Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko - UPDATED

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sergei Lukyanenko is a science-fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while being strong.

In The Night Watch, set in modern Moscow, the "Others" live among us, an ancient race of humans with supernatural powers who swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. A thousand-year treaty has maintained the balance of power, and the two sides coexist in an uneasy truce. But an ancient prophecy decrees that one supreme "Other" will rise up and tip the balance, plunging the world into a catastrophic war between the Dark and the Light. When a young boy with extraordinary powers emerges, fulfilling the first half of the prophecy, will the forces of the Light be able to keep the Dark from corrupting the boy and destroying the world?

This book was recommended by both daughters and Jeff Miller. Plus I liked the movie, though I realize the book is different in many ways. And now I can say I'm reading Russian novels. No need to say which Russian novels since people assume the big classics ... right?

The book is three novellas, linked by their setting and the fact that each is told by Anton, a Light Other who is now getting field experience after being a file clerk for several years. As he gets more experience, the reader learns more about the subtleties and intricacies of the world between Light and Dark. Each of the stories is thoroughly engrossing and although they build upon each other, the first two stand alone fairly well. The third conclusion brings the book's overall story arc to a conclusion.

The first page of the book has two messages, which are puzzling and amusing as an introduction. However when I had finished the book I realized they also served to sum up how the author uses the different stories and characters:

This text has been approved for distribution as conducive to the cause of Light.

The Night Watch

This text has been approved for distribution as conducive to the cause of Dark.

The Day Watch

Final result: simply fantastic. The way the three stories all look at Light and Dark, treaties and compromises, and even what it means to be unyielding on one side or the other ... not only provides a gripping adventure, but food for thought about our own lives.

UPDATE

Audio notes:

I was delighted to find the audio CD available for only $10 and promptly began listening in preparation for discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Narrator Paul Michael has a low key style in reading this book. His dialogue reading features what sound like authentic Russian accents which enhance the book greatly since Anton's thoughts are read in a regular American accent. Initially I found this refreshing since I'd just been listening to one Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series, which has a trademark intense, hard-hitting narrative style.

However, I soon noticed that whenever a character spoke there was very little emotion portrayed, no matter how stressful the moment. There are plenty of stressful, action-filled moments and to have them all conveyed in such a subdued fashion drained the color and excitement of the story for me. Eventually, the entire book seemed so colorless that I stopped listening and picked up the print copy to read the third novella.

My husband regularly has conference calls with Russians and says that he has noticed that monotonous quality when they are speaking English. He attributes it to the difficulty in speaking a foreign language and conducting business simultaneously. We both know from seeing the Night Watch movie that Russians are perfectly capable of verbally conveying a wide range of emotions.

Whatever the reason, I cannot recommend the audio if you want to experience the full flavor of the book.

Forgive me, Oprah, for I have sinned ...

I was shocked when Lance Armstrong was proven to have cheated and lied about his competitions.

However, I was unsurprised when Lance Armstrong admitted it to Oprah. Why else would he bother to appear? What is wrong with things when winning a sporting event is worth all that lying, cheating and trouble?

I know, I know, it's the way things are. Of course, that's part of our larger problem when we accept that such is the way of the world.

I was reading this morning in the WSJ how Armstrong's private defense until this point was roughly, "Every other pro sports discipline cheats."

I hadn't really thought about him until then but that was when I realized how immature Armstrong was, without a real moral compass, or possibly so confused by the unreal world he's inhabited for so long that he doesn't know which side is up any more? (And then I think of poor Tony Scott with all that the world counts precious who killed himself last year ... there are a lot of people who've been lied to about fame and fortune.)

It's been put into context because I've been listening to The Two Towers, the middle book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I am just at the part where Gandalf talks to Saruman after the Ents destroyed Isengard. Their exchange makes me think of this whole situation, especially since I just heard the part where Tolkien remarks that Saruman's voice was so beautiful that people would be charmed. Then when they repeated his words later they would realize that they were very ordinary. It was his voice that was so compelling.

Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwearily to that voice could seldom report the words that they had heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to see wise themselves. When others spoke, they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell.

There is an awful lot in The Lord of the Rings about deceit and it's subtle ways that I find myself applying to my own life. Where do I rationalize and listen to the compelling argument because it is what I want to hear rather than what is actually true? We all do it. That's how we recognize it in the book and understand Saruman's power so well.

I feel sorry for Lance Armstrong. I pity him, rather like Gollum, addicted to his fame (his precious). How will he live without it? By crawling after it if he must ... poor fellow. Let's keep him in our prayers.

In which Virgilia sees big trouble ahead and Nan is left in the dark.

Chapter 8 of The Unforeseen is ready for your listening pleasure at Forgotten Classics!

The Partially Examined Life: Gorgias by Plato [AUDIO DRAMA]

The Partially Examined Life podcast is doing something different with their latest podcast, an amateur full cast production of Gorgias by Plato (sort of). Gorgias is a Socratic dialogue, basically a script in which characters discussing philosophy. It was probably written around 380 BC.

The subject of Gorgias is rhetoric, the art of persuasion, and is highly relevant to thinking about politic speech, advertizing, and personal charisma.

Interesting, isn't it? Get the link to the podcast at SFFaudio which is where I read about it.

Of Withered Apples ...

This is a Philip K. Dick story that is in the public domain. It's a fascinating riff on classic fairy tales, done the way that only Dick can do it. For example, darned if I know what fairy tale it is, but he invests it with "classic" all the way.

I read it for SFFaudio and also participated in the conversation about it afterward. Get it here.

A Smart Idea

Now here's a smart idea ... the Stainless Steel Grocery Bag Garbage Can, which I found via Orson Scott Card.

I don't have one yet. But I do need to replace a trash can or two around the house and this may be the perfect option. Just thought I'd share ...

Best Actress Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis

For a change I've seen several of the nominated movies for the 2013 Oscars. I don't think Beasts of the Southern Wild (my review here) deserves a Best Picture award, though I think that director will earn them in the future.

However, there is no doubt in my mind that pint-sized Quvenzhané Wallis, from that film, does. She was formidable.

Cafe Maria Theresia

Coffee, orange liqueur, and whipped cream. What's not to love? Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Review: Catholicism Pure and Simple by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

If a good person decides to fight against evil he will always be at a disadvantage. ...

The evil person will naturally use every devious and nasty trick he can think of. That's why he's bad: he is a liar, a cheat, a murderer and a thoroughgoing scoundrel.

However, the good person cannot use the same evil tricks. So the evil one will lie and scheme. He will punch below the belt and throw salt in the good guy's eyes. But the really good person is not allowed to lower himself to dirty tricks. Jesus taught us this principle. When our enemy slaps us we are told to turn the other cheek. When our enemy takes our coat we are to offer him our shirt as well.

This disadvantage that the good person suffers is the key that unlocks the whole mystery. You see, evil gets worse and worse in the world when we do not fight with goodness. We usually respond to suffering by causing more suffering. We seek revenge and return evil for evil.

When we do this evil breeds in the world and will never be defeated. This is why Jesus teaches us to return good for evil, to forgive our enemies, and pray for those who hurt us. Jesus is trying to get across to us that the only way for evil to be defeated is to smother it with goodness as water puts out a fire.

I've been a fan of Dwight Longencker's writing for a long time, definitely since before he became a Catholic priest. Catholicism Pure and Simple may prove to be my favorite of his books. For one thing, it is chock-full of passages like the one above, which helped me for the first time in my life really get a grasp of why Christ insists on the necessity of returning good for evil.

Overall Catholicism Pure and Simple is a basic explanation of the Catholic faith. It would be a great refresher for someone who wants to know their faith better, a good text for RCIA classes, or an introduction for those curious about what Catholicism teaches (rather than what "everyone" says it teaches). Following the general topic guidelines that the Catechism itself follows, Longenecker takes readers from why we believe God exists, through who Jesus Christ is, how the Catholic Church came to be, what it means to be Catholic and how to live the faith.

Although the explanations are basic, they are well developed and thought provoking. Catholicism Pure and Simple is a riveting read, written in straight forward terms, designed to take each person to an understanding Catholicism. I myself particularly liked the way Longenecker takes longstanding modern beliefs and stands them on their heads, encouraging us to look at what "everyone knows" with new eyes.

For example, what "everyone knows" is that religion evolved because cave men, afraid or impressed with thunder and lightning, concluded that a being lived in the clouds who needed to be appeased. From these beginnings came the development of religious worship. At least, that's the story that I always believed before becoming Catholic. Look at a bit of how Longenecker discusses it.

Did you notice how this argument makes certain assumptions about cave men? It treats the cave man as a noble savage. Because he feels a sense of wonder at the natural world he is portrayed as a ignorant, but touchingly sensitive brute; but have you seen the trick? Because he is a cave man we assume that he must be inferior to us; therefore his conclusion that there is a big person beyond the clouds who caused the thunder must also be primitive, and wrong.

Although cave men may not have been as educated as we are or have such whiz-bang technology, were they really so much stupider? ... We don't have evidence for that. Instead, when their graves are opened we find beautiful works of art and craftsmanship, and when we go into the cave itself we find mysterious and beautiful wall paintings. The evidence we have tells us that whoever painted those graceful bison and deer were not primitive brutes, but sensitive artists. ...

The caveman is being quite sensible, in his own way, to observe nature and see the signs of an unseen intelligence. Like most easy theories, this theory of where our religious instinct comes from is both right and wrong. It is right because it tells us that even primitive people can see the power of nature and conclude that there is a mind behind it all.

However, the theory is wrong in what it assumes. It assumes that because modern humans understand the physics of thunder, and have telescopes to study the stars, that they no longer have a need for God. ...

Catholicism Pure and Simple both delighted me with examples and inspired me overall by the pure and simple truth contained therein. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

History of Philosophy talks about Church Fathers

Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at King's College London, takes listeners through the history of philosophy, "without any gaps." Beginning with the earliest ancient thinkers, the series looks at the ideas and lives of the major philosophers (eventually covering in detail such giants as Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna, Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant) as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition.

I've enjoyed this podcast in the past but had dropped it due to time constraints. Hey, you aren't gonna get through the Lord of the Rings in audio without a few sacrifices.

Imagine my surprise when I checked recently and found that Peter Adamson had made it to the ancient Church Fathers. Origen, Maximus the Confessor, the Greeks, the Latins ... and Augustine's confessions are among the episodes. Looks like it's time to begin fitting some History of Philosophy into my earbuds.

Get it on iTunes. Or get it from their website.

Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Radio Announcer: The final mission to save mankind has failed...the 70 mile wide asteroid known as 'Matilda' is set to collide with Earth in exactly three weeks time, and we'll be bringing you our countdown to the end of days, along with all your classic rock favorites.

The world is going to be destroyed by a huge meteor. In the month that's left, what would you do with the rest of your life? Steve Carrell decides to find his high school sweetheart. Tagging along is his neighbor who's trying to get to her family. Yep. It's a road trip at the end of the world.

Finally. A Steve Carrell movie that I can recommend without saying, "Except for these stupid scenes." And one that made me interested in Keira Knightly in her recent roles since it seems as if she's matured some as an actress as well as in her appearance since the early Pirates and soccer movies I saw her in.

It's a gutsy and interesting movie that dares to take the above premise and make a romantic comedy. It mostly works except for a few plot holes which we were willing to overlook.

I enjoyed this all the way through. Tom felt the middle sagged but they grabbed him again in the last third. I would say the difference between our attitudes may lie in the fact that once I grasped this as an apocalyptic tale, I settled in for the standard formula of having the middle of the story being travel that exposes us to different ways of coping with the disaster. Tom didn't have that formula to fall back on. That said, this could have been a trimmer and nimbler film at 90 minutes.

More than anything, this affected me profoundly with the idea of everything being over. Done. Kaput. Finis. The End.

You'd think that, as a Catholic, I'd be used to the reality that life can end at any moment. Like many things, intellectual understanding is different than having a concrete example right in front of you. I like to think that I'd be ready to meet my Maker if I was hit by a truck today, but am I really? So this led me to some consideration of Final Things (death, judgment, heaven, hell) which was doubtless good for me. Certainly, it provided additional depth and direction to my spiritual meditations over the next few days.

Best Movies of 2012

Top movies I saw in 2012 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In no particular order. (My top books list is here.)

1. Red River (1948) directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Wayne, Montgomery Clift
   Possibly the perfect Western. (my review here)
   
   
2. Skyfall (2012) directed by Sam Mendes, stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
   An exhilarating combination of new and old which remakes the Bond franchise. (my review here)
   
   
3. Life of Pi (2012) directed by Ang Lee, stars Suraj Sharma
   One castaway boy, one raft, one Bengal tiger ... and God. (my review here)
   
   
4. Les Miserables (2012) directed by Tom Hooper, stars Hugh Jackman, et al.
   Mercy, courage, and God's saving grace. With some fantastic singing. (my review here)
   
   
5. The Avengers (2012) directed by Joss Whedon, stars Robert Downey Jr, et al.
   Supervillains from space threaten Earth. Superheroes save it. Spectacularly.
   
   
6. John Carter of Mars (2012) directed by Andrew Stanton, stars Taylor Kitsch
   Derring do, a maiden to rescue, a battered but worthy hero ... on Mars. (My review here)
   
   
7. Brave (2012) directed by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman
   Pixar's "girl" movie. A delightful fable with strong, likable women.
   
   
8. The Mill and the Cross (2011) directed by Lech Majewski, stars Rutger Hauer, Michael York
   Luminous masterpiece based on Pieter Bruegel's The Way to Calvary. (my review here)
   
   
9. Love in the Afternoon (1957) directed by Billy Wilder, stars Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper
   Frothy fun. Detective's daughter is fascinated by a playboy.
   
   
10. Margin Call (2011) directed by J. C. Chandor, stars Kevin Spacey, et al.
    24-hours of decisions in a financial crisis. It works.
    
    
11. Moneyball (2011) directed by Bennett Miller, stars Brad Pitt
    Building better baseball with computer analysis. Sounds terrible. It isn't.
    
    
12. Bill Cunningham, New York (2011) directed by Richard Press
    Documentary about a man obsessed with fashion. Unlikely but terrific.
    
    
13. The Mark of Zorro (1940) directed by Rouban Mamoulian, stars Tyrone Power
    Power is a subtler, funnier, better swashbuckler than Errol Flynn. Watch this.
    
    
14. The Body Snatcher (1945) directed by Robert Wise, stars Boris Karloff, et al.
    Grave robbing and worse in 1831 Edinburgh. Karloff's a stand out.

What Went Wrong With the Hobbit and How to Discuss It With Smart Kids

An excellent commentary from a smart movie watcher. (Check out her blog, Catholic All Year. We can all thank the mean Church Lady who prompted Kendra Tierney to begin blogging.)

The Crimes of Galahad by H. Albertus Boli, LL.D.

The Crimes of Galahad by H. Albertus Boli Ll.D.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've long been a fan of Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine. I was mildly interested when The Crimes of Galahad was published and then read a review from two reviewers I trust who both enjoyed it and also declined to describe much of it. This piqued my interest. The good Dr. Boli's secretary has provided me with a review copy, which I very much appreciate, especially since the inscription was beautifully written in calligraphy, although the paper was not Bousted's Number 8 or even Number 6.

I am moved to say that upon opening the book, I was captivated by the perfection of the layout and typesetting as a 19th century novel (especially of the title page). Many know I am a type and layout crank ... so this was a very pleasant surprise.

"But what of the story?" you very reasonably ask.

Galahad Newman Bousted (pronounced Boasted) is the son of a simple stationer in the 1800s. In the depths of despair over his lack of prospects, he comes across a review of a French book, The Pursuit of Evil. It argues that the superior man chooses evil in accordance with the dictates of nature. It is impossible to get a copy of the book, but the logic strikes Galahad so forcefully that he immediately determines to give himself to evil, by which he means to make all decisions based on self-interest. He sets forth to seek his fortune and woo the woman of his dreams. Can Galahad achieve a life of pure evil?

I would tell you more but that would both prematurely unfold the the tale, skillfully written by Dr. Boli, and spoil the point. The book not only entertained me considerably but also made me mull over the conclusion ever since I've finished it. There is a deep grounding in truth versus appearance, intention versus actions, and many other puzzles of human nature. It also made me look up Francois Boucher's paintings on Wikipedia. Ooo-la-la!

All in all, The Crimes of Galahad is a book I highly recommend and one that I suspect I must discuss to mine it's full value.

Blogging Around: The Serious Stuff

Les Mis: Just Men, Minimized Women and Immodesty?

Two very different women, coming from very different perspectives, are unhappy with Les Miserable. Their unhappiness reminds us that though we polish and burnish our preferred lenses, we obscure our own capacity to see.

One is a feminist upset at the lack of women "doing anything" and the other is a Catholic upset at the "gross sexuality" on display. Both are examples of seeing only through our own defined filters and the Anchoress capably discusses this. My comments are in her comments box. Go and read. It's good stuff.

10 Best Arguments for Same Sex Marriage ... And Why They're Flawed

Perhaps no issue is more nerve-wracking today than "same-sex marriage." It’s a magnet for controversy and evokes strong reactions from those on either side of the debate. But underneath the fiery passion and rhetoric, we must evaluate the real arguments.

Brandon Vogt discusses the arguments from a civil marriage, nonreligious point of view, not from the Church’s sacramental understanding. This is really valuable since many of those we may get caught up in conversation with are not going to have care about sacramental understanding. Common sense and logic is the order of the day. An excellent piece and one that gave me a new understanding. I never actually stopped to think that civil marriage laws are from the point of the child, not the "happy couple." Fascinating.

Ashes From Burnt Roses

Manny, a long-time commenter here, has begun a literary blog, Ashes From Burnt Roses, where he's put some T. S. Eliot, Dean Martin, and Robert Burns so far. Check it out and say hi.

Catholic Stories at the WSJ Today

The Cleric Behind Les Mis

As Hugo worked on the novel, his son Charles, then in his 20s, objected to the reverential treatment of the bishop. He argued to his father that the portrayal gave undeserved respect to a corrupt clergy, bestowing credibility on a Roman Catholic Church opposed to the democratic ideals that he and his father held. Charles instead proposed that the catalyst for Jean Valjean's transformation be a lawyer or doctor or anyone else from a secular profession.

The pushback didn't work. Not only did Hugo hold his ground, but he amplified the importance of Charles-François Bienvenue Myriel, affectionately known in the novel as Monseigneur Bienvenue (Bishop Welcome). The book's first hundred pages or so are a detailed chronicle of Myriel's exemplary life, showing that his intervention on behalf of Jean Valjean was part of a long track record and not a singular aberration. Apparently Hugo recognized no contradiction between his anticlericalism and the possibility—or certainty—that grace could be mediated by a just priest who was transparent to the divine and never betrayed the human.

Rose gave us the priest's back story before we saw the film because she was worried the film wouldn't do a good job. She needn't have worried even though the bishop was only in the piece for a few minutes. A great piece that you can read here.

Notre Dame's Holy Line

Before Monday night's national championship game, a University of Notre Dame football captain will lead the team through a prayer called Litany of the Blessed Virgin. "Mother of our Savior," a captain will say. "Pray for us," the team will respond.

It's a ritual familiar to Catholics. But most players on the Notre Dame squad aren't Catholic. So participation in that ritual is voluntary. And should any concern arise about praying to the Virgin Mary—a concept some non-Catholic Christians find objectionable—team chaplain Father Paul Doyle stands ready to respond. "We're not praying to our blessed mother," he says. "We're asking her to pray for us."

And that ain't all. I had no idea ... read it here.

Cool for Cats by Andrew Ordover

The release of the audiobook, read by author Andrew Ordover, prompted me to update my review. The price can't be beat - $5.00! For why you want to hear it, read on!

And I didn't want to rely on Internet archives. First of all, our local paper is crap, and it keeps crap archives online. But more importantly, when they do archive stories, they do what everyone else does--they reformat them into a computer-friendly layout. Well, I didn't want that. I wanted to see the paper, the way the paper looked back then. I wanted the articles, sure, but I also wanted the short items, the calendar listings, the classified ads--the whole newsprint enchilada. As a professional snoop, I've found that not everything of importance comes with a byline, or over the fold.

Jordan Greenblatt is a small-time detective. He drifted into detective work the way he drifted into playing bass with a local jazz combo. He does both ok, but he's never going to hit the bigtime with an attitude like that. And that's ok with Jordan. He doesn't mind being a supporting player.

Until his phone rings with a request to look into an old hit-and-run case ... and Jordan realizes that he knows the victim. He had a big crush on Giselle Palmer and never even knew she was also in Atlanta. So he takes the case, even though it is completely unlike his usual work trailing cheating husbands. What Jordan uncovers is not only a murder but the key to his own future.

I liked this book a lot. Andrew Ordover gives readers a slacker detective who just needed the right motivation to stand up and move in a new direction. We follow Jordan as he figures out how to look at more than one clue, how to think like a real detective, and how to put together the puzzle pieces of an important case that is getting attention from the authorities.

This is Ordover's first book but it only shows in the lack of layers (for want of a better term). Part of the lack of complexity is due to Jordan's slacker personality, part may be because until Jordan deals with his own past he can't move forward. Also, I wished for more depth from Jordan's wife, Susannah. She objects when threats arise after Jordan's digging gets him close to the heart of the mystery. However, those objections do not seem fierce enough and she forgives extremely easily. Or perhaps that is how Susannah is wired. I never felt that I got enough about her to know one way or the other. However, that is a small point overall.

Originally I read Cool for Cats in paperback. However, Ordover has now released the audiobook on his website, which he reads himself, and it works spectacularly. As in the best cases, where the author knows the character inside and out, he brings Jordan to life in a way I didn't experience when simply reading to myself. Because of this, I genuinely understood Jordan's growth both as a detective and as a human being on a deeper level. At $5.00 for the entire book, it is a steal.

Another nice little riff is the connection with a playlist, if you like, of albums referenced in the book, via a widget in Ordover's website sidebar. Jazz is integral to Jordan's character and is referenced frequently. If you're a jazz fan, the playlist idea is a great one for hearing the music that's playing in his head.

Quibbles aside, Cool for Cats is a solid, entertaining mystery from this new author. It is one that left me hoping there would be a sequel.

==========

SPECIAL FEATURE: Andrew Ordover narrated the first chapter for me over at Forgotten Classics. Go listen for free.

This review also appears at SFFaudio.

(Full disclosure - I am email pals with Ordover's wife Heather who is the podcaster at CraftLit ... and who provided me with a review copy. I'd have liked it anyway.)

Pick a Saint for 2013. J.R.R. Tolkien for me!

For a few years it was a thing around the Catholic internet to choose an extra saint (or have one drawn for you) when the new liturgical year began. I did that for a while but invariably would forget my "extra" saint, though I know they were so good as to remember me.

Brandon Vogt reminded me of this habit when he wrote about choosing a saint for 2013. You know, it seems easier when I think of the calendar year somehow. He linked to Jen Fulwiler's saint's name generator (a clever invention, to be sure ... she's into writing code to relax ... I also have a pal who enjoys reading math books to relax ... love 'em both but do NOT understand them).

So I gave it a whirl.

The results:

St. Vladimir I of Kiev

Feast: July 15

Patronage: Converts; Parents of Large Families; Reformed and Penitent Murderers

Eeek! I don't like what that last bit may imply ... but I'm going to ignore it and focus on the "converts" part.

============

What I really liked about Brandon's pick-a-saint post was that he chose C.S. Lewis as his patron last year. Not canonized, but Brandon gives his reasoning, which I fully agree with.

Here's the thing. Brandon's articulating something that I've been doing unconsciously, but didn't notice until his post helped me recognize the pattern.

Lately, I have been turning to my favorite author-mentors in the last few months with special petitions: Flannery O'Connor, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien.

It seems to be a natural outgrowth of my tendency to focus on one of those authors for about a year at a time.

First I read Habit of Being and fell in love with Flannery. Then I became attracted to C.S. Lewis, both due to my book club and many encounters online. Now, I am hip-deep in J.R.R. Tolkien's writing and yearning to read his letters. Now that I think of it, that began around the beginning of the liturgical year when I reread The Hobbit for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. He's tricksy, that J.R.R.

Let's put a saver on Dorothy Day as I have been dipping into her letters and writing for Catholic Worker a little.

I like the idea that these authors who had saintly yearnings are looking out for those of us who noodle around with words.

At this point, I'm happy to hang with these authors in general, but it seems to me that my year is going to be under J.R.R. Tolkien's protection.

Thanks Brandon!

Galactic Pot Healer by Philip K. Dick

Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Glimmung wants Joe Fernwright. Fernwright is a pot-healer - a repairer of ceramics - in a drably utilitarian future where such skills have little value. The Glimmung is a being that looks something like a gyroscope, something like a teenaged girl, and something like the contents of an ocean. What's more, it may be divine. And, like certain gods of old Earth, it has a bad temper.

I must thank Jesse from SFFaudio for recommending this book. Although it began on a very depressing tone that didn't entirely lift during the story (which I'm told is par for the course for P.K. Dick), I nonetheless enjoyed it.

The idea of a Lovecraftian elder god having a benevolent bent toward humankind and working with others to achieve a goal is one that tickles my funny bone. I also have a feeling that at least one writer for Futurama read this book also, based on the way the Glummung physically works with others. I don't want to give anything away so won't elaborate on that, but if you've seen it and read this book then you know what I mean. I laughed aloud when I got to that part.

I had to think about the end of the book for a little while (which I'm told is also par for the course for PKD) but in the end I liked it. Although I have a feeling that perhaps PKD didn't feel the same way I did. I think that's my Catholicism coming through. My youngest daughter Rose is going to read this and since she's read several of PKD's novels already, I am looking forward to talking to her about it.

Dappled Things' Fund Drive

How many billions, with a “b,” were spent during the last election? Whether your candidates won or lost, please consider the following question: now that the great electoral effort is over, are we any closer to a society in which the center of our common life is the truth that we are beings created in the image of God? If your answer to that question is in the negative, then we want you to consider supporting Dappled Things, a journal dedicated to transforming our culture. We believe that when a culture is not dehumanizing, but ennobling, electoral politics will take care of themselves.

Dappled Things is having a fund drive so they'll make it through the next year. I missed their initial plea because of the holidays. In case you did too, here's where you can find out more.

My 2013 Personal Book Challenge

My 2012 book challenge was so rewarding, making me pick up books I would just keep skipping over in favor of lighter reading. I'm doing it again this year. Some books are carried over from last year and some I dropped because they just didn't look interesting to me right now. But you can see I have plenty of others to fill in the gaps.

As before, I may not get through all of them in a year, but I will be trying always read one of them despite other distractions. In no particular order.

Classics

1. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (required of self after seeing musical)
2. Middlemarch* - Eliot
3. Belly of Paris* (Emile Zola)
4. Wuthering Heights* - Charlotte Bronte (began this in 2012, finishing it in 2013)

Modern

1. Momento Mori - Muriel Spark
2. Last Call* - Tim Powers (not a true classic, I know ... but still a "challenging" read which is what all these are for me)
3. Galactic Pot Healer - Philip K. Dick (I wanted to try a novel instead of short stories and this was recommended as being one of the most complete stories told in a novel.)
4. Journal of the Gun Years - Richard Matheson (I'm so curious to see what sort of Western Matheson writes since he was such a science fiction award winner)

Religion

1. Introduction to the Devout Life* - St. Francis de Sales (began this in 2012, finishing it in 2013)
2. The Way of Perfection* - St. Teresa of Avila
3. A Song for Nagasaki - Glynn
4. The Scarlet and the Black - Gallagher

Rereading

1. The Sand Pebbles*
2. Nine Princes in Amber - Zelazny

Nonfiction

1. Tolkien's Letters
2. The Inklings - Humphrey Carpenter
3. H.V. Morton travel book
4. King Peggy

* Carried over from the 2012 Book Challenge.

Glad Tidings of Liturgical Beauty and Joy: Hey, That's My Church He's Talking About!

In St. Ignatius’ eighth rule of discernment he admonishes us that when we are in desolation we should comfort ourselves that we “will soon be consoled.” And so it is that on the final leg of our vacation trip home we encountered a jewel of Catholic worship in Dallas, Texas. As God in His providence obviously provided, we selected a parish purely based on our interest in the beautiful architecture and convenience of location. He had much more in store for us than we could have ever anticipated.

The church Dan Burke talks about in his National Catholic Register article is our parish church, St. Thomas Aquinas in Dallas. Of course, we love our church but it was really wonderful to read such an appreciative article about it. Faithful liturgy is the keystone to any great parish, right?

I'm glad the 7:30 a.m. with organ and cantor was so good. However, one of the glories of our parish for me is that there is a wide variety of music, depending on which Mass you attend.

Imagine all that Mr. Burke describes but with a full choir of volunteers so good that they have inspired envy among those with paid choirs. That's the 11:30 a.m. Mass.

Then there's the Saturday vigil Mass at 4:00 on Saturday, with an all-men's choir that features Gregorian chant. And a lot of Latin too. I have to use the handout for that one every time.

I'll even give a shout out to the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass which features more modern music (not too modern, mind you) that has a very good folk choir. It is not to my taste but the music director has a light touch that makes the music shine in a very non-folksy way.

Here's a YouTube link of a rehearsal that gives you an idea of the full choir.

Here are a few photos of the church.

Altar (The angels only come out for Christmas and Easter. They live in the church office otherwise.)

Nativity Scene

This shows the church from the choir loft. Not in holiday garb, but with the choir in their black garb for a formal concert.

A Very Good Christmas

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I had one of the best Christmases ever.

For one thing, the reason I was so little present in the last week is because Rose spent almost 10 days visiting from L.A. so I stayed home from work and did little personal blogging.

In preparation I had been forcing myself for some weeks ahead to wrap gifts, bake, and do other such tasks so that my daily work was light when she was with us. It was truly wonderful to have her visit for so long, as our little white dog Kaylee could tell you. She was delighted with having a young lady in whose room she could sleep, whose steps she could dog (ha!), and who she could generally worship.

Also, with God's grace, somehow my Advent reading led me to an ever-greater appreciation of the Incarnation. By the time we got to Christmas, I was overcome with the wonder, love, and delight of it all. And that is truly a gift which I do not often receive.

All in all, we were blessed to have such a wonderful Christmas. I hope that everyone was likewise blessed.

FINAL: My 2012 Movie Challenge List

Originally written December 2011.

I realized that there, in addition to "must read" books, there are also movies that I've been wanting to watch for a long time but will ignore for a lighter or more modern choice. So here's my personal 2012 movie challenge list, in no particular order (this also resides as a page at A Good Story is Hard to Find).

1. Dodes Kadan - Kurasawa (watched it and now can say that I've seen a Kurasawa film. Interesting and with many touching stories, although not a movie that I think I want to see again.)
2. The General - Buster Keaton (Hilarious. Touching. Amazing. All that from a silent movie. This is a movie that you should watch if you haven't seen it. I was amazed at how much information can be conveyed without a single dialogue card.)
3. Hotel Rwanda (An amazing movie about a horrible subject. But one that should be seen if only to remind us that such things happen and not as infrequently as we think. The acting is top notch, especially Don Cheadle).
4. The Last Days of Sophie Scholl
5. Water (India)
6. Red (French w/ Polish director, 1st of trilogy)
7. The Passion of Joan of Arc (silent)
8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (We are put in the paralyzed man's spot so much that I wanted to get up and stretch a lot. However, it is life affirming and shows the power that attitude makes in getting through seemingly unsurmountable obstacles.)
9. Of Gods and Men (2011)
10. Metropolis (German)

Les Miserables — Yes.

Yes. It is worth the time.

Yes. It is worth the ticket price.

Yes. It is worth the tears I shed.

Yes. With the director in the end credits, I thank his parents for teaching him to love musicals.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Go see it.

(Now I have to go revise my 2013 reading list.)

Saturday Jokes: more for Christmas, from England!

Joseph from Zombie Parent's Guide writes:

Can I submit some jokes for your Saturday posting? We had Christmas crackers again this year, which is a British tradition. The cracker is a cardboard tube that two people pull apart from either end. When the tube breaks a little firecracker goes off, hence the name "cracker." The tube also has some prizes and a joke. Here's the best of the jokes from our crackers this year, though you have to remember your UK vocabulary (like football = soccer)...

And of course I can't wait to see and share these jokes! So here we go!

What goes: now you see me, now you don't, now you see me, now you don't?
A snowman on a zebra crossing!

What's an ig?
An eskimo house without a loo!

What's the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet?
The Christmas alphabet has Noel!

Why was Cinderella such a poor football player?
She kept running away from the ball!

A Season of Mystery by Paula Huston [Updated]

A Season of Mystery: 10 Spiritual Practices for Embracing a Happier Second Half of Life by Paula Huston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Transcending the endless cycle of want-satisfaction also gets us ready for death and what follows. My friend Betty, age eighty-five, sums it up like this: "Getting old is about preparing for the next life. But nobody these days is thinking about that anymore." ...

So how shall we face old age and dying? We can set aside the comforting myths that tell us we can indefinitely postpone what's coming next. We can cease the frantic efforts to achieve all our unfulfilled goals before we die. Then we can move into this most challenging phase of life with both eyes open, remembering that our real purpose here on earth is to be "servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries" (1 Corinthians 4:1).

A Season of Mystery asserts that this second half of life brings on the "best of times and the worst of times," as my eighty-five-year-old friend Brother Emmanuel ruefully puts it. The losses are painfully real. But so are the opportunities, if only we can allow ourselves to let go of the myths. When we do, we open the door to genuine adventure, including some of the richest spiritual experiences we may ever have.

Being about 5 years behind Huston in age, I have just gotten to the point where the last year has brought some of the reminders for my husband and me in a "realization of change" ... or, in other words, we're getting older and on the doorstep of facing physical (and probably mental) changes that come with being old.

This book resonates on a lot of levels although, thankfully, the realizations I have had which mirror Huston's have come at a lesser personal price ... in most instances anyway.

Each of the chapters considers a spiritual discipline that is especially suited to this time of life and which we may have been too busy to even consider before. Disciplines like "Listening," "Accepting," and "Befriending" may seem broad but they are directed toward helping readers be prepared for some of the classic obstacles associated with aging. In each, Huston gives her personal experiences and those of her much older friends. This gives a nice book-end look at where we may be now versus where we may wind up given perseverance.

This is not a difficult book to read, although you may find your thoughts turning more to last things after you have read it. But that's not a bad thing either, because if we don't have our eye on where we are going then we'll be unprepared when we get there. I read it in one evening. This also says something about how well accessible Huston's writing is.

One thing makes me laugh every time I turn the book over though. This is a book about aging and acceptance and Huston's photo on the back is clearly from a younger age or someone who is trying to look younger than they are (as I come across every single day in Dallas). It jars me every time I see it. Knowing, as I do, that publishers often go their own road instead of doing what the author wants, I don't know who made that decision. It is too bad, however, that they didn't use this photo of Huston on either the front or back cover. This is a small point but small points do matter.

NOTE: I wrote this for the Patheos Book Club. Publishers pay for the Patheos Book Club to feature their books ... and I received a review copy free. However, my opinions are my own and I love or hate a book on its own merits.

UPDATE

Well, well, well ... I was wrong about the outdated photo versus the newer photo. Ms. Huston said that the current photo is the one on the book and that she'd been told cutting her hair made her look younger. So we see she was told the truth! My apologies for my assumptions.

Julie's 2012 Personal Reading Challenges [FINAL]

FINAL results on books I've read (or dropped) thus far. Originally written in December 2011.

One Sunday, when we'd gone to the Vigil Mass on Saturday to avoid getting embroiled in a local marathon that shuts down all the streets around our church (don't ask ... Tom has been enraged before to the point of risking arrest for civil disobedience).

Wait, what was I saying?

Oh. Right.

Anyway, we were sitting around until about 1 p.m. in our jammies talking about cabbages and kings and whether pigs have wings ... and about reading and classics. I realized that I have a handful of certifiable classics which I really want to read but that I keep acting as if the Reading Fairy is going to drop extra time and a book on my lap when I'll suddenly begin reading.

Bravely taking responsibility on myself, I made a list.

I love making lists. Don't you? And crossing things off them.

So here are my "must reads" ... I may not get through all of them in 2012, but I will be trying to always be reading one of them despite other distractions. In no particular order.


2012 Classics

1. The Brothers Karamazov - Dostoyevsky (begun on Jan. 1 - dropped in a few weeks. Looking for either an audio version or a different translation as I just couldn't connect with that one, though I read 150 pages. Began it again a month later. Dropped it again.) Turns out that our book club chose this for 2013 ... so I will be reading it but will take it off my "personal" reading list since it is no longer a self-imposed book.
2. Bleak House- Dickens ... loved it! (review here,  review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
3. Middlemarch - Eliot
4. Belly of Paris (Emile Zola)
5. Last Call - Tim Powers (not a true classic, I know ... but still a "challenging" read which is what all these are for me)
6. A Movable Feast - Hemingway
7. The Four Quartets - T.S. Eliot
8. Wuthering Heights ... partway through and then had to take a break because I just hate Catherine and Heathcliff so very much. Will resume in 2013.

2012 Religion

1. Introduction to the Devout Life - St. Francis de Sales ... have begun this.
2. The Way of Perfection - St. Teresa of Avila
3. The Sabbath - Abraham Heschel (read this in the spring and, although Heschel's writing could be high concept at times, found it riveting. The idea of living in sacred time, of time being our temple on earth is fascinating and one that I find very helpful in prayer.)
4. Introduction to Christianity - Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI LOVED IT! Dense but accessible in tons of places. (excerpts and review at Goodreads)
5. Joan of Arc - Mark Twain

2012 Rereading

1. The Sand Pebbles
2. Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury (read this for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast and found it very thought provoking and more poetically written than I recalled.)
3. Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
4. Lark Rise - Flora Thompson

2012 Nonfiction

1. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bryson (tried it a couple of times and realized that I didn't actually care about the short history of nearly everything. Not Bryson's fault. So it is off the list.)
2. Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life - Margaret Kim Peterson
3. On Pilgrimage - Jennifer Lash
4. Twain's Feast - Beahrs
5. Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature (A good although flawed look at how revisionist tactics and understanding literature do not mix. The flaws come more from the author's vehemence and also some surprising gaps in authors covered. I mean to say, can one really discuss American literature without even mentioning Steinbeck?)

Best Books of 2012

Top books I read in 2012 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In no particular order.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   A great book. Too bad she didn't stop at that one.
   
   
2. Gospel of Mark (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healey
   Very accessible while still being scholarly. (my review here)
   
   
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
   A children's story that isn't just for kids. I listened to Gaiman's excellent narration. (discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
4. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
   Made me wish both sides could win the Battle of Gettysburg. (review at Goodreads; discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
5. Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
   A book about books, people, places, and life. (review at Goodreads)
   
   
6. The Hidden Princess by Stephanie Angelini
    Enchanting new "classic" fairy tale (My review here)
   
   
7. The Art of Faith:A Guide to Understanding Christian Images by Judith Couchman
   Just what the subhead says (my review here)
   
   
8. Heidi by Joanna Spryy
   An old classic still has the power to surprise. (my review here)
   
   
9. The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions
   Subtle ghost story a la Turn of the Screw (review at Goodreads, audio reading/discussion at SFFaudio)
   
   
10. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
    Mystery, horror, romance, character examination, and riveting  (review here,  review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
    
    
11. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... reread. (review and related items here,  review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
    
    
12. Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)
    Dense but accessible in tons of places. (excerpts and review at Goodreads)

Three Minutes a Day ... Good For You and Good for Our Culture

Remember when I was telling you about some good books to give for Christmas? Three Minutes a Day  is not only good to give for Christmas, but for any time.

Tony Rossi tells you more about the book and then gives you an example of the sort of story you'll find inside. I know about some of them, because I wrote some pieces included in the book. And when I was flipping through my copy, I found many, many more.

Go read his example. My book is by my bathroom sink, where I will begin reading my 3 minutes daily on January 1.

Magnificat Year of Faith Companion - review

I have long been a fan of Magnificat's books. Their simple companions to praying the rosary or to the liturgical seasons of Lent or Advent have served as guides to helping me focus on prayer and meditation. Their more complex books such as The Beauty of the Word or the series praying with the gospels help me to steadily meditate on larger works over the year. In short, I have come to rely on them.

When Pope Benedict XVI's proclaimed this liturgical year as The Year of Faith, Magnificat produced a Year of Faith Companion with short readings focusing on faith. This pocket-sized book is packed with reflections for every day of the year from over 30 contributors, ranging from laypeople to religious and clergy.  The readings are also wide-ranging, falling into one of eight categories: Biblical faith profiles, scriptural reflections, catechism excerpts, devotions, essays, meditations from saints and spiritual masters, prayers, and poetry. All in all, there is a wealth of material at your fingertips in this small book.

My one problem is that faith is such a broad topic it can be difficult to get a grip on it. It is one thing to have so many contributors spread among so many formats if there is a clear focus, such as reading a gospel line-by-line through the year. When it is applied to something as relatively formless as faith, then things can get a bit chaotic. As a result, reading daily left me feeling unfocused and a bit adrift.

Luckily, I don't have to read this using the calendar dates at the top of each page. I simply chose one of the categories I mentioned above, such as Biblical faith profiles, and then began reading one a day. Leafing through the book each day to find the next one also led to other items that caught my eye, such as a devotion about Christ's Seven Last Words, and so it has become an interesting voyage of discovery to find my own particular focus.

My point in saying all this is that, although I do not think this book works perfectly as Magnificat designed it, there are many ways one can benefit from this booklet which will help the reader discover new joys in their faith and a deeper connection to God.

I wrote this review of Magnificat Year of Faith Companion for the free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Aquinas and More is the largest on-line Catholic bookstore. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Scott loses the riddle game ...

... when he forgets the name of every actor he mentions. Meanwhile, Julie and Scott get lost in the tunnels of Tolkien-y goodness for a very long time.

At long last, The Hobbit is discussed at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Hannah's Silks Routine

Finally. I've been looking for videos of her silks routine to share.

Catholic Nerd Alert

The Mass of the Roman Rite (2-Volume Set)

Its Origins and Development 

Author: Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J.

Price: $90.00

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 1056

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-0-87061-271-8

Imprint: Christian Classics

What does it say when I cruise over to Ave Maria Press to see what new books are out ... and this is what grabs my interest?

So much so that I am printing out the 16-page excerpt.

I'm not even at Catholic geek level, people, because these days geeks have a certain amount of cool ... I'm down to nerd alert. So uncool ... and yet, I don't care. Which is, in itself, a true indicator of nerd-dom.

Sorrow is a hole in the heart, and grace rushes in to fill it.

There are many good, thoughtful pieces being written in the wake of the terror and tragedy in Newtown.

Two struck me at heart more than others.

... Until we understand that people of their own freewill coldly plotted and executed the death of the incarnate God, we can never really understand what life and death mean as we travel through this vale of tears.

And even once we do understand it, it doesn’t always help. We’re human, after all. We recoil from pain and tragedy. We demand answers. We tremble in rage at the prospect of a God who seems to have turned away from us.

Good. That’s the normal response. If your first response is, “It’s God’s will” or “This is what you get when you take God out of schools” or “God doesn’t go where he’s not wanted,” then to hell with you.

First, it’s not God’s will. Evil is the absence of God, meaning this is the opposite of His will.

But God also draws good out of evil events. Sorrow is a hole in the heart, and grace rushes in to fill it. “The world breaks everyone,” Hemingway wrote, “and afterwards, many are strong at the broken places.”

Yesterday evening, Thomas L. McDonald was supposed to teach Church history to a roomful of 14-year-olds who had questions about tragedy in our own time. He began with the heart of our history and took it to where we live today. Read all of it in The Broken Places

Coming from a very personal place, Liza Long writes I Am Adam Lanza'a Mother.

Three days before 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year-old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants.

"I can wear these pants," he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises.

"They are navy blue," I told him. "Your school's dress code says black or khaki pants only."

"They told me I could wear these," he insisted. "You're a stupid bitch. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!"

"You can't wear whatever pants you want to," I said, my tone affable, reasonable. "And you definitely cannot call me a stupid bitch. You're grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school."

I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me.

Be sure to read the entire piece. There are no easy answers to horrible events like that in Newtown, but surely Long's tale is one that shows where initial solutions must be provided.

More Good Books to Give for Christmas

Indeed, you must be saying to yourself, that Happy Catholic person has quite a large stack of books she owes reviews for.

And you'd be right about that. I consider myself lucky to have had time to read so many, although there are a few that I read so long ago I'm cringing with guilt over not having reviewed them yet. Ah well ... we do what we can.

These all have my thumbs up and will show up again with more comprehensive reviews in tow.

A Child's Book of Values: Classic Stories from Around the World by Esteve Pujol I. Pons
The name of this book is misleading. Don't get me wrong, it does point out the moral to each story told. However, the main focus here is the international set of classic stories with some terrific illustrations. The biggest negative I can see is that the type is a semi-script style that might be difficult for some children to read. But that's a pretty small negative.

Lectio Divina Bible Study: Learning to Pray in Scripture by Stephen J. Binz
Leads you through a fascinating study of the different types of prayer as shown through the Bible. By looking at scripture featuring the prayer of heroes, prophets, Jesus, and more, the reader is led to contemplate these sorts of prayer in their own life. So far I am finding it very useful and enlightening. A really excellent guide to prayer in the Bible and personal contemplation.

What I Wish I'd Known about Raising a Child with Autism: A Mom and a Psychologist Offer Heartfelt Guidance for the First Five Years by Bobbi Sheahan, Kathy DeOrnellas
This book made me both very happy that I did not have a child with autism and very empathetic for a friend of mine who has been struggling to do the right thing for her child who was only diagnosed after a long and trying ordeal. If I did have a child with autism, this is the book I'd turn to since it combines common sense from a doctor and practical experience from a mother.

breaking through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves -  Helen M. Alvaré, editor
This is not really my sort of book, yet when I received the review copy and flipped through it my eye was caught by something that sparked a note of recognition and made me think. Picking it up when cleaning off a desk a couple of days later the same thing happened. Which made me think this is not the ordinary "that sort of book." As it turns out I read it quickly and enjoyed it. Jeff Miller has a good review that echoes many of my thoughts about this book.

the province of joy: praying with Flannery O'Connor by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell
This is a beautiful book, both in the cover and content. It guides the reader through the liturgy of the hours for seven days, using Flannery O'Connor's writing for the contemplative prompt. It also includes some of her favorite quotes, prayers, saints, and so-forth. From Paraclete Press which continues to impress me with their interest in melding literature and prayer.

Positive Progress in HHS Mandate Case ... Unreported by Media, Of Course

“…the First Amendment does not require citizens to accept assurances from the government that, if the government later determines it has made a misstep, it will take ameliorative action. There is no, ‘Trust us, changes are coming’ clause in the Constitution.”

Judge Cogan

This concerns the decision last week by U.S. District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan in the lawsuit brought by the Archdiocese of New York, ArchCare (the agency coordinating Catholic healthcare in the archdiocese), and three plaintiffs from the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, against the administration for the unconstitutional HHS mandate.

The administration was asking for dismissal, contending that the suit should be dismissed because they were going to change the HHS mandate to address the concerns of religious employers. The judge turned back their motion with the comment above.

Archbishop Dolan noticed the media somehow missed this good news and has written about it at his blog, The Gospel in the Digital Age.

I Knew Her Before She Was Famous: Jen Fulwiler and Minor Revisions

MINOR REVISIONS is a 3-part reality miniseries chronicling the adventures of writer, and atheist-to-Catholic convert Jennifer Fulwiler. Follow Jen as she balances life — launching her book from page to shelf, writing a national newspaper column, homeschooling five kids, blogging her inspiring-yet-hilarious faith experiences…and somehow still finding time to wrangle the ornery scorpions that sneak into her Texan home.

Jen Fulwiler at Conversion Diary is part of a new reality show, Minor Revisions. Tom and I met Jen when we were passing through Austin and the Darwins graciously had us all over for lunch. Jen is a real person ... smart, funny, quick, and Catholic. I'm not sure how reality TV is going to handle that since it is often full of people who are just the opposite. I'm looking forward to this!

Get the full scoop here.

In Which I Finally Return to Reading Aloud ...

Episode 205 at Forgotten Classics gets us back to the question of second sight, parties, new dresses, and whether two weeks is enough time to know one is in love. Yes, The Unforeseen by Dorothy MacArdle is back on the menu at Forgotten Classics.

Good Books To Give For Christmas

I owe a longer review for most of these. However, I wanted to mention these in case anyone has been wondering whether they were good.

Catholicism: Pure and Simple by Dwight Longenecker
Here's the blurb I have on Father Longenecker's promo page. Easy to read, compelling, logical ... this is a fantastic book.

"I don't know quite how Father Dwight Longenecker did it, but his simple book begins with modern doubts about God's existence and winds up at Catholic teachings about Mary, Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell."

Angels All Around Us: A Sightseeing Guide to the Invisible World by Anthony DeStefano
This book is really about the subtitle more than the title. Angels are a main feature (they are invisible after all) but this book made me vividly aware of the invisible battle and unending battle between good and evil, and our place in it. Very good.

The Doubter's Novena: Nine Steps to Trust with the Apostle Thomas by Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey
I can't believe I haven't mentioned this book here before. Anything by Aquilina and Bailey is always worth reading. Fascinated me with the picture it paints of Christians in India, thanks to the apostle Thomas's evangelization.

Three Minutes a Day (Vol. 47) from The Christophers
A big book of short essays with food for thought and inspiration. Here is their daily "three minutes" page where you can get an idea of what these are like. Disclaimer: I have a few essays in here. But I never saw them when I was flipping through the book and continually was fascinated by the other pieces I came across.

The Year of Faith: A Bible Study for Catholics by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.
I was surprised to see only 6 lessons until I read through it and discovered the depth of information and thought through which Fr. Pacwa is guiding readers. If you're looking for a thematic Bible study, this is a good one.

I'll have more books to bring to your attention soon.

Anna Karenina - the movie

This adaptation is actually pretty close to the book which I have read (I'll wait for your impressed gasps to subside), but like all the best adaptations, this uses its new medium to transform it to complement the themes of the book and make it more accessible to modern audiences. Wright uses a stage with moving set pieces and painted backdrops to convey the attitudes and strictly enforced rules of behavior of the Russian aristocracy. Everything they do is watched and judged by their peers because if they disrupt the carefully choreographed steps, it affects them all. This device, which minimizes the amount of exposition necessary in the beginning, reaches a beautiful, intense climax in the dance between Anna and Vronsky which marks the beginning of their relationship. While there are still many of his trademarks as a director, Wright really takes a creative step forward with this film.

A movie that might motivate me to finally read the book ... and a review from Double Exposure that motivates me to watch the movie in the first place, not being a fan of period drama.

I Miss the Cold War: The Hunt for Red October

My rating: ★★★★★

Captain Ramius: I miss the peace of fishing like when I was a boy. Forty years I've been at sea. A war at sea. A war with no battles, no monuments... only casualties. I widowed her the day I married her. My wife died while I was at sea, you know.

A Soviet nuclear sub captained by Sean Connery as Captain Ramius is out for a seemingly routine test run when it suddenly "disappears." The Americans scramble to get defenses in place but CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) believes the Russian commander may have something other than a first strike in mind. A perilous cat-and-mouse game ensues.

This terrific movie hasn't lost anything over the years, except in the area of computer graphics (the high-tech American sub maps look like an old video game). But the acting is great, the tension genuine, and Jack Ryan's character growth real. Also I forgot how good looking Alec Baldwin was when he was young. Wow.

In fact, this is a movie I've seen a million times but I still saw two new things, which probably just shows that I never watched it closely enough. I now understand that the scene with the American plane crashing was included for more than local color and I noticed the Russian doctor murmuring something to a certain someone late in the movie which explained how someone was placed where they were.

More than anything it reminded me of how easy the Cold War was in some ways. You knew who the enemy was, that they were the bad guys and that we were the good guys. I was reminded of that this morning upon reading the latest political correctness/blindness coming from the Powers That Be. No U.S. Army officials were going around trying to blame our guys for not being sensitive enough to Russian culture and provoking attacks. (For more sensible and forceful commentary on this idiotic attitude, watch Skyfall.)

What did Rose ask for when she comes home for Christmas?

You can find out at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

From the Priest Who Was There: Alfred Hitchcock Died Catholic

Some people find these late-in-life turns to religion suspect, a sign of weakness or of one's "losing it." But nothing focuses the mind as much as death. There is a long tradition going back to ancient times of memento mori, remember death. Why? I suspect that in facing death one may at last see soberly, whether clearly or not, truths missed for years, what is finally worth one's attention.

Weighing one's life with its share of wounds suffered and inflicted in such a perspective, and seeking reconciliation with an experienced and forgiving God, strikes me as profoundly human. Hitchcock's extraordinary reaction to receiving communion was the face of real humanity and religion, far away from headlines . . . or today's filmmakers and biographers.

What a pleasure it was to read this story in the Wall Street Journal's Friday religion op ed this morning. It was more like reading a blog post than an article. Do go read it for yourself.

Free Advent Audiobook: God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Christian Audio has a dilly of a deal for their free audiobook this month:

God Is in the Manger is the Advent devotional written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the 20th century's most admired and beloved Christians. This devotional includes daily selections for the four weeks of Advent and twelve daily selections for Christmas and Epiphany. In each devotional, Bonheoffer expresses his beliefs that Christ's strength is portrayed the best during times of trial and weakness and God is often heard most clearly by those in distress.

Many of the writings compiled in this book were written while Bonhoeffer sat in prison for two years after being arrested by Nazi authorities for his involvement in anti-Nazi activities. In his writing, he emphasizes the discipline of waiting, which is a common theme of Advent. After experiencing many different instances of helplessness, Bonhoeffer explains his time of struggle and waiting to the Christian who waits for the redemption of Christ.

With thanks to Westminister John Knox Press, we are pleased to offer God Is in the Manger as our December Free Audiobook of the Month!

Life of Pi Discussion

Hey everyone ... if you saw Life of Pi, you may want to check out the comments on my review.

They suddenly came to life with such thoughtful discussion of many of the religious elements. I'm lovin' it!

Just hold the presses another hour ... or two ...

Scott and I discuss The Paper at A Good Story is Hard to Find. Directed by Ron Howard, this is an underappreciated gem with an all-star cast including Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, and many more.

Letterboxd

I've often wished for a film equivalent of Goodreads.  For those unfamiliar with Goodreads it is a social network for sharing books and reviews. I'm fairly addicted to it and for the first time could understand those who were addicted to Facebook. There is something about checking out the stream of conversation and reviews of books that I crave.

Is Letterboxd what I've been looking for? I sure hope so.

Letterboxd is a social network for sharing movies. You can use it as a diary to record comments about films as you watch them, to check out what friends are watching, etc.

I just got an invitation a few days ago and I think it might be in the early stages since I don't have many friends in there yet. But the six of us are getting started.

Take a look around and see what you think. Here's my home base.