Sometimes I want to pick up something light, humorous, and romantic. I don’t equate that with fluff, which these books certainly are not. Some of these contemporary clean or Christian five-star romantic comedies have more depth than others, but none at the expense of a good story and likable characters.
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Progress in my Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge has been abysmal! I’ve been trying to get back in the game these last couple of weeks, zipping through some books I’d been wanting to pick up. First, I needed a book to listen to on my way to pick my son up from college. Sadly, as I think I’ve lamented here before, I no longer have access to Hoopla Digital through our libraries. That was my go-to source for borrowing audiobooks. Luckily, we’ve got a free Audible trial going, and I was able to find a Jody Hedlund book to listen to for free.
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My husband has been attending That Man Is You at our parish for years now, and each year the members receive a book. This year’s is The Hinge of the Hail Mary: The Art of Praying the Rosary by Mark Hartfiel. Inside are contributions by twenty authors, including Deacon Harold Burke-Slivers, Jason Evert, and Father Dave Pivonka. Four sections, with five lessons in each, cover the spirituality of the Rosary, intentions, and praying with others. The following sections offer reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary. Lessons are short, helping to make this a practical Rosary companion.
We’ve been experiencing some spring-like weather in February, and the warmer temperatures made me eager to dive into Margaret Rose Realy’s A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them. What a wonderful gardening book! Filled with beautiful illustrations by Mary Sprague, it is a guide to various plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers organized for ease of use in planning a garden with Catholic symbolism suited to your local environment. Find my full review at CatholicMom.
I’ve been reading Newearth: A Hero’s Crime by A.K. Frailey. This is the third book in a science fiction series. I’ve read the first and not the second, but I’m not having difficulty following along. I’m not too far in, so I’m going to give you the book blurb: “A planet-eating monster is heading to Newearth, and Cerulean is determined to find the one person who can save the planet. Allies living at home, investigating a distant planet, and flying through the universe must coordinate their efforts to fight off hostile enemies. Can human and alien worlds unite and build a future together?”
Amanda Lauer’s A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended, the fourth book in her Heaven Intended series of historical romances, straddles the line between sweet romance and historical nonfiction with a wealth of history concerning the Civil War-era South, particularly Georgia. Notable in this novel, which I’ve only recently begun, is the protagonist is a plantation slave.
For a cybersecurity class, my oldest son is reading The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll. Interestingly, the book was published in 1989, before the internet was as accessible to us as a glass of water. The author discovered at 75-cent accounting error that alerted him to an unauthorized user at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. From there he tracks the hacker “Hunter,” an international spy. The case eventually garnered the attention of the CIA.
For her Humanities class, my oldest daughter is reading Oedipus Rex, the first of the Theban plays by Sophocles. Ever so sympathetic, she said to me, “Poor Oedipus Rex. He didn’t know he was marrying his mother!” She had some previous knowledge of the play from her older brother and is truly enjoying it. Nothing says tragedy like unwittingly killing your father and marrying your mother, does it?
Both of my daughters quickly read and enjoyed Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl written and illustrated by Kim Hee-ju. Neither daughter seeks out graphic novels, been when one comes into the home, they will enjoy it. From the description: “Clare is a wealthy noblewoman with a handsome fiancé, but all she wants it to belong totally to Jesus. Her friend Francis preaches about giving up everything to follow Jesus, but Clare’s father wants her to get married and stop causing trouble.”
My youngest son picked out Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic! by Stephan Shaskan at the school book fair. I think he read it four times the day he got it. He even asked for Pizza and Taco on his birthday cake! I had no idea this book existed let alone was part of a series. I’m sure he’ll be asking for more. It’s a pretty simple graphic novel in chapter form. It’s well below this kid’s reading level but seems harmless.
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I’ve shared my love for Hoopla Digital here several times, but, sadly, our local libraries no longer support it. So, when I was looking for a short audiobook to accompany me on my drive from Virginia back to Pennsylvania, I turned to our Audible books. Stephen Crane’s classic The Red Badge of Courage fit the bill. I admired Crane’s use of imagery, but overall, this Civil War novel about a young man who romanticized battle then fled under pressure was a good but not great read. The main character, Henry Fleming, is referred to as “the youth” throughout, creating a distance from the character that I’d rather didn’t exist. Still, I thought the author did a great job of getting inside the youth’s head and experiencing his guilt, shame, pride, and nobility. Interestingly, the book is lauded as being a realistic war story, though Crane himself had no battle experience.
My oldest daughter and I both read The Merchant’s Curse by Antony B. Kolenc this month. She received the paperback for Christmas, and I read the e-book. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think it may be my favorite book in the Harwood Mysteries series thus far. Xan (Alexander) has left the abbey to be a merchant’s apprentice to his Uncle William but is doubting that this move was God’s will for him. A witch has cursed the son of his uncle’s partner and then Xan himself is cursed. (As a result, there’s a lot of retching going on in this novel.) There’s also a minor romantic thread between Xan and Christina, who assists Xan’s uncle. I really didn’t expect the witch’s curse to persist throughout the novel, which I guess I should have, based on the title, but I love that it did.
My college son is reading Sir Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, a utopian story. His opinion thus far is that it could’ve used an editor. Apparently, there is a lot of detail he thinks could be pared down. According to the description, Bacon’s depiction of an ideal college, Salomon’s House, “envisioned the modern research university in both applied and pure sciences.”
Intermission by Serena Chase is one of my all-time favorite Christian Young Adult romances, and my fifteen-year-old can hardly put it down. My review when I read it in 2017 says, in part, “This beautifully-written, gut-wrenching story is not only a touching, tender, and chaste love story, but an examination of obedience, an exploration of faith, and God’s magnificent plans for our lives – which may not follow our plans or our timelines.” Musical theatre buffs will love it, but I’m not one of those, and I still adored it!
My fifth-grade daughter is reading Lizette Lantigua’s Mission Libertad with her class. It’s the story of a 14-year-old boy who escapes communist Cuba. He comes to America and is embroiled in a mystery. It’s a fun combination of adventure, suspense, history, and faith. It’s availability has become limited, so visit Good News! Book Shop to find it.
Based on Patrice Fagnant-MacAthurs’ An Open Book recommendation last month, I borrowed Lacey’s Story by Bruce Cameron from the library for my daughter too. She’d been wrapped up in a long, ongoing series, but now she’ll be looking for something new. This story in Cameron’s series of puppy tales regards a special needs puppy who gets around with a mobility cart following an accident. So far, my daughter thinks it’s a little sad, but I think it will end up being heartwarming.
My youngest son picked up a Star Wars Boba Fett Clone Wars novel at a library sale last year. When he discovered The Fight to Survive by Terry Bisson in the school library, he realized he’d read book two and not book one. He borrowed the book and problem solved! My children all seem to enjoy the Clone Wars era of Star Wars most, and Boba Fett is this particular child’s favorite character. In this first novel, Boba Fett is a teenager on his home planet, Kamino—an especially rainy, watery world.
In fourth grade, he continues to read more in the I Survived series. Most recently, it’s I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis. I’m starting to think I should read this series to get a thumbnail sketch of all the history I’ve never learned about. This snowslide in the Cascade Mountains is the deadliest in American history. Ninety-six people were killed when lightning struck the mountain and sent a ten-foot wave of snow down its slope.
A Prayer from the Heart is Tammy Fernando’s debut picture book. It’s not yet available, but I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy. The main character, Chris, touches a soft spot in my heart. He prays for a friend, something I think all of my children—and I—have done. The way God answers his prayer is touching and demonstrates God’s intimate care and concern for each of us. Illustrations are bright and inviting. Tammy hasn’t yet done a cover reveal for this book, so follow her website or social media to get the first look!
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It’s such fun to see my kids enjoying the books I got them for Christmas! But first, a couple of books I read.
Her Stand-In Christmas by Crystal Walton is everything that’s been filling my social media feeds this season. It’s a contemporary rom com Christmas road trip with an illustrated cover. I’m starting to weary of the similarities among them, but I tip my hat to authors who are more savvy and less stubborn than I am about writing to market. I’ve enjoyed so many of this author’s books, including the first (non-Christmas) book in this series. The writing felt a little forced to me, and some of the many pop culture references were whizzing by me, but it hits all the marks for the genre and delivers a light Christmas romance with warm holiday themes of love, family, and forgiveness.
My friend Theresa Linden is about to release another book in her West Brothers series, Summer at West Castle. This one is a straight-up sweet romance filled with romantic moments and light humor but also a powerful Christian message about seeing yourself and others through God’s eyes, not holding onto past sins or prejudices. Summer at West Castle provides the backstory to Linden’s new adult mystery Anyone But Him. Having gotten acquainted with Jarret West over eight books now, I think he’s one of the most memorable characters I’ve read and a testament to the transformative power of Christ.
My oldest son has an interest in mythology and has lately been focused on Old Norse myths and legends. I purchased a book he’d had his eye on for Christmas: The Saga of the Volsungs wiith the Saga of Ragnor Lothbrok translated by Jackson Crawford. These translated sagas recount seven generations of a heroic family, including Viking Chieftain Ragnor Lothrbrok. I think these sagas gained popularity in the wake of the TV series Vikings. My son has found that series a bit hit or miss, but I think it reinvigorated his interest in all things Norse.
My high school daughter received The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott as her prize for completing the local library’s summer reading program. There are three short Christmas stories contained in this pretty hardcover that’s perfect for reading on a cold night in the light of the Christmas tree, which is pretty much how my daughter enjoyed it. It’s the kind of simple book that makes for a lovely Christmas tradition.
For her literature class, the same daughter read the The Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the world’s oldest epic, the tale of Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, and his companion, the wild man, Enkidu. From the description of this Babylonian epic: “A timeless tale of morality, tragedy and pure adventure, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a landmark literary exploration of man’s search for immortality.”
But back to mythology. This freshman class is also reading portions of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, which includes a variety of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths. It is praised as a readable classic, sharing the tales of Olympus and Valhalla that are so influential in Western culture.
My fifth grader was excited to receive The Sisters of the Last Straw: The Case of the Missing Maps by Karen Kelly Boyce. She has thoroughly enjoyed the entire seven-book series and was eagerly awaiting this new book. This one involves more mystery with clues for finding gold—but can the sisters find the treasure before their sourpuss neighbor, Mr. Lemon?
My youngest son read through Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde in a couple of days. I can hardly believe this is Book 17 in the series! I haven’t read any recent books in the series, but my kids tell me the author has managed to maintain the quality and feel of the early books. Even the smell of them is nostalgic to my 19-year-old! This one is about Roderick, the older brother of the main character, Greg, and his band, Löded Diper.
For class, he also read I Survived the Attacks of September 11 by Laura Tarsis. It’s a little surreal to have my child reading about a historical event that still seems so fresh in my memory. It’s the story of a boy named Lucas, who arrives at the New York City firehouse where his uncle works on the morning of 9/11.
On the recommendation of Catholic Mom and Daughter, I reserved a copy of The Christmas Story from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke with artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art from my local library. This is a lovely book to read and re-read each Christmas with your family. The Gospel stories are simply retold, and the medieval and Renaissance paintings that accompany them—from the Annunciation through the Flight to Egypt—are beautiful to study.
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It’s been a season of sickness over here and the reading has taken a hit. For all of us. But, here’s what we’ve got, going into the Advent season:
If you’re looking for a clean, fun Hallmark-esque Christmas novella, I recommend CeCe Louise’s Christmas After All. The enemies-to-lovers story plays out much as you’d expect with a couple misunderstandings, but the journey is an enjoyable one with smooth writing and as well-developed characters as you can create in a novella. Melissa and Tucker have some bad blood from her rejection of him in high school. But now he’s back in their hometown, a country singing star, and apparently his old feelings for her haven’t completely disappeared, despite the song he wrote about her that propelled him to stardom.
I started listening to The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb because the premise intrigued me. My library loan ran out, and someone else is in line to borrow, so I don’t know whether I’ll get back to this one. Ray McMillian’s heirloom violin is stolen before the international Tchaikovsky Competition. Can he get it back? (I’m guessing he does, even if I don’t get the audiobook loan back.)
With a group of honors students, my son read the introduction to The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. I don’t think they are reading the entire book, but now my interest is piqued by a book that slipped by me while still in high school. This descriptor, from a book written in the late 1980s, seems accurate in 2022: “Bloom argues that the social and political crises of contemporary America are part of a larger intellectual crisis: the result of a dangerous narrowing of curiosity and exploration by the university elites.” Have you read it?
My daughter’s class is reading the Book of Job and then Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite, a modern look at the biblical character. Based on how few reviews of editions are out there, it doesn’t seem to be a widely read play. Maybe it’s more often viewed; I don’t know. Straight from the description: “Successful Long Island businessman Joe Benjamin is a modern-day ‘Job’ with a demanding wife, ungrateful children, and wise-cracking household employees. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, he is visited by Sidney Lipton, a.k.a. A Messenger from God (and compulsive film buff) with a mission: test Joe’s faith and report back to ‘the Boss.’” I like that this teacher often uses plays in the classroom, something I had little experience with beyond Shakespeare and a few others.
My younger daughter recently read Roald Dahl’s Matilda for a school book report. Matilda is a sweet, smart young girl who faces off with a mean school head mistress—Miss Trunchbull. In the course of fending off the Trunchbull, as they call her, Matilda discovers some remarkable powers. My fifth grader enjoyed this book, though she said she prefers books with more action.
My youngest son has been reading more of Big Nate, specifically In the Zone, book six in the eight-book series by Lincoln Peirce. The book description doesn’t say much, at least not in the way of a plot, and I think this series has cashed in on Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s popularity. Not to say it’s not good in its own right, but it’s a similar illustrated story of a middle school boy’s shenanigans and mishaps.
My son’s class is also reading I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 by Lauren Tarshis. The books are a handy way to teach history, and his teacher has timed this read well for the bombing’s anniversary. The story is from the perspective of an 11-year-old American boy playing on his favorite Hawaiian beach when the attack by the Japanese commences.
I’ve begun reading The Curious Christmas Trail by Haley Stewart (The Sister Seraphina’s Mysteries), though I think it will be more fun to start over with the little kids next to me on the couch. The illustrations by Betsy Wallin are cute, cozy, and make me want to crawl into the adorable little mouse world. The book itself is a lovely hardcover chapter book that would be a nice addition to a child’s Christmas collection. I’ve only read one chapter, but it seems to be a sweet, pleasant story centered about the Christmas pageant and the mystery of missing Sister Dymphna at Saint Wulfhilda’s Abbey.
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Life has been busy and reading time has really taken a hit around here, being pushed behind schoolwork and other duties. Even so, we’ve still got some books open! I’m only a short way into The Cross and the Godless by Joseph Mauck. This thriller is set in 1979 along the southern United States border. It involves Pedro, son of a Christian opposition leader, fleeing the Sandinistas, and a subsequent FBI investigation of border killings.
I’m currently giving a final proofread to Catholic Teen Books’ forthcoming anthology, Ashes: Visible & Invisible. Ten authors contributed Lenten short stories that touch on the liturgical season of preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection. The other authors and I plot our stories individually, and how these stories complement one another always wows me. I think young readers will appreciate stories that help them to focus on sacrifice and memento moriin relatable scenarios set in a variety of time periods and genres. Available in January 2023.
While in the car, where I’ve been spending a good amount of time lately, I’ve been listening to The Do-Over by Bethany Turner. It’s a well-written and narrated rom-com. At almost halfway through, I still don’t care for the heroine, McKenna, a big-city, career-oriented lawyer who’s returned home to North Carolina for her younger sister’s engagement party (only after she’s accused of embezzlement and put on leave from work). There, she re-connects with a high school friend, Hank (formerly nerdy Henry), who is a wildly successful and famous documentary-maker. McKenna may just remain a character I don’t like, but I’m hoping her story arc endears me to her soon. I also haven’t discovered any Christian aspect of the story despite that it’s categorized as Christian/religious romance.
My son has been taking advantage of Spotify’s recent addition of audiobooks to listen to the classic Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, read by Sir Christopher Lee. It runs a little over two-and-a-half hours, and from what I’ve listened to, Lee’s narration is excellent. I can’t recall for certain whether I read the novella a long, long time ago. We all know the cultural reference, but how many of us have read this story of a man with a split personality – one good, one evil?
Leslea Wahl has re-released an updated version of her novel An Unexpected Role with a new publisher and cover, launching a brand-new series! The author writes so well for teens, always delivering a fun, clean story with gentle faith lessons lived by characters growing in maturity. Into the Spotlight takes place amidst an alluring backdrop of sunshine and sand. Josie has escaped to the beach, creating some distance between herself and her mom. Mystery, adventure, and romance await her, but the most touching moments of the story involve Josie’s self-discovery, the softening of her heart, a genuine romance, and reconciliation with her mom.
I didn’t realize the I Survived series extended to graphic novels, but apparently it does. Lauren Tarshis’ I Survived the Titanic, 1912, has been adapted by Georgia Ball and illustrated by Haus Studio. George Calder and his sister Phoebe are excited to travel on the Titanic with their aunt. But, as we know, disaster awaits. My fifth-grade daughter has been reading this alongside a series she’s several books into and a classroom read-aloud.
My youngest son read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving with his fourth-grade class. He says it was “really, really great” and especially enjoyed the chase at the end. He thought it was a great book to read for Halloween. If you’re unfamiliar, the story recounts New England schoolteacher Ichabod Crane’s encounter with the headless horseman.
My son’s also been reading, for spooky season, Magic Treehouse #42: A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne. It looks like the series has updated covers since my oldest began reading the books more than a decade ago, and I like the new look. This story is set in New Orleans, where time-traveling brother and sister Jack and Annie meet some ghosts and a young Louis Armstrong.
Because our school library has some old gems, my son has also been carting around The Encyclopedia of Catholic Saints from Chilton Books, circa 1966. The hardcover book includes only saints commemorated in April, so I assume this is part of a twelve-volume set. The book, with its plain cover, seems to be out of print, but I see a handful of copies of various editions turn up when searching used book sellers. It includes relatively short biographies of various saints, some familiar, some not.
I received a review copy of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Her Dear Juanito by Marlyn Evanelina Monge (Pauline Books and Media). There are an increasing number of children’s books about this American Marian apparition, but this one is unique in that it gives more space to St. Juan Diego and is firmly grounded in his native culture. Beautiful illustrations! It would make a great read aloud story.
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A cozy mystery. A fantastical dragon story. A comedy. Theologically-sound Catholic fiction. Murder Most Picante by Karina Fabian is all of these and more. I’m thoroughly enjoying the author’s humor delivered via Vern the Dragon’s first-person account of his trials in the world of the Mundane. (That’s where we live.) Smart, short, and entertaining. Now I know what all the fuss about Vern is for!
I’m a couple of chapters into Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God by Allison Gingras. It’s a cohesive blend of the author’s experience adopting a profoundly deaf daughter from China, the Church’s sacramentals, and the saints. It starts with probably my favorite sacramental: the Miraculous Medal. I’m looking forward to learning more about some sacramentals I may be less familiar with.
Since I received a copy of Father Peyton’s Rosary Prayer Book: The Family the Prays Together Stays Together by Patrick Peyton, I’ve been taking it to weekly Eucharistic Adoration, when I have time to concentrate on the Rosary. Don’t get me wrong—I’m distracted at Adoration too, but possibly less so than in other places as I’m not rushed. This book fits so nicely in my hands, and with its short reflections, slows me down and helps keep me on track. I highlight lines that I want to contemplate and spend some minutes mulling over or return to later.
My husband has been reading The Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist by Scott L. Smith. As you’d likely guess from the title, the author examines author J.R.R. Tolkein’s devotion to the Eucharist and its significance in his novels, particularly the Lord of the Rings series. I don’t think my husband’s very far into the book, so it’s hard to say how this book fares in comparison to others that address Tolkein’s Catholicism as woven throughout his work.
My oldest son has been reading The Two Towers, also by J.R.R. Tolkein. I think the anticipation of Amazon’s Rings of Power series spurred his interest in reading the book after he’d listened to the first book of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, on audiobook. He’s enjoyed the books much more than Amazon’s LOTR-inspired series, The Rings of Power. While it’s visually appealing, he’s not enjoyed the TV series. (I asked why he keeps watching, and he says it’s like a train wreck. He can’t look away.)
I last mentioned Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Drama of the Greatest Courtroom Clash of the Century by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee in 2017, when my oldest son read it. My daughter is now reading it for her Humanities class, which blends perfectly with her history studies. Some of her friends are also cast in the school’s fall production of the play, so she’ll truly be able to appreciate this story and its context. The play is based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial regarding a teacher accused of teaching the theory of evolution.
In addition to reading some books I’ve already shared here as her older siblings read them, my fifth-grade daughter is reading I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis. I don’t know how I made it to my forties without hearing of this disaster, but I’ve been absolutely fascinated by it since. (If you know a good book for adults on the subject, please share!) If you’re unfamiliar, the flood occurred in Boston when 2.4 million gallons of molasses rushed through the streets. Twenty-one people died and 150 suffered injuries. Weird, wild stuff.
Ascension Press publishes many sturdy, colorful, useable books for young Catholic children. My Catholic Picture Bible Stories by Jan Godfrey and Angela Jolliffe includes one- to two-page Bible stories with big, bright illustrations to capture the attention of the littlest kids. They’re organized and color-coded according to Ascension’s Great Adventure Bible timeline. It can serve as a great introduction to the best-known stories and characters of the Bible from both the Old and New Testaments.
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