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

In his travels, my husband has been listening to Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. He reports that the author may have outdone his father, Stephen King, in creepiness. After all the content warnings my husband listed (graphic language, occult themes, sexual situations, and more), I’m fairly certain this book is not for me. As my husband said, “It’s [an exercise in] everything not to do.”

Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created by Patrick E. McGovern and Sam Calagione weaves archaeology and science to uncover the world’s oldest beverages and the cultures that created them. The book is listed among Smithsonian magazine’s Ten Best Books of the Year about Food and includes re-created recipes for the intrepid home brewer. I have nowhere near the interest in beer that my husband has, but the history surrounding these brews is fascinating.

I’ve been listening to The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King. Having grown up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, I had an immediate interest in Fred Rogers’ story. This biography seems well-balanced, neither elevating Rogers to sainthood status nor trashing the memory of a well-loved national figure. And while Mister Rogers’ personal story is interesting, I’m equally enthralled by the history told alongside the biography, namely western Pennsylvania history and the genesis of public television and children’s broadcasting. As a Pittsburgh native who studied broadcast journalism, there is so much here to interest me. The narration by LeVar Burton is well done.

The Waves, Amy Matayo’s brand-new, clean, contemporary romance, was such fun! What could’ve been a stranded-on-a-desert-island cliché is a thoughtful story about a couple whose very human desires to be known and loved are laid bare by the worst of circumstances. A beautiful setting, a selfless and simmering romance, and the author’s skill at creating true-to-life characters made this a highly enjoyable escape!

My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena by Marge Fenelon is a sort of travel guide, reflective journal, history book, and prayer companion rolled into one! The author’s trek across nine novena-worthy Marian pilgrimage sites enlightened me to Church and national history. The uniquely American flair of the sites and stories and the ways in which the author connected those to prayer for the United States is fresh and inspiring.

My sophomore son’s class has been reading William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, which I’ve read multiple times. I love that his classes place literature in context amidst their discussion of the Renaissance while also discussing Shakespeare and anti-Semitism through the play’s treatment of Shylock. My son has really enjoyed the play, citing great poetry, good characterization, and the friendship and romance overcoming Shylock’s hatred.

I haven’t seen a book outside of a classroom selection in my fifth-grade daughter’s hands lately, so I’ve given her Mission Libertad by Lizette M. Lantigua to read. I read this story of a Cuban family’s immigration to the United States in the 1970s earlier this year. Aside from the political and pop culture history that I enjoyed, there is a mystery and a faith element that make this an intriguing story for young readers.

My first grader is getting a thorough introduction to the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. She is reading The Knight at Dawn, in which siblings Jack and Annie visit the Middle Ages in the midst of a castle feast.

I’ve fallen in love with Our Sunday Visitor’s Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times by Meghan Bausch, and am so happy to read it aloud to our children. These simple, easy-on-the-ears stanzas about modern saints (Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Josephine Bakhita, Venerable Fulton Sheen and many more) are such fun to read. And yet they capture the essence of each saint’s life and charisms. The matching illustrations are beautifully done and convey as much as the written words, making this a true treasure that has a place in every Catholic child’s library!

My youngest son’s kindergarten class loves Pete the Cat, and this week we’re reading Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie by James Dean and Kimberly Dean. With bright illustrations, a rhyming refrain, and an opportunity to get up and move, I can see why this would be a classroom favorite.

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.

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

With his new job, my husband is spending more time traveling and therefore enjoying more audiobooks. He’s been listening to some Stephen King novels he last read in the 1980s, which have helped him complete our library’s winter reading program. And, self-serving as it may sound, he’s been listening to a couple of my audiobooks, including Rightfully Ours. (I know when he’s listening because he sends me messages about this or that familiar-sounding event or some detail that doesn’t jive.) Rightfully Ours by Carolyn Astfalk (me!) is a coming of age story about two teens in Williamsport, Pennsylvania who are drawn together by grief and circumstances. Together, they embark on a treasure hunt for lost Civil War gold, falling in love in the process.

I’ve been listening to Hurt Road by Bruce A. Stewart, a (mostly) easygoing story set in Lousiana in the 1960s and ‘70s. An orphaned teen moves from Detroit to the South to live with his grandparents, whom he hardly knows. The family farm on Hurt Road proves to be the place where Hank matures and falls in love. Likeable characters, light romance, and some suspense. I recommend this professionally-narrated novel.

No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ’s Passion by Edward Sri is the paperback companion to the Ascension Press Bible Study I’m participating in this spring. While it complements the workbook and video series well, it can be read as a standalone. Although filled with biblical typology, it’s not a series of dry and dull references. The insights have opened my heart to Christ’s passion in a new and deeper way.

My teenager picked up Darth Plagueis: Star Wars Legends by James Luceno on a recent library visit. I later breezed past the book lying on the dining room table and said, “Ooh, Death Plagues,” for which I was laughed at. Master of Careful Reading, that’s me. I was then schooled in the whole master/apprentice system by which the Sith endure. (For those not in the know, Darth Plagueis was Darth Sidius/Emperor Palpatine’s master.)

In my daughter’s fifth grade class, they are reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, which is the recipient of many awards. A privileged Mexican girl’s family experiences a reversal of fortune, forcing young Esperanza to work on a California farm during the Great Depression. Her mother’s illness and a labor strike further complicate matters for Esperanza.

While my oldest was choosing his Star Wars book, my first grader grabbed a couple of joke books and Cat Poems by Dave Crawley. We picked up the book on a whim, and I’m so glad we did! The poems are clever and sweet, and the illustrations are delightful and include a guide to various domestic cat breeds featured in the book.

My kindergartener is now privileged to bring home books from the school library. You and Me, Little Bear by MartinWaddell tugged on my heartstrings. In it, Big Bear (the Daddy) is too busy to play with Little Bear. Little Bear tags along with Big Bear while he completes his chores, then busies himself while Big Bear dozes before finally getting to play with his dad. But play they finally do. A sweet picture book that most parents and children will enjoy.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want more details on An Open Book? You can also sign up for An Open Book reminder email, which goes out one week before the link-up. No blog? That’s okay. Just tell us what you’re reading in the comment box.

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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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.