Feasts of Judaism by Stephen J. Binz My rating: 5 of 5 stars Catholics hear a lot about how the Jewish people are their “elder brothers in the faith.” Other than reading the Old Testament aloud every Sunday, however, you aren’t given a lot of backup for this statement. Some similarities in worship are obvious but a lot of the Jewish faith remains a mystery. That’s why I was so interested in Stephen Binz’s book The Feasts of Judaism. I... Read more

Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage by Gregory K. Popcak My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is now the book I’m going to give newlyweds. I wish we’d had it when we got married. I wasn’t religious at all then and my husband was not a practicing Catholic. Nevertheless, I stand by that. It would have helped us tremendously. I don’t like self-help books generally but this one is... Read more

I’m a real fan of Father Robert Barron’s book Catholicism (my review here). When my husband and I helped with RCIA last year, they were using the DVD series to supplement the classes and we fell in love with those as well. I am delighted to see how well the book has done (over 100,000 copies sold!). I’m even more delighted to see that this has prompted a sweepstakes for a trip to Rome and Paris. Wow, talk about a... Read more

Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James J. Martin I am a fan of Father James Martin’s books, especially A Jesuit on Broadway. When Scott chose this book for our next religious book discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, I was on board, having been interested since I first saw it mentioned at Amazon. This gave me the impetus to seriously hunt down review copies and mine arrived yesterday. On Ash Wednesday. Ok, I can take a hint.... Read more

I have no clue what I’m going to read for Lent. Usually I choose something special but I may just keep going with my current book, The Medium and the Light: Reflections on Religion and Media by Marshall McLuhan. Yes, you read that right. It’s by “the medium is the message” Marshall McLuhan who happened to be a devout Catholic convert. Who knew? Not me. Luckily a pal thrust this book into my hands one evening and was so enthusiastic... Read more

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was raised to marry a monster. How’s that for a first line? From that moment we are immersed in a world which has been ripped out of time, suffering a curse which Nyx has been pledged from birth to break by marriage to the demon lord Ignifex. When she finds Ignifex is not simply what he seems on the surface, she is torn between her vow to her... Read more

DarwinCatholic’s got a book meme. That means I’m playing. (Jen played too.) With the caveat that I’m always reading too many books simultaneously. Here we go! There are plenty of memes that want to know all about your book history and your all-time greats and your grand ambitions, but let’s focus on something more revealing: the books you’re actually reading now, or just read, or are about to read. Let’s call it The Immediate Book Meme. 1. What book are... Read more