I read this in 2011 but am posting it now since I just read the sequel! About which more tomorrow! The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones My rating: 5 of 5 stars The glittering tradition of sword-and-sorcery sweeps into the sands of ancient Arabia with the heart-stopping speed of a whirling dervish in this thrilling debut novel from new talent Howard Andrew Jones In 8th century Baghdad, a stranger pleads with the vizier to safeguard the bejeweled tablet... Read more
Not Peace but a Sword- The Great Chasm between Christianity and Islam is the new book published by Catholic Answers written by Robert Spencer. As the title suggests this is not a soft look at Islam, but it is also not a diatribe against Muslims and a recitation of acts of evil committed by individuals or groups of Muslims. There is a very common idea that Muslims, Jews, and Christians being “People of the book” have many foundational ideas in... Read more
Having spent the last week with Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis’ Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. I, I’m now ready to give some preliminary impressions: preliminary because I’ve not read the whole thing, or even a tenth of it. But I spent an hour with it on Monday evening, and half-an-hour each morning since, and I think I’ve got the flavor of it. Bottom line: I love it. It’s a keeper. To recap, I got this book after praying for... Read more
Selfless: The Story of Sr. Theophane’s Missionary Life in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea by Reida Immolata This was a surprise review book that showed up on my doorstep via UPS last night. The cover and photos inside remind me of Story of a Soul (St. Therese of Lisieux’s autobiography). This is not an autobiography but is written so far in the same sweet, gentle style of the early-middle 1900s. I’m still on Sr. Theophane’s (Inez’s) youth but that... Read more
A pal of mine is in the medical profession, just entered the Church, and was asking about a good book to read for end-of-life issues. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you! Read more
Doan and Carstairs are back in The Mouse in the Mountain which sees our hard-boiled duo on the beginning of a Mexican vacation. Hear it at Forgotten Classics. Read more
Right now for free on Amazon you can download a selected short story collection as part of the “2012 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction.” I haven’t read them myself yet. “… a new Catholic culture has gradually emerged in the United States, ….The establishment of the Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction has called forth that art, allowing readers to discern the new Catholic cultural flowering. And if this year’s prizewinning short stories are any guide, Catholic art in America is... Read more
Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry Joe’s back. Pulled off vacation, Joe Ledger is knocking on research lab doors with Top and Bunny, looking into cyber-attacks so clever they can’t be tracked back to anyone. But no one’s answering, even though all the lights are on. Until a couple of men in black, who seem strangely inhuman, step onto the loading dock. And mayhem ensues. Yep. Joe’s back. Sorry Moonstone. Sorry Jane Eyre. Sorry Middlemarch. Sorry stack of audiobooks that I... Read more
I am reading through Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis’ commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. You can see all of my posts on this subject here. Erasmo’s view of scripture is deeply incarnational. Jesus is the incarnate Word of God; and the purpose of scripture is too bring us face to face with Him. Though the Bible, God’s word written, is not in itself divine, still: The written word of the evangelist: Is it... Read more
Save Send Delete by Danusha Goska My rating: 5 of 5 stars I became excited when Moyers identified you as a skeptic who questions everything. I actually put down my fork and stopped chewing my pasta fazool. I question everything, and I find that makes me very lonely. If you want to talk about Islam and terror, for example, you know that the Politically Correct, self-identitied “Patiots” won’t allow any critical statements about US petro-dependency. Abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage: people... Read more
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