Happy Catholic Bookshelf
… Night Watch, an urban fantasy straight from Russia, is the book we’re discussing at A Good Story is Hard to Find. Read more
… Night Watch, an urban fantasy straight from Russia, is the book we’re discussing at A Good Story is Hard to Find. Read more
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve never been that interested in this book or anything by Wilkie Collins for that matter. Collins had that stigma (for me) of having written “classics” and “the first detective novel.” Which just killed any interest I’d ever have had because classics and “first ever” books are musty, boring, and stale, right? I know that isn’t true, but I still have a hard time shaking that idea. However, when... Read more
I can tell you already that one of the books on my “Best of 2013” list is the newly released brilliance in B by Pat Gohn, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood. For one thing, there’s the title. Pat has a streak of sassy New England, and she also has a swash of practical Midwestern. She’s studied and she’s lived. And it’s all there, in a title that makes me smile every time I see it. For another... Read more
I am an admitted book stalker of Julie Davis and became interested in Save Send Delete by Danusha Goska as she was posting about it at Goodreads. Her 5 star review of the book sealed the deal for me as I know she does not max out stars lightly. When I first read the summary of the book I thought it might be a bit like The Loser Letters by Mary Eberstadt. As I really liked that book as it... Read more
My first exposure to Mark Hart was when our youth ministry and director of religious education (who I’ll just call “Kelly” for short) started talking about him a few years ago. I first saw Mark Hart in action last year during our summer Confirmation Boot Camp (which I co-teach), when Kelly used one of his videos as part of the lesson. About two months ago, on Lauren Gulde’s advice, I started listening to the Sunday, Sunday, Sunday podcast, which is... Read more
Two summers ago, I bought two copies of A Garden of Visible Prayer: Creating a Personal Sacred Space One Step at a Time, by Margaret Rose Realy. One copy was for myself. The other copy was for my mother-in-law. It went with the handmade rosary Margaret crafted (I wish she sold them online!), and it was a pairing that I just knew was right for my mother-in-law. A few days ago, as the weather here in Ohio turned warmish, I finally found myself opening... Read more
Patheos is doing a site-wide transition to Disqus. If comments disappear and reappear for a day or so, this is nothing to fret over. Be not afraid! Read more
Walking Toward Eternity: Engaging the Struggles of Your Heart, written by Jeff and Emily Cavins and available through Ascension Press, has me looking at my Bible in a whole new way and even considering studying it in a whole new way. According to the press package, Walking Toward Eternity is a Catholic adult faith formation program that seeks to help people hear God’s Word to them in the prayerful reading of Scripture and to apply it, one step at a time, to... Read more
Earlier this week Pope Francis written by Matthew Bunson and published by Our Sunday Visitor was released. As I had written when reviewing Francis: Pope of a New World is that you expect some flaws and lack of depth for a book that quickly comes to market. In many ways this book gets passed some of those problems and is also a bit fuller when it comes to the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. This book provides a detailed snapshot... Read more
The Bones of the Old Ones by Howard Andrew Jones My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the highly enjoyable sequel to the excellent Desert of Souls (my review here). I really enjoyed it and if Goodreads allowed half-stars the rating would 4.5. Asim and Dabir are pulled into adventure when a young woman (Najya) begs them for help escaping kidnappers. The kidnappers have some very strange powers and the young woman seems to have been put under a... Read more
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