2010 Top Discoveries - Nonfiction

Again, these may not have been new this year, but they were new to me. Today more hold-em-in-your-hand books (including Kindle ... but NOT audiobooks).

(Any short summaries are from my GoodReads list where you may see everything I read in 2010, which I may have shared here earlier in the year ...)

Paul Among the People - Sarah Ruden
My review is here (loosely written but you get the idea).

Confections of a Closet Master Baker - Gesine Bullock-Prado
Sandra Bullock's sister finally couldn't take Hollywood any more after running her famous sister's production company for years. She turned to her true passion, baking, and has a wonderful voice in this book about her life as a baker. A thoroughly enjoyable book that holds up standards without judging everyone around her by them, which these days is increasingly rare in the food writing world. Also, this is one of the few baking books that I have read recently to excite my imagination and interest me in trying some of the recipes. I have baked for long enough and read so many baking books that such an achievement is rare indeed.

Finding Martha's Place -Martha Hawkins
My review is here and an early, personal reaction may be read here.

You Are What You See - Scott Nehring
 I was privileged to read the galley for this book by Scott Nehring. He opens people's eyes to the power of film as a cultural force and unlocks the "key" of story so that you really understand what you are watching (well, ok, I already watched that way ... but I still was riveted by this book). It is simply fantastic. You will never watch movies the same way again. Scott lays out movie structure in a way that helps any movie viewer understand and enjoy movies better.

The Habit of Being - Flannery O'Connor
I grew to love Flannery more and more while I read this compilation of her letters to friends. As well as the little bits of daily life that she shared, there was a steady revelation of the underlying thoughts behind her stories and the underlying Catholic worldview that she wrote from (and lived from).

I read more and more slowly as I grew close to the end of the book. Her early death seemed so tragic and I dreaded it. Yes, this seems melodramatic but it is how I felt. She was pragmatic, straight forward, brave, and funny. In her letters to her friends I learned a lot about writing, the Catholic faith, and living a full life under difficult circumstances. And when I read that her last letter was found scribbled by hand after her death, I cried. Not a lot, but there were real tears and emotion there. I must say that now, when I get to Heaven (fingers crossed), one of the people I hope to meet is Flannery O'Connor.

The Roots of the Faith - Mike Aquilina
My review is here.

Full of Grace - Judith Dupre
My review on Patheos is here.

Oh Holy Night - Mark C. Snow
My review is here.

"Can't you see you're not making Christianity better, you're just making rock and roll worse?"*

... people who are in any way serious practicing Christians are increasingly a minority in our culture, and as such [are] ripe for being understood primarily based on their loudest representatives. That one of these should be a man angry that the local branch of Chase didn't have religious Christmas decorations on display seemed, if anything, a way of making people more averse to Christianity rather than the contrary. Indeed, if I were to list the difficulties that Christianity faces at this time, the failure to be endorsed by J. P. Morgan Chase does not seem high on the list.

I guess everyone chooses where to draw the line but sometimes the choice does seem rather arbitrary ... read the whole story at DarwinCatholic.

* Hank Hill [talking to Christian rock musician], Reborn to Be Wild episode

From Little Silences Come Great Gifts

In such a silence, if you have turned off the television and tempted your child away from his games with a good book, you can hear other things: the chatter and call of cardinals who have found the birdseed; the crack of a log in the fire; hot coffee being poured into a cup; the ticking of your last non-digital clock; the rhythmic breathing of tired child (or parent) who has dozed while reading; the soft thud of a book sliding to the floor.

You can hear life, forced into a slow-down; life less-deliberate; life lived as it was for centuries, before the busy inventiveness of the last five decades: life acquiescent to uncontrollable nature, and hunkered-down.

We have allowed silence to become a gift forgotten, one we only consent to unwrap when all of our alternative bows and strings have been unraveled, and our diversions have been utterly played out. Our inability to be silent puts our minds and our souls at a disadvantage, because it robs us of the ability to wonder, and if we are not wondering at the impossible perfection of the world in its creation—if we are not wondering at spinning atoms and Incarnations—then we are lost to humility, and to experiencing gratitude.

Isn't this absolutely beautiful?

It transports me to the actual place where I can hear that fire crackling, the birds calling ...

In fact, it puts me strongly in mind of the exact surge of gratitude I felt when reading the first chapter or so of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Everything. I got it for Tom, but truth be told I also got it for me. (Shhhhh, don't tell ...)

Reading about the creation of the universe, looking at the little tiny square drawn on the page that was the actual size of the universe before that Big Bang, I was so in awe of God's power, ability to think so far beyond us, and His love in creating this astounding world and putting us in it.

All of that happened yesterday morning in the very short space of finishing a cup of coffee, hearing the turning of pages while Tom read the paper, and the growling play of the dog pack that now lives with us. With no other sounds generated by us.

Trust The Anchoress to remind us of the first thing it takes to help us get to the important things. Go read it all.

On Reading and "Event Horizon"

Now I have wondered if there is a technical term for the time it takes a book to suck you into the story. Sometimes a book gets you going from the first pages and sometimes much more is required to be setup before you really enter the story. I wouldn’t say that a good book always grabs you from the beginning, but often this is true. I have also found enjoyable stories that took much more to setup, especially in Science Fiction where sometimes a lot of history in this universe must be explained first.

Now whether there is a technical term or not for this – I call it a books “Event Horizon”, this is where the escape velocity exceeds you’re wanting to leave the book. Once you have entered the Event Horizon you are sucked into the book and can not leave it. ...

The Curt Jester shares some thoughts on reading which I enjoyed. Go see for yourself.

Cute Mitten Report: Christmas Edition

Rose came home with zebras which she found at a thrift store in Chicago.

So soft!

So warm!

So adorable!

So, we were lucky that she hadn't bought her Christmas gifts yet.

Under the tree on Christmas morning, Hannah found these little owls.

And for me ... foxes!

These are KnitWits brand and you can find them all over the internet as well as, evidently, at a thrift shop in Chicago if you are very lucky!

2010 Top Discoveries: Books - Fiction

These may not have been new this year, in fact I can practically guarantee many of them were not, but they were new to me. Naturally I had to share them with you! Today we'll look at fiction in actual, hold-em-in-your-hand books (including Kindle ... but NOT audiobooks).

(All summaries are from my GoodReads list where you may see everything I read in 2010, which I may have shared here earlier in the year ...)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
How did this author do it? A story about an 11-year-old detective that is a unique blend of Sherlock Holmes, eccentric English country house murder mystery, and Nancy Drew. And it works. Fascinating and wonderful. I say that even though I pegged the murderer the first time there was an appearance. The discovery of why and how and who was entirely enjoyable despite that.

High Spirits - Robertson Davies
Can't remember where I saw this recommended but these are extremely enjoyable humorous takes on the classic English "Christmas Eve" tellings of subsequent experiences by the first Master of Massey College. Every year he experiences either a ghostly visitation or some other supernatural adventure which luckily happens in time for him to tell it on Christmas Eve. Funny without being over the top. I will probably have to investigate this author's other works after this.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simenson
My review is here.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Honestly, if I’d really known what it was about I’d never have been interested but once I was engrossed in it I was glad to have read this excellent book. Told by two different servants and one young woman who doesn’t fit into the Jackson, Mississippi society because she didn’t immediately get married and begin a family, this is a story of their unexpected collaboration on a secret project that results in all of them crossing lines that are not acknowledged aloud but which must be crossed in order to truly know themselves. I raced through the last fourth of it. Highly recommended. HIGHLY!

Vampire$ - John Steakley
My review is here.

Through the Wall - Cleveland Moffett
A noted detective is getting ready to go to Brazil for an important job. He drops by Notre Dame where a young woman he never met says a few sentences to him that leave him pale and canceling his trip. A young woman, deeply in love, spurns her lover's marriage proposal because she loves him too much. A international celebrity is found mysteriously killed in a variation of the locked room mystery. All these events are connected and are set in 1909 Paris, where the atmosphere is romantic and mysterious and the art of detective investigation is very much to the fore in the story. This was on a list from Michael Grost's list for Mystery Scene magazine of classic mysteries that you should read but probably haven't. Here is a piece about this book which I believe was written in 1907. It is a locked room mystery, which I normally do not like, but the way the author slowly uncovers layers truth behind the mysterious situations is already very apparent. It has the effect of a book of one cliff-hanger after another and I am hooked. Final word: what a splendid plot and story telling. Truly this is the story of a master detective pitted against a master criminal, all wound around a tale of love and friendship. I got this from the library but I'd bet it is available free at Project Gutenberg. I plan on  reading this on Forgotten Classics.

Carnacki, The Ghost-Finder - William Hope Hodgson
Whenever Carnacki finishes a tough case of tracking down the supernatural he calls together his three friends to have dinner at their London club and tells them the story. Sometimes he discovers the supernatural, sometimes a hoax, and occasionally an intriguing mix of the two. Thus we get seven fine ghost tales from William Hope Hodgson who is better known for The House on the Border Land, which I have never read, but surely shall someday. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which I picked up from Amazon for free and read on the Kindle. I would look at Project Gutenberg for it as a free public-domain book if you can't find it anywhere.

Trouble is My Business - Raymond Chandler
Having suffered through City of Dragons, I realized I'd never really read any of the prototypical genre she was attempting to emulate. My random selections of Raymond Chandler from the library yielded a book of short stories and a novel. Beginning with this book of short stories, I discovered that Chandler is an author I am enjoying. These pithy stories are exactly what you would expect from the creator of Philip Marlowe, except that they show the quintessential hard-boiled detective from a developmental stage through many different stories. The last four stories, so I'm told from the book blurb, have Philip Marlowe in them, though I am not sure how he differs from the 'tecs I've read about thus far (except in name). Great fun.

Nightmare Town by Dashiell Hammett
Yep. I couldn't just try Chandler without also sampling the other great master of hard-boiled mystery fiction, Dashiell Hammett. Again, my random library selections yielded a novel and this short story selection. It also has an interesting overview of Hammett's life in the introduction. These stories contain hard boiled detectives but also, surprisingly, twist ending stories from different points of view as well. Hammett is a more varied writer than Chandler and I am always amused whenever the main detective describes himself as short and stout (which seems to happen frequently).

Till We Have Faces - C. S. Lewis
This is an intriguing retelling of the story of Cupid and Psyche written in a way that puts me in mind of Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy. It was gripping in a way I didn't expect and which I find difficult to explain. This story works as plain storytelling, as myth, as truth underlying myth, as character study, as unbelievably delicately written prose, and as fantasy. In short, this book is not nearly as difficult to read as I'd heard, while on the other hand containing rich layers that lend to repeated readings. I definitely enjoyed seeing Lewis's echoes of what is familiar in myth but which also is a bit of truth about Christianity.

How One Sailor Saved Christmas for Eighteen People

Admiral David L. McDonald, USN
Chief of Naval Operations
Washington, D.C.

Dear Admiral McDonald,

Eighteen people asked me to write this letter to you.

Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three boys and I were in France, on our way from Paris to Nice. For five wretched days everything had gone wrong. Our hotels were “tourist traps,” our rented car broke down; we were all restless and irritable in the crowded car. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into our hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.

It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a drab little restaurant shoddily decorated for the holiday. Only five tables were occupied. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. In the corner a piano player listlessly played Christmas music.

I was too tired and miserable to leave. I noticed that the other customers were eating in stony silence. The only person who seemed happy was the American sailor. While eating, he was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face.

Read the rest at The Art of Manliness. I know I said I was gone but couldn't resist popping back in to share this wonderful story.

Google's Merry Christmas from Around the World

Google's holiday doodle this year is interactive with 17 images from Christmas celebrations around the world. They'll have it up through Christmas so do go take a look

And then go read the WSJ's story about it. Fascinating.

Well Said

For the Serenity prayer mug giveaway, Dick gave us Psalm 51:15:

Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

When "Meaning Well" Isn't Enough: Reviewing "The Judas Syndrome"

We have all heard of ancient heresies from the time when the Church was new and when the Church Fathers were considering what the revelation of Jesus Christ meant to Christians. However, there is a great tendency to think of those heresies as things that were dealt with and that went away. Who these days is called upon to point out the mistakes inherent in Pelagianism, Origenism, or Macedoniasm? As it turns out, all faithful Catholics are called upon to do that very thing. We just don't see the connection between ancient heresies and their modern manifestations.

The Judas Syndrome does great service to Catholics in examining several major heresies from the past and revealing at how they are still at work in modern culture. What author Thomas Colyandro reveals is that the great historical heresies were not begun by people who merely misunderstood truth or "meant well" but began as willful betrayals of Christ and the Church, hence the name of the book.

The book focuses on seven heresies, with each chapter examining a different heresy indepth. Colyandro begins by stating a Church teaching and then briefly stating the origin and summary of the heresy against that teaching. He then clearly traces Old Testament precursors and New Testament fulfillment in Christ of Church teachings as the reasoning behind Church positions. This prepares the reader for the inherent problem with the heresy under examination.

The origin and history of the particular heresy are then examined. Responses from Church defenders are given, ranging from apostles to Church Fathers. In all instances, Colyandro quotes excerpts that make it easy to see just what is at stake. In fact, when reading some of the Fathers' refutations of particular heresies I would feel a shock of recognition because they were discussing behavior I had seen in people around me.

Finally, modern examples of the heresy's development in our culture are revealed. This is when the reader receives confirmation of suspicions about modern heresies that had been building during the chapter. As well, there are often other examples tied in which have been in existence for so long that the reader may well have not thought to question it. Thanks to Colyandro's careful unfolding of the path a heresy has taken from the very beginning to our own lifetime, readers are given the tools to help recognize them and to begin refuting them.

The book's conclusion discusses the liturgy as an antidote to the Judas syndrome. Colyandro takes the reader back to Christ, to the apostles, to the Church Fathers, all of whom never forgot that the main point was God's desire for an intimate relationship with us. The liturgy is the final expression of that key point and Colyandro takes great care to make it crystal clear that the liturgical requirements are in place specifically to keep us in communion with Christ.

Highly recommended.

A Few of Our Favorite Christmas Things: Baking

What has the Christmas baking yielded? Many, many cookies which you may read about at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

And a few batches of rolls, including Pecan Rolls, which I never realized that I have neglected to share with y'all until now. Enjoy!

The Christmas Light in Shopping Madness

I certainly understand, and to some extent share [Father James] Martin’s frustration [with over-commercialization], but I am not yet ready to give up on December and Christmas. In the darkening days, we need the call for light, the promise of those twinkling wires hanging from trees and eaves and railings, and even gutters, shining in a darkness that does not overcome. Perhaps we simply have to make a more concerted effort to find and appreciate the small promptings hidden within Christmas excesses, that lead us toward the stilly night turned to song.

The Anchoress has a nice piece that reflects a good deal of what I think also.

We can snark all day along, every day, about how the Christian life is overshadowed by so much in our culture that is dark. Christmas brings it to the foreground, but the tendency is there always. Yet if we fight the tendency to succumb, we can ourselves be the turning point. Sometimes we are the ones who need to hear that voice of hope, sometimes it is those around us. Regardless, it is much needed and if we don't do it, then who will?

Yes, I've sung this song before and I'll do it again. It was one of the delights that I discovered waiting for me when I found out that God was a real person who loved me. He pays attention to the details and uses them to speak hope to us. That's how He gets our attention and we could do much worse than to do likewise for those around us.

The Anchoress says it well. And so does Mother Marie des Douleurs.

…You know very well that a friendly voice is enough to set restless and troubled minds at ease. Be one of those who notice when the thermometer is rising, and not one of those who is always pointing out that it’s getting colder.

… No, you are going to be the little smile which, though delicate, on certain winter afternoons reminds people of the springtime, and is its foreshadowing, and shows that the life and the joys of living are things that are still possible and not dead and buried.

There are enough people who bury every budding hope. You, you be one who brings hope out into the light.

Mother Marie des Douleurs

The Old, the New, and the Third: Reviewing "The Third Testament"

Fred is a grieving widower with one daughter who lives near Chicago. A faithful Catholic, he begins having a series of dreams which make him realize that he is being prompted to write the third testament to the Bible ... which would update it for modern times. Soon after this, he is served with what seems to be a bogus summons that nonetheless threatens to take his home from him and his daughter finds she has melanoma which is spreading rapidly through her body.

At this point, Fred turns to his writing as a panacea for his mental and emotional struggles. The current story serves as a thin thread which holds together the history that Fred is writing. The author includes much more of the history, both as Fred's thoughts and then as samples of what he is writing. Eklund has a knack for picking out interesting people and events and pulling up tidbits that I hadn't heard, even when I was familiar with the overall piece of history.

The Third Testament was an interesting book on several levels. It is clearly a first novel and the author does not have a very good ear for natural dialogue. He also has a tendency to preach a bit when the protagonist is thinking. For example, gazing at the sky and seeing an eagle, Fred suddenly takes a mental side trip onto American virtues. This is a bit wearying and tended to put me off the book.

The modern story is extremely one dimensional, yet, I nevertheless found myself interested in whether Ellen would beat her cancer, the different places that Fred would encounter his new friend (Tony), and whether we would get more than a whiff of evil from the lawyer suing Fred.

I am glad that I persevered despite the sometimes clunky writing in the modern section because the author has a much more natural flow when writing any of the "third testament" and detailing Catholic Church history. There still is a tendency to preach some but since it is within the context of the history this becomes easier to take.

The book as a whole overcomes the problems if one is willing to overlook them and I found it a satisfying read. I will be interested to see what this author writes next.

(Note: I read a review copy but I'd have criticized ... and praised ... the book anyway!)

Let It Dough

Creation of many things ... amusingly illustrated using cookie dough and sprinkles ... from the NY Times. Brilliant!

Many thanks to Mom for the heads up on this one!

A Profound Christmas Story from an Unexpected Source

Some lagniappe to be found at Forgotten Classics. It is about 15 minutes long but worth the time.

Christmas Shopping Idea: Is That Angels I Hear Singing?

Voices: Chant from Avignon

The Nuns of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation, from a remote region of France near Avignon, won a worldwide search to find the world's finest female singers of Gregorian Chant. The search took in over 70 convents, including communities as far afield as North America and Africa.

The Nuns are part of an ancient order which dates back to the 6th Century. They continue the tradition of leading a hidden life, literally behind closed doors. To remain `secluded' to the outside world, any visitors, even family, must communicate with the sisters through a grill. Once vows have been taken to live in the Convent, the sisters remain there until their death.

The Nuns' album will feature the most ancient form of Gregorian Chant, which the sisters sing eight times a day, and was the first music ever to be written down.

That description is from the cd.

It is lovely that the nuns live such a dedicated life serving God in prayer and contemplation. We certainly can use it and they are wonderful examples as well.

However, what I really enjoy right now is having their CD playing in the evenings. It is like liquid gold, bathing the listeners in smooth, soaring song. It doesn't matter that I don't understand a word of it. The music is enough. It makes me pause from my occupation, stop and think, and sometimes ... pray.

If you are at all interested, I encourage you to listen to samples from Amazon (link above). It is something out of the ordinary.

In which we are treated to a retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Doesn't that sound fun?

Ok, I know it doesn't.

But when Rose is doing the telling it becomes vivid and quite enjoyable. We also consider myth, literature, and the Bible. All at the Forgotten Classics podcast. Get it while it's hot!

The New Dappled Things Is Out!

Bernardo Aparicio wrote to say:

There's a new edition of Dappled Things online with some great content. Also, I want to remind you that while we publish a truly top-quality magazine, our budget is almost impossibly small, so we depend on word of mouth to reach readers. Please consider helping us in our mission to transform the culture by posting about and/or linking to our content. Here's a sampling of some of the great work featured in our most recently released edition:

• The dramatic, haunting photographs of Rick Westcott;
• A wonderful reconsideration of the unjustly forgotten Catholic novelist J.F. Powers;
• "I've, like, got to get there, like, now" a delightful rant by the inimitable Eleanor Bourg Donlon on language, unintelligibility, and irreverence;
• Reviews of award-winning graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang's new book of stories, The Eternal Smile; and of House of Words by Jonathan Potter, a beautiful book of poems which is the first title from Korrektiv Press, a promising new venture by the writers of Korrektiv.org;
• "Achilleus Now," an insightful feature essay by Robert T. Miller on his experience teaching great books and how old books still matter to young students.

I was just sending a link from a Dappled Things article the other day to a friend when we were deep in a conversation about vampires and the Faith (yes, again). This is a great publication and well worth reading.

If you already read, why not consider giving them some Advent or Christmas alms to help their good works keep on going?

Or subscribe. They have an actual print version. If you want to see a sample issue just send your name and mailing address to "dappledthings [dot] cybulski [at] gmail.com. (Write "free sample" in the subject line.)

Time for one of the most delightful of activities ... choosing a new calendar!

It's a weakness, perhaps, but I simply love calendars. However, I am supremely picky about them. What a shock, eh?

I like a weekly planner (seeing a whole month's worth of obligations at a glance overwhelms me). I like a coil bound calendar so I can fold it up as small as possible. Also I'm ruthless about ripping out pages once a week has gone by, which coil binding makes easy.

This year I wanted to try to find a calendar that would tell me the Mass reading for each day. Any calendar like that would naturally include feast days (or so it seemed to me). It didn't need to be big. I prefer a really tiny calendar, but accept the fact that those are hard to find because most people want more room to write.

After looking around on the internet for a while, I found Family Centered Media's Catholic Daily Planner.

A useful, annual resource designed to help you live your Faith and order your life – every day! Each day lists feasts and ferias as well as the liturgical color proper to the day for both forms of the liturgy.

The weekly pages are formatted with plenty of space to record all of your tasks and appointments. Blank lined journal pages, contact/address book pages and weblog all help you order your life.

Liturgical observances (i.e. First Sunday of Advent, memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, etc); Mass reading citations for every day (ordinary form); holy days of obligation; First Friday and Saturday devotions; and daily rosary mystery reminders.

All true.

Plus there are a few pages in the front that help decode things (for example I didn't know that "feria" means a day has no feast or vigil ... but I do now!). The daily prayer pages have some simple, basic Catholic prayers that anyone can memorize and use at the appropriate time of day to stay connected with God. These are basics but something I hadn't ever practiced regularly. I think I am going to give that a shot with the New Year.

Each month is prefaced with a spread that shows the entire month's layout. This page also has the Papal Prayer Intentions for that month.

Most of the weekly spreads have an inspirational quote from the Pope or a saint. There is a little note in the corner of each day telling which decade of the rosary to say, if you like to follow the recommended order (I don't, but I'm not rosary-centric either ... being rather hit or miss in whether I feel moved for that particular meditation.)

There are nine cover images you can choose from.  All are lovely. I chose the most subdued but was tempted by many of them.

I like the basic calendar layout. If you want, you can pay a little extra to have a menu planner add-on.

There is a large version as well, but you know already that I got the small one, right?

There are images of inside pages although they don't enlarge very much. But they do give you an idea of the page layout so you can get a sense of whether it would work for you.

I am well pleased, which is no easy feat as y'all may know,  and am looking forward to using this calendar in 2011.

For Everyone Who, Like Me, Wished Connie Willis's Editor Had Been More Diligent

As the dedication in All Clear makes apparent, Willis' intent when writing these books was to celebrate and pay tribute to the ordinary people who sacrificed everything -- including their lives -- to help England endure through the harrowing war years. And she rises to the demands of honoring this history. One can only wish that she had given equal attention to the demands of fiction.

SF Site's review of Blackout and All Clear makes me positive I was wise to not read All Clear after dragging myself through Blackout ... my comments about Blackout may be read here.

To be fair, Amy H. Sturgis confirmed my decision much earlier.

I guess I just appreciate a nice turn of phrase. And these two books are very frustrating because Willis has long been a favorite author of mine.