An Open Book

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Welcome to the October 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Murder Most Picante

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!

Encountering Signs of Faith

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.

FP Rosary Prayer Book

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.

Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist

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.

The Two Towers

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.)

Inherit the Wind

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.

I Survived the Great Molasses Flood

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.

My Catholic Picture Bible Stories

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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An Open Book

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Welcome to the September 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Wise Blood

I’ve been listening to Flannery O’Connor’s novel Wise Blood while I’m driving about alone, which means it’s taking me a long time to get through it. The novel centers around Hazel Motes, who establishes The Church of God Without Christ, yet can’t seem to escape God’s reach. I took Katie’s recommendation to listen on audiobook, and the narration by Bronson Pinchot is excellent! The distinct voices, accents, and personality he brings to the characters has enhanced my appreciation for the story. I’m not certain I’ve yet acquired a taste for O’Connor, which is akin to heresy, I know. I’ve still got a lot of the book remaining, so I’m not going to make any judgments about it, but I do find it difficult to hear the Lord’s name used in vain so, so many times.

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide

In a totally different fiction vein, I read Quenby Olson’s Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons). Both Mildred Percy’s and the author’s voices are delightful in this fantastical historical novel. Sharply, smartly written and wildly creative, it’s no wonder so many readers have enjoyed it.  Mildred’s slow arc from browbeaten spinster sister to confident, adventurous, dragon-raising woman is a pleasure to read. The minor characters are three-dimensional, and the pacing is good, even for a longish novel.

To Tame a Cowboy

I’ve been reading Jody Hedlund’s Colorado Cowboy series, continuing with To Tame a Cowboy. A lot of the book felt formulaic, but the last third delivered the character growth I was waiting for. Brody is a Civil War veteran working on his brother’s ranch and keeping to himself until Savannah, a veterinarian trying to avoid being wed to a man she doesn’t love, comes to tend to their animals. Her fiancé and some cattlemen cause some interference for the two. I’ve really grown to love the Rocky Mountain setting in this series.

What Matters Most

Because I’ve enjoyed so many of Courtney Walsh’s contemporary Christian romances, I picked up her latest, What Matters Most. I’m not quite finished with it, but it’s not my favorite of hers. Despite the two main characters being artists (a watercolor painter and a photographer), it feels a little uninspired. Emma is a widow and mom to five-year-old CJ and has been merely going through the motions since her husband was killed in action five years earlier. Jameson shows up on her doorstep with a secret related to her husband’s death but doesn’t get around to revealing it until they’ve fallen in love. And Emma has a shameful secret too. The writing’s fine, but this one just isn’t grabbing me.

Masaru

Masaru by Michael T. Cibenko tells the story of a boy, Shiro, during the Christian persecutions and martyrdoms in 16thcentury Japan. Shiro’s family are recent converts to Christianity, and Shiro is studying to be a healer, but when their church is closed and their priest is arrested, he and his friend Tomi are called to action, which dominates the latter part of the book. The many names of historical and military figures made the story a little off-putting for me, unfortunately. Exploring Christian history and culture in Japan, however, was interesting.

The Silmarillion

Before returning to college, my oldest son read J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Silmarillion. It works as an origin story for The Lord of the Rings. From the description (because my eyes glaze over when encountering most fantasy books): The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Fëanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all their heroism, against the great Enemy.

Pride and Prejudice

For her summer reading assignment, my high school daughter chose the classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I read her journal reflections before she turned them in, and it was clear she despised Lydia. (As well she should.) One of the joys of reading a classic like this, I think, is understanding more literary references. She truly enjoyed the novel, and we’re looking forward to watching one of the movie adaptions. (She’s already seen the 2005 Keira Knightley version.)

Misty of Chincoteague

We brought home books for everyone from our local library’s annual book sale. My fifth-grade daughter picked up Misty of Chincoteague. She remembers seeing the wild horses on Assateague while on a family vacation, so I thought she might enjoy this classic, though I’ve never read it. Phantom is a seldom-seen pony that roams with a band of wild ponies, but her colt, Misty, is easily tamed. It’s Misty who is the center of the story.

Crossfire

Also at the library book sale, my fourth-grade son picked up Boba Fett: Crossfire by Terry Bisson. My kids have great affection for The Clone Wars animated series, and this book concerns that segment of the Star Wars universe. Boba Fett thinks Count Dooku will help him become a bounty hunter, but instead he ends up caught in the crossfire on Dooku’s toxic planet, Raxus Prime.

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An Open Book

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Welcome to the August 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Somehow, I squeezed in a lot of reading in the past month. Maybe it was vacation. Maybe it was a string of good books. I even have a few books in progress that I’ll hold until next month. Let’s get to it!

In Honor's Defense

Karen Witemeyer’s Christian historical romances are incredibly consistent in quality, but I particularly enjoyed In Honor’s Defense. It’s last in a series but can stand alone. I appreciated that the connection between a hardened, lonely cowboy/vigilante and an overlooked, citified woman was based on a connection more than skin deep. Damaris provides the compassion, tenderness, and stability that Luke has never had. He provides the affection and attention she’s never received. The story has plenty of action and a little mystery as they work to uncover who wants to take the land left to Damaris’s orphaned nephew by any means necessary.

Love and the Dream Come True

Love and the Dream Come True by Tammy L. Gray is also last (I think!) in a series. I’m a third of the way through the novel focused on a character who’s had his share of time “on screen” in the first two books in the series. In both books, Cameron, an aspiring musician, has been dumped, to put it bluntly. The second instance left him bereft of the love of his life and his friends/bandmates. Now he’s reached stardom, but he’s as lonely and anxiety ridden as ever. Enter his sister’s friend, Lexie, who’s had a crush on him since they were young and has perpetuated an imaginary relationship with him for more than a decade while raising her sister’s daughter. Cameron still has a way to go to make me like him, so I’m eager to see how this turns out. 

Merrying the Cowboy

I did a little Christmas in July reading with Crystal Walton’s Merrying the Cowboy. If you like Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll enjoy this one. It follows the format closely with the career-oriented city woman returning to the small town to help her ailing mother. While there, she can’t escape painful losses or her old boyfriend, a cowboy with some regrets where she’s concerned. The story flows smoothly and easily.

Harvest Moon

Yet another third in the series is Denise Hunter’s Harvest Moon. It didn’t hurt that this series, set in a North Carolina Appalachian Trail town ushered in my hiking/camping vacation that included some Appalachian Trail hikes. Mulberry Hollow addresses some serious grief and unresolved issues between a divorced couple left with (temporary) custody of their friends’ young daughter. From book one, the reader knows that Laurel and Gavin buried their own young son, and Denise Hunter does a great job of drawing out the tension surrounding that loss until well into this third book. Like Karen Witemeyer, I find Denise Hunter’s writing very consistent.

Mulberry Hollow  immediately precedes Harvest Moon. It’s probably my favorite of the three books as it’s the most trail-oriented. Wes is hiking part of the Appalachian Trail for a fallen friend. He gets sick and ends up on the door of the local town’s health clinic where Avery, the town doctor, nurses him back to health. He can’t pay her, so he remodels a small guest property that Avery hopes will help lure another doctor to her practice to lighten her load. As you might guess, they’re attracted to one another, but Wes has promised to head north to the sister of his fallen friend, and Avery has committed herself to being single due to the possibility of a hereditary health condition. Don’t worry. It all works out.

Jocelyn

Jocelyn by Sarah Monzon is another rom-com in the Sewing in So Cal series. I think I liked the first book, Molly, better, but this one is much like the first in tone and mood. These are relatively short, light reads that I’ve found refreshing. This one has a little of the cowboy/ranch hand thing going for it in a contemporary setting and is set apart by featuring a Black couple, which I don’t see a whole lot in Christian romance.

Child, Unwanted

I did read more than romance in July, and here’s evidence. Child, Unwanted by Corinna Turner is the next in her Friends in High Places series. Daniel, the main character of the first book in the series is featured prominently in this story of a young boy, Miracle, scarred from birth by a failed abortion, who lands in foster care and then suffers a near-fatal accident. He’s got a lot to suffer. Daniel is there as a companion and so is St. Margaret of Castello. I knew very little about this recently canonized saint who suffered both physically and emotionally her entire life. As an aside, Corinna Turner is the only author I know who can confine her protagonist to a hospital bed in a single room and still make the story engrossing. (This isn’t the first time she’s done it.)

In the Shadows of Freedom

In the Shadows of Freedom by C. & C. Spellman is the first book in a dystopian series. In it, the United States is governed by what I’d call a totalitarian libertarianism, odd as that sounds. The story of a disaffected young woman, Amanda, includes supernatural elements and an exploration of freedom versus licentiousness. Amanda cultivates troublesome relationships that promote drug experimentation and draw her further from the faith of her childhood. 

Shenandoah Heritage

While on vacation, my college-age son picked up a small book about the lives of the mountain families whose homes were taken by eminent domain to establish Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah Heritage: The Story of the People Before the Park by Carolyn Reeder and Jack Reeder features stories of families and individuals who resisted leaving their homes. Many of the residents were stereotyped as uneducated and lazy and became part of a campaign to relocate residents against their will, for their own good, of course. It was terribly unjust.

The Scourging Angel

The Scourging Angel: The Black Death in the British Isles by Benedict Gummer was snagged at a library sale and has sat on our shelf for a while. My son picked it up and dug in. It includes information on the plague itself with a focus on Britain and how it was affected by the disease and related upheaval. I imagine this is more interesting reading having lived through the last couple of years.

The Beatryce Prophecy

Based on a recommendation from an An Open Book post last month, I requested The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo from the local library. My almost fifth-grade daughter has enjoyed many of Kate DiCamillo’s books, and she enjoyed reading this one at our campsite on vacation. This illustrated story set in medieval times traces the journey of Beatryce, who is nursed to health by a monk. There’s a prophecy about Beatryce, and the king is after her. 

Little House on the Prairie

The same daughter is reading Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second book in the beloved series. Interestingly, I heard her spouting facts she’d learned from this and the first book while we were hiking. She’s picking up on natural history and pioneer survival skills. This book involves the Ingalls family traveling by covered wagon to Kansas territory.

Splatoon v. 10

My youngest son picked Splatoon Vol. 10 by Sankichi Hinodeya from the library. I don’t have much to say about these books, which are comic book adaptions of the video game. You defeat enemies by spraying them with paint. The interesting thing to me about these books is that they are read from back to front as one would do in Japan.

Catholic Bible Chronicles

If you’re looking for readable Bible stories for children, Catholic Bible Chronicles: 70 Bible Stories from Adam to the Apostles may fit the bill. The stories, adapted by Amy Welborn for Ascension Kids, are illustrated with a single picture and include a reference to the relevant Bible chapters. Stories are organized according to Ascension’s The Bible Timeline, which orders books according to Salvation History. It’s a large, sturdy hardback that can survive heavy use by many little hands.

An Ark Full of Animals

An Ark Full of Animals by Renita Boyle is a colorful picture book adaption of the story of Noah’s Ark that works best as a read aloud with rhyming, alliteration, and fun, descriptive language. The book is sturdy and visually appealing, something I’ve come to recognize as a quality of books from Ascension Kids.

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Relevant Fiction Reviews: Road Trip Romance!

Relevant Fiction Reviews

Summer’s here, and it’s time for a road trip! If the price of gas is keeping you close to home, take a virtual trip with a fictional road trip. Here are several I recommend:


This Life (Murphy Brothers #4)This Life by Jennifer Rodewald
If you’ve read books 1-3 in the Murphy Brothers series, you probably didn’t care much for cold, snooty Kate and Jacob. Especially once you learned that they’d betrayed Jackson Murphy. There’s a world of pain and insecurity hiding beneath that hoity-toity veneer, and Jennifer Rodewald exposes every last drop of it by letting her characters hit rock bottom and then sending them on the road, where simplicity and intimacy is forced upon them.

As the story says, the worst times can end up becoming the best times, once we’ve stripped away all the excess that has been distracting us from what’s most important: God and relationships being at the top of that list.

This Life also delves into a theme I’ve not often seen in romance – the dignity of work. God made work for man, not the other way around, and that’s ably demonstrated here.

This isn’t your typical romance – the characters are already married – but it’s an important story about redemption and second chances. And even if you’ve never declared bankruptcy and boondocked across the American West in a schoolie, you may recognize yourself in Jacob and Kate – your shame, pride, cowardice, and your resistance to complete honesty and vulnerability, even with those closest to you. Even your spouse. I know I saw a little of myself there, and I’m better for having read This Life.
Relevant Fiction Reviews: Road Trip Romance! Avoid the pain at the pump and take a fictional ride. Share on X Continue reading

An Open Book

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Welcome to the July 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

American Marxism

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

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.

Riverbend Gap

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

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.

Molly

I was in the mood for something light and easy, and Sarah Monzon’s Molly 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.

The Great Date Experiment

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

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.

Miracle at the Mission

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:

Rule of Two

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.

Dynasty of Evil

This is the essence of the Darth Bane Trilogy (Star Wars) by Drew Karpyshyn, of which my son read Rule of Two and 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

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.

A Kind of Paradise

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

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.

Pray and Think Imaginative Rosary Book

What I love most about the Ascension Press book Pray 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

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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An Open Book

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Welcome to the June 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

John Eyre

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.

A Crumby Way to Die

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!

Darth Bane Trilogy

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.

Words on Fire

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.

Helen Keller

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

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. 

Sugaring Time

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.

Amphibian

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.

101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher

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

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!)

Miracle in the Kitchen

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.

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An Open Book

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Welcome to the May 2022 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Under the Magnolias

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.

All That It Takes

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.

The Heart of a Cowboy

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.

Joyful Encounters with Mary

Maria V. Gallagher’s Joyful Encounters with Mary: A Woman’s Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary is 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.

The Outsiders

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.

Zoobreak

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.

The Curious Story of Jonah

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.

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