The Smile of a Ragpicker: The Life of Satoko Kitahara Convert and Servant of the Slums of Tokyo by Fr Paul Glynn My rating: 5 of 5 stars Satoko Kitahara was a young Japanese woman born to a wealthy family with a prestigious heritage. In 1947 she, like so many of her contemporaries, had a feeling that life contained nothing but pointless emptiness after her country was defeated. Then one day she wandered into a Catholic church for the first... Read more
A little devil-butt kicking for Halloween! Charlie Daniels is a country/southern rock musician most famous for his fiddle-duel song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. He’s had a long career as a song writer and this is his first foray into literary writing rather than song writing. Some of the stories are based off songs from the band (like The Devil Went Down to Georgia and Uneasy Rider) and some are character sketches or scenes from life. The stories work... Read more
A book relevant to the impending election in the United States (and indeed all of the future elections)… The phrase “separation of church and state” is popular in political discussions involving intense moral issues of the day. Unfortunately the phrase is often interpreted in ways that are most congenial to the user’s argument. Looking at the history, context, and intention of the original user of the phrase is generally ignored; instead, pundits assume a personally useful interpretation. “Separation of church... Read more
I have been very impressed with the work of Trent Horn of Catholic Answers. I always enjoy when he is answering calls on Catholic answers and his last book Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity was excellent. So when I had heard he was writing a new book I certainly looked forward to it. Now having read Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk about Our Culture’s Toughest Issue which was recently released I... Read more
Fr. Mitch Pacwa offers those of us who may never get to the Holy Land, or those who want a refresher visit, the opportunity to pray and learn about the sacred places with his book The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage. Read more
When it comes to books regarding J.R.R. Tolkien and his books it has become much like scripture interpretation. Which means in this case is that you learn much more about the philosophy of the author and very little about Tolkien’s works. Famously his books have been taken up by socialists who rather crazily assumed he was a fellow traveler, to environmentalists, and hippies. Anybody with a narrative can read into his books much like scriptural eisegesis. So I was both... Read more
Brave New World is a classic in dystopian fiction. It shows the world circa 700 AF (After Ford). The world is seemingly ruled by one central authority, which can be looked at in two ways. In one way, the central authority is the Alphas, individuals raised to be the intellectuals and social organizers who keep society running peacefully and efficiently. Part of the efficiency managing the production of all classes of people–Alphas, Betas, Gammas, etc. They are grown in special... Read more
Sarah Reinhard maintains that The American Catholic Almanac isn't a book for the bookshelf, but instead a book to share and reread and quote. Find out why in her review. Read more
Few authors are as prolific and successful as Stephen King. In 2000, he published this book, part autobiography and part writing advice. The memoir covers his early years, from childhood until he broke his addictions to booze and drugs. King does not give a thorough or strictly chronological biography but “snapshots” of moments influential in his writing. The details of his dirt poor childhood, his school life, and his marriage are interesting. Always his writing and struggles with publishing are... Read more
Sarah Reinhard considers why the Unwind series is one that EVERYONE should read. Read more
Happy Catholic Bookshelf
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