24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There

What was it like to live in one of the ancient world's most powerful and bustling cities—one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York?

In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character—from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker—and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.

This book really lives up to the "entertaining and enlightening" claim. I like the author's sly sense of humor which he uses just enough, without ever making fun of how they lived long ago. It's about the situations, not the people.

I especially like the way that each hour-long section leads to the next with an overlap of people in a scene or one occupation necessarily leading to the next. By the end of the book, we've seen some of the ones from the beginning woven into the later stories. It gives the overall day a sense of richness and completion.

Mostly I like the little things I am learning. I've read several books about life in Rome, ancient travel, etc. This is surprising me with bits of new information and presenting it in a very appealing way as we see these people's lives.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image

This is a book of incredible richness and power. We read of the remarkable qualities and construction of the human body, learn of the many diverse parts which exist even within the same category like cells or muscles and interact in astounding ways. Each chapter filled me with awe. In that sense, it is a really excellent, inspiring science book.

We see how this leads to Dr. Brand's meditations on the body of Christ, itself made up of so many diverse people who God inspires, nudges, suggests, and drives to make their contributions of his love to the world. Each chapter, whether on blood, bones, skin, or pain, gives us something to consider in how we live as Christians every day. Because Brand's meditations are wide-ranging there is always something to help our own thoughts as we turn to God in prayer. This gives us the spiritual skeleton of the writing.

And, finally, we have the human stories that illustrate both the body and the body of Christ. Because Brand worked with lepers for decades in India and Louisiana, he has a wealth of examples when he encountered the deformed and suffering. First and foremost, we are always shown the dignity of each person. This makes for a powerful experience in illuminating God's love and our role as part of his body. Here we have the skin, so to speak — here is where we live the reality that we have been reading about.

This resonated with me as a fairly new member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. My own life has been illuminated during home visits, meeting our neighbors person-to-person as we see how we might help them with rent, utilities, or food. My experience is meager compared to Dr. Brand's. Even so, through this book I felt my kinship with him grow.

Jesus' mission was not chiefly a crusade against disease (if so, why did he leave so many unhealed in the world and tell followers to hush up details of his miracles?) but rather a ministry to individual people, some of whom happened to have a disease. He wanted those people, one by one, to feel his love and compassion. Jesus knew he could not readily demonstrate love to a crowd, for love usually involves touching.

I have mentioned the need for us as Jesus' followers to share resources such as food and medicine with those in need. Having participated in such activity overseas, I am convinced that we best express such love person to person, through touch. The further we remove ourselves from personal contact with the needy, the further we stray from the ministry Jesus modeled for us.

Each of us will come away with our own take as we're all called to different ways to serve in the world. And so we loop back around to the description of the body where the brain, the blood cells, the bones, and more show the wonderful diversity of acting together for a common goal.

I myself come away grateful for my own miraculous body, for my role in the miraculous body of Christ and for the richness I can carry to the people I encounter, those I know and those new to me. Fearfully and Wonderfully truly is the perfect title.

Children of the Book by Ilana Kurshan

Each year, as we read through the Torah, I am aware of different parallels between the experience of reading with my children and the Torah's narratives and themes. Over time, and over a decade of Torah reading cycles, the way I connect with my children through literature has changed. In this memoir, I chart those shifts as they echo the progression of the biblical narrative—from the first picture books that create my infant's narrative—from the first picture books that create my infant's world through language, to the moment my children begin reading on their own and leaving me behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands.

Faithful Jews read through the Torah every year. I first encountered these with Rabbi Sacks' series Now, Ilana Kurshan takes us through it, echoed by the children's books she is reading to her family. Not only do her reflections remind us of the journey of faith, but also our own journey as readers from Baby's First Words to Charlotte's Web to Little Women and A Wrinkle in Time.

Don't worry if you don't care about the books I mentioned. They are just a very few of the whirlwind of books that surrounds readers in this tale. I always thought I was the most dedicated reader I knew until I read Kurshan's story of reading while in hard labor, while eating dinner (with her family), while walking the baby in his stroller. In fact, this is the first time I wanted to tell someone to stop reading and take a break.

If you love meditating on faith from a roundabout connection and love reminiscing over favorite books while also seeing how they affect others, then this is the book for you. Other reviewers' comments about a bit of a repetitive nature are accurate. I read this over a few days while on vacation and that aspect did come to the fore. Just do as I plan to when I reread it. Just read a chapter every day or two.

I also would like to reassure the author that, although her children are too old to enjoy the simple books they once read together, the future holds the delights of laughing together over The Cat in the Hat with a beloved grandchild. This is one of the pleasures I have recently received with great joy as he said, "Wow. That book was a lot better than I thought it would be." (He managed to hide his lack of interest when Gran forced him to read it. Not bad for a 5 year old.)

Recommended and will be on my Best of 2025 list.

The Lord's Prayer by Romano Guardini

At a time when we feel so many things shaken to their foundations, we have every reason to grope our way back to the very core of the Christian realities wherein the undisturbed omnipotence of the Redemption reigns.

Guardini wrote that in 1932. Here we are almost 100 years later when we too feel foundations are being shaken. This book is timeless and good thing.

This is one of Guardini's glorious short books of meditations where he looks carefully, bit by bit, for the riches of Christ in things we think we already understand. Like the Our Father. In the process, he gives us new ways to look at familiar things while turning our gaze inward to draw us closer to God and outward to look at our fellow man.

Pick up this or his books The Art of Praying, Meditations Before Mass, or The Rosary of Our Lady. Whichever book I'm reading I always think is the best of the bunch. But this might really be the best.

Everyday Saints: Stories of Quiet Courage

Meet Kim, holding divorce papers for her addicted husband while remembering her grandmother’s prayers. Sam, an angry teenager drowning in grief until a teacher sees past his rage. Father Joe, choosing between World Series tickets and a dying stranger’s last rites. Each story stands alone, perfect for brief reading sessions or book club discussions.

Drawing inspiration from Catholic tradition while speaking to universal human experiences, Everyday Saints bridges ancient wisdom and modern struggles. Each story pairs with historical context about its patron saint, making this accessible to readers of any faith or none.

Following up his book Everyday Graces, which I very much enjoyed, comes this slim volume of modern people who make the choice to say yes to love and hope. They inspire with the very ordinariness of the situations. Our chances to extend or receive grace abound in everyday life. This is the key to growing closer to Christ and those he loves (which is everyone, by the way).

I especially enjoyed the direct link to a saint in every story, showing us that holiness is never out of reach. If you never heard of the saint mentioned, good news! The author has brief bios in the back of the book.

I loved these and highly recommend them. They'd make a perfect devotional or stocking stuffer since we're heading toward Christmas. 

Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight

Joy is hard because it is countercultural. Even when you see the word tossed about in society, it is a weak, diluted joy. Joy is transcendent. It is from God. It is Him, peeking from behind the curtain or veil to reach out to us.

I was intrigued when I read an interview with the author on Miller's Book Review. I liked her claim that joy is countercultural. I liked her denial of having "toxic positivity." I liked her linking joy to the fruit of knowing God. So I did what I rarely do. I ordered it without waiting for reward points to show up on Amazon.

It turns out that was the right thing to do because by the time the book arrived, I was going through some things that made me really need looking for joy as an experience of God. I already asked God every morning what sort of an adventure he'd be dishing up for me, something planned especially for me, whether good or bad.

These essays about joy fit right into that part of my prayer life. It hooked me because they didn't just include sunsets (though, of course, sunsets are in there). There's also the joy of a nap, of laundry, of Costco (yep, Costco), of a haircut. Most of all, they all connected to God I gulped them down greedily and then got to the last one about the oft-derided book Pollyanna. I got that and read it too. And found joy in it also.

Undaunted Joy is going into my daily rotation of inspirational books. In fact, I'm going to begin it again now.

Slowly, I learned to see joy not as an indulgence but as a necessity. As a way of life. This didn't happen all at once, but through a slow process over time—one that continues even today.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

This first ran in 2018 but let's not forget what a great book it is!

A group of eight boys go trick-or-treating on Halloween, only to discover that a ninth friend, Pipkin, has been whisked away on a journey that could determine whether he lives or dies. Through the help of a mysterious character named Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, they pursue their friend across time and space through Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Ancient Roman cultures, Celtic Druidism, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Medieval Paris, and The Day of the Dead in Mexico. — Wikipedia summary

It's funny that in discussing the Pixar movie Coco with friends after having watched it recently, many of them had never heard of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Even those who are proud of their Hispanic heritage came across it first in this movie. Of course, this is because first and foremost they are Americans and Day of the Dead is not really celebrated in most of this country. And also I think that the holiday is mostly celebrated in Mexico so it would depend on country of origin.

Anyway, what made it oddest to me was that even with my purely Anglo and Kansas background, I felt as if I'd known about this holiday forever. Finally I figured out it was because of my love Ray Bradbury's writing and his love of Day of the Dead.

He wrote about it in his love letter to Halloween, The Halloween Tree. This is a great boys' adventure, a spooky tale, a story of sacrificial friendship, and a history lesson about the origins of Halloween. Bradbury leans a bit hard on Christians in this history, but to be fair I think that is how it was being told when he wrote it in 1972. It is definitely written for children but I enjoy rereading it every year so you can read along (or ahead) to enjoy it with the kids.

My own little tribute to the Day of the Dead is here from last year.

Scott Danielson loves this book even more than I do and we discussed it for Halloween 2016 at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Here's a bit from The Halloween Tree.

For now they knew why the town was empty.

Because the graveyard was full.

By every grave was a woman kneeling to place gardenias or azaleas or marigolds in a frame upon the stone.

By every grave knelt a daughter who was lighting a new candle or lighting a candle that had just blown out.

By every grave was a quiet boy with bright brown eyes, and in one hand a small papier-mâché funeral parade glued to a shingle and in the other a papier-mâché skeleton head which rattled with rice or nuts inside. ...

“Mexican Halloweens are better than ours!”

For on every grave were plates of cookies shaped like funeral priests or skeletons or ghosts, waiting to be nibbled by—living people? or by ghosts that might come along toward dawn, hungry and forlorn? No one knew. No one said. ...

And each boy beside the graveyard, next to his sister and mother, put down the miniature funeral on the grave. And they could see the tiny candy person inside the tiny wooden coffin placed before a tiny altar with tiny candles. ... And on the altar was a photograph of the person in the coffin, a real person once; remembered now.

“Better, and still better,” whispered Ralph. ...

“Oh, strange funny strange,” whispered Tom

“What?” said Ralph at his elbow.

“Up in Illinois, we’ve forgotten what it’s all about. I mean the dead, up in our town, tonight, heck, they’re forgotten. Nobody remembers. Nobody cares. Nobody goes to sit and talk to them. Boy, that’s lonely. That’s really sad. But here—why, shucks. It’s both happy and sad. It’s all firecrackers and skeleton toys down here in the plaza and up in that graveyard now are all the Mexican dead folks with the families visiting and flowers and candles and singing and candy. I mean it’s almost like Thanksgiving, huh? And everyone set down to dinner, but only half the people able to eat, but that’s no mind, they’re there. It’s like holding hands at a séance with your friends, but some of the friends gone. ...”

The Complete Encyclicals of John Paul II

This was a long term project that lasted 9 months as I read off and on. I began by learning that the papal name of John Paul I was taken in honor of Pope John Paul XXIII who opened Vatican II and Pope Paul VI who closed it and presided over the post-conciliar sorting out. So it was a statement of carrying on their work. John Paul II's taking up as successor shows up in these writings. I loved knowing that and seeing how important Vatican II was in every single encyclical. It turns out if we love JPII, it's because we also love Vatican II, even if we don't realize it.

1. Redemptor Hominis (Redeemer of Man), 1979
This was the first encyclical of John Paul II's pontificate. I was surprised to see how strongly he linked everything to Vatican II. It wasn't strong-armed in, just a continual touchpoint as he touched on the special needs of our times and the truth about man's nature and our relationship to Jesus. As JPII says, "Christ the Redeemer fully reveals man to himself." A rich reflection that is still very relevant to our time.

2. Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy), 1980
This continues linking back to Vatican II. It is a continuation of the Pope's thought from Redemptor Hominis as he draws attention to how Christ shows us God's mercy. I especially loved how he traced the concept of mercy in the Old Testament through events where many terms showed the richness of how mercy can be revealed and felt. The reflection on the parable of The Prodigal son led directly to how receiving mercy grants human dignity to the giver, just as giving mercy grants human dignity to the recipient. As a Vincentian, this has special meaning for me.

3. Laborem Exercens (Through Work), 1981
This was much less interesting to me as the pope worked his way through things like solidarity, unions, materialism, etc. We've heard so much about such things since this was written that a lot of it was very familiar. However, something that was not familiar gave me much food for thought. Pointing out that from the beginning man is called on by God to work, he then says:

Work is one of the characteristics that distinguish man from the rest of creatures, whose activity for sustaining their lives cannot be called work. Only man is capable of work, and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth. Thus work bears a particular mark of man and of humanity, the mark of a person operating within a community of persons. And this mark decides its interior characteristics; in a sense it constitutes its very nature.

This never occurred to me, that man is the only creature who works. That work is one of the things that defines humanity and individuals.

4. Slavorum Apostoli (The Apostles of the Slavs), 1985
This was written to highlight the evangelizing work of Saints Cyril and Methodius who came up with an alphabet for Slavic languages, translated the Gospels, and lived among the Slavic people to share the faith. It was interesting history and I especially liked JPII's repeated point that the saints had to learn to love the people and culture from the inside out so they would understand how best to explain God in a way that was familiar to the people. It's a tried and true method that has been used for millennium. Vatican II is referenced, as always in these encyclicals, in a way that shows its application to the past and present church as we share the gospel.

5. Dominium et Vivificantem (The Lord and Giver of Life), 1986
It is a rich reflection of the subtitle: On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World. Simply wonderful. Solid gold.

6.> Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer), 1987
The subtitle is On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church. John Paul II had a deep devotion to Mary and it is reflected in this encyclical. We expect to hear of Mary's role in Christ's life and ministry as well as how the Second Vatican Council reflected on Mary's role in the life of the Church today, especially since JPII has had an eye to the council's contributions in every encyclical so far. What was less expected for me was that he was primarily considering Mary's personal pilgrimage of faith as she journeyed with her son. I'd never considered that aspect of Mary's life and how it also can help us along the way. There were many insightful moments in this which really affected me. Highly recommended.

7. Solicitudo Rei Socialis (The Social Concern), 1987
This encyclical was published for the 20th Anniversary of Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples) by Pope Paul VI. It covered social justice of the time and in many ways this encyclical is an update of those topics. It was interesting to see how different many of our issues are and, yet, also how they are just the same. These days there is a focus on social justice in both society and the Church that makes me tired when I think of the topic. I skimmed through this and found some interesting reflections but in many ways we all know the basics of what this encyclical covers.

8. Redemptoris Missio (Mission of the Redeemer), 1990
The subtitle is "On the Permanent Validity of the Church's Missionary Mandate" and that's really what this covers. As with some of the others, this is long ago enough that we know the basics but there were many nuggets that broadened my thinking. One example is when he mentions St. Paul in Athens at the Areopagus proclaiming the Gospel to the people in terms of their gods. (A favorite story of mine.) Then he says the modern Areopagus is the world of communications. This is before social media, but JPII is right on point. I actually gasped seeing the connection.

9. Centesimus Annus (on the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum), 1991
It addresses social justice, economic systems, and human rights, particularly in the context of the collapse of communism. It was interesting and I particularly enjoyed his reflections that "the fundamental error ofsocialism is anthropological in nature" because it considers individuals simply as an element within the social organization. And Christians can never forget the human person as an individual.

10. Veritatis Splendor (Splendor of Truth), 1993
Subtitled "On Some Fundamental Questions of the Church's Moral Teaching" and it lives up to its name on so many levels. This is an amazing work of theology and examination of our modern culture, especially in regards to relativism. Sadly, it rings even truer today when the natural progression of relativism has left many people divorced from the ability to tell what is true from what isn't.

11. Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life), 1995
The subtitle reads: On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life. It is the natural follow-up to Veritatis Splendor. The primary victim of relativism is the lowered opinion of the inestimable value of human life, in all its stages. This has continued unabated since this encyclical came out, unfortunately. JPII's words continue to ring out with inspiration and encouragement to live this truth in our lives as a blazing witness to our society and our world.

12. Ut Unam Sint (That They May Be One), 1995
The call for Christian unity as a response to Christ's prayer to the Father before his passion is here examined as only JPII can do. He would have felt this very strongly in the time in which he wrote. I found the section on the fruits of dialogue especially good since it is so often that we must talk, meet face to face, and experience for ourselves the people from whom we are separated. Not really a topic that I care about as much as some others, but well worth reading.

13. Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), 1998
JPII himself says this is the follow-up to Splendor of Truth and that's obvious to anyone who has read both encyclicals. It's a deep dive into philosophy and theology, specifically Catholic theology to see where faith and reason intersect and support each other. It examines how we can trust the answers to the questions every human has had throughout time — "Who am I? Where have I come from and where am I going? Why is there evil? What is there after this life? ... In fact the answer given to these questions decides the direction which people seek to give to their lives." This is simply superb.

14. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Ecclesia de Eucharistia), 2003
The subtitle is On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church. This encyclical opens "The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity. " John Paul II examines this from every angle and it is an inspiring reminder of who we are and why we love the Eucharist.

"In the Beginning…": A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall by Cardinal Ratzinger

In four superb homilies and a concluding essay, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, provides a clear and inspiring exploration of the Genesis creation narratives.

While the stories of the world’s creation and the fall of humankind have often been subjected to reductionism of one sort or another ― literalists treat the Bible as a science textbook whereas rationalists divorce God from creation ― Ratzinger presents a rich, balanced Catholic understanding of these early biblical writings and attests to their enduring vitality.

Beginning each homily with a text selected from the first three chapters of Genesis, Ratzinger discusses, in turn, God the creator, the meaning of the biblical creation accounts, the creation of human beings, and sin and salvation; in the appendix he unpacks the beneficial consequences of faith in creation.

Solid gold. Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) finds fascinating connections between things you never noticed before.

The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire

The captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather's humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon--as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives

This isn't my usual sort of book but it also isn't my daughter Rose's usual sort of book. 

So when she gave it a strong recommendation I gave it a try. I was surprised I stuck with this the whole way but it was riveting in an unexpected way. Yes, we get the Cartier family but we also see how, over the generations, they developed their sense of marketing and design and loyalty to their customers (which their customers often reciprocated). It began with "always be very kind" which is not what you expect from high end jewelers. But they weren't always high class jewelers.

It's also a tale of family dynamics set against world history. There were a lot of layers and that's what made it a great read.

Everyday Graces: Stories of Faith in the Ordinary by C.E. Albanese

A security guard wrestling with temptation. A teenage boy learning to serve. A lonely Christmas worker surprised by kindness. A family holding hands in prayer while carrying the weight of absence. These brief but powerful tales reveal how God's love manifests in the most ordinary circumstances. These aren't fairy tales or heavy-handed parables. They're glimpses of the sacred embedded in the real world, where small acts of generosity reveal the multiplication of grace.

You know if there's one thing I love it is seeing God's fingerprints just below the surface of everyday life. The author told me that these stories are the very thing I love to find and he was right. I was worried that they might be sentimental, fantasies of Christian life. But no, these are the real thing. They're presented as fiction but come from moments the author witnessed. I know that when I told my husband about the "Thanksgiving Texts" story, he said, "I know that story. I read it in the news." That's when I realized what treasures these little, 500 word tales are. I myself found them touching and inspirational.

This is a book worth keeping as a devotional or to give to someone who needs those glimpses of grace to unlock their vision for their own lives of faith. Highly recommended.

Set All Afire by Louis de Wohl

I originally read this in 2014 and it hit just as hard upon this rereading so I'm sharing it with you again.

This is a historical fiction account of St. Francis Xavier who, inspired by Ignatius of Loyola to "set all afire," took the faith to India and Japan. I really enjoyed this quick moving book with accurate depictions of past societies and attitudes. I especially liked the looks into the way that Hindus would have seen the Catholic faith. These days it is considered incorrect to embrace one religion as being True (or "truer") than others. However, de Wohl illustrates just what Christianity brought to the common people which helped open them to the light and love of God.

Since I first read this our family has become enamoured of Indian films from all parts of the country. I was delighted to find that I was familiar with the geography of his travels and with at some movies from a few of the languages and cultures mentioned. It gave me a greater sense of Francis Xavier's experiences.

I also really loved the way that a big obstacle would appear and he would set his jaw and dive in, sure that God would support his efforts on behalf of the downtrodden. It was inspiring. It reminded me of Mother Cabrini. “Are we doing this?” she would ask, “or is it the Lord?”

It also made several points which I found illuminating in the context of a recent conversation with someone who adheres to a metaphysical idea of different levels of consciousness mixed with belief in reincarnation. (Which always makes me think of Bender's, the robot from Futurama, mot juste: "If I'd thought I had to go through a whole other life, I'd kill myself right now.")

A Brahmin is talking to Francis Xavier:

"For the sake of my soul and for the sake of the soul of India, answer me: if God became incarnate on earth and suffered for all men, be they Brahmans or Sudras or any other caste, then is final salvation possible for a man even if he has not achieved perfection by himself?"

"No man can achieve perfection by himself," said Francis gently. "But by cooperating with Our Lord and on the strength of Our Lord's death on the Cross a man will be acceptable to God."

"If he can do that, there is no need for him to be reborn on earth,"" said Ramigal slowly.

I had thought of the example of Jesus telling the "thief" on the cross that he would be with him in paradise that day, but not of the larger answer to the reincarnation question. God fulfills the lack in man so that we don't have to do it all by ourselves. And what a relief that is.

Ramigal converts and later writes to Francis Xavier:

Do you remember the first talk we had, in Tiruchendar, when I mentioned reincarnation, and you taught me that by the Grace of God all could be achieved a single life? Now that I am Father Pedro, I can see so clearly that more than one incarnation can be compressed into a single life. In a sense, a new life started for me when I joined an ancient and wise man high up in the North. But in baptism I was truly reborn from water and in confirmation I was truly reborn from the Holy Spirit....

This struck me mightily when I read it as the "different levels of consciousness" issue was swirling through the back of my mind. Again, God does it all in one go, if we cooperate with him. Wow, Christianity really does have it all! And I kind of love that.

At any rate, it is a fascinating and adventurous tale and one I can recommend.

The Murderbot Diaries

Since I've run a few Murderbot quotes lately I thought I'd rerun the review of the series which I first highlighted in 2021.

I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,00 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure. — All Systems Red

The first thing you need to know about Murderbot is that it doesn't like humans. Even though its job is to protect them.

The second thing you need to know is that Murderbot would really rather be watching TV. Specifically the most unrealistic soap-opera science fiction available.

These books are the most fun I've had reading for a long time. The story plots are somewhat beside the point, just as in a big, splashy action thriller where what you want is action and thrills. And yet, the plots do matter because that's where we find out that Murderbot actually does care about more than watching TV. 

And, you know, we kind of wind up loving Murderbot, so we care too.

It begins with four novellas.

All Systems Red 

Artificial Condition 

Rogue Protocol 

Exit Strategy 

These four novellas  encompass one large story arc, so in essence they are like four long sections in a book. (So you need to read them in order.)

 The series is light, entertaining, fun, and exciting. All that with a sense of humor and a mystery in each book in order to keep everyone alive. Each novella is a thriller-adventure with Murderbot reluctantly acting as the Security Unit for a group of humans as cover for other things it is trying to accomplish.

I like that Murderbot uses its free will to spend all day watching TV, if possible. I also liked the reason that it was capable of the killing that makes it name itself "Murderbot." 

In a way, the series feels a bit like it could have been from the Firefly universe. Or maybe Futurama? Every time Murderbot said "kill all humans" - and it was said a fair number of times - Bender flashed before my eyes. 

I've seen a few complaints that the novellas are too short and episodic feeling. You mean just like the entertainment that Murderbot loves to watch so much? Maybe that's why I like them. Sometimes what you want is a good episodic adventure with a likable hero struggling against the odds. And that's what the novellas give us. 

Network Effect

If the novellas are like TV episodes, then the novel is the movie we've been waiting for. 

This book put me in the almost unprecedented position of wanting to read as fast as possible (the way I always do with the Murderbot books) and yet to also slow down so the story didn't unfold and end too soon. So I read every spare moment, but deliberately ... and that made the book last two days! Hahaha - mission accomplished. 

Martha Wells wove a complex action-adventure story that kept me on the edge of my seat while taking the time to further develop Murderbot's character. Not to mention developing those of past friends and new partners in action. Toward the end a new character is added in the most satisfying yet surprising way - one I hope we see more of in the future. 

The novellas are good but the novel is better. 

Read the novel after the novellas.

Fugitive Telemetry

System Collapse

Now there are a couple more novellas. Fugitive Telemetry is a murder mystery set before Network Effect. I like to read it after Exit Strategy but it really doesn't matter. 

System Collapse is set after Network Effect and is the least successful of the series in my opinion. Wells has Murderbot dealing with a personal problem in an exceptional clunky way. However, the last half of the book more than makes up for the slow beginning. It is very rewarding for those who, like me, enjoy Murderbot's love of media.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

Four women who need to get away from their regular lives and get their heads together rent an Italian castle with the promise of sunshine and wisteria. They don't realize why they so desperately need a change when they flee gray, raining London for sunny San Salvatore Castello in Italy. However, as they are surrounded by beauty their eyes are gradually opened.

This is one of those books that has a seemingly simple story but presents a lot on the layers of the story, much like The Feast or Miss Buncle's Book. I loved that having four such different women together (and one suddenly blessed with profound insights) helped show them all the truth about themselves ...which was badly needed so they could choose to improve their lives by making course corrections.

This book richly rewards rereading. Thinking of it in Catholic terms, one can hardly miss that the women travel in darkness up the mountain to San Salvatore (Holy Savior) with Easter coming up. They discover immense beauty that changes them all simply from being in its presence. And this change begins to spread to others. It put me in mind of the Transfiguration.

As I said, sweetly done and yet seeming very modern in the problems they all faced.

Best of 2024 — Reading

  My top picks from the over 130 books I read last year.

You may find old books here but if they're on this list, then they were new to me! In no particular order.

Note: I've been doing this since 2008 — check the label cloud in the sidebar for "Best of" to see other lists.

2024 BEST BOOKS

Dominion:
The Making of the Western Mind

by Tom Holland

As Tom Holland says, "What today we term "the West" is less Christianity's heir than its continuation." One of the most even-handed approaches to Christianity I've ever seen. Utterly fair and a great read.

(Full review here.)

Team of Rivals

by Doris Goodwin Kearns

Abraham Lincoln was already at the top of my admired people list. However, I found a lot in this book that gave me a fuller picture of the man himself. Most of what I learned was simply admirable.

(My review here.)

Linnets & Valerians

by Elizabeth Goudge

My brief take is that in many ways it makes me think of E. Nesbit's tales such as The Magic City, The House of Arden, and The Treasure Seekers. Like those, this book takes recognizable fantasy beats and weaves an entirely new and enchanting pattern.

(My review here.)

The Power and the Glory

by Graham Greene

Strongly recommended by my daughter Rose and I can see why. It is quite grim and depressing for 3/4 of the book. Then it takes off like a firecracker and puts everything together in a way that blows your mind by the end of the book. Simply magnificent.

We Solve Murders

by Richard Osman

It has all the qualities that makes  the Thursday Murder Club series so much fun while being completely different. Super entertaining.

Scum of the Earth

by Alexander C. Kane

This book looks at alien invasion from the point of the collaborators, the turncoats who wholeheartedly cooperate with the subjugation of the human race to a life of fear and misery. Echoes of 1984 abound but there are opportunities for redemption that transcend doublethink.

(My full review.)

Lord of a Shattered Land

by Howard Andrew Jones

Sword-and-sorcery in a world based on the Carthaginians and the Romans, raised to a high level of storytelilng. With many monsters that Lovecraft would approve of.

(My full review.)

How the Church Has Changed the World, I-IV

by Anthony Esolen

Esolen ranges across time and around the world to show us the many ways that the love of Christ has been expressed by the Church through history — in art, song, customs, and people. Each book has 24 essays and they make wonderful daily reading.

(My full review.)

Teresa of Avila: God Alone Suffices

by Jean Jacques Antier

I wanted a big book about a big saint including historical context. This book filled the bill. I really felt immersed in Teresa's life. It was very inspirational as well as being informative.

(My full review.)  

Above Suspicion

by Helen MacInnes

This is both an exciting spy story and an interesting look at the pre-war Germany. This book was written as the Nazis increased power and published in 1941. It seems surprisingly true to life.

(My full review.)  

Teresa of Avila: God Alone Suffices by Jean Jacques Antier

Internationally-known author Jean-Jacques Antier recounts Teresa's life in vivid detail, from her earliest years as a romantic and worldly young woman to her passionate love for Christ and subsequent efforts to reform the Carmelite Order. Easily one of the most amazing figures history has known, St. Teresa of ?vila led an exceptional life for a woman of her time as well as our own.

After reading Sigrid Undset's book sbout Catherine of Siena I was ready for another big book about a big saint. This filled the bill, including historical context, which was something that I really enjoyed in the Undset book.

I'm so glad I picked this up. I really felt immersed in Teresa's life. It was very inspirational as well as being informative. Coincidentally I am also reading The Betrothed for an upcoming podcast episode. Teresa's life, the discalced way of living, and her struggles all resonate to make the world of The Betrothed feel much more familiar. 

My favorite part was midway through when the first convent was being established. All those details made me have a deeper appreciation for one of my very favorite books, In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. All of this is to say that the book resonated with me on several levels.

I really loved one little vignette when Teresa and John of the Cross were such good friends with surprising results.

Very privileged relationships were established and lasted for those two years that John of the Cross spent in Avila, and astonishing dialogues took place in the Inacrnation parlor. On May 17, 1573, Sister Beatriz de Ocampo, looking for the prioress, went to the parlor, where she found Teresa in ecstacy, and, on the other side of the grille, John of the Cross sent into levitation by ecstasy. Teresa excused herself saying, "You cannot speak of God with Father John of the Cross without having him enter into ecstasy and leading you along with him."

Highly recommended.

Zombies and Star Trek: Night of the Living Trekkies

I first reviewed this back in 2012. Recently, working on a big project, I realized it was available as an audiobook. Wich is pretty good. I'd forgotten a lot of the inside jokes. And I really enjoyed seeing every chapter titled with an original Star Trek episode title which was cleverly tied into the action.

In case you also forgot it ... or never encountered it in the first place, I'm rerunning the review.

 

I remember seeing this book when it came out and then it slipped my mind. Stephen's review put it squarely back in the middle of my radar. To be fair, Stephen's reviews are always good reading, but this one was so darned enthusiastic that I paid extra attention.

If you hate both Star Trek and Zombies...

I don’t know what to tell you. You obviously have made some wrong decisions in your life that have led you to this unfortunate circumstance. Maybe you should go and take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror and figure out where things began to fall apart. It’s not too late...the first step is admitting you have a problem.

A quick litmus test is if you smile upon reading Jim Pike's name. Which I suspect anyone picking up this book did. You don't have to get every reference, but the more you understand the more enjoyable the book will be. It spans the gamut of Star Trek movies and series (and as a Deep Space Nine fan, I appreciate that).

Super-quick summary: Jim Pike felt he failed as a leader of men in Afghanistan. Retreating to a hotel security position at home, he finds himself facing first a Star Trek convention and then a zombie apocalypse. As a Trek fan, he's able to tread water. As a horror fan, he's on less solid ground when it turns out that zombies actually do exist. As someone eschewing any responsibility, he's in full retreat when people keep turning to him for leadership in combat situations.

Best of all, however, is that this is a true horror novel. Salted with Trek references and turning on several necessary Trek points, nonetheless you don't need to be a Trekkie (or Trekker) to enjoy the book. I admit it definitely will help, but the authors make it worthwhile with their fresh take on the zombie genre while maintaining solid ties to both Trek and Star Wars worlds. It's a survival story, it's an apocalypse story, it's an "us against the world" story, it's a geek story, and there's even a bit of a mystery thrown in.

A deeper litmus test is this which should make you laugh aloud and then want to read it aloud to someone.

"Have you been able to reach the outside world?"

"I've tried, but so far, no dice. Nothing but snow on the TV. Phones are toast. And no Internet, which is really strange. It was originally designed to serve as a fail-safe communications mode during a nuclear war, so it's very, very resilient. To lock it down this tight, you'd have to have someone very smart and powerful actively denying service."

"Or maybe it's gone," Jim said.

For a moment the line was silent.

"What?" Gary finally said. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe it doesn't exist anymore. Maybe it suffered some sort of catastrophic, worldwide failure."

"Oh, no," Gary said with disturbingly brittle finality. "That's not possible. Somebody's keeping us from getting to the Internet, but the Internet is still there. It will always be there."

Jim decided to back off. ...

Night of the Living Trekkies is a light, fun read and one that I will be saving on my "stress rereading" shelf for an enjoyable adventure in a world where no man has gone before.

Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones

The Dervan Empire has at last triumphed over Volanus, putting the great city to the torch and selling survivors sold into slavery. It is an absolute victory for the Dervans in every way but one.

Hanuvar, last and greatest general of Volanus, still lives. He travels the length of the Dervan Empire to find what remains of his people and free them.

Against the might of a vast empire, he had only an aging sword arm, a lifetime of hard-won wisdom, and the greatest military mind in the world. No matter what what man or monster stands in his way, from the empire’s capital to its furthest outposts, Hanuvar would find his people and set them free.

I have a real weakness for this sort of sword-and-sorcery tale. I don't love them indiscriminately. Conan the Barbarian isn't my style. But there is a way to tell these stories that adds a bit of humor, a touch of irony, a soupçon of larger themes than merely adventure and magic. Fellow fans will know what I mean when I mention Lord Dunsany's stories and Fritz Leiber whose Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories are so much fun.

I've long been a fan of Howard Andrew Jones for his wonderful book The Desert of Souls. Here's my review. I lost track of Jones after his Asim and Dabir stories ended. So I was really interested when I saw that Jeff Miller (always trustworthy in pointing to new books) was had given five stars to the first two books in the series. I agree — this first book is really good. 

Lord of a Shattered Land is a series of short stories that can stand alone but which make up one tale by the end. There is no purple prose here, just good modern storytelling set in a hostile land filled with magic, quests, and monsters — both Lovecraftian and human. As Hanuvar travels he picks up a complimentary companion and encounters others who may become allies in later books. 

This world is loosely based on the Carthaginians and Romans.  In that scenario, Hanuvar is Hannibal. The difference, of course, is that this is the author's world and it is filled with interesting characters, compelling storytelling, and a quest that we want to see fulfilled. I liked seeing new facets to Hanuvar with each new adventure. I also appreciated that Jones doesn't give an info dump on the world we're in. He reveals it as needed for the story, bit by bit. Each story adds a little to what we know. This is really well written. No purple prose here!

Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes

Richard and Frances Myles are preparing for their annual European summer vacation in 1939 when they are visited at their Oxford college by an old friend who has a seemingly simple job for them. But in the heightened atmosphere of pre-war Europe, nobody is above suspicion, in fact the husband and wife are being carefully monitored by shadowy figures.

This was Helen MacInnes' first book and remains one of her best. She was a popular writer of spy novels for 45 years. Frances and Richard Myles are asked by an old friend to see if the head of an European underground railroad is still in place. This is before Britain is drawn into what will become WWII. While following clues backwards from person to person down the "railway", they discover that the open, friendly Germany they have loved has changed under the Nazi regime.

This is both an exciting spy story and an interesting look at the pre-war Germany. This book was written as the Nazis increased power and published in 1941. It seems surprisingly true to life and a fellow reviewer explains why:

She married Gilbert Highet, a Classics scholar, in 1932 and translated German literature with him. Like the characters in this novel, both her and her husband spoke fluent German and spent their summers travelling in Europe. Gilbert Highet also served as an MI6 British intelligence agent and his wife's novels were so realistic that her third book, "Assignment in Brittany" was required reading for Allied intelligence agents about to be sent to work with the French Resistance. As you can tell, you are in safe hands for a realistic novel about Europe in 1939, which is where Above Suspicion is set.

I didn't know all that but it helps explain why the book is so good. I haven't reread this for many years and was happy to find it remains as good as I remembered.

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme

This book is the charming and fascinatingly told story of Julia Child and her husband living in France. What elevates this beyond the usual food/life memoir is Child's telling of the whole picture, not just the food oriented moments. Yes, the food is there. After all, we are in France, n'est-ce pas? And this is Julia Child's story. However, just as in life, the food memories wind their way through the rest of her stories which make us understand just why she adores France. A snippet to whet your appetite.

... I had come to the conclusion that I must really be French, only no one had ever informed me of this fact. I loved the people, the food, the lay of the land, the civilized atmosphere, and the generous pace of life.

August in Paris was known as la morte-saison, "the dead season," because everybody who could possibly vacate did so as quickly as possible. A great emptying out of the city took place, as hordes migrated toward the mountains and coasts, with attendant traffic jams and accidents. Our favorite restaurants, the creamery, the meat man, the flower lady, the newspaper lady, and the cleaners all disappeared for three weeks. One afternoon I went into Nicolas, the wine shop, to buy some wine and discovered that everyone but the deliveryman had left town. He was minding the store, and in the meantime was studying voice in the hope of landing a role at the opera. Sitting next to him was an old concierge who, twenty-five years earlier, had been a seamstress for one of the great couturiers on la Place Vendome. She and the deliveryman reminisced about the golden days of Racine and Moliere and the Opera Comique. I was delighted to stumble in on these two. It seemed that in Paris you could discuss classic literature or architecture or great music with everyone from the garbage collector to the mayor.