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Welcome to the October 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World by Stephen Mansfield has been playing in my husband’s car, and I catch snippets of it at home while he’s shaving in the morning. More than a book about beer, this is a story beginning in 18th century Ireland and tracing the Guinness family’s faith and social responsibility. My husband has thoroughly enjoyed it.

Somewhat related, the other audiobook “open” here is A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. This book covers the Stone Age to the 21st century and examinees the creation of coffee, wine, tea, spirits, beer, and cola. It’s an interesting lens through which to view world history.

Crystal Walton has become one of my favorite clean/inspirational contemporary romance authors. I’m currently devouring the fourth book in her Home in You series.  Chasing Someday is a friends to lovers story, and country boy Chase is the long-suffering friend who needs to convince Livy that there’s way more to their relationship than friendship. But first, she has to spill her secrets and overcome her past. (I’m halfway through and eager for Livy to get the message because Chase is a keeper – virtuous, patient, selfless, and charming.) I recommend the entire series.

I recently finished reading Leslie Wahl’s new mystery/adventure/romance Where You Lead. This is a fun, fast-paced story set in  Washington, DC, in which teens Eve and Nick work to uncover lost gold treasure from the Civil War. (Nick is another super good guy – faith-filled and responsible – paired well with the lively Eve.) Tweens and teens will enjoy this fun novel.

In his trek through medieval literature, my son has moved on to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. He’d picked up a Penguin Classic copy of the book at a used bookstore on our summer vacation, and will now be reading it for his Humanities class. If you’re never read any of The Canterbury Tales, it is a group of diverse tales told by a group of pilgrims and includes romances, allegories, and farce.

My fifth grader was asking about First Friday Devotions, so I handed her Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (and the Sacred Heart of Jesus) by Emily  Marsh. She absolutely loved this illustrated chapter book and read it in a day! It’s an easy-to-read biography with a pronunciation guide, glossary, and prayers as well. I’m interested in doing an enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home, so I consider this my daughter’s primer.

Some nights, when we’re running late and I need to get the little kids in bed pronto, I choose a combination bedtime story/prayer. I have a couple of books that fit the bill, and my youngest daughter grabbed this one from the shelf a few nights ago. This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano and Mark Elliott is a simple, warmly illustrated prayer that teaches children to turn to God in all circumstances: fear, sadness, joy, thanksgiving, etc.

Secrets of the Rain Forest: A Shine-a-Light Book  by Carron Brown is one of my kindergarten son’s favorite books! He loves turning out the lights and viewing the hidden rain forest creatures with a flashlight. Brightly illustrated and easy to read, this book makes a great gift as well. (You could even pair it with a flashlight!)

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

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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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Welcome to the September 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

My husband and I have been trying to get a BINGO (or two or three) to complete our local library’s summer reading program. We are both ending with a mystery. He chose to listen to The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton. (I’ll be reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). He’s been listening to the series of short detective stories in the car. While he’s enjoying them, the narrator’s British accent is requiring more concentration than he’s able to muster while driving. He might do better with an American narrator or a book.

I am thoroughly enjoying the second book in the Flowers of Eden series by Myra Johnson. Castles in the Clouds is set in drought-ridden Arkansas during the Great Depression. A sweet romance blooms between a reticent young woman studying to be a teacher and a nearly blind missionary who has returned to the United States from Kenya.

I thoroughly enjoyed this simple yet instructive new book by Lindsay Schlegel: Don’t Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God. With lessons built around the phrases we parents often repeat to our children, this personal, reflective book is a great way for moms to re-focus on their vocation and their faith life as we embark on a new season. (Read along with the Don’t Forget to Say Thank You Book Club at Catholicmom.com!)

I thought I was doing my son a favor by picking up a graphic novel for him to read in order to complete his library summer challenge. But I’m the one that ended up reading it! I’d heard good things about Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein books, so I thought we’d give the comic book treatment a try. In the Introduction to Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, Koontz writes, “We live in a hubristic age, when politicians imagine themselves to be messiahs and when many in the sciences frankly discuss their dreams of creating a ‘post-human’ civilization of genetically engineered supermen, ignorant of the fact that like minds have often come before them and have left no legacy but death, destruction, and despair.” (Take note: This likely marks the first and last time you’ll see a bare-chested man cover in An Open Book.)

The kids each got to choose a book to keep upon completing the summer reading program, and my teenager grabbed Newbery Medal winner The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. I’m only familiar with this book because I know A. J. Cattapan’s 7 Riddles to Nowhere operates on a similar premise. In both books, a wealthy man has chosen a virtual stranger to inherit his fortune – provided he can solve a challenge.

Having discovered the inter-library loan program, my fifth grader has jumped back into the Childhood of Famous Americans series. She most recently read Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator by Augusta Stevenson. Although she was disappointed that the book didn’t extend to his assassination, she enjoyed the book. (Most of the biographies extend into the subject’s adulthood.) So far, she’s only set aside one book in the entire series: a biography of Jim Henson, and that was because of the writing.

I’ve been reading Grandmama’s Pride by Becky Birtha and Colin Bootman to my little children. (It will be featured in this month’s Sabbath Rest Book Talk.) This picture book that does what fiction does best: puts you into the shoes of someone different. A different time. A different place. A different race. The book follows Sarah Marie’s 1956 summer trip from Pennsylvania to the South to visit her grandmother. While there, she experiences racial segregation for the first time (although her grandmother does a great job of operating as if the  discrimination is irrelevant.)

My five-year-old picked out a simple, brightly illustrated easy reader for his free book from the library.  Monster Munchies by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans is the kind of book that holds only passing interest for me but which the little kids love. It’s ideal for young learners in its simplicity, emphasizing both rhyming words and counting, all couched in a context that leaves the kids giggling at its silliness.

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

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Welcome to the August 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen has been playing inside my husband’s car. The book gives insight into the Army Air Corps during WWII and what the bomber groups experienced. More than Jimmy Stewart,  the actor, Mission is concerned with Jimmy Stewart, the man. Stewart’s family had military roots in the  American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, and he saw such service as his calling (more so than entertaining).

I finally bumped Cinder Allia by Karen Ullo to the top of my reading list. As the title suggests, the book is a take on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Only a few elements form the original are retained here, including a slipper lost at a royal ball. The writing is lovely, filled with imagery. The story, which involves a sham prince, a priest/spy, and a mysterious affliction wrought by the tip of the enemy’s arrow, is more intricate than you might expect, involving espionage, war, and shifting loyalties.

I’m eager to read Broken Brain, Fortified Faith: Lessons of Hope Through a Child’s Mental Illness by Virginia Pillars, with whom I am presenting at the Catholic Writers Conference Live this week.  It is a memoir, “the story of one family’s journey through schizophrenia, navigating the uncharted waters of mental illness to find help for their daughter, Amber, and support for their family. ” It has five out of five stars on Amazon with 47 reviews! I’m looking forward to reading this next.

School starts in a few weeks, so my son has begun his summer reading project. From a large selection of titles set in medieval times, he selected Timeline by Michael Crichton. (Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott ran a close second.) In a nutshell, young scientists travel in time to medieval France on a daring rescue mission. I’m going to read this time-travelling, swashbuckling thriller when he’s done!

My soon-to-be fifth grader completed the local library’s summer reading program and was excited to find a book about her favorite thing these days: the American Revolution. In order to prolong her enjoyment, she’s limited herself to a chapter a day of King George: What was his problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About the American Revolution by Steve Sheinkin and Tim Robinson.  It includes-lesser known but very interesting details about the Revolutionary War and includes maps and battle plans.

Staircase for the Sisters: A Story of Prayer and Saint Joseph by Pamela Love and John Joseph is an illustrated retelling of the story of the mysterious completion of the staircase in the chapel of the Sisters of Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1878. It is a quick read about an amazing  (miraculous?) story suitable for about third grade and up. My daughter loved it!

Handel, Who Knew What He Liked by M.T. Anderson and Kevin Hawkes is another book our family picked up in relation to the library’s music-themed summer reading program. This picture book follows Handel from childhood to the composition of his famous “Messiah” and beyond. My 10-year-old loved the book, but despite the engaging illustrations, the length left my 5- and 6-year-olds drifting off to other activities.

I’ve added 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald to my short list of favorite children’s books. The word (and number) play is fabulous! My teenager grabbed this staff pick from the library shelf for his siblings, and we loved it! In a word, 7 Ate 9 is FUN.

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

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Welcome to the July 2018 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!

I hope the (supposedly) more relaxed pace of summer and some vacation roadtrips have given you some extra time for reading. Here’s what we’ve been reading and listening to so far this summer.

On the return trip from our recent beach vacation, we listened to some of American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America by Linda S. Godfrey. My husband has always had an interest in the odd and spooky side of Americana, and this is right up his alley. The stories include bits of folklore, history, anthropology, and eyewitness accounts. I had no idea there were so many crypto-zoological birdlike creatures beyond Mothman.  

My husband, a frequent purveyor of the book rack in the back of church, picked up Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. It’s subtitled The Love She Most Deserves, The Respect He Desperately Needs. Based on the fact this Thomas Nelson Publishers book have almost 3,000 reviews, I’m guessing it’s pretty popular. He’s only at the beginning of the book, but my husband said the author’s characterization of the differing needs of spouses rings true in our relationship.

While on vacation, I thoroughly enjoyed More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer as I sat poolside with one eye trained on my kids. Karen Witemeyer’s books are consistent in their light humor, faith, and sweet romance. Set in late 19th century Texas, this story of an ostracized young woman with one brown eye and one blue eye and a gambler bent on revenge includes an innocent romance, a makeshift family of orphans, a touch of jeopardy, and themes of forgiveness.

Catholic Teen Books (of which I am a member author), is releasing a seven-story anthology, Secrets: Visible & Invisible, on July 4, the feast of Blessed Pierre Giorgio Frassati, patron saint of youth. It includes short stories by seven different authors, all related to the theme secrets. Some stories are related to the author’s full-length novel, others are not, but each story stands alone. They vary in genre from dystopian to contemporary to historical and include adventure, mystery, and romance. It makes great summer reading and is a perfect introduction to what Catholic Teens Books authors have to offer.

My oldest son began reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Not to be confused with the horrible romance book Twilight. (His words, not mine. The kid hasn’t even read Twilight.) While the early pages were heavy on description, he’s now enjoying this classic horror novel. (Another classic that I have yet to read.)

While on vacation, we visited a local used book seller. He was able to pick up an inexpensive copy of Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad. He’s read some of The Secret Sharer in one of his freshman classes, and I recommended Heart of Darkness, which was one of my favorite high school reading assignments. I hope he enjoys the dark journey up the Congo River as much as I did.

My daughters had the world’s best bus driver last school year, truly. She loaned my 4th grader her Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery to read this summer – the entire series! I’d previously listened to an audio drama adaption of the book with the kids, but my girl is just love, love, loving the book. Her enthusiasm makes me wish I had been introduced to the classic story as a young girl.

I enjoy coming across picture books with originality, and Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier is original. My soon-to-be 1st grader picked this one up at the library. It’s essentially a series of successively smaller colored pages, each introducing another book. The little kids seem to enjoy opening the little “books” and the repetitive nature of the experience.

Our trip to the fishing pier on vacation involved a stop at the gift shop, where the little kids chose picture books from a wide selection by Suzanne Tate. My son walked away with Great Sharky Shark and my daughter with Speedy Ghost Crab. I have to admire an author who tapped into the local tourist market with a series of 30+ simple picture books that tell simple stories about coastal animals and their habitats. The kids enjoyed looking at them and reading them during our long ride home.

My youngest son will begin kindergarten in the fall, and he was encouraged to read many predictable, rhyming books this summer.  We picked up When Cows Come Home by David L. Harrison. I am partial to rhyming books, and we all enjoyed this fun story of what the normally stoic cows are up to when the farmer isn’t looking.

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

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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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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 FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!