The Catholic Post Book Group

January Giveaway #2: Weightless by Kate Wicker

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the Birgitta, winner of the giveaway of Strengthening Your Family.

Next up is a giveaway of Kate Wicker's Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body, another book I reviewed in my January column. I had the chance to interview Kate and post the interview last week. You can read that interview here, where you can read more about her book and writing.

The deadline for entering this giveaway is Monday, January 30, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books on giveaways here at the Catholic Post Book Group. You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book. So, if you are interested in a copy of Weightless, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you. If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name. That's it--couldn't be easier. Good luck to all entries!

Three Great Books for Life

2012-01-23T14:40:00.003-06:00

Today I'm working to finish my February column for The Catholic Post, and I've so enjoyed watching the March for Life coverage from Washington, D.C., on EWTN when I head to the kitchen for lunch or water. There's one reason to be glad for cable television.

Today, I kept TweetDeck, a Twitter program, running, since the March is going on. The hashtag #MarchforLife has been steadily growing throughout day, and nearly every second, sometimes more, a tweet will pop up on my screen with the hashtag #Marchforlife. There are so many great ones from teenagers via text and others via Blackberry or iPhone at the March itself, like, "all life is presh" and "a person's a person, no matter how small" as well as some of the cheers they are saying, like "At the #MarchforLife right no. People are chanting "#Obama, your mother chose life."

I thought at one point, I bet this is a "trending topic" on Twitter, so I checked that, but so far, every time I do, it's not listed. Why, Twitter? I don't want to claim Twitter media bias or anything, but it's almost hard not to. So I subscribed to the hashtags that are "officially" trending, like #CommunityManagerAppreciationDay and #NationalPieDay (really? and #marchforlife is not?) and let me just say that they are in now way as "busy" as #marchforlife. So even thought Twitter is not listing #marchforlife as trending, I'm telling you, it is trending, big time.

Because of that, and in honor of all the great people (mostly young, you can see them live on EWTN!) at the March for Life, I wanted to list a few quick books that are worthwhile reading

1. Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman, illustrated by Ben Hatke

For children, nothing beats Regina Doman's Angel in the Waters, her picture book about the life of an unborn baby, with luminous illustrations by Ben Hatke. You can read the book online at Angelinthewaters.com/, but there's nothing like sitting on a couch reading it to your favorite young person. I dare you not to choke up when you read it.

2. Unplanned by Abby Johnson

I reviewed Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line, last February, and it is worth a read if you have not and a re-read if you have. Johnson was a Planned Parenthood clinic director, and leaves it all after seeing a first-trimester baby jerk away from the instruments as she assisted during an ultrasound-guided abortion. I interviewed Johnson about her book and work here.

As I wrote in my review, "This fine book speaks volumes about the power of love and prayer to overcome darkness and despair. Johnson writes that she was 'loved from one side to the other.' Reading Unplanned will make readers want to be that kind of love and prayer in their own communities.

3. Won by Love: Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe V. Wade, Speaks Out for the Unborn As She Shares Her New Conviction for Life by Norma McCorvey

I had forgotten about this book until a friend tweeted over the weekend, " Want to know more about Roe v Wade? Why don't you read about it from Roe herself?" with a link to Norma McCorvey's website, Roe No More. Norma McCorvey was the plaintiff in the Roe v. Wade case, but writes about how she was tricked into it, and all that ensued--addiction, abortion clinic work, conversion, healing. Powerful, powerful stuff.

I read Won by Love last year after I read Unplanned and wanted to read or re-read other abortion conversion stories. I found Won by Love to be somewhat less "polished," but no less powerful or moving because of it.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I worked in the pro-life movement in Washington, D.C., I often encountered Norma McCorvey with her firebrand and rarely-out-of-the-spotlight lawyer Gloria Allred. I remember at the time thinking that I felt so, so sorry for Norma McCorvey, as she just seemed lost and used by those around her.

This is an aside, but I usually felt sorry for most of the people on the pro-abortion side, as many were wounded and not healed, and there was always a pervasive sadness there. Once, a woman working for NARAL (we were always friendly to each other) blurted out to me in a green room before an interview, "Well, I've had an abortion" as if I would condemn her, and I just said, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you had an abortion." What else was there to say?

But with Norma McCorvey it always seemed especially sad, and that she was so deserving of love. Reading Won by Love made me weep because she finally discovered a healthy, life-giving love. Lots to ponder and be grateful for in reading that book.

I'm realized now I've never read former abortionist Bernard Nathanson's The Hand of God, and I have to remedy that this year. There are probably other books I'm missing here.

What are some of your favorites?

January Giveaway: Win a Copy of "Strengthening Your Family"

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

This month I'm excited to be giving away two books that I reviewed in my January column. First for a giveaway is a copy of Strengthening Your Family by Marge Fenelon.

I had the chance to interview Marge and post the interview earlier this week. You can read that interview here, where you can read more about her book and writing.

The deadline for entering this giveaway is Monday, January 23, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books on giveaways here at the Catholic Post Book Group. You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book. So, if you are interested in Strengthening Your Family, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you. If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name. That's it! Couldn't be easier. Good luck to all entries!

Q&A With Kate Wicker, author of "Weightless"

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Following is my e-conversation with Kate Wicker, author of Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body, which I reviewed in my January column.. The great local news is that Kate will be keynote speaker at the Behold Conference this March. If you live anywhere remotely near the diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and have not yet registered for this great conference, please consider doing so. In the meantime, enjoy our conversation.

Q: Tell Catholic Post Book Group blog readers a little about yourself, your family and your writing.

First off, thanks so much for sharing your space with me. To give your readers a quick rundown: I’m a cradle Catholic, a wife to an amazing man, a mom to four little ones, and a writer and speaker when my-harried-but-happy-life-allows.

I have a degree in journalism and before becoming an at-home mom, I worked on the editorial staff of a regional parenting publication. I also freelance wrote for a variety of national publications and did a lot of medical and health writing early on.

These days I’m blessed to have the opportunity to write about two of my greatest passions in life: motherhood and my Catholic faith. I’m a senior writer for Faith & Family LIVE! and health columnist for Catholic Digest, and I also occasionally contribute to other publications. I ramble on about body image, my Catholic faith, mothering, sleep (or lack thereof), and other topics over at my blog, KateWicker.com.

I’m super excited to be attending the Behold Conference in March as a keynote speaker, and I hope I’ll get to meet some of your readers.

Q. One of the things I loved best about Weightless was your desire to help your own daughters grow up with a healthy self-image. How does faith play a role in that? And how do you see that changing as your girls get older, or now that you have a son?

I could write an entire book just about raising healthy daughters. Our children live in a world where they are constantly being exposed to unrealistic media images and unhealthy messages about sexuality, what it takes to be beautiful and desirable, and being a woman. We live in a society where girls are constantly at risk of sacrificing their true selves - whether they try to find love in the arms of a boy who doesn’t really care about them, wear immodest clothing to get attention, or turn themselves into a shiny, pretty package using extreme dieting or obsessive exercising. We have to work hard to counter the confusing messages out there, and the strongest tool in our arsenal is the wisdom of the Church. We have to teach our daughters where their true dignity lies: in the simple truth that they are created in God’s image and likeness and are carrying His mark.

When I wrote Weightless, I only had daughters, but we were pleasantly surprised to welcome a baby boy into our family this past August. I’m already thinking of ways to help him see that his God-given role as protector means that he must fight for the dignity of women and protect their divine beauty and worth. Partly because of the contraceptive culture we live in, it’s very difficult for today’s young men to not be enticed by the scantily-clad images in media or to not start objectifying women instead of seeing them as vessels of God’s beauty.

Our children - both boys and girls - face a lot of pressure today, but with our guidance, prayers, and the grace of God we can help fight back against a culture that undermines their worth, muddles their true life purpose, and help them hold onto their true selves.

Q. You share a lot of your personal story in Weightless about your struggle as a teen and young woman with an eating disorder. Was it hard to write about that with the compassion that you did, or is it enough in the past to allow you perspective?

I don’t think it’s ever easy to expose our brokenness (especially if you’re a perfectionist like I am). In many ways I didn’t (and still don’t) feel qualified to write a book about making peace with your body, especially when I still occasionally struggle with my body image or when I sometimes have difficulty applying the virtue of temperance to my eating habits.

During the writing process for Weightless, I was forced to face some of the relics of my eating disordered past, but I also was gifted with the opportunity to share glimpses of hope and redemption.

Likewise, dredging up the abuse I inflicted upon my body when I was suffering from a clinical eating disorder certainly wasn’t fun, but it was worth it because I also saw how God had never left my side even at my darkest moments. In fact, it wasn't until I turned to God and the principles of my Christian faith that the real healing began.

I do believe that all of us have our own unique spiritual attacks we have to constantly be on guard against. For me, food and body image seem to be some of them, so I’ll probably always find it somewhat uncomfortable and challenging to discuss some of these topics related to how we see ourselves and our bodies and how we approach food. Yet, God often invites us to step outside of our comfort zone in order to find peace in Him and to be better able to minister to others.

Q: Your book has been out for several months. Can you share some of the feedback you’ve gotten from readers?

I’ve been blessed to have received many encouraging emails and messages from women in different stages of life. One woman wrote that even though she was called to the single life and spiritual motherhood rather than physical motherhood, she was able to glean something from my book’s chapter that focuses on how being a mother changes how we see ourselves and our bodies.

I also had a 70-year-old women confess to me that she had struggled with bulimia for more than 30 years and had never really understood the depths of her hurt until she read my book.

One mom wrote that her young daughter was already thinking she was fat because her clothes from last season no longer fit her. The mom was worried and asked for my advice. It broke my heart that a child was already so body-conscious, and I encouraged the mom to remind her child that she should see her tighter clothing as something positive - a sign that she is healthy and growing. In our thin-obsessed culture, it’s easy to see why even young children start to equate growth with gaining weight, which feels like something they should avoid. This can be especially true for girls going through puberty - a time when their bodies naturally change and often fill out. It’s important to talk about how a girl’s body will develop and how growing up means that some physical changes will begin to take root.

At the same time, even if your young daughter has started to blossom physically, protect her innocence. Just because a child looks more like a grown-up doesn’t mean she is one. Finally, I’ve told other moms to remind their children that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Despite what Hollywood might have us believe, there is no “ideal” body shape. God loves variety. One look at the diversity in nature, it’s obvious that He did not intend to create a cookie-cutter world. We need to appreciate His artistry and accept our shape and encourage our children and others to do the same.

Q. What do most hope readers will take away from Weightless?

My biggest hope is that women will walk away from reading this book believing they can live a “weightless” life unencumbered by thoughts that they are not thin enough, young enough, pretty enough, or simply good enough. I know what it’s like to be a slave to the scale, to believe you’ll never be able to free yourself from thoughts of food or from pursuing thinness. But I’m here to tell you that there is hope. You are stronger than a craving. The number on the scale is not an indictment of your character. You’re not a bad person because you ate a few too many chips. You don’t have to feel shameful because you binged or purged or did both. God is knocking on your heart. Let Him in. Food or a relentless quest for youth and beauty won’t offer you real, lasting happiness or peace. But believing in an all-loving, all-powerful God who makes all things possible just might.

Q. Are you planning to write any more books?

I’ve been approached about a second book, and I feel incredibly humbled to have this opportunity; however, I’ve decided to focus on my most important “works in progress” - my children - at least for the few more months before starting any new writing projects. I’ll definitely keep you posted though when I get around to writing another book!

Q&A With Marge Fenelon, author of "Strengthening Your Family"

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm delighted to have had the chance to "e-chat" with Marge Fenelon, author of Strengthening Your Family, one of the books I reviewed in my January column. Marge, my thanks for being willing and thorough in answering my questions here.

Q: Tell Catholic Post Book Group blog readers a little about yourself, your family and your writing.

I’m a cradle Catholic and have been married to my husband, Mark, for 29 years. We have four mostly-grown children, ages 26-16, and live in the Midwest. My interest in writing began in grade school, although for a time I was convinced that I’d become a criminal lawyer so I could go after the Mafia (Go ahead, laugh. I do.). I majored in Journalism in college and spent several years as a public relations consultant. One day, I woke up and said to myself, “I want to write for the Church.” So, from that moment on, I wrote almost exclusively for Catholic publications and organizations. I couldn’t be happier.

Q. As I wrote in my review of your book, I felt like we are “kindred spirits… I felt like I was having lunch with a friend and getting encouraging counsel and spiritual uplift about family life and its inevitable ups and downs.” Was your conversational, fellow-traveler style intentional, and how did this help you?

I think my writing style involved from my copious journaling throughout grade school, high school, and college. The “copious” part tapered off once I had kids; the desire was there, but the time wasn’t. I always addressed my journal entries to someone – the Blessed Mother, Our Lord, or a favorite saint. It helped to picture someone on the other end of the line, so to speak. Once I started getting published, folks seemed to like my style, so I kept up with it. Once, my spiritual director called me a natural storyteller, and so I took that as a sign from God that I should try to further develop that gift. Mostly, though, I think it comes from the fact that I love and enjoy people – all kinds of them!

Q. Before I read your book, I was not at all familiar with the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement. Is it primarily regional to WI, where you live? Can you tell us a little more about it and its influence on your family’s life?

Schoenstatt is an international lay movement founded in 1914 in Schoenstatt, Germany, by Father Joseph Kentenich (1885-1968), a German priest whose cause for beatification has been opened in Rome. Father Kentenich spent 14 years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the movement sprouted roots there. That’s how I encountered it – through a chance meeting of my mother with Fr. Kentenich and my attendance at a Catholic grade school taught by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.

The Movement is one of moral and religious renewal, based on a Covenant of Love with Mary under the title Mother Thrice Admirable and with the Schoenstatt Marian Shrine as a focus and place of grace. There are more than 250 Schoenstatt Shrines throughout the world and on every continent. People also erect home shrines, or prayer corners, in their homes in the same spirit.

Cornerstones of the Schoenstatt method of education include ideals, freedom, and self-education, which have become cornerstones for my educational methods for myself and my children. Schoenstatt has given us a framework in which to grow spiritually and has drawn us closer to Mary and her Son.

Q. Your kids are mostly grown now. How does this phase of life change your parenting and your spirituality?

Whew. Great question! I often think that parenting now is far more time consuming (in a good way) than when the kids were little. There are days I throw up my hands and jokingly exclaim, “Argh! What I wouldn’t give for a poopy diaper!” Basically, as the kids get bigger, so do the problems. And yet, it’s a privilege and delight to see them become the persons God has intended them to be, and to hear their impressions of the world unfolding around them. Frequently, they’ll spontaneously seek me out for a heart-to-heart chat, and I love that! I do more listening and taking in now, as opposed to active teaching. Once in a while I’ll give advice, but I try to allow them the freedom and encouragement to work things out on their own. That can be excruciating when I see one of my children going through a tough time! Spiritually, I have (a little) more time to myself, but my focus still usually is on my children. I pray for them, but also I offer for them – sacrifices and acts of self-mortification. Don’t worry; no leather whips with little iron balls at the end! I may fast for a day, give up something I really like, make a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine, or do some extra work around the house – things like that. On a personal level, I’ve discovered that now I have the ability to dig deeper in order to root out those evasive chunks of nastiness in the crevices of my soul that had eluded me when I was occupied with those aforementioned diapers.

Q. What do most hope readers will take away from Strengthening Your Family?

Uh, the whole book? Kidding aside, I hope that they can grasp what I see to be the five most important elements of parenting toward sanctity: holiness, stewardship, apostleship, freedom, and joy. I’d also like to see some of the sting taken out of that word, holiness. It’s not just for canonized saints, or for the family that sits in the front pew at Sunday Mass. It’s for US – for you, me, your family, my family – with all our blemishes and shortcomings. We’re all called to holiness regardless of our state of life or step in the spiritual journey. Additionally, holiness is obtainable in small, concerted increments. It’ll cost us much sweat, prayer, and sacrifice, but it’s definitely do-able.

Q. What writing projects or books are in your future?

I’m always working on something…sometimes too many somethings at once. I plan to continue writing my columns and to broaden the base of sites and publications that host my work. I’m doing some re-structuring of my website and forging a new blog, called “Are we there yet?” which will be about the ups and downs of traveling toward the Kingdom together as family – nuclear, extended, community, parish, Church and society. Book-wise, I’m working on an exciting new one (with a likely sister-book) for which I can’t yet give detail because the contract hasn’t been finalized. However, I can tell you that both our Blessed Mother and moms of all kinds will be VERY excited about it!

Meet a Reader: Liz Dahlen

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm so grateful to Liz Dahlen for reaching out to me and offering to be the "reader" this month. I'm always looking for suggestions and people in the diocese of Peoria willing to be "readers" on the Catholic Post Book Group. If you know someone or are a reader yourself, please contact me here on the blog or through The Catholic Post.

How You Know Me:

After being a lifelong Lutheran, I joined the Roman Catholic Church on Easter 2007. I am a member of St. Louis Parish, Princeton, where I am a lector. I am a member of the Illinois Valley Cursillo Community, and I am a behind-the-scenes volunteer for the Rachel's Vineyard post-abortion healing retreats.

Why I Love to Read:

I am absolutely certain I was born with a book in my hand! Words and ideas have always fascinated me. I love to read because I love to learn new things, and I also love to read because it "takes me away" from the daily grind to new places and new times, even if the times I'm reading about aren't new in the chronological sense.

What I’m Reading Now:

I just finished Catholicism by Father Robert Barron and The Litigators by John Grisham. Both books were wonderful. On my Kindle I am reading a biography of Michaelangelo. I don't anticipate starting a new hardcover until after the holiday rush.

My Favorite Book:

That is a very tough question!! I would have to say Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I read it for the first time when i was in junior high school and fell in love with it. That book has everything—plot, characters, style, great writing. I take it out and re-read every few years and I still enjoy it. My second favorite is any book written by Donald Cardinal Wuerl. He is a wonderful writer and I have learned much about the Catholic faith from his books.

Time to Go on a (Media) Diet?

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here is my January column that appears in this weekend's Catholic Post. I invite your feedback here or on Facebook or Twitter.

So, you’re already re-considering your New Year’s Resolutionby this time. Maybe thoseresolutions to get your kitchen or finances organized, or to exercise everyday, have been abandoned already.

Can I suggest watching your diet?

No, I don’t mean what you eat, but the media youconsume—your “media diet.” I oncewrote a column for The Catholic Post called, “You Are What You Read” about makinggood media choices because it’s a lot like eating well. The more you fill up on the good stuff,the less bad stuff you have time for, or even have a taste for. And by “good stuff” in books, I don’tmean brussel sprouts, but dark chocolate that’s delicious and healthy.

Here are a few good choices for people looking to fill up onsome great and nourishing reads. As a bonus, all have topics that might help you keep some of thoseresolutions.

Hoping to do more as a family? Two books provide help:

Strengthening YourFamily: A Catholic Approach to Holiness by MargeFenelon. I’ve never met MargeFenelon, but we are kindred spirits. Reading each chapter of this excellent book, I felt like I was having lunchwith a friend and getting encouraging counsel and spiritual uplift about familylife and its inevitable ups and downs. Fenelon is not writing from the perspective of a holier-than-thou, butrather a fellow traveler who’s been there, made the mistakes, and yet stillcalls us (and herself) to a Catholic vision of doing family life well. She shows us having a strong, holyfamily is hard, but also fun and rewarding, work.

Media mindfulness—viewing media in light of our Catholicfaith-- is a perennial interest of mine, and a frequent topic at ourhouse. And no one does “mediamindfulness and literacy better than the Daughters of St. Paul. Our fridge displays aDaughter of St. Paul magnet: “Control is for the moment—communication lasts alifetime.”

In this spirit, Daughter of St. Paul Hosea Rupprecht wrote How to Watch Movies with Kids: A Values-Based Strategy to givetons of great ideas for parents, teachers and others who care about medialiteracy and mindfulness. I soappreciated how each chapter ends; with “Saints to Guide Us” (for instance, St.Edith Stein on a chapter called, “Values Articulation,”) and with questions forfamily conversations.

Thinking about living a healthier lifestyle? Make sure you have balance in thisarea.

Weightless: MakingPeace With Your Body, Kate Wicker’s heartfelt, personal book about bodyimage and the spiritual life, is a resource especially well-suited to youngerwomen.

Wicker leads readers through her own journey of an eatingdisorder and treatment, and now as a wife and mother yearning to hand onhealthy body image to her young daughters. She explores the role of having balance in all thingsrelated to our bodies, taking advantage of medical and psychological help whenneeded, but most of all keeping God at the center. I love that that Wicker recommends (as do many resources) a“media fast” from unhealthy sources, and doing the same with her kids. Throughout, Wicker tells readers, “Ifyou love God, then love your body.” Amen.

*Extreme Makeover:Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed by the Culture by Teresa Tomeo.Tomeo, a Catholic radio host, writes persuasively about how damaging a constantand solely secular media diet can be.

Best by far is the chapter titled,” Extreme Media Makeover:Your Personal Media Reality Check and Spiritual Beauty Plan,” in which sheencourages an inventory of one’s media consumption, and more of the sacramentallife. Tomeo is great at remindingus that silence (or fasting) is a critical aspect of a healthy media life: “We have to silence the noise in ourlives if we want to hear from God an live a more peaceful and less stressfullife.”

Have you resolved to make work-life balance a priority thisyear? Consider The Catholic Briefcase: Tools forIntegrating Faith and Work by Randy Hain.

At first glance, TheCatholic Briefcase seems like book written only for business executives,but it reaches to such a wide range of people I’d recommend it for just aboutadult who works, inside or outside the home—pretty much everyone. Hain is not only a business leader, but a recent convert, andhe helps remind us cradle Catholics the richness of our faith, and the tools weall have available to keep us effective and holy in our vocation.

Each chapter offers interviews, encouragement and ideas notjust for making realistic faith part of work life, but infusing an attractiveCatholic culture into everything we do. Especially helpful is advice on Catholic businessnetworking, and making the spiritual life a priority.

Two E-Books for Two Great Feasts

2012-01-05T11:53:00.001-06:00

Happy Feast of St. John Neumann! When I saw yesterday that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was the feast day, and today was St. John, I immediately thought of two terrific short chapter books about these saints.

First is Thomas Finds a Treasure: A St. John Neumann Story by Joan Stromberg, part of the Glory of America series. These books are similiar in style and reading level of the American Girl books, but with a Catholic flair. And they are not girl-specific, so both boys and girls will enjoy it. Readers will learn all about St. John Neumann and his time through the eyes and story of a fictional 10-year-old boy, Thomas, and his family.

Another great book in the series is Kat Finds a Friend: A St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Story, also by Joan Stromberg. When our family traveled to Gettysburg and Emmitsburg early last summer, I realized I had forgotten to bring along our copy of Kat Finds a Friend. How excited I was to see the Kindle edition, and download it immediately so we could read it and enjoy it as we saw the actual places described in the book.

These Kindle books are a bargain at $5.50 each. If you are not a Kindle reader, both "real" books, and others in the series, are easily available at Catholic bookstores.

Yesterday, when I was in the school library for my day to volunteer and share great books, I had the chance to share with the kids. I thought quite a few of the kids, or someone in their family, might have received a Kindle or other device to read e-books, and I was right--it was more than half. I had the opportunity yesterday to "book talk" both of these books, and their e-editions, by showing the kids the books on my Kindle App.

Do you know other e-books about saints? What are some good choices?

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 17: Best Books of 2011 Edition

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! For January, here is a variation on the monthly “First, what are you reading?”

Instead of current reads, I’m going to list three of the best books I read in 2011. For the last two months, I've finally starting keeping a list of each of the many books I read or peruse through the month. My phone has a "list" feature, and I just quickly jot down a book when I finish it, with a note if I want. I hope to have this as a great record over time of what I've read and loved most.

But since this is new, I glanced back through my Catholic Post reviews to come up with my favorites for 2011. And a shout out to my always-creative husband, who gave me the idea for this variation on “first, what are you reading?” In particular, you don't have to choose a book published this year. What was the most influential book on your life this year? I can’t wait to hear your choices, so without further ado, here are mine:

Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices, by Fr. Kevin O’Neil, and Fr. Peter Black. This is a slim volume in a Q&A format, and just an indispensible resource when it comes to understanding Catholic teaching on sensitive medical moral issues. There are a lot of bad resources out there, from Catholic sources or not. These theologians make it look easy, but trust me, it’s a job for professionals, as I wrote in my review:

“Just because someone slept at a Holiday Inn Express-- or has read a lot of Church documents--doesn’t guarantee good results when one tries to charitably explain or defend Church teaching accurately, especially on complicated and critical issues of life and death. In this area, what’s most needed is loving and well-formed professionals. Two of these have written Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices. Take advantage of their wisdom and guidance, and keep this book on hand.”

Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints by Colleen Swaim. Reading this book, intended for teens and young adults, makes you want to be a better person. All my kids read and loved it, but adults would find it substantial, too. The great news is that Colleen Swaim is writing Ablaze 2 now.

Unplanned by Abby Johnson, about her journey from abortion clinic director to pro-life advocate. As I wrote in my review: “Johnson leaves her job after the first time assisting an ultrasound-guided abortion, and seeing with her own eyes a baby struggling away from the abortion instrument. This is more than just pro-life apologetics; Johnson writes a well-paced and sensitive memoir of her spiritual journey.”

In particular, Unplanned starts discussion about the vital need to guide young people, who are in a kind of “sensitive period” in their late teens to mid 20s when values and life course are being set. How do we direct their natural idealism and energy to the culture of life, instead of the opposite?

Even as I finish writing about those three books, I wish I could pick more, like Lisa Hendey’s A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, and Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, or the intriguing Catholic manga by Manga Hero. But I’m much more interested in your favorite reads from this year. What would you list as your favorite book? I invite your feedback here or on Facebook or Twitter.

Q & A with Local Author Deacon Bruce Bradford

2011-12-12T16:44:00.001-06:00

Following is my brief interview with local author Deacon Bruce Bradford, author of An Angel Named Herald, one of the books I reviewed in my December column about Christmas gift books. Thanks so much, Deacon Bradford, for sharing about your book and your life here!

Q: Tell Catholic Post Book Group blog readers a little about yourself and your family.

I've been married 47 years to my wife Terry, and we have four children and 10 grandchildren. Both Terry and I were born and raised in the state of Maine. I worked for Pan American Airways for 25 years( and so I can say that the TV series is not all that accurate.). We lived in New York City; Shaker Heights Ohio; and then 38 years in Oak Park, just outside Chicago. In 2006 we retired to Pekin to be closer to our daughters and five of our ten grandchildren. I was ordained as a permanent Deacon 26 years ago in Chicago. At present I am assigned to two parishes; St Joseph in Hopedale & St Mary in Delavan. I am an amateur actor (20 years) and am presently in a production of A Christmas Carol. This fall, I performed in “The Ghosts of Spoon River.”

I also volunteer driving seniors for the Miller Senior Center, and conduct a “Bible Connections” session for the mentally and physically challenged at PARC in North Peoria. I am constantly reading and enjoy travelling around the country with Terry to visit our boys in Houston and Minneapolis. Isn’t retirement grand?

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the book?

Six years ago I decided that as Deacon of the Mass I wanted to read something after the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve for the children. I created Herald to be used as someone we could emulate as a messenger for God’s message of love. The response that first Christmas eve was “Where can we buy the book?” I of course had to say that Herald was in my head only. People urged me to publish which I respectively laughed off.

When I moved to Pekin and was assigned to the two parishes mentioned I read the story to the children and again was asked about a book. A parishioner overheard my discussion. She walked up to me and said,”Publish it, and I want the first copy.” Eight months later she had her copy.

Q. You mentioned that the book was initially intended for your grandchildren. What made you want to publish it to a wider audience?

I asked myself why publish “Herald”? I determined that if I published it would be for my ten grandchildren. I wanted them to have something of their grandfather's creation. The original orders for books reflected that desire. Then I decided to get additional copies for the children on Christmas Eve and my friends at Parc. I started getting requests from friends for the book and suggestions that I do a book signing. I’ve had one in Oak Park, one at Lagron-Miller in Peoria, and on December 20th I’ll be doing another book signing at “I Know You Like a Book” bookstore in Peoria Heights. The book has been a blessing, and has reunited me with so many folks around the country.

Q. What do you hope readers take away from “An Angel Named Herald”?

Herald’s story is our story. Jesus came to create a “new” kingdom; a kingdom based on Love and action. We like Herald, have doubts that we are up to the task, but God like he did with Herald provides us with the tools to be his Herald. We, like Herald, are called to be God’s messengers.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add, or wish I would have asked?

People have asked if there will be a sequel. My answer to that is Herald in our lives is a daily sequel.

Great Christmas Gift Books for "Almost" Everyone

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Every great book is not for every person. Accepting that reality has been a journey.

I used to think that some books absolutely everyone mustread, and then they would love and cherish them as much as I did. This view was shaken some years backwhen I proposed to our little parish book group that we read Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey. I was shocked that every memberbut me so disliked reading (much less discussing) this classic.

And then there was the time last year I solemnly promised toSue, a Catholic workout buddy, that she would love The Loser Letters, but she must read and love The Screwtape Letters first. And she really, really didn’t like either one. Sorry, Sue!

Those books are classic and deservedly loved bymillions. And they would makegreat Christmas gift books . … . for me. But, as I now admit freely, notfor everyone.

With those stories (and many others, trust me) in mind,putting together my annual list of Christmas-worthy gift books became daunting. I receive tons of great Catholicbooks, and learn about many others. How to recommend ones that would be of interest to the wide range ofCatholic Post readers?

This year, I chose not just books I personally love, but well-written, nicely “done”books that may be outside my comfort zone but that others would love andenjoy. I sought out onlinefriends, church acquaintances, and even perfect strangers in trying to find outwhat makes a great gift book. Andas always, I encourage you to seek out your local Catholic bookseller and explore the greatoptions out there.

Fiction for adults:

Ida Elizabeth: Ignatius Press has a new edition ofone of my favorite authors, Sigrid Undset, best known for her historicalfiction trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter. Ida Elizabeth is set in the 20^thcentury, but still conveys Undset’s characteristic Catholic style and deepexploration of marriage and relationships.

Stealing Jenny (availableas both an e-book and paperback) by award-winning author Ellen Gable is a well-pacedand heart-pounding story with a very Catholic vision. I could not stop reading StealingJenny on my Kindle App, neglecting household and family to find out whatwould happen.

Fiction for kids:

*Who can resist Christmas puns? Not me. An Angel Named Herald by local authorDeacon Bruce Bradford is a charmingly goofy picture book with a sweet Christmasmessage.

*The brand-new Betsy-TacyTreasury compiles in one handsome volume the first four classic Betsy-Tacy books; they are like the Little House books, except set in early1900s small-town Minnesota. Tacyis a Catholic girl, and faith is a normal element of the girls’ lives.

*Ranger’s Apprentice fansrejoice, as author John Flanagan has begun a new series set in the fictional lands of Araluenand Skandia —The BrotherbandChronicles. Fans of adventure, friendship andfun will enjoy The Outsiders—first inthis series about a group of youngsailors.

*For older readers (teens and up), The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrude von Le Fort, a classicrecently reprinted, is a fictionalized account of the true martyrdom of a groupof Carmelite sisters during the French “Reign of Terror

Non-fiction:

“A sad saint is a sorry saint, indeed,” goes the oldexpression. Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by Father James Martin, S.J., explores how humor andlaughter are not just add-ons, but vital, to healthy spirituality. Like all Fr. Martin’s works, Mirth is easy to read without being“lite.”

Surrender! The LifeChanging Power of Doing God’s Will by Father Larry Richards, mentioned tome by several readers. Fr. Richardchallenges people to grow in the spiritual life by putting God and His will first, always.

I love well-designed and written books that feel good tohold and read. Generous Faith: Stories to Inspire Abundant Living by Sister Bridget Haase is handsomely formatted and sized. In short, thoughtful stories, Sr.Bridget invites readers to have “generous faith” by living in the moment,accepting and trusting in divine care, and experiencing God’s presence in ourdaily lives.

Welcome Baby Jesus! Adventand Christmas Reflections for Families by Sarah Reinhard is a gentle, easy readto help families “appreciate Advent” and the Christmas season through Scripture,reflections and action ideas.

Advent Book Giveaway #4: Baxter's Big Teeth by Betty Counce

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Fourth in the Catholic Post Book Group Advent Book giveaway is Baxter's Big Teeth.

Baxter's Big Teeth is first in a series of books called "Critters Like Me," from a local book publisher, Keepworthy Creations, started last year to offer high value keepsake gifts and books that teach life lessons offered in print and interactive formats. The books are written by local author Betty Counce, and illustrator by local artist (and member of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Peoria Heights) David Seay.

The book tells the story of a beaver, Baxter, who has to learn patience as his "big teeth" begin to grow in. Even the dentist- averse kids at our house enjoyed this little story, though we (including Mom) were more concerned about Baxter losing his family at the beginning of the book than his tooth woes. It all ends well, though, as Baxter learns how to have patience and take care of his teeth.

What I like best about the book is that it comes with a nicely designed and quite substantial keepsake pewter "tooth box." This giveaway is for the book, pewter tooth box and soft pouch (for the box).

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway. You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book. So, if you are interested in Baxter's Big Teeth, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you. If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name. That's it! Couldn't be easier.

Baxter's Big Teeth and other books in the "Critters Like Me" series are available at local Hallmarks, the "I Know You Like a Book" bookstore in Peoria Heights, and various online booksellers.

Deadline for this giveaway is Thursday, December 8, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Advent Book Giveaway #3: Olivia's Gift

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Third book in the Advent Book Giveaway is Olivia's Gift by Nancy Carabio Belanger. Olivia's Gift was one of the highlights of my December 2010 Christmas gift books column in the Catholic Post.

This book is a great read for girls especially in the 5th to 8th grade range. As I wrote previously: "Olivia's Gift follows Olivia in her summer before 7th grade, navigating friends, family and trying (and not always succeeding) to live out St. Therese’s “Little Way.” There’s a very powerful, but sensitively handled, pro-life theme here. The book is a sequel to the wonderful Olivia and the Little Way, that chronicles Olivia’s fifth grade year and her ups & downs. The books can be read independently of each other, but most girls will want to read both once they’ve read one."

I'm embarrassed to say that Nancy sent me a copy of the novel last year for a giveaway, and I had all planned to give away a copy of the book back then. But if I remember correctly, a bout of the flu took me out for quite a bit of that season, and I couldn't manage all I had intended for the blog. Month after month I kept thinking I would manage a giveaway of Olivia's Gift sometime during the year, but it didn't happen until now. But truly, it would be a great Christmas gift for a young girl in your life.

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway. You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book. So, if you are interested in Olivia's Gift, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you. If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name. That's it! Couldn't be easier.

If you are not a winner in this giveaway, I notice that Harvey House publishing, publisher of Olivia's Gift, has a free shipping offer for books ordered before December 16, so do take advantage of that special offer.

Deadline for this giveaway is Sunday, December 4, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 16, Christmas Book Edition, December 2011

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:
first, what are you reading?
what do you like best about it?
what do you like least?
what's next on your list to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

Normally, I finish my "first, what are you reading?" post well in advance of the first day of the month, but this month I did not. Rather than make it a "second, what are you reading?" post, I'm going to quickly list a couple of Christmas classic books, and invite you to share yours. No "what I like best, least or next" this time. You'll have to fill in for me. And don't forget to enter the book giveaway that ends tonight.

First, what are you reading?

Linda, a fellow library volunteer, shared with me a great book that I read to kids this week in the school library. It's called Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto. It's a very sweet and funny book, makes you want to make tamales after you finish, and also funny. A couple of the classes of kids and I worked out the math problems if four kids had to eat the 24 tamales, how many tamales each? Thanks for introducing it to me, Linda!

We haven't gotten out any of our Christmas books yet, but two of our absolute favorites are The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer (note that we have that actual older edition, given to me several years back by one of my sisters). It's fairly goofy, but I pretty much have it memorized after reading it four Christmases ago literally every day from about December 15 to mid-February, so fond was our then four-year-old of that book. We all still love it.

The other every Christmas must read aloud, though my kids are getting older, is Rumer Godden's The Story of Holly and Ivy. I see a handsome new edition came out last Christmas, and I might have to invest in that this year. We have a very old edition of this.

What are the favorite perennial Christmas books at your house?

Advent Book Giveaway #2: Mother Teresa and Me

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Second in my Advent book giveaway is Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle's Mother Teresa and Me. I reviewed this book in my October Post column, and enjoyed so many things about it, chief among them the concept Mother Teresa actually used of "express novenas," in which she would pray a Memorare 9 times in a row for a specific intention. I've actually put the Memorare up on a bathroom mirror in our house just to help me remember this great little prayer idea.

This book would make a great gift. It's a nice light read.

As I mentioned when I started the Advent book giveaways, the rules are simple: to be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment on any post giving away a specific book. So for winning a copy of Mother Teresa and Me, just leave a comment here. If I don't have a way to reach you, I will notify you via the comments, but if you don't respond in a timely way (two days), I will pull another name. Easy!

This giveaway opportunity ends at 7 p.m. central time Thursday, December 1. Good luck to all the readers out there.

Advent Book Giveaway Bonanza--Just in Time for Christmas Gift-Giving

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's Black Friday, and no, I'm not shopping today, not being a big fan of shopping in general, and especially when stores are crowded.

But I do love books, as everyone knows by now. And so I'm kicking off the Christmas shopping season by an Advent Book Giveaway. Most of the I have been given specifically for giveaways, and books that came as doubles from publishers, so I've decided to give away the extra copy.

I'll have the giveaways for just the next two weeks, every couple of days, so that winners have the chance to get the books before Christmas gift-giving (even to yourself, if you are a winner). I'll have two more books to give away in January, as well.

First up is my November's reviewed book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey. I realize I had not yet shared the wonderful book trailer for Lisa's great new book, so here it is:

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway. You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book. So, if you are interested in The Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you. If you do not respond in a few days, I'll pull another name. That's it! Couldn't be easier.

Deadline for this first giveaway is Monday, November 28 at 7 p.m. Central Time.

What are you doing this Black Friday? Our family has a tradition of either a hike or going to the nation's longest-running holiday parade, where this year we will be meeting another family, then getting some lunch together, nowhere near a mall, I hope. Sometimes we see a movie, and Hugo looks good this year, as most of the family has read The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Thomas Friedman Agrees With Me

2011-11-21T10:47:00.001-06:00

As I've said many times here, I'm a firm believer in reading books with and to kids, even once kids can read themselves. In our family, we particularly love having family books--books that we all read and remember and become part of our family "story."

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman had a great column over the weekend essentially agreeing with me. (Not that Friedman reads me often, but you know what I mean). My husband helpfully shared the column with me, and our discussion helped shaped my thoughts here. I sometimes forget what a great source of both information and analysis he is, so allow me to give him a quick and well-deserved shout-out here.

Friedman refers to an international study that (every 3 years) tests 15-year-olds, and finds that young people whose parents read to them when they were young do much better on reading comprehension and problem-solving than those who do not have that benefit. The study also shows the more parents are involved in their children's lives, asking about schoolwork, talking with them about politics and news, in addition to the reading, also raised scores.

Now, I don't continue to read to our children (all strong readers by now), and we don't have family favorite "books," just so that our kids will out-perform their peers when they take tests. But I do love that giving kids this heritage of great books makes them better able to comprehend the world and be better at problem-solving. Essentially, Friedman is affirming the Catholic view that parents are the "primary and principal educators" of their children.

I'm beginning work on my December Catholic Post column, about books that would make good Christmas gifts. As it stands now, I'm recommending more kids' books than grown-up books. I was starting to feel a little concerned about this until I read Friedman's column.

What do you think about the study and what it means for parents and kids? You can read the full results of the international study here.

Q&A with "A Book of Saints" author Lisa Hendey

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm re-publishing my Q&A with Lisa Hendey this month since I usually try to focus on a book throughout the month I review it. You can read my review of Lisa's new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, in my Post column here.

Longtime readers of The Catholic Post Book Group will remember that the second book I reviewed for the Catholic Post was Lisa's first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa was also my first author interview, and author interviews have become among my favorite aspects of writing about books. I really enjoyed my visit with Lisa, a friend to moms everywhere. I hope you enjoy it.

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Did you know you wanted to write it when The Handbook for Catholic Moms released?

Thank you for your kindness and welcome Nancy. Honestly, I must give a great deal of the credit for the concept of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms to my amazing editor at Ave Maria Press, Eileen Ponder. Only a few weeks after The Handbook for Catholic Moms was released in February 2010, Eileen proposed several ideas for future projects, including the concept of a book devoted to exploring the lives of the saints. Because the Handbook was so fresh on my mind, and because I so enjoyed exploring the themes of that project so much, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms became a natural extension of the work that had begun with my first book.

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and “feels.” I especially loved the illustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” (such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms) and how you assign a different one to each saint. Tell me more about how you connected those two themes.

I, too, love the design for the book and want to give a great deal of credit to designer Katherine Robinson Coleman of Ave Maria Press, who gave such a beautiful “face” to the ideas I wanted to convey in this book. The “heart, mind, body and soul” themes were explored in my first book The Handbook for Catholic Moms. In that book, I encouraged moms to care for themselves in these aspects of their lives so that they would be better equipped to serve their families, our Church and the world around us.

I’ve long had a devotion to the lives of the saints, turning to them as spiritual companions, role models and intercessors. Early in the planning for this project, I decided that I wanted to revisit the four themes, choosing saints in each of those areas and writing about their lives, but also about how the saints exemplified sanctity and excellence in these areas.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not so much. How did you select the range of saints?

Choosing the 52 saints was one of the most fun, but also the most challenging aspects of the project. I knew immediately that some saints would be included because their importance to mothers and their “fit” for the topics being explored made them immediately come to mind. But I also had a wonderful time pondering my “picks” and reveling in research at our local university library. The formula of 52 saints and four “themes” (heart, mind, body and soul) meant coming up with 13 saints in each of those categories. Honestly, many of the saints I selected could have been introduced in several ways, but conceiving of them in this way and watching the project grow and take flesh really brought them to life in this writer’s heart of mine.

Do you have a favorite saint among the less well-known saints?

I have several! I must admit a tremendously soft spot in my heart for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of my personal patrons. It makes sense to me that they would have had a tremendous impact upon her and I’ve fallen in love with Blessed Zelie through reading her personal correspondence. I also have a strong devotion to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a modern working mother, a physician and a valiant pro-life champion. Finally as an Indiana born daughter of two Hoosier parents educated by the Sisters of Providence, I absolutely love and frequently pray through the intercession of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin who has taught me a great deal about trusting in God’s providence in my life.

You’re such a busy writer and new media specialist. What’s your next project?

Busy, but very blessed! I have several “next projects” in the work, including an Advent book for Catholic families, several new concepts for CatholicMom.com, an active speaking schedule for the Spring and some “secret projects” that will be unveiled soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I would have asked?

Nancy, I thank you for your amazing support and I truly encourage your readers to pick up A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and to share it with their friends and loved ones. The book is designed to be of support for moms, but also to be used with the entire family. It includes daily scriptures and prayers, activities for a mother to enjoy with her children, and a family prayer to be recited together. The saints – these holy men and women – lived their lives in the same challenging circumstances we often face today. It’s such a treasure of our faith that we can turn to them for support and encouragement, in intercessory prayer. I hope families will find a renewed relationship with the communion of saints through this book – both the formally canonized saints, and those we have each known and loved in our own lives. I pray the book will be a blessing to moms in their vocation.

Catholic App Spotlight Update: Confession

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I first wrote about the Confession App earlier this year, at that time getting a lot of press. I did download it and check it out, butwondered at the time if I would find myself using the App during actualconfession.

Let me “confess” that I’ve become very fond of theConfession App, developed by Little iApps. So much so, thatlast month when the App told me it had been two months since my lastconfession, I felt compelled to share with our parish priest, “While my iPhonesays it’s been two months since my last confession, I know I’ve been here twicewithout my phone.” He laughed. And then when I got home I tweetedabout doing that. Am I geekyenough to have a Confession App? Oh, yes I am.

Many months ago, the very first time I used it inconfession, I showed my phone to the priest at a Franciscan parish inPeoria. Somehow it seemed wrongthat he not be aware that I was reading from the examination of conscience theApp prompts. He laughed and saidhe had heard about it, but it was the first time he heard an App-aidedconfession to his knowledge.

Joking aside, I find the Confession App very spirituallyhelpful in a few key ways:

*the examination of conscience is keyed to your state in life. When I first set up my password-protected account, it askedif I were married, etc. And theexamination of conscience relates to that.

*a neat feature that follows the sacramental nature ofConfession and what it does for your soul: after you go to confession, yoursins, like in actual Confession, are literally wiped away—there’s no way to goback and look through what you confessed previously. Each time you prepare for confession, the Examination ofConscience is fresh and unchecked.

*the prayer after finishing Confession changes each time yougo, and they are lovely. I wishthere were a way to capture them for future reading—I remember particularlygood ones from St. Gregory the Great and one from St. Josemaria Escriva, but Ican’t find a way to go back and read them again.

I had thought I might use the Confession App for a nightlyexamination of conscience, but instead, I use my all-time favoriteApp, Universalis, for saying night prayer.

Little iApps, the developer of Confession,have a great line-up of Apps. I’vedownloaded all of them, and especially love the eVotions Apps on different saints. Our family especially likes the photos on the St. Gianna Molla App.

In recent days, my 8-year-old son and I have taken to sayingthe novena to Blessed John Paul II in his “App,” as his before-bed prayers, andthere’s nothing sweeter than hearing his little voice read through the prayerat the end of the novena.

Have you used the Confession App? Or do you have any Catholic Apps you’d like to share?

Meet a Reader: Andrew Bland, MD, MBA

2011-11-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

I'm delighted to feature this month a local physician-leader and very busy person, Dr. Andrew Bland. Thanks, Andy, for agreeing to share your love of books with Catholic Post readers!

How you know me:

Until August, I was a partner at Illinois Kidney and Hypertension;in August, I became the Chief Medical Officer at Proctor Healthcare. My wife Melissa and I have threedaughters; we attend St. Anthony’s Parish in Bartonville. I also have the honor of serving on theBoard of Trustees for Limestone Fire Protection District.

Why I love reading:

Reading givesyou a chance to look into the author’s mind and gain a different perspective onthe world. Reading relaxesme. I love reading multiple booksat the same time; it is like having ongoing e-mail conversations with differentfriends.

What I’m reading now:

Great By Choice byJim Collins- How great companies and people survive in chaotic times. Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell: a fictional history of the live andconversion of St. Luke. The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton:a witty and paradoxical book that examines the history of man and Christ from aChristian perspective in rebuttal to H.G. Wells Outline of History. This was the book that converted my favorite author, C.S. Lewis, toChristianity.

My favorite book:

Mere Christianityby C.S. Lewis. This one titlesystematically disarmed every single concern I had about being aChristian. Until I read this book,I was lukewarm about my faith. Thequote below literally scared the hell out of me (I don’t enjoy visitingdentists):

“Now, if I may put it that way, Our Lord is like thedentists. If you give Him an inch, He will take an ell. Dozens of people go toHim to be cured of some one particular sin which they are ashamed of (likemasturbation or physical cowardice) or which is obviously spoiling daily life(like bad temper or drunkenness). Well, He will cure it all right: but He willnot stop there. That may be all you asked; but if once you call Him in, He willgive you the full treatment.”

I was not sure I wanted the “full treatment;” just anincreased sense of peace, so I put the book aside for a time. The compelling logical explanation ofwhat it means to be a Christian brought me back to start the “full treatment”.

And this quote from MereChristianity is likely my favorite quote from any book:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolishthing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a greatmoral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thingwe must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesussaid would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on alevel with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devilof Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son ofGod: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, youcan spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and callHim Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about Hisbeing a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intendto.”

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms Encourages and Uplifts

2011-11-11T13:11:00.001-06:00

“Every time a Catholic mother asks me what author she shouldread, I have a ready answer: Lisa Hendey,” says noted author Fr. James Martin,S.J.

Amen, Father Martin. Lisa Hendey is a seemingly omnipresent champion to Catholic womeneverywhere. Hendey has a bigpresence online, where she runs her encouraging and informative website CatholicMom.com. She also is a featured blogger at thepopular Faith & Family Live! web community,, and she speaks and writes on newmedia as a way to spread the Catholic faith.

A Book of Saints forCatholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms,Hendey’s first book. (Incidentally, that was the second book I ever reviewed here at the CatholicPost. Lisa was also my firstauthor interview, since Fulton Sheen, author of first book review Treasure in Clay, was unavailable for aninterview).

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and“feels.” Especially lovely are theillustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms andcontinued here. Each saint has anicon of either heart, mind, body or soul based on the saint’s particularcharism—for instance, a heart for St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, and abody for martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not somuch. I enjoyed discovering newish-to-mesaints like St. Rose Venerini (mind) , a 17^th century lay educator,and St. Theodore Guerin, who helped bring the Sisters of Providence to theUS. There are also freshreflections on saints like St. Jerome (soul) and St. Jane Frances de Chantal (heart).

Each saint/chapter is divided into five sections: lessons (an essay/reflection on thesaint; traditions (charming familiar and obscure observances associated withthe saint); saintly wisdom (a quote from or about the saint); scripture foreach day of the week; and saint-inspired activities for mom alone or with kids.

I read through TheBook of Saints cover to cover, but it would be a great resource to have athand throughout the year. A readercould choose to use this book as a bedside devotional to “keep up with thesaints” all year, or get even more practical by planning some of the activitiesfor the family. Any way it isutilized, The Book of Saints for CatholicMoms is an enduring treasury for heart, mind, body and soul.

This is my monthly column in the print Catholic Post. Check back all month long on the blog for discussions, giveaways and more about this book and many more.

First, What are You Reading? Volume 15, November 2011

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my answers to the fourquestions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list toread?

As always, I hope you'll consideryour current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or onFacebook. Happy reading!

First, what are youreading?

Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire: The Methods and Madness InsideRoom 56 by Rafe Esquith. Esquith teaches in atroubled Los Angeles school with few success stories, and yet manages totransform the lives of his 5^th grade students year after year.

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles is by Padraic Colum, and illustrated by Willy Pogany. My 8-year-old son and I are reading this to each other, with otherfamily members listening in from time to time.

What do you like best about them?

Here’s what I loved about Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire: Esquith writes all about making agreat classroom culture and holding kids to a high standard. He teaches them problem-solving as akey skill, and challenges the students to act right at the highest level ofbehavior. He and his studentsperform an acclaimed Shakespeare play every year. He takes his students on trips to broaden their horizons and shows them classic movies tofoster a sense of media literacy—I could go on and on. He’s a powerhouse, and his many awardsare well-deserved. This would be agreat book for any teacher, or really any parent, to get great ideas (or beconfirmed in your own) for enriching the lives of children.

Padraid Colum was an Irish writer. I’m not sure where I picked up the handsome Aladdinpaperback of The Children’s Homer, but once I started reading it with my8-year-old son, we were hooked. Other than various adaptations over the years, I’ve never been good atreading The Odyssey and other classic Greek literature. I downloaded an Odyssey App once, butfound the language less than friendly to my style. Colum’s language, while a little old-fashioned, hooked usquickly and we love the amazingly great stories. After we finished The Children's Homer, we started onThe Golden Fleece. Columwon the Newberry award for The Children’s Homer, The Golden Fleeceand The Children of Odin.

What do you like least about them?

A bigdeficit of Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire is the amount of stuff Esquithis able to accomplish with his kids, and how someone reading it might feelinadequate. It reminds me of whenwe used to educate our children at home—a danger could be visiting the blogs ofother moms who seemed to be able to “do it all,” and how that kind ofinformation was depressing instead of challenging.

Esquith isan amazing teacher, but in a way it’s more of a vocation. It doesn’t appear he has children; hiswife is very involved in helping his classroom succeed. His kind of dedication andsingle-minded pursuit of great teaching isn’t realistic for most people, withfamilies and other responsibilities.

I don’tnecessarily think that a teacher, whether in public, private or homeschooling,should attempt to replicate, even over the course of a lifetime, Esquith’ssuccesses. However, there are somany great take-away points that it’s a very helpful read.

I don’t really care for the WillyPogany illustrations in The Golden Fleece and other Colum books. They are not terrible, just not mystyle. Otherwise, theseColum/Pogany books are all good.

What’s next on your list to read?

I am reading many, many books thatwould be good as gifts for my December column.

So, what are you reading these days? Any books youwould like to share?

Q&A with Lisa Hendey, author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to be invited to participate in the blog tour for Lisa Hendey's new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms (and can I say how cute is the cartoon Lisa for the blog tour icon?). Longtime readers of The Catholic Post Book Group will remember that the second book I reviewed for the Catholic Post was Lisa's first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa was also my first author interview, and author interviews have become among my favorite aspects of writing about books.

I will be reviewing A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms for my November column, but in the meantime here is a great short Q&A with Lisa Hendey, a friend to moms everywhere.

A Book of Saints forCatholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Did you know you wanted to write itwhen The Handbook for Catholic Momsreleased?

Thank you for your kindness andwelcome Nancy. Honestly, I must give a great deal of the credit for the conceptof A Book of Saints for Catholic Momsto my amazing editor at Ave Maria Press, Eileen Ponder. Only a few weeks after The Handbook for Catholic Moms wasreleased in February 2010, Eileen proposed several ideas for future projects,including the concept of a book devoted to exploring the lives of the saints.Because the Handbook was so fresh onmy mind, and because I so enjoyed exploring the themes of that project so much,A Book of Saints for Catholic Momsbecame a natural extension of the work that had begun with my first book.

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and“feels.” I especially loved the illustrations/iconsfor “heart, mind, body and soul,” (such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms) and how you assign a different oneto each saint. Tell me more abouthow you connected those two themes.

I, too, love the design for thebook and want to give a great deal of credit to designer Katherine RobinsonColeman of Ave Maria Press, who gave such a beautiful “face” to the ideas Iwanted to convey in this book. The“heart, mind, body and soul” themes were explored in my first book The Handbook for Catholic Moms. In that book, I encouraged moms to carefor themselves in these aspects of their lives so that they would be betterequipped to serve their families, our Church and the world around us.

I’ve long had a devotion to thelives of the saints, turning to them as spiritual companions, role models andintercessors. Early in the planning for this project, I decided that I wantedto revisit the four themes, choosing saints in each of those areas and writingabout their lives, but also about how the saints exemplified sanctity andexcellence in these areas.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not somuch. How did you select the rangeof saints?

Choosing the 52 saints was oneof the most fun, but also the most challenging aspects of the project. I knewimmediately that some saints would be included because their importance tomothers and their “fit” for the topics being explored made them immediately cometo mind. But I also had a wonderful time pondering my “picks” and reveling inresearch at our local university library. The formula of 52 saints and four“themes” (heart, mind, body and soul) meant coming up with 13 saints in each ofthose categories. Honestly, many of the saints I selected could have beenintroduced in several ways, but conceiving of them in this way and watching the project grow and take flesh really broughtthem to life in this writer’s heart of mine.

Do you have a favorite saint among the less well-knownsaints?

I have several! I must admit atremendously soft spot in my heart for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, theparents of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of my personal patrons. It makessense to me that they would have had a tremendous impact upon her and I’vefallen in love with Blessed Zelie through reading her personal correspondence.I also have a strong devotion to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a modern workingmother, a physician and a valiant pro-life champion. Finally as an Indiana borndaughter of two Hoosier parents educated by the Sisters of Providence, Iabsolutely love and frequently pray through the intercession of Saint MotherTheodore Guerin who has taught me a great deal about trusting in God’sprovidence in my life.

You’re such a busy writer and new media specialist. What’s your next project?

Busy, but very blessed! I haveseveral “next projects” in the work, including an Advent book for Catholicfamilies, several new concepts for CatholicMom.com, an active speaking schedulefor the Spring and some “secret projects” that will be unveiled soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I wouldhave asked?

Nancy, I thank you for youramazing support and I truly encourage your readers to pick up A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms andto share it with their friends and loved ones. The bookis designed to be of support for moms, but also to be used with the entirefamily. It includes daily scriptures and prayers, activities for a mother toenjoy with her children, and a family prayer to be recited together. The saints– these holy men and women – lived their lives in the same challengingcircumstances we often face today. It’s such a treasure of our faith that wecan turn to them for support and encouragement, in intercessory prayer. I hopefamilies will find a renewed relationship with the communion of saints throughthis book – both the formally canonized saints, and those we have each knownand loved in our own lives. I pray the book will be a blessing to moms in theirvocation.

There Oughta Be a Catholic Book on ... Catholic New Media

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Oh wait, there already is a book! It’s called The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists,and Bishops Who Tweet. Iwrote up a mini-review for the print Catholic Post, and since I have more“room” here, I’ve expanded this a little more for the Catholic Post book groupblog.

The Church and New Media is not just an insider’s guide to who’swho in Catholic Internet and new media use. That might be fun to read for some, but the book is way more valuableand practical.

A CPGP book I reviewed earlier this year, Prayer in the Digital Age, by Matt Swaim, may seem similar, but it’s really not. Prayer in the DigitalAge is a terrific book for individuals to consider how to have a healthy relationship with our onlineworld.

The Church and NewMedia, compiled by blogger and new media expert Brandon Vogt, is more like a how-to on Internet presenceand connectivity for everyone from the tech-savvy to novices.

Each chapter of TheChurch and New Media is penned by a different online expert, on topicsranging from blogging; to connecting with young adults; to creating a new mediapolicy in a parish or a diocese. Sidebars highlight various projects or personalities breaking new groundin Catholic online evangelism. My only, truly minor, quibble withthe book is not in content at all but that the text and font seemed a little“squished” and made it a little less enjoyable to read than it could havebeen.

This book would be an indispensible resource for so many,from pastors seeking ways to create or update a parish’s online presence, toministry leaders and others who don’t know whythey should connect with their members or students this way. TheChurch and New Media begins this conversation in a reader-friendly andinformative way. I plan to give acopy to my parish priest, and I can think of many others who would benefit fromit.

Have you read TheChurch and New Media yet? Whatdo you find best about it?

How Do You Use Twitter?

2011-10-12T19:44:00.001-05:00

How do you use Twitter?

I have been active on Twitter now for many months, but I definitely consider myself to be in the "getting the hang of it," stage and enjoying myself at the same time. I'm @ReadingCatholic, and there I post my blog posts here, re-tweet others' interesting posts, and links. Hey, follow me--there's the Twitter button on the right column of this blog.

Only recently, I've begun having conversations something along the line of Facebook conversations, some with people I know in real life, and others not. Sometimes I feel like a less-funny Amber Dusick as she describes why she is no good at Twitter. Even though my kids are not as small as hers, I find that offline life is so demanding with family, friends and non-tech goals, that I find myself entering and leaving Twitter conversations at odd times. That's true of Facebook, as well. (I find myself responding to Twitter people days later, "belated thank you for the RT!"). At the same time, I love how I have been able to connect with people around the world about Catholic topics, my love of books, and just general interest topics.

Recently, the diocesan newspaper I write for, The Catholic Post, has started using Twitter more regularly. For now, I am the person most often posting "tweets" on the account, with my editor monitoring and checking in. When I was discussing this with him we both wondered why I was not more connected with local Twitter users. I have more than 300 followers, and follow almost 500 people (update: 500), but so far as I can see, only a handful of people I know live within the diocese of Peoria. There must be many more people active locally on Twitter.

So I set about trying to change that by following local news media, like @pjstar, the Twitter account for the Peoria Journal-Star; and various reporters I recognize from reading the paper. Then I moved onto the local television stations like WEEK-TV (free advice to the WEEK people: make your Twitter buttons easier to find on your home page). And I do know several friends who have joined Twitter in the last few weeks, but they aren't super active yet.

So here's my question: if you are active on Twitter, is it mostly with people outside of your geographic area, or within your area? Do you consider that a problem, especially if your primary audience (like for the Catholic Post) is local? How do you utilize Twitter if what you do is mostly local?

Not Far From the Kingdom of God: UPDATED

2011-10-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

Thomas Peters' cartoon of Steve Jobs at the Pearly Gates, going viral on Twitter today, really sums up my feelings today about Steve Jobs--that he in reality is not far from the Kingdom of God. ( For some reason the "TwitPic" link is not working well, or at least it doesn't look like very good resolution as I write this in draft form--you can visit this link to see this simple but practically perfect cartoon in much better resolution.)

I am uber-geeky about the death of Steve Jobs, and basically warrant some of the criticism people are having of the outsize reactions to Jobs' death. Last night, I subscribed to the Twitter hashtag #apple so I could show our family all the tweets streaming in for Jobs. I laughed loudly when a Facebook friend, fond of putting up photos of the wrong celebrity when one dies (Liam Neeson instead of Leslie Nielson, for example), put a photo of Bill Gates up with the caption, "Steve Jobs, you will be missed."

And this morning, I actually, truly, tweeted and put on Facebook, "At Mass this am, saw 2 others wearing jeans & black, but I was too shy to ask if they were, like me, geeky & doing it for Steve Jobs."

From what I can discover, Steve Jobs professed no faith, but he is one of several famous people I consider "not far from the Kingdom of God" because of their desire for truth, beauty, and goodness. Another example is Clint Eastwood--he says he does not believe in God, but how can a person make the movies "Gran Torino" or "Invictus" without some kind of yearning and desire for the Good?

Steve Jobs or Clint Eastwood remind me of the Calormen soldier Emeth in C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. For those who have not read it, Emeth arrives in Aslan's country to Aslan's welcome, but Emeth protests that he has always followed and sought Tash, the demonic "god" of the Calormens. How could Aslan accept him as a son? Aslan replies, "Beloved, .. unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."

There are tons of Web reflections and tributes to Steve Jobs today. I especially enjoyed Jeff Geerling's tribute: "Steve", in which Geerling reminds us of Jobs' opposition to porn on the App store, and many of his other terrific qualities. His love of beauty and a clean design for Apple products, even the parts customers would not generally see, shows there was something in him that sought and delighted in goodness. The Anchoress also had a great reflection and roundup of various reactions around the Web. And Marc Cardaronella, a local friend we know in real life (I featured his wife Shannon as a "Meet a Reader" early this year), shares Steve Jobs "life lessons for Catholic leaders."

A friend on Facebook responded to my "wearing jeans and black at Mass" status that today's Gospel, from Luke 11, was great, and in re-reading it, I thought about Jobs and his relentless searching and knocking, and how the Lord promises that the door is always opened. May it be so, and may Jobs' soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace:

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

UPDATE: I don't know how I missed several points in my original post. One, that I (and our whole family) has multiple, multiple Apple products. I am not going to even count them because I fear it would be embarrassing. And I have never gotten rid of one.

For instance, when a nephew told me Apple offers a 10 percent discount at the Apple store if you bring in an old iPod or other device, I brought the first iPod (now nonworking even after my cardboard fixes) my husband got me years ago, to an Apple store in the plans of getting a discount, and I accidentally on purpose forgot to turn it in.

That reminds me that it is my husband who loves and points out to me all the new Apple products and how beautiful they are. So I am in gratitude to him for getting us started on the Apple path, because Apple products have saved me so much time and angst from my Windows days, I can't even begin to add them up.

Finally, how did I neglect, when I was retweeting the fact profusely, about the fact that Steve Jobs was adopted, and what his unplanned conception might have meant in the post-Roe world? MacBeth has a tear-inducing reflection about that here. Dare you to read it without tearing up.

Meet a Reader: Rebecca Sitte

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to the new campus minister at Peoria Notre Dame, Rebecca Sitte, for agreeing to be my Meet a Reader this month.

How we know you: Originally from North Dakota, I movedto the Peoria diocese six years ago while working with FOCUS (Fellowship ofCatholic University Students). Currently, I’m working at Peoria Notre Dame HighSchool as a full-time campus minister, where I plan class retreats, start smallgroup Bible studies, and offer mission trips. PND students receive a greatreligious education, and with campus ministry, we hope to provide moreopportunities for students to truly encounter Jesus Christ and to see just howrelevant He is to their daily lives.

Why I love reading: Reading opens the mind and heart tonew ideas and can help us grow. I’ve loved to read since I was a small child,and I still enjoy gaining new knowledge and new perspectives from differentbooks. And it’s a great way to unwind! In the past couple of years, most of thebooks that I’ve read are about the faith in some way or another. I especiallylove to read the lives of the saints and to hear how God has worked in theirlives—it helps me to see how He’s working in my life today.

What I’m reading now: I usually have a stack of eightbooks on my nightstand! Right now I’m reading The World’s First Love by Fulton Sheen. I love the way Sheenwrites—it’s engaging and insightful, and this book has helped me to see Mary ina new light. I’m also reading InteriorFreedom by Jacques Philippe. It’s a wonderful book with practical advice onhow we can maintain peace in our hearts even in the midst of exterior trials.

My favorite book: My favorite book is the Bible. Eventhough I’ve read some passages time and time again, I still learn something newevery time I pick it up! A few of my other favorites include Story of a Soul (St. Therese ofLisieux), God is Love (Pope BenedictXVI), The Lamb’s Supper (Scott Hahn),and Letters to a Young Catholic(George Weigel).

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 14, October 2011

2011-10-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

First, what are you reading?

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo.

What do you like best about them?

The Wilder Life is so wonderful—it’s writer Wendy McClure’s poignant, meandering and very funny months-long pilgrimage to Laura Ingalls Wilder sites and re-reading the books and related books. McClure had grown up loving the books (not the television show, as she continually tells us), like I had, so I found her perspective so ... me. And I know I'm not the only one--those of us who loved the Laura books as a girl are featured in this book, primarily McClure herself. We're a varied bunch, but it's a fun sorority to be a part of.

Heaven is for Real is very poignant and sweetly written story from a Dad’s perspective about his son’s near death experience and visions of heaven. Todd is an evangelical pastor, but nothing in the book contradicts the Catholic faith that I could tell. In fact, he makes a point of mentioning Catholics several times in a respectful way, which I find refreshing. I did enjoy reading this quick, inspiring read after a fellow school mom recommended it (See, I actually do ask people in person, what are you reading? Thanks, Jeanne!).

What I love most about this book is not the book itself. When my 5th grade daughter saw it on my nightstand, she mentioned that her teacher was reading it, and was it okay for her to read? I said sure. Since she is a fast reader, she finished it by the next day and was ready to talk. Wow, the conversations, especially late-night conversations, we have had about this book. I also just found out in recent days that a junior high teacher is reading it with all the upper grades, and so my 8th grader has read it and discussed it as well, so we've been able to share a lot about it.

My husband is a theologian, and I’ve been known to joke on many occasions, well, I’m not the theologian in the family. Turns out my husband has some more competition in the theologian department. This is a fact we already knew with the Zen-like questions our son used to ask when he was 4 (such as, “Can you spell Jesus without any letters?”).

What do you like least about them?

Oh, I cried and cried at the end of The Wilder Life, not only because I finished the book on my late father’s birthday, as McClure reflected on her own mother’s death a year before. I also cried because I expected a plot twist that didn't happen. That may sound odd, but I don’t want to give anything away about the book. If you have read it and were also waiting for a certain "plot twist," let’s talk about it in the comments, and see if you agree with me that the ending is so poignant on many levels. Crying at the end of a book is not really a bad thing, so it’s not really something I "didn’t like."

This isn’t really a think I disliked about Heaven is For Real, just an interesting point that came up in discussions with a young theologian in our house. Todd Burpo keeps mentioning that his son couldn’t possibly know some of the details from Scripture that describe heaven. What occurred to our 5th grader was that as a Catholic, even a 4-year-old would have heard some of those Scriptures at Mass, in particular around the certain feasts like we just had several days ago at Mass on the feast of the Archangels.

What’s next on your list to read?

Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire by Rafe Esquith. Already partway through and enjoying this one.

I truly wish I could be reading Gone With the Wind along with my 13-year-old daughter, but I'm not. I brought home a handsome new edition from the library thinking I might try to read it, but she absconded with it and I quickly realized I would not have time for this huge read right now. So I did the next best thing and asked a dear longtime online friend, author and GWTW lover, Cay Gibson, for any "content issues" I should keep in mind. And because she is dear, she gave lots of great ideas and also comfort, as 13 was the age she first read GWTW. Much as I would love to keep up with everything my kids read, sometimes you have to outsource, and I'm glad to have friends to count on for this.

So, what are you reading these days? Any books to share?

A Therese for Everyone

2011-09-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Did anyone else notice how many Teresas are connected to October? No matter how she is spelled, Therese or Teresa has a hold on this month. The month starts with St. Therese, the “Little Flower’s” feast on October 1; St. Teresa of Avila’s feast is October 15; and at least two others Teresas were beatified or canonized in October—Mother Teresa and St. Teresa Benedicta a Cruce, better known as St. Edith Stein. And books, including several newer titles, abound on these great holy women.

If you must choose only one book about the Teresas, make it Shirt of Flame: A Year with Saint Therese of Lisieux by Heather King. This is kind of a spiritual biography of St. Therese, and partly a memoir of King’s Catholic life. King is best known for her memoir Parched about her life recovering from an addition to alcohol, and Redeemed, chronicling her conversion to Catholicism.

Each chapter of Shirt of Flame is a month and a theme from Therese’s life—for instance, October’s theme is “The Story of A Soul (On Offering Up Our Work). “ You will see Therese in a deeper and different way after reading Shirt of Flame, and you yourself will be different. Consider this quote from July: The Little Way (On the Martyrdom of Everyday Life):

“We can try, at great personal sacrifice, to be perfectly righteous, a perfect friend, perfectly responsive, perfectly available, perfectly forgiving. But at the heart of our efforts must lie the knowledge that, by ourselves, we can do, heal, or correct nothing. The point is not to be perfect, but to “perfectly” leave Christ to do, heal, and correct in us what he wills.”

The end-of-chapter prayers (written by King) are worth the price of the book alone. The prayers, like the reflections throughout, help us learn from St. Therese about the brokenness in all of us, and how Christ is there, too.

Shirt of Flame had me noticing how similar were the spiritual darknesses of St. Therese and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Both experienced a dryness that persisted until the end of life, after times of consolation; both sought holiness through little actions. As Mother Teresa wrote to a spiritual director, “If I ever become a saint—I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ I will continually be absent from heaven—to light the light of those in darkness on earth.” Here, she deepens as she echoes St. Therese’s famous promise, “After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”

This Mother Teresa letter, and many others, are collected and organized by MC (Missionary of Charity) Father Brian Kolodiejchuk in 2007’s Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the “Saint of Calcutta.” The book is quite comprehensive, almost overwhelming at times, in its recounting of Mother’s retreats, letters and other assorted documents. Gems like the “saint of darkness” quote above, make it worthwhile.

A completely different, and much lighter, book, than either of the above, is the engaging new Mother Teresa and Me by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, about the author’s many encounters over the years with Mother Teresa, from a chance meeting in Washington, D.C., to a long-running correspondence. Each chapter is charmingly framed with a reprint of a letter Mother wrote to her.

Some of my favorite parts of Mother Teresa and Me: Blessed Teresa was fond of “express novenas,” (yes, that’s what Mother Teresa called them) saying the Memorare nine times in a row, instead of over the course of nine days. Who knew? As one who frequently forgets about mid-way through a novena, this has definite appeal to me. I also found Cooper O’Boyle’s memories of Fr. John Hardon, S.J. enlightening, and a nice addition to this volume.

This is my October column that appears in this weekend's Catholic Post. Come back all month long here at the book group blog for discussion on books about saints named Teresa, author interviews, and more.

There Oughta Be a (Catholic) Book

2011-09-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here at the Catholic Post Book Group blog, I’m starting a new feature in which I don’t review a book,but suggest that someone write abook, from a Catholic perspective. A truly Catholic perspective is reasonable, intelligent and attractiveon many levels. So here goes!

First up is a reasonable book about modesty, from a Catholicperspective, primarily for younger people. I’m pretty sure such a book doesn’t exist, but if itdoes please let me know in the comments.

I participated recently in a very spirited Facebook group discussionabout modesty, and I was so appreciative of different perspectives, but still feltthat how to dress at Mass (much less other times) is like the third rail of Catholic culture. How to talkabout this subject in a reasonable (and I'm completely stressing the reasonable here) way with our children?

Last month, my daughters and I attended (with several other families) a large event at a localevangelical church called “Secret Keeper Girl Live!” It was fun, and sparkly—almost a littletoo sparkly. (Not that it isn’t “Catholic”to be sparkly. Here’s what Iloved: the girls and their moms were encouraged in dressing and acting asdaughters of the King. They gave very specific, super helpful advice about dressing withmodesty—various very practical tests to see if a top was too skimpy, a skirttoo short.

Here’s what I didn’t love: it was a little overwhelming, noise and pink-wise, forme. There was an altar call at theend, always a little awkward for Catholics not wanting to seem holier than thou(um, do I want to ask Jesus into my heart? I already receive Him every time I go to Mass, but thanksanyway). Also, I found myself underwhelmed by the "fashion show" portion of the evening, which featured fashions that werecheesier and more “Disney” than my tastes, though all outfits were perfectlymodest. I’m just more of an LLBean gal.

I really don’t want to make it sound in any way bad, because it wasreally wonderful in encouraging girls to believe in true inner beauty, both inhow we look and how we act. Dana Gresh, the creator of theevents, has a helpful series of books for girls and moms, including one called Secret Keeper, and while we found itinteresting and a helpful read for discussion, it lacked a truly Catholicvision. Our family got a chance to look upmodesty in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), and that helped us roundout the discussion the book and the event started.

But still, I want a (Catholic) book! So there “oughta” be a (Catholic)book.

A recent Catholic book to talk over body image, and touch onmodesty a bit, is Kate Wicker’s thoughtful new book Weightless:Making Peace With Your Body. Weightless is an excellent book and a longer review of that is coming. But that is written more for olderteens and adults, more specifically about body image than dressing and actingin way that is modest. I really want something I can hand to my children (bothboy and girls) to read (having read it first), and then discuss casually hereand there.

Here are two quick nominations for someone to write this book:

*Hallie Lord: she’s the popular blogger of Betty Beguiles “Beauty, Fashion and Style … with a Vintage Twist.” Shefeatures a lot of good discussions about fashion as well as Catholicissues. She’d be great and veryencouraging to young women who love fashion, because she does so much herselflove fashion.

*Rebecca, a young screenwriter who writes the Modestia blog, “Fashion. Modesty. & General Fabulousity.” And this blog is fabulous (or has fabulosity?)—she features a lot of fun appropriatefashion, many times featuring new Princess Kate. I so enjoy her sensible take on things.

What do you think of this idea for a book? Do you have any nominations of people who should write this book? Do you have any suggestions of an“oughta be” Catholic book?

QR Codes as a Tool for Catholic Evangelism

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing QR codes everywhere, and after reading about it this past summer in a David Pogue column explaining new technology trends. QR codes are, as Pogue writes:

those weird, square, pixelated black-and-white bar codes that are cropping up on billboards, movie posters, signs, magazine ads and business cards. Nobody ever bothered to explain them. (They’re QR codes — quick response bar codes. You can scan them with your iPhone’s or Android phone’s camera, using a special app that translates it into an ad or takes you to a related Web page.)

So earlier this summer, I downloaded an App that "reads" them, and our family has been finding them everywhere. We were at the grocery store at the beach, and there was a QR code on the box of watermelon. One of the kids scanned it and it had a mobile-ready recipes, information. It was cute!

One of the things we all noticed about the QR codes is usually how useless they are--they bring you to a web page that might not even be mobile-ready, so you can't even read it, or just not that helpful. Many marketing pros and others have written about this on the web, and even highlighted the many unhelpful or just plain bad QR code "landing pages."

As we kept discovering them, the good, the bad and the ugly QR codes, depending on where the code "landed" you, I thought, why couldn't this be an opportunity to invite people to prayer? Or find a way to spread the word about something Catholic?

So I proposed to my editor that we put a QR code in the Catholic Post. Fortunately, he's always up for trying out new ideas. It would be related to my September column featuring 9/11 books, but "land" people who scanned the QR code at a page with the prayer of Father Mychal Judge. The Catholic Post Book Group is mobile-ready, so the prayer is easy to read on a phone or other mobile device. I actually back-dated the post/prayer to September 11 last year, since my column reaches some people before my column posts on the blog. The only thing that annoyed me is that a photo of me appears also on the mobile-ready blog, (since I am the blog author), and I couldn't figure out a way to get rid of that. Here is the QR code I generated using one of the many free sites that offer QR codemaking:

My thinking was that a person who might not read the Post normally might see the QR code (at their parents' or grandparents' house, perhaps?), and, if they were familiar with using them, still scan the code for fun, as we have done so much in our family in recent months. And then perhaps that unnamed person would pray the prayer, or at least be inspired to read more of the Post and learn more about the Faith.

Before the Post QR code printed, our local parish bulletin featured a QR code, a pretty cool one with the "Word on Fire" logo in the middle, which landed my iPhone at the promo video for Father Robert Barron's Catholicism series. I was so glad to see this great use of a QR code, better than pretty much any of the ones to promote a product that I have seen.

I am hoping to do this again in the future, perhaps along with my October column on books about Teresas, landing at a prayer by St. Therese or Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Any suggestions on a good prayer for that?

What do you think about QR codes? Do you use them? Do you think they have the potential to be a tool for evangelism?

Q&A with Kelly Ann Lynch, author of "He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge"

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so grateful to author Kelly Ann Lynch for doing this Q&A with me this month about her book He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge, considering her busy schedule this month marking the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Thanks, Kelly!

Father Judge was your family friend for many years. After his death on 9/11, how did you get the idea to write a book about his life?

One of the first thoughts I had after Father Mychal’s death was that his story needed to be shared, especially with the next generation of children who might otherwise never know of the man who changed the lives of so many.

I was at a weekday Mass when the words, He Said Yes, came to me, and I began picturing Father Mychal’s life and all the ways he said yes … from the time he was a little child in Brooklyn and began shining shoes to help make ends meet for his family; becoming a priest; ministering to the homeless, recovering alcoholics and the dying; becoming the fire chaplain to the New York City Fire Department; befriending NYPD Detective Steven McDonald and his family; blessing my daughter before her surgery; and ultimately saying “yes” on September 11, 2001 when he gave his life. I believe the inspiration to write this book came directly from the Holy Spirit. I was “on fire” when I left Mass that day after hearing those words (He Said Yes) and began writing notes immediately. I could see the story unfolding before my eyes. I called a friend – an artist who created the first logo for Mychal’s Message – M. Scott Oatman – and I asked him about getting together to create a book. He said, “yes” and then explained how he had an idea for an illustration, using doves in place of the Twin Towers, to depict that fateful day. That illustration, the last page in my book, was the first painting completed. I believe the book was a product of divine inspiration and two friends who said, “yes.”

After showing the book to Franciscan priest, Father Cassian A. Miles, OFM, he said, “this book should be published.” We contacted Paulist Press, and … well, they said, “yes” too. The book has sold over 6,000 copies since its release in 2007.

I write in my review that I felt your children’s book was more successful than other bios of Fr. Judge in capturing Father Judge's essential work and how he “said yes.” Thoughts on that? Was it easy or difficult to write?

It was always my desire to share Father Mychal’s story with children. I believe in children – their prayers, their presence, their witness – they are the next generation. To teach them about a man who lived simply by loving others (while passing judgment on none) was my way of allowing God to work through me and leave a beautiful legacy for Father Mychal – the man, the friend, the priest who changed the life of my family. The book is written simply and shares the story of the priest I knew, the stories I knew. It is written to encourage and inspire children to be the best they can be, to say, “yes” and to allow God to work through them. I believe it also teaches children that they can become anything they desire when trusting in God’s Will for their lives and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when following God.

Your website (www.kellyannlynch.blogspot.com) shows a range of activities that you are currently involved in—speaking, presentations, storytelling—to spread the Catholic faith. Are you planning to write any more books in the future?

I have written another book that is currently in the process of being published (by Paulist Press). It is a children’s book and encourages children to be who they are. It is okay to be different because God has a special and unique plan for each of our lives. It’s a unique book, unlike any others on the market, in that it is a fictional story based loosely on actual accounts in my own life. This book was also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Two others that I am also working on are written for children. I work with children all year in “Armata Bianca” (White Army), a children’s rosary group, where we discuss and learn the beauty of growing up Catholic in today’s world. I encourage the children to wear a scapular, pray the rosary, and know their saint friends, while teaching them the importance of prayer, penance and the sacraments.

Tell Catholic Post readers more about Mychal's Message, a non-profit you started to help the homeless and poor.

Mychal’s Message was founded in 2002 by my daughter, Shannon Hickey. It is a non-profit organization created to honor the life of Father Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M. (From our website, my words): During his life, Father Mychal shared his message with the rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick, firefighters, police officers, and friars, and the many men, women and children who called him 'friend.' His message was simple, interdenominational, and touched many lives. It is the mission of Mychal's Message to continue sharing that message with others. It is a grace to walk in his footsteps and encounter the homeless and poor, meeting basic needs, while restoring dignity with love.
Mychal's Message began in January 2002 as 11-year-old Shannon marked the anniversary of her liver transplant. Every year she celebrated her anniversary with a party, presents and cake. That year, Shannon decided to mark the anniversary in a more meaningful way. In lieu of gifts, she asked for socks for the homeless. "I'll give them away in memory of Father Mychal," she told us. Father Mychal, a dear family friend, was an inspiration to Shannon and on her transplant anniversary in 2002, she wanted to celebrate her life by remembering his.
Word spread quickly and before long, Shannon collected 1,500 pair of socks. A printed card with Father Mychal's prayer was attached to each pair. As those first socks were being distributed to the homeless, we realized that the prayer was as important as the socks. The prayer became Mychal's message. Father Mychal inspired Shannon, Shannon inspired us, and Mychal's Message was born.
On the Breadline at St. Francis Church in New York City where those first socks were distributed, a man approached my mother (Shannon’s Nana) and asked her for underwear. My mom could not forget that man or his request all day. That night, she told us, “I know what I want for my birthday this year … men’s underwear.” And “Blessed Bloomers” was born … and we return to the streets of New York City every year on the anniversary of September 11 with new underwear for the homeless.
Mychal’s Message is a family-run ministry. My dad hand writes a personal thank you note to each person who sends a donation. My husband sorts and packs the vans each time we travel into the city. My mom does the shopping and packing. I write the newsletters and press releases. My children distribute the items to the homeless. And there are no salaries paid, no overhead expenses other than printing of prayer cards, newsletters and postage.

It’s been 10 years since 9/11. What did you do to mark the anniversary?

We attended the annual Walk of Remembrance in NYC last weekend, and that is always a special day for our family as we remember and honor Father Mychal and all those who gave their lives on September 11.

On the anniversary of September 11, as a family, were on the Breadline of St. Francis of Assisi Church in NYC to distribute our annual “Blessed Bloomers” to the homeless. This year, we also distributed a full-size chocolate candy bar to each of the men and women we encounter – something “sweet” on a “bitter” day. We attended the 11:00 Mass at St. Francis Church (the firefighter’s Mass) with FDNY Chaplain Father Christopher Keenan, OFM. We then went to the Firemen’s Museum for the 1:00 dedication of Father Mychal’s helmet and bunker coat (found after 9/11 at Ground Zero, unharmed and intact). We had hoped to visit Totowa, NJ, just outside NYC, where Father Mychal is buried, but the recent flooding in that area prevented us.

Is there anything else you would like to share with Catholic Post readers, or anything else you wish I would have asked?

It has been a blessing for me and for my family to walk in the footsteps of Father Mychal Judge. We are always aware that none of this would be possible without the generous donations of people all over the country. And we are grateful, so grateful, that others allow us to use their donations to help others in Father Mychal’s memory.

I had hoped to share with Catholic Post readers a photo of Father Mychal's grave, so when Kelly Ann Lynch mentioned she would have liked to have visited his grave on 9/11, I knew this was the right day. The reason I have a photo of Father Mychal's grave (this one from last summer) is that my husband's grandparents are buried just a few yards away in the same cemetery, and so for years, when we make a visit East to visit family, we visit his grave, as well. His grave is always decorated.

Helping Children Make Sense of 9/11, 10 Years Later

2011-09-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

The primary book that I reviewed this month was a children's book about the events of 9/11, He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge, by author Kelly Ann Lynch. It wasn't entirely intentional to focus on a children's book, but as I argue, sometimes "just a kid's book" can be more insightful and meaningful than books for adults.

Earlier today, I listened to a radio interview with a American studies professor discussing the "art of 9/11," focusing exclusively on novels, movies and songs for adults that have come out of the tragedy, and their meaning, and how they have helped us heal (or not) after 9/11. It was a fascinating interview; yet I found myself thinking about how much more do children need help in processing and understanding difficult events like what happened on 9/11.

I am a volunteer in the library of our children's grade school, and I'm fortunate to get the chance to read to the students. Earlier this week, I read through He Said Yes with different grades of kids, and we talked about what happened that day. This book ended up being a great way for kids who were unaware of 9/11 to learn about it gently, as 9/11 images are all over the news, and the students are bound to be confronted with it. Learning about the heroism of Father Judge and others will give, I hope, some framework for understanding beyond the images.

Some of the kids asked me, "Is that a true story?" so we talked about how Father Judge is the listed as the first official fatality on that day. I was surprised that every single time I read it, I choked up on the last pages of the book, when author Lynch quotes John 15:13, "When Father Mychal ran to the towers, he was following in the footsteps of Jesus, who told his disciples, "No one has grater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Here are several other children's books to help children to learn about and understand 9/11 as we remember 10 years later:

The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtis is a beautifully illustrated and lyrical poem-book about Old St. Paul's Church, which survived the attacks at Ground Zero, and became a place of refuge for firefighters and others.

If you can, reading an actual copy of The Little Chapel That Stood makes for great reading with small children; the book itself is handsome and a nice size. Unfortunately, it looks like it is difficult to order quickly; for instance, I see Amazon lists it as a one- to three-month delivery time. Fortunately, I discovered an online version of the story on the author's website. Do read it, and be prepared to choke up a little if you do read it out loud, when you read many lines, especially about how the firefighters hung up their shoes on the fence of the church: "Oh what gallant men we did lose, who never came back to get their shoes!"

[The interesting Catholic trivia connection to Old St. Paul's, an Episcopal Church, is that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born canonized saint, was married to her husband, William Seton, in St. Paul's, on January 25, 1774.]

Also, blog commenter Marie jogged my memory about The Little Chapel That Stood, that I hadn't picked up in years. Thanks, Marie!

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman, is another great book about the great and small heroism around 9/11. This book, too, shows how ordinary people worked to stop the fires at the Twin Towers with a previously retired and restored 1930s-era fireboat. The illustrations are a kind of modern folk-art, and the text is delightful in conveying such difficult themes.

Do you know of any other 9/11 books for children? How are you discussing 9/11 with your children?

A Prayer at Ground Zero

2011-09-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

As we reflect this month at the Catholic Post Book Group on 9/11 10 years later, I wanted to share some good links and content out there. Here is a great short reflection by Father James Martin, SJ, of his memories of the days after 9/11.

Meet a Reader: Corey Krengiel

2011-09-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm delighted to feature another seminarian as a "Meet a Reader." Our family met Corey this summer as he was one of the four energetic team members of our parish's summer "sort-of, but much better than a VBS" program, called Totus Tuus. Quick ad here: if you are not aware of the fantastic Totus Tuus program, you can read a little more about it from its home diocese, Wichita. I cannot stress enough how amazing Totus Tuus program is. We feel extremely fortunate that our pastor brought the program here and it will continue in future years. Thanks, Corey!

How you know me:

I am Corey Krengiel, a seminarian for the Diocese of Peoria, and I'm originally from Lemont, IL. I attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. If God wills it, I will be ordained in 2014. I invite your prayers for me.

Why I love reading:

I love reading because learning new things gets me very excited about life, and we should be excited about life. I love reading books, and making them my own.

What I’m reading now:

I’m reading Three to Get Married by Servant of God Fulton Sheen. Archbishop Sheen’s wisdom seems bottomless, and he writes is such a clear and dlever way. Hacing a good understanding of how God intended marriage to work provides an important part of a Catholic sacramental worldview.

My favorite book:

My favorite book is In the School of the Holy Spirit by Father Jacques Philippe. I am reading it now for the third time because each time I read it, I gain deeper insight into how to live a life rooted in God. I also like it because it is broken into many short sections, making it easy to pray with.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-02T10:00:00.007-05:00

It’s been 10 years since 9/11, but I can still recall exactly where I was and every tiny detail of how I learned what had happened. It was an almost too-sunny Tuesday morning as I drove over the McCluggage Bridge on my way to a Scripture study. Our two little daughters were in their carseats, sweetly singing along with a CD about the three little kittens who lost their mittens…. Then one of my sisters called my cell phone to tell me about the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, where her husband worked at that time, and life changed for everyone.

That kind of total recall is probably true of most Catholic Post readers, but what do we do with those memories? As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the attacks, remembrance is not just important, but healthy, especially when we do so prayerfully in light of our Catholic faith.

He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge

In his writings and talks, Pope Benedict XVI returns again and again to the theme of saying “yes” to God. The Holy Father ended one of his addresses to World Youth Day pilgrims in Madrid by saying, “(L)et us pray that, like (the Blessed Mother), our “Yes” to Christ today may also be an unconditional “Yes” to his friendship, both at the end of this day and throughout our entire lives.”

Saying yes to a life of faith is not a one-time event, but a daily, often moment-by-moment, decision. This is captured beautifully in the children’s picture book, He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge by Kelly Ann Lynch.

Father Mychal Judge was the NYC fire department chaplain, and is listed as the first official casualty of 9/11 at Ground Zero. The photo of his body being carried out of the North Tower by NYFD members remains one of the iconic images of the destruction that day.

In the years after Father Mychal’s death, there have been several well-written biographies written about him. These books recount how Father Mychal prevailed through numerous obstacles--such as family dysfunction and his own alcoholism--to be and to bring Christ to so many hurting people.

Yet in its simplicity, He Said Yes captures the central message of Father Mychal’s life more successfully. The picture book does this by distilling Father Mychal’s essential work: how he continued to say yes to Christ, to his vocation, and to the people he served, until the very end. A bonus is that proceeds from the book He Said Yes benefit Mychal’s Message, a non-profit started by author Lynch to help the homeless and poor.

Franciscan Voices on 9/11

Franciscan Voices On 9/11 by St. Anthony Messenger Press, is a collection of reflections on the attack and its meaning 10 years later. Since St. Francis was known so much for his emphasis on peace and reconciliation, having a Franciscan perspective to mark the decade is enriching.

Essays range from the deeply personal, such as “Looking Back, Moving Forward”-- those whose lives have been dramatically changed after 9/11; to several political analyses; to a beautiful essay, “Prayer Out of Pain,” by Franciscan Scripture scholar Michael Guinan, who uses Lamentations as a way to help people respond to the memory of 9/11.

Easily the most interesting and informative section is “Franciscans and Muslims: Eight Centuries of Seeking God,” by Franciscans Jack Wintz and Pat McCloskey. Here is history about St. Francis’ trip to the Holy Land in 1219 to preach the gospel to the Sultan (the Muslim leader) during the time of the Crusades, and how Franciscans still maintain a considerable presence there to this day.

As Wintz and McCloskey recount, because St. Francis approached in peace and love, and disregarded the gifts offered to him, the Sultan showed greater respect for him and did not kill him outright. St. Francis bravely “proclaimed the triune God and Jesus Christ, with steadfastness, courage and spirit,” and the Sultan told him, “Pray to God for me, that God may reveal to me the law and the faith that is more pleasing to him.” Franciscans still serve in the Holy Land as guardians of many shrines.

Franciscan Voices on 9/11 is available in only as a Kindle book, which can be read on a wide variety of devices.

First, What Are Reading? Volume 13, September 2011

2011-09-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

What are you reading?

Get Real: What Kind ofWorld Are You Buying? By Mara Rockliff. This book is about responsible buying and consumerism.

Good Calories/BadCalories by Gary Taubes.

What do you like best about them?

Getting Real isvery eye-opening in its discussion of where things come from. I like best thatit challenges kids to not think as consumers but as people. The book helps kids realize that theyhold enormous power in their buying power, and also that they are influenced bythe ads they see, regardless of what they think. I gave it to my 13-year-old daughter after I read it,and told her that I didn’t agree with everything in the book. She agreed that she didn’t likeeverything about it, but especially thought that she was more immune toadvertisements than others. I hadto laugh at that, and we had a good discussion about trying to remain consciousabout the lure of consumerism.

I think that’s one of the best take-away points. You are influenced by the culturearound you. Realizing it andaccepting it will help you be a savvier consumer, and overall a betterperson. That’s not just true aboutconsumerism, but also media we consume. If you think you can watch or read whatever is around and think it hasno effect on you, you’re wrong.

I’m not sure what I like about Good Calories/Bad Calories. He is good and award-winning science writer, but it’s a science andnutrition book I found hard to get through.

What do you like least about them?

Getting Real is a little,no, a lot, on the frankly polemic side against any sort of non-local business,whether it’s Wal-Mart, Starbucks or McDonalds. I find those kind of attacks that shed more heat thanlight, and disregard the strides these companies have made. I will admit, of course, that it’sbecause of the strident protests by people like Rockliff. What I find annoying aboutRockliff’s approach is that it’s kind of an either/or, rather than a both.

For instance, I can find much more, and better quality,organic produce, at our closest Wal-Mart than I can at our local grocerystore. I also can find that at ourlocal farmer’s market, which I do in the summer, but I am so grateful to havethe source of great healthful produce (and inexpensive other groceries)year-round from Wal-Mart. And while my kids dislike McDonald’s in general (except for thebreakfasts), I enjoy the oatmeal and the salads and enjoy having those healthfuloptions when traveling or needing a drive-through.

I just don’t buy the notion that all big business is bad,just like I don’t buy the notion that big government is bad. I’m glad that there are McDonalds,Starbucks and Wal-Marts, and I’m glad there are national parks, the military,and lots of other things in federal government. I know both those “biggies” can improve, but Getting Real seems to think we’d bebetter off without big business, instead of trying to improve them, in the sameway some more radical libertarians want to do away with the federal government. Both those are too extreme forme.

Good Calories, BadCalories is frustrating because there’s essentially no conclusion, otherthan the argument it makes that a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet is not goodfit for human consumption. Moretroubling, I find, is Taubes apparent claim that the only way to live healthy, long and trim, is with essentially ano-carbohydrate diet. He claimsthat people who eat only meat suffer no ill effects. Some of the arguments in the book just made my head spin. So if eating only meat andhigh-protein, high-fat foods is the only way to go, what do you do when it’syour birthday? No birthdaycake? No vegetables? Strange.

Reading this gave me a kind of reverse of déjà vu fromreading The China Study several yearsback, a book that makes an equally dense and impassioned, well-documentedargument that the only way to livehealthy, trim and long is through a vegan diet. I’d like to get these two authors in a room to duke itout.

My problem with both of those nutrition exposes (not surehow to get the accent there, I mean the noun, not the verb) is a tendency toover-dramatize. Yes,clearly, the low-fat, refined carbohydrate diet is not healthy, but I thoughtwe all know that by now. By thesame token, few people will be able to stay on either a no-carbohydrate orcompletely vegan diet forever, regardless of how healthy.

Much more interesting, but only occasionally referenced, wasthe notion that overweight and obese people do not necessarily overeat, but mayhave a barely perceptible hormone imbalance. That would be interesting to explore or solve.

Finally, I just found it ridiculous that Taubes dismissesexercise as a way to manage weight and stay healthy. I’m not going to even start on that.

What’s next on yourlist to read?

I’ve actually just finished The Wilder Life: MyAdventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by WendyMcClure, and I LOVED it, but I want to wait to next month to write aboutit. It’s that good. Stay tuned.

I’ve also downloaded for the Kindle App some Georgette Heyerbooks, written in the mid-20^th century. They’re kind of romance/mystery/madcap books for people wholove Jane Austen. I learned fromAustenblog earlier this month that there was an e-book sale, so I grabbed a coupleof titles I have not yet read. Unfortunately, I have not had much free “funreading” time, but having these great Heyer books makes me want to find sometime.

So, what are you reading? Any books to add to my growing stacks?

Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices: Why Do I Need A Book Like This?

2011-08-24T10:00:00.005-05:00

As I wrote in my Catholic Post review of Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices, the excellent guide, virtually everyone would benefit from having this book on hand:

Some are thinking “I can go ask my parish priest, or read some encyclicals, or read some blogs about these tough issues.” I say, yes to all of that, especially consulting your parish priest (who might have this book already). But the well-reasoned and easy to read wisdom of centuries of Church teaching distilled in Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices is a true treasure."

My own personal story wouldn't fit in my monthly print Post column, but I thought it would be helpful to share here.

In the last few years, both of my parents died within a few months of each other. There were many medical moral issues that arose during the years before their death; that's pretty common, as I'm sure readers will agree who have had a loved one face death in recent years.

I feel enormously blessed to be part of a large and trusting Catholic family. Among parents, my siblings and spouses we had two physicians, too many lawyers to count, and a Catholic moral theologian. The latter is my dear husband, who has a wealth of wisdom, in addition to a caring and patient personality that could explain and help us navigate through the medical care persons at the end of life.

And yet with all of that, our family still grappled with issues of treatment and care. I know that I would have found this book enormously comforting and helpful to read and consult during that time.

Another factor for many families, and which helped ours tremendously, was a Catholic healthcare setting. Fortunately, after a number of less-than optimal settings, my parents at the very end lived in a Catholic nursing home staffed with caring professionals who were led by a small group of devout white-habited Carmelite sisters. The nursing home's motto is "The difference is love," and I can't tell you what comfort those loving, well-formed professionals meant to our family.

There was a sad NY Times story over the weekend about the decline of religious sisters leading Catholic healthcare systems. Keeping the Catholic vision in healthcare, in books like Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices; is extremely important, I'm convinced. In preparing my review, I read numerous other books about health care and end-of-life care, and the lack of Catholic vision can lead to some strange conclusions and muddled thinking.

But keeping the Catholic healthcare we enjoy in our country (and especially in our local diocese, staffed with sisters and dedicated lay leaders) is another critical component to health care. I'm not trying to say that great care can't occur in non-Catholic settings; I'm sure it does in many places. But the Catholic history and vision of caring for the vulnerable, the sick and the dying is a treasure we must never underestimate.

What are your thoughts on this? (Please overlook the strange font size changes, line spacing, and other "creative" things Blogger is arbitrarily applying to this post. I can't seem to fix it.)

A Quote for Monday: Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices

2011-08-22T11:00:00.002-05:00

There's a little--okay, a lot-- of blogger guilt about how little I've written here this month about the book Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices. I truly believe this is a great, easy-to-read guide for people about the richness of our Catholic faith. As I wrote about in my Catholic Post review of the book:

"Just because someone slept at a Holiday Inn Express-- or has read a lot of Church documents--doesn’t guarantee good results when one tries to charitably explain or defend Church teaching accurately, especially on complicated and critical issues of life and death. In this area, what’s most needed is loving and well-formed professionals. Two of these have written Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices. Take advantage of their wisdom and guidance, and keep this book on hand."

I hope to write more about this concept during this week, to catch up for what I've missed conveying about this excellent resource and the necessity to "trust the professionals." In the meantime, I wanted to share with you an excerpt from the book. The book is in a question and answer format, which makes it easy to read and reflect in short sections:

What is the difference between medical intervention and basic healthcare?

Medical interventions to restore health, alleviate pain, or prolong life usually require medical professionals. Other activities such as ensuring cleanliness and warmth, feeding, the giving of water, and respecting the personal dignity of belong to basic healthcare, sometimes referred to as natural care. Church statements give the impression that all forms of natural care are normally obligatory. Of course there can come a time when it is unreasonable to force a dying person to eat or drink in the normal fashion because such as insistence is too burdensome for the patient and there is very little to be gained.

Perhaps we should include spiritual care of the person under the heading of natural care. Here, too, we need to be sensitive to the condition of the patient. Sometimes a faith-filled dying person may ask family members to tone down vocal prayers, as wonderful as they may be, because noise causes her pain or agitation. There are appropriate and inappropriate times to raise spiritual matters with the sick and dying.

One may ask if artificial nutrition and hydration are a medical intervention or natural basic healthcare? Interesting, John Paul II in 2004 stated: "I should like, particularly, to underline how the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act." The pope goes on to state that, in principle, such nutrition and hydration are morally obligatory until they have attained their proper finality, which is providing nourishment and alleviating suffering.

So, in the case where a patient's body can no longer process such nutrition or hydration or its administration causes them more suffering, we would have a situation where what is normally natural care is causing more burden than benefit and would cease to be obligatory. The fact that an action is termed natural care does not necessarily mean that it cannot be judged extraordinary in certain circumstances. In fact, is it well-known that both Pope John Paul II and Cardinal John O'Connor refused nutrition and hydration when it had become an extraordinary measure for the preservation of life, when it had become an excessive burden, or when their bodies could no longer assimilate the nutrients provided.

Catholic App Spotlight: Sacred Space

2011-08-19T12:32:00.001-05:00

Well, Sacred Space isn't an App (yet--I can still hope). It is a unique online prayer resource produced by the Irish Jesuits. www.sacredspace.ie is the website. I haven't seen anything else like it. It leads the reader through prayer, eventually reading the Gospel of the day, and reflection on it. The structure of it would definitely lend itself to an App--perhaps the Jesuits will produce one eventually.

I've known about Sacred Space for years, but hadn't visited recently until my husband started placing me in front of the computer to read a particular reflection from the site, I think last week (the beginning reflection changes weekly, from what I gather). I think it's his gentle way of inviting me to incorporate more contemplative prayer into my life. The whole prayer experience with Sacred Space is incredibly soothing, definitely worth a look, and a return visit. Give it a try!

Catholic Author to Kick Off 40 Days for Life Campaign September 6

2011-08-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

I learned that the local 40 Days for Life campaign in the Peoria area will feature a Catholic author who will be a powerful speaker.

Immaculee Ilibagiza is the author of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. I read this book in 2007 and found it absolutely riveting. I couldn't stop thinking about it for months, talking about it to everyone I met, and finding it difficult to process the mystery of evil and yet the power of forgiveness for healing. It's been quite some time since I read it, but it brings up memories and makes me want to pick it up again.

I would highly recommend this book to adults, and older or more mature teenagers. This book may not be for everyone, however. Immaculee describes the genocide in great detail. It's almost overwhelming at times, and yet so important to her story.

Immaculee has two other, more recent books out: Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa, and Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide. I have not read either of this books, but I've heard good things from other readers about these books. Have you read either of her other books? What do you think about them?

It turns out Immaculee spoke at Bradley University in Peoria around the same time that I first read Left to Tell, but I did not know about her speech until after it happened. I definitely plan to attend Immaculee's talk this time, as well as have the opportunity to support a great cause in promoting life through peaceful prayer & witness. Catholic Post readers will remember that I featured Abby Johnson's book Unplanned in February. Abby is the Planned Parenthood clinic director who left the abortion industry, largely after the repeated witness and prayers of the original 40 Days for Life location in Bryan/College Station, Texas. The impact of the 40 Days for Life campaign cannot be undestimated.

Following is the announcement I received about Immaculee's talk, with all the pertinent information:

Our local 40 Days for Life campaign will kick-off early this year with a rally on Tuesday, September 6th. The rally will feature internationally reknowned guest speaker Immaculée Ilibagiza.

Immaculée miraculously survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide by hiding with 7 other women for 3 months in a secret room in a pastor's house, as her relatives and neighbors perished. After the holocaust she confronted her family's killers and forgave them. She has worked with the Rwandan government to promote peace and healing, and in 2007 received the Mahatma Ghandi Peace and Reconciliation Award. Immaculée also started and directs the Left To Tell Charitable Fund to help children orphaned in Rwanda's holocaust, and orphans all over Africa.

The rally will also include musical entertainment, an overview of the 40 Days for Life campaign and the new initiatives we're embracing for 2011, a raffle on multiple items, and an introduction to our partner agencies. It will take place in the sanctuary of Grace Presbyterian's new church building on Route 91, just passed Grand Praire Mall. The event begins at 6:30 PM.

Meet a Reader: Birgitta Sujdak Mackiewicz

2011-08-08T10:00:00.010-05:00

This month I wanted to feature a "Reader" who had something to do with medical ethics, since my review this month discusses the need for loving, well-educated professionals in this area. The person I know best in this area happens to be my husband, a Catholic moral theologian & ethicist; however, the prospect of nepotism accusations prevent me from featuring him. I'm half-joking, but it is too bad, as he is a great reader, and would be an interesting subject. In the meantime, I notice frequent mentions of books in the Facebook updates of my friend Birgitta, and thought she would be willing, despite being in the middle of completing her doctoral dissertation. Thanks, Birgitta, for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully the "Meet a Reader" questions! My library request list is much longer after reading some of your current favorites.

How You Know Me:

I am the Director of Ethics at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center & Children's Hospital of Illinois and volunteer at various community agencies. My husband Darin, and our son John, and I are members of St. Philomena's parish. I am an Oblate of the Community of Saint John.

Why I Love Reading:

I have been an avid reader since the beginning. I can remember bringing home stacks and stacks of books from the library and bringing home the order form for the school book fair with nearly every book checked. I would be caught reading books inside of my text books at school or at home in my room when I was supposed to be doing homework. I used to stay up until the wee small hours of the morning reading books with a flashlight.

A few weeks ago around 11 p.m. we found our three-year-old son out of bed in his recliner reading a book -- the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I've found my self collecting and re-acquiring books that I want my son to experience as he grows up, especially the classics such as Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, the Beatrix Potter stories, and The Chronicles of Narnia. There's a secret stash for him and I wait for the right moments to cuddle up on the couch together and introduce him to my old friends!

Reading is a way to explore new ideas and places without leaving the comforts of home, but a well-written book truly can transport you into another world. Reading also allows you to explore at your own pace, to carefully and even prayerfully reflect on a word, passage or idea. There are some books that present a true dilemma when you are enjoying them so much that you can't put them down, but you like the subject or characters so much you don't want them to end. Books like those I find myself savoring slowly. Books are also great conversation starters. I'm always curious when traveling to see what others are reading in different parts of the world. I've been known to leave a book I've finished in an airport for someone else to discover.

My Favorite Book:

Like many Catholic Post readers, I have various favorites depending on the genre, but here are a few particular books and authors that stand out to me that may be of interest to readers of the Post.

Maurice and Therese: The Story of a Love. This is a collection of letters between St. Therese of Liseux and Maurice, a young priest, that are presented intertwined with a narrative by Bishop Patrick Ahern to give the context of the letters. The book really made St. Therese come alive to me in a way that other writings by her hadn't. If you have found St. Therese to be a bit out of reach this book will bring her into your heart.

As for authors one perhaps not well known to Americans is the late Cardinal Basil Hume who was Archbishop of Westminster, England for over two decades until he died in 1999. As one who entered religious life as a Benedictine Monk and later became a cardinal his writings on spirituality and the human journey are simultaneously humble, profound, and accessible. Many of his books are less than 100 pages, but they are packed and draw you in to contemplation of Christ in a way that not many contemporary authors do. Of Hume's writing my particular favorites are The Mystery of Love and To Be A Pilgrim.

George Weigel is another favorite author of mine who has written numerous books including those about the late Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI, but his book Letters to a Young Catholic (which is for Catholics of all ages!) is a walk through what it means to be Catholic via stories, visits to sacred places, by engaging our various senses and in doing so brings Catholicism alive in a way that a historical or doctrinal account does not. For example, he explores the death of St. Peter via his letter which considers the "Grittiness of Catholicism." The letter style allows the book to be read and shared in shorter parts.

What I'm Reading Now:

I've recently acquired an e-reader after losing a book I was reading. Now I can pull up whatever I'm in the mood for without actually hunting for the book! It doesn't replace the joy of holding a book in hand but is more practical for me right now.

I find myself reading a number of books at a time. I've just finished The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time by Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson. Yes, this is a book about people traveling around the USA looking for typos on signs. If you're an avid reader, a former Lit major, a teacher, or someone who wonders what's happened to the proper use of the English language chances are you'll enjoy this book. Interestingly, the book started as a blog -- a sign of how technology is changing what we read!

We've just returned from Paris where we climbed up to the top of Notre Dame and were wandering about amongst the gargoyles and in the dimly lit bell tower and I realized I'd never read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, so I've just started that. I was also recently inspired to read another classic I've somehow missed, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, after watching a documentary about the train. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is also in progress. This fascinating book is about a woman who died young of cancer. Her cells which were taken for medical research without her knowledge and consent (as was the custom at the time), her family, and the medical advances and knowledge gained from those cells and the impact this seemingly small action has had on generations of her family and on medicine.

As for spiritual reading I'm slowly working my way through Light Of The World, Peter Seewald's interview of Pope Benedict XVI. I find that I have to dose myself on it to give it the time it needs and to grasp all the Holy Father is trying to impart. Finally, I'm reading Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life by Kathleen Norris (who also wrote The Cloister Walk) which explores the spiritual sloth, apathy and indifference that is experienced by many at some point along their spiritual journey. I am fascinated by this concept which I have not often explored in contemporary spiritual literature, but I think plagues us all to greater or lesser degrees as we are faced with the demands of everyday life.

"Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices" a True Treasure

2011-08-06T10:00:00.003-05:00

Here is my column that appears in this weekend's Catholic Post. I invite your feedback.

As Catholics, we are neither vitalists who believe in aggressive treatment “no matter what” nor utilitarians who believe in “life unless and until it’s convenient for me and mine.”

We have a good and almost immediate understanding that our life is a gift from God. We know that we are called to be stewards, not owners, of life. Even so, medical decision-making in today’s environment can be a challenge.

That’s where a book like Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices (50 Questions from the Pews) becomes indispensable. Written by two moral theologians, Redemptorist Fr. Kevin O’Neil, and Australian diocesan priest Fr. Peter Black, this book provides sound, reasoned guidance on medical moral issues for anyone, Catholic or not. The book is helpfully divided into three sections: questions about the beginning of life (such as abortion, assisted reproductive technologies, adoption), life “in between” (questions relating to organ donation, cancer, and various other topics), and end of life care (such as palliative/hospice care, euthanasia, and cremation).

I can just see half of my readers’ eyes glazing over and hear the other half saying, “What’s so different or great about that?” With all due respect, listen up!

The first half is thinking, “too technical,” to which I respond: Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices is clear information about so many delicate moral questions, you will find yourself painlessly enlightened and educated. The authors of this book make it look effortless, but be assured this kind of writing is difficult to get right. Read casually or deeply, and find much food for thought and discussion.

To the second half, who is thinking, “I can go ask my parish priest, or read some encyclicals, or read some blogs about these tough issues.” I say, yes to all of that, especially consulting your parish priest (who might have this book already). But the well-reasoned and easy to read wisdom of centuries of Church teaching distilled in Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices is a true treasure. And while I love blogs, I write blogs, and some of my best friends are bloggers, one simply cannot replicate the beautifully written clear help this book provides through a blog or other Internet source, however well-intention or faithful to Church teaching.

I struggled with how to convey this last point, because I am so grateful for the Internet. In particular, blogs and web articles that share people’s personal stories of conversion or struggling with Church issues are a terrific source for spiritual growth and learning.

But there’s a certain kind of blogger or Internet source (who shall remain nameless here) that, however well-intentioned, can be guilty of practicing theology without proper training, and this should be avoided just as much as we would avoid a non-medical person attempting triple-bypass surgery. Just because someone slept at a Holiday Inn Express-- or has read a lot of Church documents--doesn’t guarantee good results when one tries to charitably explain or defend Church teaching accurately, especially on complicated and critical issues of life and death. In this area, what’s most needed is loving and well-formed professionals. Two of these have written Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices. Take advantage of their wisdom and guidance, and keep this book on hand.

Catholic Post Book Group Receives the Papal Seal of Approval

2011-08-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

Well, not exactly, but this article from Vatican Radio does relate how the Holy Father "recommends summer reading for the faithful." Many thanks to my husband for alerting me to this nice little article (and indirect endorsement from the Holy Father for reading good books, the main reason for this blog).

What I loved in the Holy Father's endorsement of reading good books was his suggestion to pick a book of the Bible to read through during the summer for reflection and spiritual enrichment.

I've decided to choose Ecclesiastes, one of the ones specifically suggested. Care to join me, and share what you discover new in reading Scripture along with your regular reading?

First, What are You Reading? Volume 12, August 2011 UPDATED

2011-08-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

What are you reading?

I’m reading many, many books, which makes me happy. Summer, especially with the hot days we’ve been having, is a great time for staying inside and reading . Just a few of my recent favorites:

A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz.

We’ve discovered a “new to us” children/young adult book author at our house: Wendy Mass. We’ve been reading quite a few of her books, but my hands-down favorite has been Every Soul a Star.

What do you like best about them?

A Jane Austen Education is subtitled, How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things that Really Matter, and it is so enjoyable. Deresiewicz is a professor and Austen scholar, who at first thinks Austen has nothing to teach him, arrogant graduate student that he was. Over time, each of the Jane Austen novels teaches his something central and beautiful about life & maturity. I especially loved his take on Emma, which teaches him to “pay attention to everyday things.”

I read an article about a older Franciscan friar who considered Jane Austen one of his favorite authors, and he said something like, “Reading Jane Austen makes you a better person.” I hope that’s true for me, since I’ve read and re-read Jane Austen so much, and perhaps that’s why I like it. There is something ennobling about reading Austen, and Deresiewicz distills that nicely in his own memoir.

Every Soul a Star is a beautifully written and emotionally insightful novel about the lives of three young teens and their summer growing-up, interwoven with an eclipse of the sun.

I loved Every Soul a Star at “hello,” because a title like that is just wonderful, and the book does not disappoint. The three teens mature in unexpected and sweet ways. A bonus is that the book is not wrapped up perfectly, with everything resolved tidily; I’d love to read a sequel to this book to see how the characters lived out their next year. A postscript of the book lists numerous books and websites about eclipses and other astronomy. Our family has had fun exploring some of these resources and learning more about astronomy, which makes my stars-loving husband happy.

What do you like least?

Deresiewicz does fairly well with writing about Jane Austen novels and what they teach him, but the memoir part woven through doesn't always seem consistent. I think I would find a memoir difficult to write, deciding what to share and what not to share, but it seemed to me Deresiewicz was holding some things back that might have helped us understand him and his transformation better.

UPDATE: I take back nearly everything I said in the previous paragraph. When I write "What Are You Reading?" I usually have finished the books I mini-review, but in this case I had not yet finished A Jane Austen Education. Perhaps then my title is more accurate, because the book was actually what I was reading, but it didn't give me the chance to see the whole of Education up to the end. I finished the book yesterday and now believe the narrative held together well. The last two chapters, on true friends (Persuasion) and falling in love (Sense & Sensibility) were especially insightful. I closed the book nearly as happy & refreshed as when I read a Jane Austen novel. Well done.

There’s really nothing I don’t like about Every Soul a Star, and I’ve very much enjoyed the other books I’ve read by her, like 11 Birthdays (kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day" in book form for tweens, and just as fun as it sounds). I didn’t care at all for Mass' Heaven Is A Lot Like the Mall, partially because of its content, which is a little more grown-up than her other work, but because the book is written in first-person poem form. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work in this context.

UPDATE: Treasure Chest for Tweens has an interesting caution of some new-age content in Every Soul a Star here. I'm grateful for the information and will definitely bring it up with my teen & tween who have read this book.

What’s next on your list to read?

I’m reading and re-reading a number of 9/11 themed books for next month’s column.

On my Kindle App, in addition to the very funny Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Crime (that I reviewed here). I’ve also been reading on my Kindle App some Lucy Maud Montgomery, including Anne of the Island and Anne’s House of Dreams.

What are you reading? I’d love to hear all about it!

Guest Post: A Pilgrim Shares Her Journeys to World Youth Day

2011-07-29T10:30:00.009-05:00

It's just a little more than two weeks until the start of World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain. Since this month I reviewed two books that are WYD-friendly, I wanted to feature the WYD stories of people in the Peoria diocese. I am delighted to be able to feature a dear friend and her WYD experiences. Amy Dyke is wife to Craig & mom to four wonderful girls, with another baby on the way shortly. Amy, thank you so much for taking the time in your busy schedule to guest post here and share your experiences (and some great "vintage" photos!)

By Amy Dyke

Every few years when World Youth Day is celebrated somewhere new throughout the world, I am reminded that I’ve had the blessing of attending two World Youth Days in my younger years. My first was in Denver, Colorado, in 1993, with my parish Youth Group. My second was in Manila, Philippines, in 1995, as part of my year of missionary work when I took a year off from college. I’ve also had the honor of seeing John Paul II in Rome and the Czech Republic in 1997 while I studied abroad in Austria. Yes, I was perhaps a bit of a groupie, but I must admit that after my first encounter with JPII as an 18 year old, my life absolutely changed for the better. To be given the opportunity of literally being in the presence of holiness is something I’ve learned to never pass up.

Each WYD experience, both Denver and Manila, had its own unique way of speaking to my heart and turning my life, in a more powerful way, toward God. Denver, though, was the most impacting experience for me. I had just graduated from high school and was on my way to college. I had no idea of what to expect, especially since our Youth Group called this adventure a pilgrimage- a completely foreign concept to me at the time. I quickly realized that this was not an ordinary trip with friends, focused only on fun and games. Rather, I learned firsthand that a true pilgrimage is about prayer, a deeper understanding of God and a deeper quest into my own faith journey.

The cramped sleeping quarters, simple food, and continual emphasis on prayer were necessary components for me to understand the idea of pilgrimage, but that was actually only a small part of it all. My eyes were opened in ways I never thought possible. It was both profound and inspiring to see other Catholic youth who possessed not even a morsel of embarrassment or hesitation in talking about spiritual things and/or their own faith journey. I was, in turn, relieved to feel the freedom to let down my own guard and speak openly about my love for Christ and the Church. After having experienced numerous, powerful interactions with other Catholic youth in those first few days of WYD, I remember going to sleep in the evenings, immersed in prayer, feeling absolutely blessed and thankful to be in the presence of sincere Catholics who were not just proud, but truly joyful in proclaiming their Faith. I look back now and am confident that this simple, yet bold experience of other youth living out their Catholic Faith played a huge role in the development of my own faith life. What an unexpected gift, especially at a time of life when the lure of the world is shouting out, ever so loudly, to college-bound young adults to abandon their Faith and embrace a hedonistic lifestyle, one of so-called freedom and happiness.

Over the course of the week, my faith life had exploded in ways I didn’t know possible. I made rock-solid friendships – ones which I treasure and have kept alive to this day. Yet, the highlight of World Youth Day for me was my extraordinary, albeit momentary, encounter with JPII. He had finally arrived into Denver and I struggled to get as close as humanly possible to the path where he would slowly cruise through Mile High Stadium in his pope-mobile. The strong anticipation I physically felt in awaiting our Holy Father came as a strange surprise to me. My breathing became heavier, my hands were shaking and I found myself biting my bottom lip so hard, that I eventually tasted my own blood. …It was brief, perhaps only a few seconds that I was directly in JPII’s presence, but for that very brief, faith-filled moment, the entire world stood still for this child of God. A sense of calm came over me as his loving eyes gazed down upon me, as if he could see directly into my heart. His joy, love and holiness literally overcame me. I felt an overwhelming sense of security in his strong, loving eyes- eyes that were filled with unspeakable hope and joy. I felt the presence of God, the holiness of God in a way that I had never known possible. I was simply in awe. As I watched him leave, I realized that I had tears literally pouring out of my eyes—tears of joy at their finest, and clearly an instinctual reaction of an indescribable experience- one of purity, joy, love and the unmistakable presence of Christ’s peace and holiness. I’m confident that those tears -and the incredibly wet collar of my shirt- was my small little gift from God to always remember and cherish that magnificent, life-changing moment of my youth.

I’ve read various books and articles since JPII’s passing, and they all seem to be consistent in this one area: JPII had come into contact with hundreds of millions of the Catholic Faithful, yet when it was specifically you that was in his presence, you felt as though you were the most important person in the world, truly the only one that mattered in his eyes. Yes, his personality was magnetic and all-encompassing, but there was something much deeper and profound about his presence that captured the hearts of the Faithful. His sincere charism of profound Christ-like love, holiness and personalism, which he carried with him throughout his life and freely shared with all those he encountered, was one of the many tremendous gifts that he bestowed upon the Faithful—of which, I am incredibly grateful to be included.

Even though I did not realize it at the time how monumental this encounter was upon my life, it certainly is obvious now as I look back and see how God’s hand worked out the details and led me toward a life of Truth. I was joyfully inspired by JPII’s proclamation that the youth are the future and the hope of the Church. I was thrilled by his assertion that there is but one Truth, which is found in the very person of Jesus Christ, with our Holy Catholic Church loyally safeguarding and affirming this Truth. I was enthusiastically being drawn into these simple, yet concrete, answers- ones for which I didn’t even realize my heart had been asking, struggling or longing. The Truth was proclaimed in such a powerful way, with confidence and joy, in a way I had never before heard. JPII attracted and brought souls to the Truth by speaking directly to that part of the person’s heart that was crying out for meaning, truth, hope. His words carried authority, love, compassion, honesty. The Holy Father was, and continues to be, the living, breathing representative of Jesus Christ on earth. Yes, the authority and grandeur of his presence were absolutely awe-inspiring, but even more so, it was the purity and holiness of his very person that lovingly pierced the hearts of the Faithful, changing them for the better. For me, that brief, overwhelming experience of being in the Holy Father’s presence was but a taste of what I imagine the heavenly experience will be when we are in the love and holiness of Jesus Christ Himself. St. Augustine wisely and accurately said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord.” Such great consolation these words are, especially after experiencing this loving, humble man of God, JPII. He granted me, and so many others- through a simple glance of his strong, loving eyes- an incredibly vibrant taste of holiness, and perhaps a sincere foretaste into the pure joy of Eternal Life with our Lord Jesus Christ. What an astounding treasure God has in store for those who love Him!

As a cradle Catholic, I unfortunately never fully realized the gift I had in my Catholic Faith. I hadn’t taken much time to think about the Pope- or that he would ever be an important figure in my life. Denver’s WYD, however, changed everything for me and gave me an eye-opening awareness of the importance and necessity the Holy Father is to our Holy Catholic Church and especially the amazing treasure we’ve been given with Apostolic Succession. From our first pope, the Apostle Peter, all the way to our present day pope, Benedict XVI, all Catholic Bishops throughout the world, for the past two thousand years, can trace their lineage directly back to Christ. What an incredible reality this is. Jesus Christ Himself told Peter, “You are Rock and upon this Rock I will build my Church.” These are words that should make us Catholics tremble. With great resolve and confidence, we are led into the fullness of Truth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in the Chair of St. Peter. What a feeling of both relief and joy to know that we are home, being led by the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ on earth- and exactly where our Lord wants us to be.

Blessed JPII has passed on to his eternal reward and our Church is now blessed with our good and faithful shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI. My admiration and love overflow greatly for this holy man of God. My heart melts when I see him shyly smile upon the adoring crowds and in the sincere way he humbly exhibits the love and holiness of God upon the Faithful. I have great hopes of seeing him someday, perhaps even at another World Youth Day. The reality, however, of the blessings of family life, along with baby #5 due soon, puts somewhat of a cramp in my travel habits of the past. So for now, I cannot be Benedict’s groupie, but I will heartily rejoice with my husband and daughters in simply knowing that he is here on earth, praying with and for all of us, and boldly shepherding our Holy Catholic Church into all Truth, Beauty and Goodness. What a treasure.

Q&A with Colleen Swaim, author of Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints

2011-07-26T10:50:00.000-05:00

Following is my interview with Ablaze author Colleen Swaim. I was delighted to get the opportunity to find out more about her book and writing, and I sincerely hope to read more books in the future from this engaging young author. In the meantime, I'll be keeping her and her husband Matt in prayer as they expect their first child later this year.

First of all, well done on Ablaze. All the readers in our family found this book super engaging. I had trouble getting it back from my 13-year-old so I could write a review of it. Did you plan for it to be so widely enjoyed by a variety of ages, or were you primarily writing for teens?

A. The primary intended audience is indeed teenagers, but I chose the saints with a view toward capturing the sense of adventure that sanctity entails, and I believe that that is something that is appealing to people of all ages who seek Truth. I myself am 29, and I chose saints who first caught my own interest.

Q. What gave you the idea for the book?

A. Liguori Publications approached me with the idea for a book on saints for teenagers, and from there we came up collaboratively with the theme of teenagers who pushed the boundaries and radically lived for Christ, even if their own cultural milieu was working against their best intentions. Liguori and I both were very much looking to incorporate interactive elements that would take print material to the next level, and I believe that was achieved through building in the references to Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as applicable prayers and reflection questions.

Q. You’re a high school teacher. Other than this book, how do you challenge students immersed in the popular culture to pause and really take a look at these saints and their lives?

A. From my perspective, the most difficult part of that challenge is the call to pause - silence and reflection are difficult to come by for anyone, adults included, so the most impacting thing that I can do is to model deliberate contemplation. Sometimes that is through recalling powerful experiences I've had while on silent retreat, while other times it's discussing slower forms of entertainment, such as book reading, as cogitating a passage or collection of passages can be very difficult if it is broken up by intervals of multi-sensory stimulation, such as video gaming or tweeting. If they can take some quiet time, students will quickly realize that even the most contemplative saints lived very active lives beyond their wildest dreams.

Q. I love the cover design and the design elements throughout the book. Did you have a hand in that?

A. I really cannot take any credit for the illustrations, although I agree that Liguori's team did an amazing job! It really communicated to me that they are very in touch with the book's audience, as its graphic appeal is relatable to both male and female adolescents. They even had temporary tattoos made up of the front cover art, which have been a big hit.

Q. How did you discover the saints you write about? Some are relatively well-known, but some are less popular and yet deserve a hearing.

A. Researching for the book was one of the best parts of the experience. My goal throughout the process was to seek out saints of both genders who are representative of the worldwide vitality of Catholic youth lived to incredible heights. With some saints and blesseds, that meant scouring Vatican resources for newly recognized individuals, while others fell into my lap through the recommendation of a friend of a friend. I tried to include both classics and those who I felt Americans need an introduction to, and I believe the book succeeded on those fronts.

Q. Who is your favorite saint from the book, and why?

A. I very much enjoyed learning about the life of Chiara Luce Badano, as she was beatified right in the midst of my writing the book, in September 2010, so I got to watch her beatification live on television and really get a better sense of the excitement felt by those close to her cause. She died in the 1990's so she really is an individual contemporary teenagers can relate to on a variety of levels.

Q. How did you get the idea for the “saintly challenges,” such as the recipes, prayers and other challenges for readers to implement?

A. Some of the more unique aspects of the book, those came to me as I examined each saint more closely in an attempt to help the readers come to a deeper appreciation of the saint through concrete activities. I wanted to have an answer to the inevitable question of "Now what?" that can crop up after one has heard a particularly powerful story. The challenges are meant to be an answer to that question through encouraging the reader to delve deeper into the saints' struggles, motivations, and methods of seeking aid.

Q. I wrote in my review of Ablaze that my only critique of the book is that I wish you covered more saints. Were there any saints you wish you could have included, and why?

A. The most difficult aspect of the project was paring down the list of prospective saints and blesseds! It was whittled down by considering which saints' stories we as a Church know enough about to dedicate a chapter-long section and interactive selections to, as well as American Catholics' current familiarity with the individual and his or her region of origin.

Q. On the same topic: Do you have plans for Ablaze 2? Any other projects you are working on?

A. I would very much enjoy creating a follow-up to Ablaze that would feature more of the saints I wasn't able to include in the current edition, because as you pointed out, there are many more stories to tell. My husband and I are currently expecting our first child, so that is the ultimate project which we are looking forward to. That being said, I had an excellent experience working with Liguori Publications on 'Ablaze', and so would welcome any future projects with them.

25 Years of World Youth Day

2011-07-20T11:30:00.007-05:00

I couldn't resist sharing this wonderful video about World Youth Day, since my column this month focused on books great for those going to WYD or who wish they could. Enjoy!

Catholic E-Book Spotlight: The Ironic Catholic

2011-07-18T12:00:00.006-05:00

Do you need a good laugh? I always do, and that's why I'm so grateful for the newest book by the ever-humorous Ironic Catholic.

Felow Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin is the long-titled but very, very funny new book from The Ironic Catholic. Longtime Catholic Post Book Group readers may remember my interview with IC, as she is known, last year.

Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin (let's agree that I can shorten it to Felon from here on out) may be slightly awkwardly named, even off-putting to some, but trust me, it is hilarious, faithful Catholic humor. There's not a bit stuffy or mean about IC's humor, which I think is why I enjoy her work so much.

From the description of the book:

In the style of The Onion, Stephen Colbert, and occasionally Jonathan Swift, the writer of "The Ironic Catholic" website offers light satirical takes on the world of Catholic news. The fake news stories (Attendees of Flannery O'Connor Conference Meet Dire End, Tired Mother Announces 'Come and See' Weekend, Re-gifting Chia Pets Not Considered Lenten Sacrifice, etc.) both entertain and teach.

Okay, now for my take. Many "news" stories in Felon, but in particular"Attendees of Flannery O'Connor Conference Meet Dire End," had me literally in tears of laughter. This is because my secret shame, as a Catholic book lover, is how much I detest the writing of the esteeemed O'Connor. There, I've said it, once and for all, so I can be removed from the serious Catholic readers fraternity. I don't necessarily believe my distaste comes from O'Connor's writing--I'm sure it's wonderful--as much as my trouble with Southern fiction. As much as I try, and try again, to appreciate Souther fiction, I just keep thinking when I read any of them, okay, here comes the stifling heat, the weird violence and the big ol' cast of quirky Southern characters. I'm convinced that my purgatory will be a room full of Southern books--and nothing else--to read.

Every other story is also truly funny, so that you will be laughing out loud and the people around you will be asking, hey, what's so funny?

Felon is available as a Kindle e-book and a Barnes & Noble Nook book, making it effortless to download and read on a Kindle, Nook or other device. And the price is right--$2.99 on Amazon, $1.99 on B&N. I found it super easy to download and read, now that I have the hang of how Kindle works. The book is also available at Smashwords, and while I had no trouble downloading Dear Communion of Saints from Smashwords last year, when it was only available in that format, I couldn't easily figure out a way to get it off the computer. I'm sure it's quite easy, but now that IC's books are available as Kindle books, I'm all set.

Have you read any Catholic e-books lately? I've downloaded a few titles recently, as the prices can't be beat, and it's handy having them on multiple devices. In fact, I downloaded a copy of the book I'll be reviewing in August, since my review copy went missing for several weeks, and I've found it really convenient. I'd love to find out about new titles available for e-readers or your experiences with them.

Meet a Reader: Dana Garber

2011-07-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be able to feature one of the many young people from our diocese traveling to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day next month. You can read the Catholic Post article about the ISU group here.

How you know me:

I'm Dana Garber, a student at Illinois State University in Normal, and involved with the John Paul II Newman Center at ISU. I am part of a group called “Witnesses to Love,” that recorded a song, “Planted,” for World Youth Day (WYD), and I will be one of a group of 29 students from the Newman Center attending WYD in Madrid next month.

Why I love reading:

I love to read because I love to learn. Learning and understanding more about God and our Faith helps me to grow as a believer and to love Him more. I usually get recommendations from my friends or family.

What I'm reading now:

I am reading Transforming Your Life Through the Eucharist by Father John A. Kane. This book has been really good because it explains the beauty and grace of the sacrament. I am also reading Benedict of Bavaria by Brennan Pursell. I’m reading it so I have a better understanding of the Pope and his life before I see him in Madrid for World Youth Day.

My favorite book:

One of my favorite books is The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis. This is more of a devotional book and is very rich. It focuses on the interior, every-day life. Another one of my favorite books is Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. He was a French Monk in the 1600s. This book is an easy, simple read. It explains in practical terms how our lives are a constant prayer and how to live that out. I also love all Scott Hahn books; the last one I read is Rome Sweet Home, which is one of my favorites.

Real Books Still Matter

2011-07-08T12:00:00.002-05:00

Here is my column that appears in this weekend's Catholic Post. I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions of other "real" books that matter.

Do real live books matter any more?

Since I write about books, you probably think that I am required to say “yes.” I am a huge book lover, having a houseful of many genres. I get books from publishers nearly every day and am always searching out the best of new Catholic books to share with readers.

But I’m no Luddite when it comes to reading. I get much of my news from news apps on my phone & the computer; I have a Kindle app that I use frequently; and regular readers of the Catholic Post Book Group blog know that I love to promote Catholic titles available for e-readers.

And yet, there is “something” about a well-done book that inspires admiration. Books—the real thing-- are a unique format for transmitting ideas, stories and life that simply can’t be replaced in any other way, particularly in a digital format.

Take the YOUCAT, for example—the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church—released this year worldwide in advance of World Youth Day next month, but intended to be a perennial resource. YOUCAT is an extraordinarily well-produced volume that takes seriously how books can-and should- matter. The feel of YOUCAT is “just right,” the photos are handsome, and the line drawings exhibit both a sense of humanity and humor. It’s clear that the design team took care to make it both beautiful and fun. This book matters, and not just because of its comprehensive content.

I had the book for more than a month before the design “sense of humor” caught up with me, and I discover new elements each time I open YOUCAT. For instance, each section of the 10 Commandments begins with a tiny line drawing of Moses leaning on a tablet displaying the commandment’s number. Another clever touch that will make you laugh: if you have a copy of the YOUCAT, start at the first page and look in the lower right hand corner, and you’ll know what to do.

Even though the YOUCAT is full of extras, it doesn’t have that cluttery feel some modern books-with-lots-of-sidebars exhibit.

One very minor frustration with the YOUCAT—the numbering doesn’t mirror the Catholic Catechism of the Church, since the YOUCAT has 527 entries, and the CCC has more than 2000. This isn’t a huge problem, as both volumes follow the same four-section organization (creed, sacraments, morality and prayer), so it’s pretty easy to look something up in the CCC if you want to expand on a particular topic.

The other downside is that the terrific quotes that line the pages of YOUCAT are not indexed. So when you want to find that great little quote you might have to search. That’s not the worst thing, as YOUCAT is a joy to spend time with.

Most will consider YOUCAT a reference, but I hesitate to call it that lest it be left on a shelf like a dictionary, to be consulted rarely. YOUCAT should be in constant use. As Pope Benedict XVI writes in the introduction, “Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet. You need to be more deeply rooted in the faith than the generation of your parents.”

Young people and others will appreciate another book that matters, in both content and design: Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, by Colleen Swaim. This book is a gem, plain and simple. Here are just three of the best elements:

*the book include several well-known saints, like St. Dominic Savio and St. Maria Goretti, but these bios aren’t the “same-old” facts. Swaim infuses the stories with a fresh, invigorating voice that shows these remarkable people as more 3-dimensional than the usual narratives.

*the bulk of the book is new-to-most saints, or saints most will only have a passing knowledge of, from St. Kitizio of Africa to Blessed Chiara of Italy, and many others. Their stories are told in a way that makes Ablaze a must-read. It truly inspires a sense of longing for holiness.

*each saint/chapter ends with “saintly challenges,” offering readers a chance to apply the lessons of the saint’s life to his or her own, through media, prayers and recipes. Think trying a homemade chai tea recipe to give as a gift after reading about St. Alphonsa from India, or being challenged to put into practice a daily schedule to emulate St. Stantislaus. There are movie suggestions, simple virtue development ideas, and tons of other great ideas and challenges.

First, What are You Reading? Volume 11, July 2011

2011-07-01T11:00:00.003-05:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list/pile to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

What are you reading?

A lot. We've had some extended family vacation time, and that has allowed me to bring along a lot of varied books and to actually read most of them. Here are just two.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory & Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins, after I learned about the book when Mary deTurris Poust put it up on her Facebook page and then wrote about it here.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, a classic that I read about somewhere recently and wanted to preview for my children.

What do you like best about it?

For The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, I would have to say the title, and that's about it. (This is a reversal for me, as I usually am disliking the title of books, or the profusion of subtitles). Honestly, the title is the "one great thing" about this book. This book really, really dragged as Robbins tells the stories of how being an outsider is good by following a half-dozen or so teens and giving them a challenge, then peppering it throughout with examples and studies to prove the point. I was shocked at how little I came away with. Truly, the New York Times article about the author and the book gave all the information one needs to know about it.

The New York Times article really made the author likeable and the message of the book much more accessible than in the book, frankly. I would really enjoy getting to talk with the author about quirk theory, etc., but I would not want to read another book from her unless it was wildly different.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, so far, is not wowing me. I don't know if I'm just disliking everything I read, or this book is a clunker to me. I'm trying to give it a chance as a way to learn more about early 20th century Irish immigrants in NYC, but so far it hasn't impressed.

What do you like least about it?

I think I've already covered that in "what I like best," but let me share one more thing. When Robbins shares stories of the teens, the parents and other siblings are virtually absent from the narrative. And I'm thinking, what? Wouldn't it be helpful to have a parent or two, or a sister or brother, talking a teen through some of these issues? I felt she really downplayed the importance of family as a way to navigate the world. I'm not sure if that's because she is not a parent (I'm actually not sure if she is or not), or she doesn't consider parents or family relevant, but that in itself seems weird to me.

At the end, Robbins does share some short, helpful tips for teens and parents to allow young people to embrace their difference in order to

What’s next on your list to read?

I think I need to re-read Marybeth Hicks, Bringing Up Geeks, because this was a book I thought The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth could have been.

Bringing Up Geeks is a nice reflection and validation of being somewhat countercultural, from a family perspective. This to me seems much more helpful than individual kids making their way through the Wild West of school and teen culture. From my notes about the book when I read it several years back:

GEEKs is Hicks' acronym for genuine, enthusiastic, empowered kids. Hicks, a columnist, has a sensible, fun style that is enjoyable to read and glean from. Unlike the teens in The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth, where the teens are left to fend for themselves, Hicks advises parents to be mindful of their influence on kids.

Here are just a few of her "rules" that I found resonant: raise a brainiac (one who values learning and is curious); raise a sheltered kid (one who consumes appropriate amounts and kinds of media); raise a true friend; raise a faithful kid. When my teenager saw The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth and we had a discussion about it, I told her I thought we could instead together read and discuss Bringing Up Geeks, so maybe that will be a mid-summer project.

So, what are you reading? Care to recommend some good titles?

Have You Been to a World Youth Day?

2011-06-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

Next month, I will be featuring two books that are great for young people going to World Youth Day or wish they could. I would love to hear the experiences of people from the Peoria diocese who have been to a World Youth Day or are going to this year's World Youth Day. If you can help, please leave a comment here and I will be in touch with you.

"Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth" Reads Like a Great Song

2011-06-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

My print Catholic Post column is constrained by space (unlike a blog!), which means I'm always hacking away at the many, many words I manage to write about the various books I review.

This month, I've decided to take some of that extra writing to share some longer reviews of a couple of the new titles I reviewed, to share more about what I love about the books. Here's a little more about why I enjoyed Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth by Dion DiMucci with Mike Aquilina.

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I’m too young to have followed or known of famous rocker Dion in his original “Wanderer” and “Runaround Sue” days, but he’s a “rock star” to those who love and know his music from the earliest days of rock’n’roll.

Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth is Dion’s spiritual autobiography, a fun book with surprising spiritual depth and gems scattered throughout the war stories of rock’searly days and Dion’s transformation from rocker addict to faithful Catholic apologist, singer throughout. Dion seems genuinely a seeker, honest about his shortcomings, and always pursuing the truth, and darn it, just very Italian (I feel confident about accusing him of this as I, too, am Italian, and I’m also married to one).

My favorite part of Dion are the “quotable” short quotes that are great Catholic zingers, for lack of a better word. Yes, they are fun and memorable and truly Catholic, but would also make a great song lyric.

The more I changed, the more I became myself.

Humility is truth.

Relationships don’t end.

Love is a school of sacrifice.

The older I get, the more I’m knocked out by the glory of the truth.

Just like a great song, Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth is a great, fun read for these summer months, that also offers room for inspiration and deeper reflection. Just like a great song.

Interview with Manga Hero author Gabrielle Gniewek

2011-06-20T09:00:00.003-05:00

After reading the manga titles from Manga Hero and reviewing them in my June column, I knew I wanted to interview one of the authors. I had the great good fortune to e-interview with Gabrielle Gniewek, writer of the Manga Hero series: Judith: Captive to Conquerer and the special edition, Habemus Papem. This has been one of my personal favorite interviews in recent months because of her insights about writing, her newfound discernment of a religious vocation, and her love of joining East and West in our Catholic faith. Thanks, Gabrielle, for your candid answers!

Q. How did you come to be a Manga writer? Would you say you were a writer first and then Manga creator, or the opposite?

A. You have to be able to write before you can tell the types of stories you actually want to. It’s a matter first, of being born with the capacity to write, then secondly, getting enough practice by writing annoying book reports or pointless class assignments, before many years and bad scripts later, you’re able to tell an entertaining and grammatically correct story on paper. It’s along the way that you learn what types of stories styles you like (in my case, manga and anime) but having that initial talent and cultivating it comes first.

Q. You’re a student of John Paul the Great University in California. Why did you decide to attend the university, and how does its mission and vision help you be creative in this way?

A. I will be graduating JP Catholic with a B.S. in Communications Media this September.

My faith is the most important thing to me, so my parents and I knew that no matter what college I attended, it was going to be authentically Catholic. The only problem was that I’ve had a passion for movie-making ever since I was young, and at the time there weren’t solid Catholic media-major colleges out there. By the grace of God, the only ad JP Catholic ever posted in the Faith and Family Magazine reached our kitchen table, and about a year later flew to CA and began my education there.

Its mission statement was exactly what resonated with me and convinced me to go. To “impact culture for Christ” as JPII said, was exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell great stories on the page and on the screen. It was through the experience JPCU offered, and the amazing script-writing classes they provided, I was able to get a running start and progress much further into the world of writing than I could ever have thought.

Q. Tell us more about Habemus Papem, that will be distributed at World Youth Day in Madrid later this summer. What parts of Benedict XVI’s life does this cover, and how do you expect it to impact WYD participants?

A. The manga is meant to be a brief glimpse into the Pope’s schedule for the “average” day. A walk-through of what the Pope does from the moment he wakes up, to the moment he calls it quits. Through a few flashbacks (you can’t have a manga without the regularly scheduled sentimental or traumatic flashback!) the audience will also get a sneak peak at people and events in Ratzinger’s life that effect the decisions he makes today.

The story as a whole is meant to help the audience familiarize themselves with the Pope on a more personal level. I feel that story is what really draws people in through a catharsis that a history book or biography can’t stir up.

Q. Will you be at WYD for the release?

A. I wish!

Q. When will Habemus Papem be available in bookstores?

A. The WYD edition will only be available in Madrid for the occasion. We’re currently working on an extended edition that is similarly meant to make the audience sympathize with the pope on a personal level, by delving even deeper into his past experiences and life, and will be available in bookstores tentatively later this year.

Q. You wrote on the Manga Hero blog that you are discerning a religious vocation. Do you mind sharing some of your story with Catholic Post readers? Do you still plan to write, and if so, what is your next project?

A. I’m officially living with the Workers of the Vineyard at the Convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Fields (whew!) as a Pre-Postulant – a stage of discernment that lasts 6 months. If things go as well as they have been, I’ll don a Postulant habit for a year in November. After that, it’s Novitiate, Temporary Professed, and Final Vow years down the road, but let’s cross one bridge at a time, shall we?

I am living proof that God has a sense of humor. You may have read in my blog that the order I’m joining is Chaldean Rite (Chaldeans are Catholics from Iraq). They’re a new active order that serves in the Chaldean community in El Cajon, CA. One of their major functions is streaming liturgical content to their Catholic brethren currently under persecution in Iraq. They’re a powerhouse of activity, running a Chaldean Media Center, starting a school, and running retreats, among other things. For more information about the Chaldean community, visit their website www.kaldu.org. (We’re always looking for donations to help the refugees, hint hint.)

I went through a rough time in life this past December, and I sought spiritual direction from a priest who taught philosophy classes at our school. What he said in those classes really impacted me, and I thought I had finally found a solid, brilliant priest who could give me the truth I so ardently desired, and needed, to hear. This priest was also, conveniently, Chaldean -- the spiritual director for the Workers of the Vineyard, in fact.

You can see where this is going.

After talking with me once, he asked me if I thought I had a calling to the consecrated life. One thing led to another, and four months later I moved into the convent and have been living happily ever since.

Yes I still plan to write – gotta pay off college loans somehow! After the extended edition of Pope Benedict XVI, I might be working on an online manga series. On the side, one of the Sisters and I are going to be writing tele-plays and screen-plays in an attempt to sell them to studios to make money for the convent.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I would have asked?

A. I find the majority of Eastern cultures fascinating, and am shocked that so many people are so unaware of, or turned off by anything that can’t be considered “Western.”

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a Ukrainian Rite Catholic that Japanese arts, Chaldean culture, and all things labeled “East” fascinate me. Regardless, there is a vast treasure-trove of knowledge to be had, and information to be shared, if people only glanced across the border that divides us, East and West.

Meet a Writer: Matt Pope

2011-06-16T11:00:00.003-05:00

This month on the book page of the Catholic Post, I tried something a little different. Instead of "Meet a Reader," in which I interview a local reader, I featured two local writers, and why they love to write. On the blog, there are not space considerations, so I'm able to feature the longer answers and my mini-reviews.

Today I'm featuring Matt Pope, author of a slim but beautifully inspiring poetry-novel called Emily's Verse. The book is a little hard to describe--it might sound strange, a novel in the form of poems--but Emily's Verse is easy to read and quite moving, with a pro-life message that is well-done and powerful.

Enjoy!

Who: Matt Pope

How You Know Me: I work as a copy machine repair technician, and write in my spare time. My wife Mandy, a teacher at Holy Cross school in Champaign, and I have two small children, and our family attends St. Patrick’s parish in Urbana.

Why I love writing; I love writing because it gives me the opportunity to introduce potential readers to the pantheon of characters that are running around in my head. As writers we see the world around us in a slightly different vein, we see potential characters and story lines. This is the way of a writer and part of the reason why I love to write. The other reason I love to write is because it is who I am as a person. I have always been scribbling things down in notebooks for as long as I can remember. No with the advent of the smart phone, my little notebook has been replaced, but the outcome is still the same.

My current book; My current book is Emily's Verse, a book in poem form about the full, rich, long lifethat “could have been” of an aborted baby.

This book had been bouncing around in my head for the better part of 2 years. I really put off writing, EV because I was working on other projects. My hopes for this book would be that as young women read this book as possible. I would be proud if this book saved the life of one baby, but I think that it has the potential to save many babies.

What I am Writing next: Since I have a 2 and a 4 year old at home, my next project is a book of poetry for little kids. Little rhythmical poems that make kids laugh, and introduce them to God at the same time.

Meet a Writer: Jo Fredell Higgins

2011-06-15T11:00:00.004-05:00

First is Jo Fredell Higgins, who has a long connection with the Catholic community in the Peoria diocese. Her new book, A Song for Cecilia, is historical fiction located in Peoria, chock full of oral histories of longtime Peoria residents and local Catholic history. I found the slice-of-life descriptions of places like the Academy of Our Lady, St. Bernard parish and other places in their early days charming.

Who: Jo Fredell Higgins

How you know me: I attended St. Thomas Grade School and the Academy of Our Lady in Peoria. I taught second and fourth grades at St. Cecilia's and third grade at St. Philomena's before relocating to Aurora, Ill. I worked with Msgr. Peters and Fr. Dietzen in 1963-4 before I left for ISU. Both priests were tremendous human beings.

Why I love writing: I always say I live in Aurora, but my heart belongs to Peoria so writing about Peoria is a love affair. I enjoy research at the Bradley Archives and also at the Peoria libraries. My childhood was spent at the Prospect Branch Library, the Glen Oak Park swimming pool and tennis courts.

My current book: My sixth book is titled A Song for Cecilia and centers on an Orphan Train child Cecilia Rose Delaney who comes west and is adopted by a prominent Peoria family.

My next writing project: I have already completed my next book. It is a memoir of the year I lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Its title is Souls: A Portrait of Belfast. I will submit to publisher this summer sometime. I also write a weekly column for The Voice newspaper, a monthly column for Oracle magazine and do profiles for Patch Montgomery online newspaper.

Summertime, and the Reading is Easy...

2011-06-12T09:23:00.001-05:00

Here is my Catholic Post column for June. Enjoy, and be sure to share your favorite summer reads in the comments or on Facebook.

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During my growing-up years, summer meant a week or two at the beach, so trust me that I take“beach reading” seriously. But that doesn’t mean books can’t be fun and nourishing to our Catholic faith. Here is my annual list of great finds, in fiction and non-fiction, for young and no-so-young, to enjoy this summer:

* Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth by Dion DiMucci is the spiritual autobiography of one of the first (and first one-named) rock’n’roll stars. It’s also a great read with surprising spiritual depth and gems scattered throughout Dion’s transformation from rocker addict to faithful Catholic apologist. Dion seems genuinely a seeker, honest about his shortcomings, and darn it, just very Italian (I feel confident about accusing him of this as I, too, am Italian, and I’m also married to one).

*Wow! Is my one-word review of Manga Hero, a Catholic publisher of well-crafted manga (Japanese style-comic books) stories on Catholic themes. I know I’ve got a winner when I can’t get the books back from our kids, who tore through the 3-volume Paul: Tarsus to Redemption and 2-volume Judith: Captive to Conquerer.

Manga Hero’s founder and publisher is Jonathan Lin, a young Catholic who takes seriously John Paul II’s call to evangelize in all ways, even manga. Lin plans to distribute 300,000 copies of a new release, Habemus Papem, at World Youth Day in Madrid later this summer. Go ahead, discover Manga Hero ahead of the WYD crowd.

Three novels with specifically Catholic themes:

*For years friends have recommended that I read Junia: The Fictional Life & Death of an Early Christian by Michael Edward Geisler, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a powerful, well-done story of a privileged Roman young woman, Junia, whose life is changed by her encounter with early Christians. Junia reminded me of the popular Louis de Wohl novels published last century, where de Wohl imagines fictional characters in the lives of saints like Catherine of Siena, Thomas Aquinas and others. Many of his novels are now republished by Ignatius Press; any of those would also make excellent summer reading.

*Awakening by Claudia Cangilla McAdam is a time travel novel from the Imagio Catholic Fiction series from Sophia Institute Press. I raced through this story of an American teen, Ronni, who finds herself in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ Passion. Ronni’s emotions and self-centeredness are so realistic, as is the ways she is changed—and not—by her encounter with Jesus.

*Secrets of Siena by Diane Ahern, is #4 in the series” Adventures with Sister Philomena, Special Agent to the Pope.” Yes, it’s just as silly as it sounds, and therefore, yes, this book is great for young readers. Two kids have adventures with a spy nun who solves improbable faith-related mysteries in Italy. Cute!

Three recent novels with more general interest, but also great for summer reading:

*For adults, The Forgotten Garden is Kate Morton’s first and best novel, a multigenerational tale spanning the 20th century with secrets, English country houses, Australian antique dealers, and early 20th century writers. What’s not to love? Even though the book jumps around in time each chapter, the book reads smoothly and as a whole. One of the best elements of The Forgotten Garden is the complicated love between grandmother and granddaughter, ultimately providing the answer to the book’s central mystery.

*If you haven’t discovered the Penderwick family yet, you’re in for a treat. Brand new and third is the series, The Penderwicks at Pointe Mouette, is Jeanne Birdsall’s delightful take on a family of four unique sisters. The entire family will love these wholesome adventures about the best –and worst—of siblings and growing up.

*The Emporere of Nihon-Ja is John Flanagan’s 10th and last installment in the enormously popular 10-book Ranger’s Apprentice series. Flanagan has championed all sorts of unpopular virtues in these adventurous stories, from honesty to servant leadership to courage and hard work. They are easy to love and hard to put down.

What are you reading this summer? Be sure to check back on the blog all month long for author interviews, longer reviews of some of these and other titles, and more.

First, What are You Reading? Volume 10, June 2011

2011-06-01T07:36:00.001-05:00

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list/pile to read?

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook. Happy reading!

What are you reading?

Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World, by Stuart Diamond, a Wharton Business School professor who teaches a famed negotiating course. It’s a great book I wish I had more time to mine for strategies and ideas on achieving realistic goals.

A fun, six degrees of separation/Kevin Bacon I have with the book & author: When I was in Seattle last month for a family first Communion, I had the good fortune to have coffee with Pia di Solenni, the Catholic theologian and writer. When she mentioned that her husband graduated from Wharton, I told her I was reading Getting More, and she exclaimed, “I’m in that book!” Her husband had taken the course, and then used the skills to negotiate a vacation to India. I’m not sure if that’s exactly a stamp of approval from a Catholic theologian, but it does make me feel pretty cool for reading it.

What do you like best about it?

Wow, where to start? I think my favorite part of this is how Diamond counsels people to be transparent in their negotiations with others. Rather than use hidden techniques to try to manipulate people into sales or doing what we want, he recommends letting people know what we want, our strengths and weaknesses, and work from there. It’s fairly unique, but definitely suits my style better, whether in personal or business relationships.

Keeping your goals in mind is another great take-away from Getting More. Diamond tells the story of when he was admitted to Columbia Journalism School, one of the top schools in the country, and then also got a job at Newsday newspaper in NYC. He didn’t know what to do, so he called Columbia’s dean, who promptly told him, “Stuart, you go to Columbia to get a job at Newsday. Take the job.” Diamond writes this to show the importance of one’s goal—is it going to Columbia or getting a good newspaper job? And then doing things to achieve the goal, not just things that seem to be good but may delay achievement of one's ultimate goals.

I’ve had the opportunity to use many stories from this book multiple times just in the last few weeks.

What do you like least about it?

The extra-long subtitles; there are two: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World, and The 12 Invisible Strategies That Change Everything You Thought You Knew About Negotiating. Yes, they are both truthful and relate to the book, but they are both a bit unwieldy (and at least one too many), in my humble opinion.

Actually, I believe I might have a future career in book titling and subtitling, as I have such strong opinions about this. For instance, I loved The How of Happiness by psychologist and happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, but hated the subtitle: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. It sounded to me like something written by a pr person, not the author; when I said so on my blog, the author actually responded and agreed she didn’t like it! So there, publishing industry. And I’m available for subtitle consulting. (wink)

Otherwise, Getting More is extremely useful and a great book. And so is The How of Happiness, by the way.

What’s next on your list to read?

After loving Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden, I’ve been slowly making my way through The House at Riverton. Not because I haven’t loved it as much, but because I cannot seem to carve out time for fiction like I’d like.

I’m also working my way through the YOUCAT. There’s another wow, and I hope to be reviewing it and at least one more wow book for my column next month along with a few other great new releases.

A Book Idea for the Feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury

2011-05-27T12:19:00.001-05:00

Today is the feast day of St. Augustine of Canterbury, who brought Christianity to the British Isles. And you are probably not surprised I have a book suggestion for this great feast. I'm actually putting lots of great fiction for summer reading into my next column, so consider this an early selection.

Augustine Came to Kent is a great young adult novel, by Barbara Willard, published by the terrific publisher Bethlehem Books. The book follows St. Augustine's travel to England, and what happens to him there. The story is told through the lives of two local (fictional) children, Fritha and Rolf. It's an exciting story with lots of historical detail.

Our family enjoyed this book greatly when we read it as a family read-aloud several years ago, but what truly brought this book to life and history to life, was a day trip to Canterbury last year when our family was in England. We saw several of the sites that would have been known to St. Augustine, and learned even more about this great saint.

Here is a view inside St. Martin's Church. The walls actually pre-date the Christian church, having once been a Roman shrine, showing how early Christians used the sacred spaces of pagans, "Christianizing" them. The book Augustine Came to Kent has a moving scene of King Ethelbert's baptism in this church.

Here is a modern statue of St. Bertha, Ethelbert's queen, who was herself Christian (and a French transplant to England). She paved the way for St. Augustine to be welcomed to Kent and bring the Faith to this new land.

Here is a view of the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey.

Have you read Augustine Came to Kent? Do you have any book suggestions about St. Augustine, or just other good summer reading?

UPDATED: My husband asked if I had shared a photo of Canterbury Cathedral, and I knew exactly the one he meant. It was taken on his excellent camera by his excellent eye, as he takes most of the "great photos" in our family. There was a bit of a rainshower, and afterwards a rainbow:

Summer Reading Suggestions?

2011-05-17T06:18:00.000-05:00

I am preparing my annual summer reading column, and I need your help. I've got some great titles to highlight, including two from local authors, but I can always use more.

Any suggestions for great summer reading? I plan to feature books for children as well as adults. Share away!

The Catholic Post Book Group

January Giveaway #2: Weightless by Kate Wicker

Three Great Books for Life

January Giveaway: Win a Copy of "Strengthening Your Family"

Q&A With Kate Wicker, author of "Weightless"

Q&A With Marge Fenelon, author of "Strengthening Your Family"

Meet a Reader: Liz Dahlen

Time to Go on a (Media) Diet?

Two E-Books for Two Great Feasts

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 17: Best Books of 2011 Edition

Q & A with Local Author Deacon Bruce Bradford

Great Christmas Gift Books for "Almost" Everyone

Advent Book Giveaway #4: Baxter's Big Teeth by Betty Counce

Advent Book Giveaway #3: Olivia's Gift

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 16, Christmas Book Edition, December 2011

Advent Book Giveaway #2: Mother Teresa and Me

Advent Book Giveaway Bonanza--Just in Time for Christmas Gift-Giving

Thomas Friedman Agrees With Me

Q&A with "A Book of Saints" author Lisa Hendey

Catholic App Spotlight Update: Confession

Meet a Reader: Andrew Bland, MD, MBA

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms Encourages and Uplifts

First, What are You Reading? Volume 15, November 2011

Q&A with Lisa Hendey, author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

There Oughta Be a Catholic Book on ... Catholic New Media

How Do You Use Twitter?

Not Far From the Kingdom of God: UPDATED

Meet a Reader: Rebecca Sitte

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 14, October 2011

A Therese for Everyone

There Oughta Be a (Catholic) Book

QR Codes as a Tool for Catholic Evangelism

Q&A with Kelly Ann Lynch, author of "He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge"

More Stories About Father Mychal Judge

Helping Children Make Sense of 9/11, 10 Years Later

A Prayer at Ground Zero

Meet a Reader: Corey Krengiel

Remembering 9/11

First, What Are Reading? Volume 13, September 2011

Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices: Why Do I Need A Book Like This?

A Quote for Monday: Life, Death and Catholic Medical Choices

Catholic App Spotlight: Sacred Space

Catholic Author to Kick Off 40 Days for Life Campaign September 6

Meet a Reader: Birgitta Sujdak Mackiewicz

"Life, Death & Catholic Medical Choices" a True Treasure

Catholic Post Book Group Receives the Papal Seal of Approval

First, What are You Reading? Volume 12, August 2011 UPDATED

Guest Post: A Pilgrim Shares Her Journeys to World Youth Day

Q&A with Colleen Swaim, author of Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints

25 Years of World Youth Day

Catholic E-Book Spotlight: The Ironic Catholic

Meet a Reader: Dana Garber

Real Books Still Matter

First, What are You Reading? Volume 11, July 2011

Have You Been to a World Youth Day?

"Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth" Reads Like a Great Song

Interview with Manga Hero author Gabrielle Gniewek

Meet a Writer: Matt Pope

Meet a Writer: Jo Fredell Higgins

Summertime, and the Reading is Easy...

First, What are You Reading? Volume 10, June 2011

A Book Idea for the Feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury

Summer Reading Suggestions?