Free E-Book Wed. and Thurs.: Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits

I haven't read this yet, but if you're interested then Wednesday and Thursday are your chance to get it free ...

WHEN CONTROL OF THE VATICAN IS AT STAKE, MONEY TALKS AND NOBODY PLAYS FAIR.

Italian intelligence specialist and former Jesuit student Michael Visconte is shocked by the brutal murder of a Jesuit priest, who turns out to be a hedge fund manager for the Vatican. The victim, Father Matteo Pintozzi, achieved an unblemished record of extraordinary returns.

The next day, Michael is visited by two Jesuits who ask him to investigate the murder, and Michael soon finds himself in the middle of a struggle for power and control over the finances of the Vatican. Unfortunately, his lucky break—one that should provide critical evidence—blurs the line between good and evil and not only endangers the lives of Michael and the Jesuits, but also imperils the lives of his wife and children. 

ARCHANGELS: RISE OF THE JESUITS is published financial expert Janet Tavakoli's debut fiction thriller.

Via Amazon Kindle: United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Germany  Amazon Prime members can borrow this book for free on Kindle.

Don't Have a Kindle? No problem! Read your Kindle books on a tablet, phone, PC, or Mac with free Kindle reading apps, or try Kindle Cloud Reader.

Print Edition

The print edition (324 pages) is now available on Amazon and will be available in other venues within a few days. It hasn’t yet been linked to the electronic version, and the eBook reviews don’t show up yet, but that should happen in a few days; it’s the same book as the electronic version. I originally meant to put this out as an eBook only, but many people requested a print edition.

Dallas 2013 March for Life [UPDATED]

As always, participating in the march was inspiring. It was a sunny, warm day and there were more people than ever participating, which was really heartwarming. We were in the usual large parking lot behind the federal building and were asked to move over because so many people still were marching in. We couldn't believe that people were still coming.

I recalled that when we first participated in 2008 they were elated at having possibly a thousand people. I was shocked at the time and also ashamed to not have marched before.

You will understand then why it brought tears to my eyes to find that there were 8,000-10,000 people trying to find room to hear the speakers in that lot. All cultures, all ages, all races, and all passionate about giving life a chance.

I recently had a discussion with a friend who said that one of the reasons she supported abortion rights was because she didn't feel women were given enough support after having the babies, especially poor women. I know that kindness, however misplaced, is at the root of the issue much of the time. I also know that another common reservation is because of the terrible circumstances to which unwanted children may be born.

For that reason I really appreciated abortion survivor Angela Martinez Balderaz's story. Definitely unwanted and subjected to horrific conditions as a baby, she is now a vibrant, articulate young woman. She is grateful for her life and to God, no matter the early conditions in which she lived. This was a vivid testimony that none of us knows God's ways and it was through the many helping hands He sent that Angela Balderaz is the person we saw on Saturday.

The best photos I found for the event are at The Dallas Morning News, where I was gratified to see a great slideshow and an accurate accounting of numbers.

The Morning News was so much better than local NBC news coverage. Although the story itself was fine, their website headline showed just a touch of bias: "Hundreds Hold Anti-Abortion Rights Rally In Dallas"

Hundreds.

Anti-Abortion Rights.

As I said, the story itself was fine and that was what most would see. It was definitely better than the other news stations where we couldn't find any coverage.

What I learned this year, above all, was that the key is to personally invite people to march with us. If they have time to plan for it, many simply must be invited to feel that they will make a difference. My mistake was that by the time I began personally contacting people, they were locked into other activities.

So my strategy next year will be to issue those invitations early enough. It's on my calendar for January 2014, where I hope the numbers will be 10,000+.

UPDATE - Where are the men?
I forgot to mention another very powerful speaker, Chris Wheel, Fatherhood Ministry, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Fatherhood Ministry. I love that, I really do. Especially when you consider that Chris Wheel's talk, which energized the crowd like no other, was punctuated continually by his cry of, "Where are the men?"

There are a lot of answers to that question, of course. But what occurred forcibly to me is that the question needs to be asked all the time, of every community, of ever culture where abortion is commonplace. Which is to say, everywhere.

SECOND UPDATE - Women in Crisis
A very powerful story about why the "women in crisis need abortion" argument is wrong. You need to go read for yourselves. Here's a bit:

When I got that positive pregnancy test, the one that changed my life, I was addicted to crystal meth.

And do you know what the people around me did? They didn’t take the secular line and say, “this baby’s life would be horrible. You’re unfit to be a mother. Better for it to not be born at all.”

But neither did they take the typical pro-life line in that situation and say, “you are clearly unfit to be a mother, but all you have to do is carry the baby to term and give a stable couple a wonderful gift.”

Saturday Joke: The Arcane Society of Western Pennsylvania

Via Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine.

J.R.R. Tolkien Book Giveaway

Brandon Vogt's giving away two books I'd dearly love to have (yes, I know it's a random selection of winners, but I'm just sayin'):

• The Lord of the Rings ... the one-volume version that I've been eying at Amazon over and over (but resolutely NOT buying)
• Tolkien: A Celebration - edited by Joseph Pearce ... which is the Pearce book that really caught my eye of the several Brandon listed yesterday.

Go here to sign up.

Books on J.R.R Tolkien's Catholicism

Brandon's giveaway ties in with his interesting list yesterday, passed along from Joseph Pearce's blog. Brandon thoughtfully included covers and descriptions to make it easy for us. Definitely worth perusing if you are at all interested in the subject.

I read the list with interest, since I have been making a list of my own of similar books, thanks to the insights I've been gleaning from The Tolkien Professor, whose podcast I recommend highly. (Either click on the course name or go to iTunes to get episodes.) I've mentioned this before but Professor Olsen's comments have really helped open up what Tolkien meant when he said that The Lord of the Rings had a Catholic moral worldview.

Here are a few from my list that weren't on Brandon's (or should we say on Joseph Pearce's). They're not specifically about Tolkien's Catholicism, but they are about looking below the surface, which in many ways is the same thing.

I'm in a huge hurry so won't be as thoughtful as Brandon, but there are links that will take you to descriptions.

• The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien - after getting to know Flannery O'Connor via The Habit of Being I am now a true believer in reading letters.
• Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" by Corey Olsen - yes, the Tolkien Professor wrote a book.
• On the Shoulders of Hobbits: On the Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis by Louis Markos - forward is by Peter Kreeft, so I trust the book.
• Tree of Tales: Tolkien, Literature and Theology by Trevor Hart
• J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Behind the Hobbits
• Mere Humanity: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald T. Williams
• "A Better Country": The Worlds of Religious Fantasy and Science Fiction by Martha Sammons
  
• A Hobbit Journey: Discovering the Enchantment of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth - Matthew Dickerson
  

Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church

Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church by USCCB Publishing

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I got this when it came out, flipped through it, and then put it on the shelf, where the poor thing was never moved until I gave an explanatory talk last night to the RCIA class about how to navigate your way around the Catechism (and other related topics such as Imprimatur stamps, etc.)

When I was looking through it this morning to attempt to answer a question (this group is sharp and curious, although I TOLD them I wasn't an expert on the Catechism, but was good at navigating the numbering system) ... anyway, so I was looking for specific info and realized I'd never given this a proper read.

The Q & A structure originally put me off, although now that I read the introduction I see it is meant to reflect an ancient style, to "reflect an imaginary dialogue between master and disciple ... that invite the reader to go deeper in discovering ever new aspects of his faith." And now that I've had more experience with having to answer the unpredictable questions that RCIA attendees ask, I can appreciate the format more. Also, it is intentionally kept brief, intending to spark interest in digging deeper in the actual Catechism.

Digging deeper I saw there are some very good features I never noticed. For example, although it has some absolutely gorgeous art, I never noticed that each illustration is accompanied by a thorough explanation, whether it be of the symbolism, related commentary, Church Fathers' meditations, prayers, or a combination thereof. Not only do these invite further reflection, they serve as examples of how to "read" devotional art.

Also, there's a nice appendix of common prayers.

I believe I'll be reading this along with my daily Catechism pages.

Forming Intentional Disciples

It’s easy to shrug off the call for evangelization and discipleship by saying, “Oh, we already do that.” We have a men’s club. We have religious ed. Everybody’s happy, all are welcome, Jesus shows up for every Mass – but sure, I’ve heard other parishes are in trouble. Mine’s fine.

Maybe so. But Weddell opens the book with extensive and detailed evidence that no, things are not fine. She defines the scope of the problem both statistically – how many Catholics in the pews don’t even believe in a personal God? – and qualitatively.

I've seen this book mentioned in a lot of places ... and although my "to read" stack is alarmingly high, I'm beginning to believe this is required reading. Jen Fitz's review at confirms that.

What the Church Teaches About End-of-Life Issues

What I learned is that the Church teaches, "God loves you, God loves you, God loves you." Always and forever, in the darkness of doubt, and in the light of the truth.

I did skip ahead a bit, but I just can't read that enough. It makes me smile. It makes me tear up a bit. And it makes me love God more.

Don't stop there, though. Go read all of Simcha Fisher's terrific piece.

The Julianne

A new cocktail creation ... at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

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.