Tiber River Review: Style, Sex and Substance

Don't let your pride get in the way of your reading this encouraging book. I'll admit that mine did, for a while; I'm pretty sure that most of the 10 contributors are a good bit younger than I am. But after reading several excerpts of Style, Sex and Substance online, I was convinced that while the women whose essays are featured in this book may be younger than me, they've got plenty of wisdom to share. The writing is honest and real, and by the end of each chapter you'll feel that its author is a new, trusted friend.

Don't let the title fool you; I found that this book is a whole lot more about "substance" than sex. Yes, there are humorous, real-life stories (and I loved those!) There are also reflection questions at the end of each chapter that would work as well for small-group study as they do for individual reflection and journaling. A small sampling of these include:

• sins vs. quirks
• nurturing yourself
• putting your schedule in order
• fostering intimacy in marriage
• personal holiness for single women
• making rash judgements
• healthy friendship
• building your marriage
• goals for motherhood
• the Christian life and popular culture

Not all chapters are for every woman at every time, but this book doesn't need to be read start-to-finish to be appreciated. Start with the introduction and chapter 1, then pick and choose as the Spirit moves you. You'll be hooked, and you'll want to keep this book around for encouragement in the various seasons of your life as a Catholic woman.

Style, Sex and Substance would be a great gift for a young woman just starting out on her own, a bride-to-be, a new mom or even a "woman of a certain age" like myself who's in need of a new perspective.

After all, there's always something new to be learned--even from women who are younger than you.

My compliments to editor Hallie Lord and all the contributors to this excellent book.

You can purchase this book here.

I wrote this review of Style, Sex and Substance for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Catholic Company Book Review: Holiness for Everyone

It's the eve of All Saints, so what better day to review a book about a saint?

Some of the most intriguing saints, I think, are the relatively-contemporary ones. While St. Josemaria Escriva has garnered more than his share of notoriety due to a famous work of fiction, there's much less popular factual knowledge about this modern-day saint. Eric Sammons sets out to correct this imbalance with Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva.

The book is less a biography of the saint (although an early chapter in the book does cover those details) than an introduction to the saint's writings and philosophy. In fact, this book is not meant as a stand-alone text, but as a companion to the primary sources--the saint's actual writings--all of which are freely available online. Suggested readings, including web addresses, are included at the end of each chapter, along with meditations, suggestions for prayer, and concepts to contemplate.

I found this book challenging to read but not ridiculously academic. It's not meant to be "downed" in one sitting, but instead to be a tool for reflection and prayer. St. Josemaria Escriva's writings were intended the same way; many of them are in "nugget" form, so that a reader could take a single sentence as a gateway to action and meditation.

Chapters are organized by theme and include topics such as freedom, work, contemplation, evangelization and holiness, among others. The idea of "holiness for everyone" is not unfamiliar to me as a Secular Franciscan; after all, the idea of this life is to dedicate my particular state in life, and all that I do, toward living according to the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis. St. Josemaria Escriva's teachings reinforce the same ideas, though without the particularly Franciscan bent that I am used to seeing.

This book achieves its purpose: it's an appetizer, not the main course. It introduces the teachings and writing of a contemporary saint and leaves the reader hungry to learn more. Holiness for Everyone is an excellent introduction to the spirituality of a saint who has been misrepresented by popular culture.

You can purchase this book here.

I wrote this review of Holiness for Everyone for theCatholic Company Blogger Review program, created by The Catholic Company. The Catholic Company is a great resource for tools to help you participate in the Year of Faith, including Year of Faith bible studies and exclusive Year of Faith personalized gifts. The Catholic Company also has all your Advent needs in stock, such as Advent calendars and Advent wreaths. A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Book Review: WorkShift

It's a book that came along at just the right time for me: the beginning of a new school year is always a great time to put things into perspective and get a handle on a new routine. Add to that a HUGE increase in the writing projects I've got going, and there's potential for a just-as-huge increase in unscheduled craziness, fatigue and resentment.

(As background, because I don't talk about this here much: I do social-media work for a local video-production company, am a shopping content editor for Internet Brands, and do other freelance writing and SEO projects as well as my commitment to Catholicmom.com's Tech Talk column and 4 hours per week volunteer service in Little Brother's school library. The writing work is part-time, on my schedule, and the money's not huge but it works for my family's situation at this time.)

On the day I started reading WorkShift, I was elbow-deep in a to-do list with no energy (or motivation) to get any of it done. I figured that time spent with this book would be time well-spent. The many, many real-life examples inspired me. There were moms with infants, moms with kids in grade school, moms in many lines of work.

Of course, no situation completely matched mine, but that's not really the point. It's good to know that there are plenty of families out there who are making it work--finding ways to keep moms at home for their families yet enabling them to contribute to the family budget, stay active professionally, and work creatively.

Five years ago today I wouldn't have dreamed that I'd actually be earning money by writing--without even having to leave my own home to do it. Of course, there are some projects that are more fun than others, but as my husband always says, "They call it work for a reason."

What I need to remember is that no work project is worth resenting a twice-a-week soccer-practice schedule (though I do reserve the right to be exasperated when Coach keeps the kids on the field after it's too dark to see each other, the ball, the goal or the coach).

As I read this book, I found myself grabbing Post-It notes and index cards so I could scribble down ideas for how to set up a work schedule this year that leaves room for family, flexibility, and even a little fun. And then I reached the final chapter, where author Anne Bogel has listed plenty of resources (both print and online) to help do just that. The additional structure that I'm going to try to plug into my workday should benefit me, my family and my employers.

Are you interested in reading WorkShift? You can purchase it through ejunkie or Amazon. It's available in ebook format for Kindle or as a PDF you can read at your computer (or even print out). It sells for $8.

The fine print: I received an ebook copy of WorkShift and if you purchase the book through ejunkie I will receive a small commission. I did not receive any other compensation for this review, and the opinions are mine alone.

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Tiber River Review: The Truth About Therese

A saint who died when she was only about half my age? Who spent 1/3 of her life behind convent walls? How could such a saint possibly inspire anyone whose path in life had taken a very different turn?

While the title and subtitle of this book, The Truth about Therese: An Unflinching Look at Lisieux, the Little Flower, and the Little Way suggest a more "unauthorized biography" feel, that's not what author Henri Gheon achieves in this short biography of St. Therese of Lisieux. Instead, he writes of the many difficulties she endured, even after she achieved her dream of becoming a Carmelite at a very young age.

My favorite chapter of this book was the first one, "My Initial Resistance to St. Therese," because I have felt the same resistance. I was more captivated by this saint as a teenager; the older I have become, the more distant I have felt from her. But this book, especially in the later chapters, does much to bring out the spiritual battles that St. Therese fought throughout her life. While my battles are surely different, there is much that I can learn from St. Therese's actions and attitudes about how to endure such spiritual warfare.

Through this book, I learned that St. Therese was more than a spoiled child, more than a goody-goody; I learned of her Little Way and how it can be put into practice. Most importantly, I learned that sainthood doesn't come easy to anyone--but that's no reason to stop striving for it.

The foreward by Philippe Maxence is short but not to be missed.

Perhaps because it was translated from the French, and surely because it was originally written in 1934, this book is not an easy read. Vocabulary, sentence structure and turn of phrase are challenging to the reader.

The fine print:  I wrote this review of The Truth About Therese for the free Catholic book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Aquinas and More is the largest on-line Catholic bookstore.
I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River. 

Book Tour: Catholic Family Fun

It's an honor to be part of Sarah Reinhard's Catholic Family Fun Book Tour!  I was reading something else when this book arrived in the mail, but I dumped that in a hurry. You see, I've been a fan of Sarah's blog since she was mom to only one child (she has three now, like I do.) This book celebrates the fun we all want to have with our families and shows us how things like building a backyard obstacle course, eating breakfast for dinner, and singing camp songs are not only family fun, but Catholic family fun. 

What I like best about Catholic Family Fun is that you don't have to go all "Clark W. Griswold" on your family to incorporate the activities described in this book.  Just build it in; don't force it.

Activities in the book are apropriate for a wide range of ages and can be modified if you (like me) have a big age gap between the kids.  Age gaps mean ability differences and huge variations in interests, and that's an extra challenge when planning family activities.  With that in mind, the ideas in this book are labeled according to duration, cost and prep time.  The rest will vary, depending on how many children (and friends) are involved, and their ages.

Chapters in this book include such topics as silly things to do, story starters, crafts, food, outdoor fun, family field trips, saints, service and prayer.  There's a handy appendix at the back that shows you at a glance how much prep time, money, or run time is needed for each activity.  Of course, your mileage may vary there, given your particular family circumstances, but it's great to have a general idea.  Additional resources include a Facebook page and Catholic Family Fun website, which will be updated regularly with new activities and "extras" to coordinate with the book!

My only problem with this book?  It didn't come along until my youngest child turned 10!  I really could have used it when my Big Kids were little, but nooooooo.  Sarah is young enough that she could have been my Big Kids' babysitter.  For that matter, Sarah is young enough that I could have been her babysitter.  But we're peers in parenting now, and I have a huge respect for her.  Read her books or her blog and you'll find out why.

This is a book that will benefit parents, grandparents, teachers, catechists and friends.  Have fun together, and celebrate being Catholic all at the same time! 

Want your own copy?  Ask for it at your local Catholic bookstore, or visit the Catholic Family Fun website or Sarah's book page for purchasing information.  At $11.95, it's a family-friendly bargain!

I'm a stop on Sarah's Virtual Book Tour!  The only bad thing about the "virtual" part is that I don't get to meet her in person.  But read enough of her work, and you'll feel like you know her already.  If you're late to this Book Tour party, just use the link above to see all the reviews and interviews along the way.  I've found many wonderful "new-to-me" blogs thanks to this tour.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no other compensation, for my participation in this Book Tour. All opinions are mine.

The Media-Savvy Catholic Parent

As the mom of three children, ages 20, 16 and 10, I'm right in the thick of parenting digitally-active kids in an ever-more digitally-active age.  We consume media around here.  I'm probably the only one in the house who reads books anymore--and half the time, they're e-books.  The rest of the family stays informed through television, radio, and various new media.

In my house, you'll find computers, iPods, iPhones, iPads and a Kindle. You'll find video games and a Netflix subscription.  We've got satellite radio and satellite TV.  While I'm the only one who blogs, three of us tweet and four of us Facebook.  The ten-year-old wishes he could, but we think he's too young for that.

And in my house, we're Catholics.  The kids go to Catholic schools (and, in one case, a Catholic university.)  We attend Mass weekly and our children serve as musicians and altar servers.  Our reality includes grace before meals--even when friends come over to visit, my own life as a Secular Franciscan, and "prayers upstairs" with the 10-year-old before he goes to bed each night.

Books like Infinite Bandwith:  Encountering Christ in the Media are encouraging to me as a parent.  Author Eugene Gan discusses the digital realities that our children (whether young children or young adults) encounter each day without being heavy-handed.  Media of all sorts are a part of just about everyone's life, and Gan shows parents ways to use these media tools to help others learn about--and grow closer to--God.  Gan's book explains seven "media keys" to help people approach the use of media in a sensible, faith-filled way, so that the media we consume can nourish our faith and that we can use media to inspire the faith of others.

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information. I received a review copy of this book, but no other compensation, for the purposes of this review.

Catching On

I'm a sucker for those "spend a year doing a certain thing" kind of books.  In recent years, I've read Julie & Julia, one where a woman decides to take every shred of advice dished out by Oprah Winfrey for an entire year, and two cookbooks written by someone who used her slow cooker every day for a year--among others.

Kind of makes me wish that I had something I was willing to do for a whole year that was interesting enough to get a book deal out of it.

Heather King's book Shirt of Flame describes a year spent reading and discovering the life of St. Therese of Lisieux.

I'm only halfway through this book, and I am SO hooked.  And this is a saint to whom I don't take easily.  A priest once described her in a homily as "immature, fussy, and a bit of a drama queen" and I'm inclined to agree.  I read her autobiography as a teenager, and I think it appealed to me more then than it does now that I'm fortymumble years old and most of my idealism has melted away amid the cares and worries and chores of taking care of my husband and family.

I don't ordinarily recommend a book I haven't even finished, but King's chronicle of her own spiritual journey as well as Therese's is an absolutely compelling read.  Each chapter ends with a prayer, and so far I've wanted to bookmark almost all of them.

Unfortunately, I can't remember where I first heard about this book, so I can't properly thank the person who told me about it.  I figured, instead, that I'd pay it forward by recommending it here.  Don't miss this book.  It's not big, it's not complicated, and it really is worth it.

For All the Saints, For All the Moms

In a month that begins with the celebration of All Saints, what better time to begin learning about the Saints of our Church?  And what better place to start than A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey?

Subtitled "52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul," this book is packed full of encouragement, challenges, and reflections about saints who can be especially inspiring to moms.

As soon as I received this book, I immediately opened it to the table of contents to see who's in there!  I had to check for my favorites, of course, and they were there in abundance:  Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Saint Martha of Bethany, Saint Anthony of Padua, and more.  But there were plenty of other saints with whom I'm much less familiar, such as Saint Sebastian, Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, and Saint Josephine Bakhita.

This book is bigger than I expected, with each chapter composed of a short biography of the saint, lessons from the saint's life and/or writings, traditions of the saint's feast day celebration, a quote from the saint, Scripture passages and reflections--one for each day for a week, activities for moms to complete on their own and with their children, a family prayer and thoughts to ponder.  That's a lot of inspiration packed into just over 300 pages!

This is not a book that you have to begin at chapter 1 and work your way through.  You can choose to read and reflect on the life of a saint that relates to a particular challenge you're having at the time.  That's easy to do, because the table of contents shows not only the saint's name, but a virtue for which the saint is well-known.

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms isn't going to lose its place on my bedside table anytime soon; it's a devotional that will serve as inspiration for a long time to come.

I wrote this review of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Tiber River Review: The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins

Don't be misled by the title of this book.  The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins is not written for people who want to get around the teachings of the Church.   It's funny, but not irreverent.  This book does not mock the Church in any way, but inspires and instructs the readers through hilarious anecdotes and examples from history.
You'll find some of the world's greatest saints and sinners featured in this book by John Zmirak.  But this is not a light read.  It's definitely a challenge to the reader.  Even the "Cosmo-style quizzes" on ethical problems are more Philosophy 102 than Trashy Magazine.  Each set of two chapters ends with hints on how to turn a vice into a virtue:

• Lust can be turned toward Chastity
• Wrath can be turned toward Patience
• Gluttony can be turned toward Temperance
• Greed can be turned toward Generosity
• Sloth can be turned toward Diligence
• Vainglory can be turned toward Humility
• Envy can be turned toward Magnanimity

Learn through the mistakes and successes of such people as Francis of Assisi, Betty Friedan, Aristotle, Margaret Sanger, Catherine of Aragon, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Josef Stalin, Solzhenitsyn, Mitterrand, Chesterton, St. Benedict, Julia Child, Sarah Palin, Tolkien, Andy Warhol and Mao-Tse Tung.

If you're a fan of literature, references to Dante, 1984, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis, Dr. Faustus, and Flannery O'Connor abound.  Movie buffs will find everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, including The Godfather, The Third Man and Nighmare on Elm Street 4!  Even Harry Chapin gets a mention.

And don't miss the hilarious illustrations.  You'll learn plenty just by looking at the pictures.

The Fine Print:
I wrote this review of The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Book Review: Seamus O'Flynn

It's the coming-of-age story of an Irish-Catholic New York City boy during the Great Depression and World War II.  It could be your great-uncle or grandfather telling the story, if you're Irish.  It's a young boy's version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Bill Tobin's book Seamus O'Flynn is an engaging story that reads like a memoir.  Subtitled "New York Diaries of an Immigrant Son 1931-1945," this book chronicles young Seamus' adventures, from the first day of school to pickup baseball games.  Bill Tobin eloquently describes all of Seamus' haunts:  his apartment building, a few wooded areas in the Bronx, his favorite swimming spots.

Life is not easy for a child of immigrant parents during the Depression and war, and the reader learns of Seamus' struggles with hunger as well as his technique for avoiding subway turnstiles.  There are funny moments, sad moments, and a seemingly-gratuitious moment of abuse by a priest (I really felt that the story could have done without that one--it just feeds into stereotypes).

Overall, it's a good novel that feels like a biography.  I had to keep reminding myself that it's fiction.  If you liked Angela's Ashes, you'll like this book.

Book Review: In Name Only

Historical fiction is not generally my thing, but once I started reading In Name Only by Ellen Gable (author of Emily's Hope) I was hooked.  The winning combination:  characters I could believe in, an interesting plot, and a setting in 1876 Philadelphia!  I love books with a local flavor, and even had my Philly map spread out so I could follow the characters' paths through the city.

I found myself rooting for several of the characters--even ones I didn't like at the beginning of the novel.  Here's the story:  an orphaned teenager who spent most of her childhood and teenage years caring for her chronically-ill father travels to Philadelphia to live with relatives after his death.  On the train, she meets a caring young man and his crass older brother, who turn out to be her neighbors.  Caroline believes her life is destined to be a fairy tale--until tragedy strikes, and the unexpected happens.

This novel covers a wide range of topics:  Catholicism, alcoholism, difficult pregnancies, social conventions and more.  The characters' personalities grew and matured throughout the novel, and the historical detail pointed to diligent research on the part of the author.  Ellen Gable really made this time period come alive in the book.

This novel has a lot to recommend it--and I definitely recommend it.  I'm looking forward to the author's next book, due out in September.

Fine Print: I won a free electronic edition of this book as part of an online giveaway. I received no compensation for this review, and the opinion expressed here is entirely my own.

Book Review: My Teenage Werewolf

This book warranted more than the sentence or three that I give the other books I've read.  That's partly because of my strong reaction to it, and partly because of the strong reactions I got from my teenage daughter and another teenage girl who was visiting and saw it on the coffee table.

Both of them were offended by the title:  My Teenage Werewolf.  And when they found out the premise of the book, they were no less offended.  Author Lauren Kessler wants to "understand" her 12-year-old daughter better, so she shadows the girl at school, summer camp, at the mall, and on athletic fields.

My daughter was horrified--and relieved to discover that I had no intentions of similarly invading her life.  Even if there was a book deal involved.  Perhaps especially if there was a book deal involved.  (A lot never gets said here, because my daughter is 15, and I need to respect her privacy.)

I read the book because I wanted to find out how this mom managed to "embed" herself in her daughter's academic and athletic world.  How did she talk a school principal into allowing her to follow her daughter around all day?  And if she spent her day following her daughter around, how did she get anything else done? (There was frequent mention of lattes in the book, so I'm guessing copious amounts of caffeine were involved.)

I'm the first to admit that I don't have the ideal relationship with my teenage daughter.  We butt heads a lot.  Sometimes it's hard to remember that I'm the adult here, and that part of being 15 is being irrational, mercurial, and even selfish at times.  But part of being 15 is also being industrious, generous and energetic--all of which she is, and often in surprising ways.

Teenagers are on their way to growing up, and they are trying to make their way in a challenging world.  While I agree that it's a good thing--actually, a necessary thing--for parents to be involved and engaged in their kids' lives, I know that as teenagers learn to do more and be more, parents need to step back and let that happen.  Within reason, of course.  There's less hand-holding and more listening, often for things that are not said.  I felt that Kessler was busy trying to relive her own teenage years through her daughter, and that's never a good idea.  Other times I felt that Kessler was using her daughter as a means to an end (see "book deal" above.)  That's not a good idea either.

I'm not looking for the "ultimate bonding experience" with my daughter.  Sometimes I'll settle for enjoying our mutual favorite Panera sandwich, Asiago bagel with veggie cream cheese, with her.

Disclaimer:  This is a completely uncompensated review. I borrowed the book from the library.

Plan to Read This One!

My inner rebel often leads me to put off, or refuse altogether, reading those books that "everybody's" reading. I've been burned before. Like the time I read The Bridges of Madison County. There's four hours I'll never get back.

But I decided to break my unwritten rule when I saw all the advance press about unPLANNED by Abby Johnson.

This is the story of someone who has been there. Abby Johnson began volunteering for Planned Parenthood during her college years, eventually landing a full-time job as a clinic director. She believed the party line. But it wasn't until she assisted at an abortion that she fully understood what she had been advocating.

I purchased unPLANNED from a Catholic bookstore so that I could get the Ignatius Press edition, which includes introductions by David Bereit, director of 40 Days for Life, and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. You'll want to read those too.

This book will give you new understanding of what happens in an abortion clinic. It will give you new motivation to do more to help the prolife cause--and there's much to be done. And it will help you realize that those who are pro-abortion are not so much the enemy as they are victims of a seriously flawed line of thinking that has been fed to them for the past forty years.

Book Review: Praying Constantly

Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR, always a model of Franciscan simplicity, is true to his reputation with his new book, Praying Constantly: Bring Your Faith to Life.

There's no fluff in here, and no New-Age instruction to try "visualization" or "guided imagery" or Reiki massage any of that sort.  Instead, Father Groeschel focuses on the basics:  the Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and Scripture reading.

Father reminds the reader again and again, and dedicates the complete final chapter of the book to this: you have to make the time to meet God in prayer. Referencing the "faith without works" concept in the letter of James, he states that

"the person who spends his life in prayer but cares nothing for his neighbors has made a horrible mistake. Our prayer lives should give us the desire and the strength to love others, to help others."

Father Groeschel challenges the reader to keep the Sabbath, bluntly declaring that "the universe won't implode if you take a few hours off." Anyone who feels "too busy" all the time definitely needs to hear this. The reader is asked to consider the Sabbath a gift, rather than a burden.

Praying Constantly is an excellent guide to living a life of prayer even as we live our lives as parents, professionals, spouses and generally busy people. Everyone is called to "pray without ceasing." In this little book, Father Groeschel shows us how it can be done.

You can purchase this book here

I wrote this review of Praying Constantly for theCatholic Company Blogger Review program, created by The Catholic Company. For more information and to purchase, please visit The Catholic Company.


A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Books Read in 2011

To be continually updated as I read...

1. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin. Novel about a young mom whose 5-year-old is injured at a campfire; she and her son's plastic surgeon fall in love. Two narrators: this mom, and the plastic surgeon's wife, take turns telling the story. Excellent story! A.

2. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts. This one was a little too graphic for my taste, but it's the last one in a series of four that my cousin and I have both been reading. Roberts' Bride Quartet tells the stories of four women who run a wedding business: photographer, florist, baker and coordinator, and how each of them becomes engaged. Predictable? Yes--but there is still a part of me that wishes I was as organized as the main character in this story! The characters were interesting. C+.

3. As Young As We Feel by Melody Carlson. Four women attend a class reunion and run into their old friends from first grade--all named Linda (so they all wound up using their middle names). Though they drifted apart in high school and beyond, they wind up coming back together and all are drawn to their hometown. B+.

4. All I Can Handle: I'm No Mother Teresa by Kim Stagliano. I heard about this book on The Catholics Next Door and wanted to read it. This is the memoir of a mom whose 3 daughters are all autistic, to varying degrees. Stagliano pulls no punches--she is wide open about what she believes, how she works to raise her children the best way she can, and her feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted. I'm not sure I buy the vaccination theory of autism, and the book was heavy on that by the end. But it's an excellent look into how one family deals with life with three handicapped children. Language alert--while subject matter may be fine for high schoolers, Stagliano has a sailor's vocabulary. Kindle edition. B.

5. Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes. A young woman who left home after she became pregnant, never telling the baby's father--or her own--returns with her 5-year-old child because she is dying of cancer. This novel tells how she prepares her young daughter for life without a mom. Heartbreaking--and amazing. Kindle edition. A.

6. Room by Emma Donoghue. If you can only read ONE book this year, this should be the one. Told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, this is the story of a little boy who spends his entire first 5 years in an 11-by-11 room. His mother was kidnapped as an older teenager and forced to live in this backyard prison by her captor, who fathered her two children (the first was stillborn). But the mom knows that they can't stay there forever. Don't miss this book. A+!!

7. Rachel's Contrition by Michelle Buckman. There's been a lot of buzz about this book--and it's definitely worth the read. It's a tough story to read--a young mother deals with losing her mind after she loses a child. But the story of how she helps a young girl in crisis while enduring her own crisis is a touching one, with a compelling twist at the end. A+.

8. Faithful Place by Tana French. A murder mystery--not my usual fare, but this was quite good. Set in Ireland, this story has not one but two murders to solve. Is it a sign of a good reader or a poor writer that I figured out "whodunit" by page 118 of a 400-page book? No, I didn't look ahead to see if I was right, and I'm glad I persevered and read the whole story. I recommend this! A.

9. Living Oprah by Robyn Okrant. I saw this on the library shelf and was intrigued. An artist gets the idea to spend a year of her life taking every bit of advice that Oprah Winfrey dishes out. Sometimes that worked, sometimes not. I was not disabused of any opinions I have about Oprah, and I've probably watched her show 5 times. I'm not interested in Oprah, but this experiment fascinated me. She gave over an awful lot of control of her life to a TV personality she'd never met. Then she got a book deal. If you're interested in what makes people tick, this is a good book for you. B.

10. Unplanned by Abby Johnson. Reviewed here.

11. Danny Gospel by David Athey. I found this to be a strange, strange book. It was like reading about someone's dreams. I'm not giving it a grade; I barely was able to finish it.

12. Hearts on a String by Kris Radish. This was a fun book, with some interesting twists and turns. The premise: 5 women wind up sharing a hotel suite because their flights are cancelled due to severe weather. It turns into a journey of self-discovery for all of them. I'll look for more by this author! B+.

13. A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion. This novel focuses on the lives of a few suburban women. One loves--but is a little overwhelmed by--her many children; the other has only one child and wants to expand her horizons once that child starts school. Their friendship, as well as one woman's relationship with her mother-in-law, are the subject of this excellent book. A.

14. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. A "power mom" suffers a brain injury. This is a before, during, and after novel. The author, a neuroscientist, explores what it is like to have a brain injury that causes the sufferer to lost the ability to perceive anything coming from the left side of the body. Fascinating book! A+.

15. Gone to Green by Judy Pace Christie. The story of a journalist who inherits a small-town newspaper. Will she stay and make a difference--or sell and return to the big city? Enjoyable Christian novel. B.

16. The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell. It's two stories, alternating chapter by chapter, and you know they're going to somehow link up at the end. Exactly HOW is the surprise. There's Lexie, an artist/journalist in 1950s/60s London. And there's Elina and her husband, new parents both facing crises of memory. It didn't turn out as I suspected it would, but that didn't mean the ending wasn't plausible. Good stuff! B+.

17. Rescue by Anita Shreve. An EMT responds to a car accident and winds up falling in love with a woman who caused the accident by driving while intoxicated. How does this play out 18 years later when the woman is long gone and the EMT is raising their daughter alone? This was a well-written, compelling story. A.

18. Wading Home by Rosalyn Story. Kindle edition. Hurricane-Katrina fiction, finely done. The story of a young jazz musician who only wants to get out of town and run toward fame, and his father who is attached to his neighborhood and to some bayou land outside the city. Just as the storm hits, a challenge to the ownership of the land is also posed. Highly recommended! A+.

19. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland. The technical details behind the manufacture of stained-glass objects were fascinating; the main character, though, irritated me. The book went on overlong, and ended abruptly. C+.

20. The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond. Memoir of one section of this popular food blogger's life: from the day she met "Marlboro Man" to their oldest child's infancy. If you like her blog, you'll like this book. Drummond writes like she's telling the story to her best friend over tea. B+.

21. Leaving Cecil Street by Diane McKinney-Whetstone. This novel takes place in Southwest Philadelphia in the late '60s. It's a vivid portrait of a neighborhood over the course of one summer and deals in large part with the consequences of a botched illegal abortion--not too different than the botched legal ones that until recently were taking place not far from that neighborhood. B+.

22. Who Is My Shelter? by Neta Jackson. Fourth in a series--read the others first. If you haven't, read the "Yada Yada" series before those. I enjoy this author's Christian women's fiction. B.

23. Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller. Predictable, but a good read. This novel brings together 2 women of different backgrounds: a school principal in her midthirties who is dealing with infertility, and a young cancer patient who, at 23, has 3 children already. I thought this author was a little heavy-handed on the "Christian" part of the story, but it was enjoyable.

24. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. This book reads like poetry. A barista, heavy on the "romantic" in personality, falls in love with a shallow but extremely handsome man. Eventually she winds up caring for this man's daughter who has been surviving the roller-coaster life of a child whose mother is suffering a breakdown due to bipolar disorder. A-.

25. Getting In by Karen Stabiner. If you've got a child in high school or college you'll enjoy this look at the high-pressure world of college admissions, seen through the eyes of 5 Los Angeles families. A great read. B+.

26. I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson. A 40-something woman is transported back to her teen years when she finds an old letter announcing she has won a contest and will get to meet David Cassidy. And she claims the prize! B+.

27. Life from Scratch kindle edition by Melissa Ford. I got this as a Kindle freebie and it was funny and endearing. A young divorced woman who can't cook but has a kitchen full of expensive wedding gifts decides to start a blog and learn to cook. Great stuff. B+.

28. Hometown Ties by Melody Carlson. Second in a series about four women who met in Kindergarten, all named Linda. Now they've met again and are all getting a new start in life. B.

29. Love in a Time of Homeschooling by Laura Brodie. Interesting memoir about a year in the life of a mom and daughter who homeschool just for a year. B.

30. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book was fascinating and intense. Told from the point of view of Death, it follows a young German girl though the Holocaust years, including a time when her family hides a young Jewish man. A+!

31. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. What would you do if you got one of those "Have you seen this child" postcards in the mail--and your adopted son's photo was on the card? Great suspense novel. A bit farfetched at the end, but it was a fun read. B+.

32. My Teenage Werewolf by Lauren Kessler. See larger review here.

33. The Glory of Green by Judy Christie. Fans of the "Green" novels by Christie will enjoy this next installment which begins with a wedding--and a tornado. B+.

34. Townie by Andre Dubus III. There's a lot of anger and bitterness in this book, which is a memoir of Dubus' growing-up years until his dad's death. Graphic language is rampant; this book is not for kids! B.

35. Divine by Karen Kingsbury. A bit over-the-top, but a good story about the spiritual transformation of women in a battered-women's shelter. B.

36. The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson. An enjoyable story about a group of women--not all of whom like to cook--who get together to pray a little and dish a lot. B.

37. Delivered with Love by Sherry Kyle. A Christian romance novel about a woman who wants to find the identity of the "mystery man" in her mom's past, and ends up finding her father and more.

38. The Little Known by Janice Daugharty. A 12-year-old boy finds a bag of stolen money from a bank robbery. He tries to help others by giving them money and discovers that throwing money at people's problems can't solve them. Excellent book. A.

39.  Crazy U:  One Dad's Crash Course in Getting his Kid into College by Andrew Ferguson.  I enjoyed this book because many of the same scenes happened around my house as we went through Big Brother's senior year with him.  Ferguson's book was a funny look--and good commentary--on the college-application process.  That said, I'm kind of glad I didn't read it BEFORE Big Brother's senior year or I'd have been more than a little disillusioned.  B+.

40.  The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern.  What happens when your journal shows what you've written for TOMORROW?  Can you change the future?  Would you want to?  Don't miss this one.  A+.

41.  Courting Trouble by Lisa Scottoline.  Lawyer drama, set in Philly.  Enjoyable!  B.

42.  Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman.  A novel that deals with the question of vaccination--from both sides of the coin.  Interesting.  B.

43.  Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin.  You're the maid of honor in your best friend's wedding--and you have an affair with the groom-to-be.  All the neatly-tied-up endings in the world don't make this completely better; this was a well-written book but I still was uncomfortable with the premise.  However, the characters were completely believable.  B.

44.  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  It's a big book and starts slow but is well worth it.  My one beef with this novel is the constant shift of narrator and setting.  It begins with a small child, alone on a ship from England to Australia.  Eventually she has the chance to begin to find out the story of her early life.  Her granddaughter finishes that mission.  A.

45.  Life's a Beach by Claire Cook.  A fun novel about an artist and her on-and-off boyfriend, her parents and her sister who seemingly has the perfect life.  A great summer book.  B+.

46.  Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline.  Courtroom drama/mystery/thriller set in Philadelphia.  B.

47.  Running from the Law by Lisa Scottoline.  Courtroom drama/mystery/thriller set in Philadelphia.  B.

48.  Best-Staged Plans by Claire Cook.  A cute beach read about an empty-nester who wants to downsize her family home even as she grows her own real-estate-staging business.  B.

49.   Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick.  Fourth in a series (read the others first!).  Several story lines dealing with a quilt shop in a small Connecticut town.  B.

50.  Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani.  Teen book by an author whose work I enjoy.  This is the second in a series about a young teenage girl who's been away from her hometown and friends for a year and then returns.  B+.

51.  A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber.  This one is related to the Blossom Street series.  It didn't really pull me in, but I did see it through to the end and was glad it ended as it did.  C+.

52.  Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares.  Unless you are a total, complete and committed fan of the "Traveling Pants" series, don't even bother.  I was unimpressed.  C.

53.  I Totally Meant to Do That by Jane Borden.  This memoir has a fun premise:  a Southerner getting used to life in New York City.  And there's some funny stuff in there.  Unfortunately, not enough funny stuff to carry the book.  More of it winds up being the author's dithering about where she'd rather live:  NYC or North Carolina.  B.

54. All for One by Melody Carlson.  Third in the "Four Linda series" (make sure to read them in order), this is an enjoyable novel about four women in midlife who are all starting over in one way or another.  A great testament to the power of friendship.  B.

55.  Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy.  This novel began on a sad premise:  a young woman is pregnant and has cancer; she's kept alive long enough to give birth to a child she'll never even hold or see.  She contacts a man with whom she shared a one-night stand and tells him about the baby.  He turns his life around while he raises his child, and little Frankie touches the lives of the whole community as well.  Characters from other Binchy books are features, but you don't need to have read those to make sense of this story.  B+.

56.  Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Ruda.  What's with all the stories about home-staging businesses lately?  This one is about a mom who looks to reinvent her life before she turns 40.  Her new projects involve starting a home-staging business and taking in a friend's anorexic daughter, among others.  It's a sweet story and good first novel; I await more good books by this author.  B+.

57.  Save Me by Lisa Scottoline.  This is a good one!  A mom volunteering in the school lunchroom must make a choice when the cafeteria catches fire:  escort other children all the way outside, or go back for her own daughter who's trapped in the bathroom.  The consequences of her decision are far-reaching and not what you'd expect.  Don't miss it.  A.

58.  Don't Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley.  Want to know what it's like to grow up with severe food allergies?  Want to know what a young woman with such allergies thinks about peanut-free classrooms? This was a really good book, written by someone who has "been there."  A.

59.  Seamus O'Flynn by Bill Tobin.  Detailed review here.

60.  In Name Only by Ellen Gable.  Detailed review here.

61.  A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez.  This novel was good but not compelling.  It's the story of a cafe in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the people who work there.  There were tons of subplots, which were kind of distracting.  B.

62.  The Potluck Club Takes the Cake by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson.  With this one, I've read all the "Potluck Club" novels, though not in order.  The authors do quite a good job of helping a reader new to the storyline, so it's not completely necessary to have read them in order.  These novels are fun, "clean," Christian novels about a group of friends who help each other through personal difficulties.  Enjoyable and light.  There are a few recipes at the end of the book that look really good, too!  B.

63.  Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil.  Sequel to The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club, this novel about a single mom raising 2 little boys and running her own yarn shop is charming and funny.  Read the other book first!  B+.

64.  The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown.  Three adult daughters of a Shakespeare professor all return home after personal crises and during their mother's illness.  This book is written in first person PLURAL, which was really interesting and it worked so well for the story.  If you like literature, you'll love this.  A.

Tiber River Review: Motherless

Brian J. Gail's novel Motherless, sequel to Fatherless, is a compelling treatment of business-driven advances in medical science.

Set in the present day, this novel is scary--because all of this could happen. I am left wondering exactly how much of this is happening; it's clear that some of it definitely is.

Building on the story from the first book in what is planned to be a trilogy, Motherless picks up several years after Fatherless leaves off. All the major characters from the first book play main roles in the second as well. While this book can stand alone, I definitely think that the first book is important in that it sets the stage for plot events in this one.

While the first novel takes on the entertainment and birth-control industries, this book focuses on reproductive technology and embryonic stem-cell research. I can see this novel having a more widespread appeal, as its plot is more prophetic of what is soon to come if things continue on their current path, rather than blatantly condemnatory of past events (as the first novel in the series was.) However, it is no less challenging to the reader, who will feel encouraged to examine his choices and his conscience. The struggles of the characters in Gail's novels, including the clergy, make them all the more real to the reader and do not fail to inspire.

The third book, titled Childless, is scheduled to be published in the fall of 2011.

WARNING: Don't start reading this book if you're only going to have a little bit of time here and there to devote to it, because you will be sucked in to the story. This book kept me up past my bedtime--I couldn't stop reading it. Highly recommended!

You can purchase this book here.

I wrote this review of Motherless for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

A review copy of the book was provided to me. I did not receive other compensation for this review.

Catholic Company Revew: Grace Before Meals

This book is definitely a keeper!

I used to own an earlier edition of Grace Before Meals. Before I had the chance to try many of the recipes in it, I did something I almost never do: I gave it away. That's because I thought that the advice on building family life was so important and so useful, I wanted to share it with someone I felt could benefit from it.

But after I enjoyed Father Leo Patalinghug's appearance on Bobby Flay's Throwdown,  I was wishing I had his book so I could try more of his recipes.  And when I found out that his winning fajita recipe would be featured in the new edition of Grace Before Meals, I figured I'd wait until this edition came out before I replaced that book I gave away.

This book is worth the purchase price for the fajita recipe alone.  They are seriously delicious and seriously easy to make.  Best of all, they don't call for any exotic ingredients that can't be found at your regular grocery store.  I've got a Post-It flag on the page for the fajita recipe, because I make it every few weeks.

But I don't consider the recipes the star of the show in this cookbook.  Subtitled "Recipes & Inspiration for Family Meals & Family Life," I think that Father Leo's reflections on family life and how it can be strengthened around the dinner (and breakfast) table are really what makes this book a standout.

This would be a great gift for any family!

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Grace Before Meals.  Also be sure to check out their selection of baptism gifts.
I received a review copy of this book, but no other compensation, for the purposes of this review.

Book Review: Our Jewish Roots

If you're a Catholic woman who wonders where many of our Catholic practices and customs came from, you'll be interested in reading Cheryl Dickow's book, Our Jewish Roots.

This book traces many things that we take for granted as uniquely Catholic back to their Jewish origins. We learn about the beliefs, practices and customs of the Jewish faith and see how many of these were incorporated into our own Catholic lives--always remembering that Jesus, after all, didn't come to make people abandon the Jewish faith but to fulfill its promises.

Part 2 of the book is a fascinating study of women of the Bible, relating their struggles, challenges and achievements to those we face in our own lives and showing us how these women of faith can inspire us today.

Our Jewish Roots ends with a section of questions for reflection, which would work for a group study or individual journaling.

If the mark of a good book is that it leaves you wanting more, then this is a very good book. The book is a fine mixture of information to be learned and ideas to be reflected upon. After reading it, you will know more--and you'll be inspired to keep learning more; you'll want to reread those sections of Scripture that are mentioned in the book to increase your knowledge and deepen your faith.

I have already recommended this book to several of my fellow Secular Franciscans who are interested in faith and history, as well as to a friend with similar interests.

A review copy of this book was provided to me. I was not financially compensated for this review.

Tiber River Review: The Rosary Workout

Me?  Read a book about exercise?

Anyone who knows me is well aware that this is a laughable concept.  I'm not much for exercise--and my waistline shows it.  So I figured it was time to look into ways to make exercise more tolerable.

The Rosary Workout encourages the reader to make the most of multitasking in a good way--by combining exercise such as walking with praying the Rosary.  Yes, it can be done--I've tried it.  But I hadn't even considered it before reading this book.

Where it works:  there's a good explanation of both healthy habits and the prayers of the Rosary.  Author Peggy Bowes encourages the reader to just get started, wherever they are in their fitness and/or spiritual journeys, and gives a reasonable timetable for progress.  There is plenty of information on how to enhance your prayer life through the Rosary and on incorporating the Rosary into different types of exercise routines.

Where it doesn't:  the whole 9-choirs-of-angels thing, in which Bowes tried to apply these levels to both expertise in prayer and physical fitness, fell flat for me.  I think there was too much going on in there.

Putting it into practice:  I can pray a Rosary on a 1-mile walk to the convenience store to buy my Sunday paper.  If only I could manage to do that without winding up with shin splints!  My personal hint:  use a finger rosary; it's much easier to manage when you're moving around, and you've got the other hand free for your water bottle (important in the summer, especially!)  Save the full set of Rosary beads for Adoration.

I wrote this review of The Rosary Workout for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

This is a non-compensated review. A review copy of the book was provided to me.

Book Review: Saint Clare - beyond the legend

One thing that was lacking in my formation as a Secular Franciscan was learning anything about Saint Clare.  As the first woman Franciscan, certainly there are many ways in which she can inspire those who wish to follow in the footsteps of the saint.  But I hadn't had much of an opportunity to learn about her life.

Author Marco Bartoli dissects the writings of early Franciscan biographer Thomas of Celano, who wrote a life of Clare as well as much about Francis and the Franciscan.  In Saint Clare - beyond the legend, Bartoli describes the differences in how Clare is depicted in various works by the same author.

This book is not a "birth to death" biography of Saint Clare, but instead a topical treatment of her life.  Some topics include Penitence, Conversion, War and Peace, and the Papacy.  This is a scholarly book; it demands attention and concentration (and sometimes a dictionary!)  It draws on history, both secular and sacred, as well as etymology and spirituality.

I'd recommend this book to readers who are interested in learning more about a fascinating Franciscan woman and who want to avoid "fluff" in favor of meatier reading.

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saint Clare - beyond the legend. I received a review copy of this book, but no other compensation, for the purposes of this review.