Book Bracket June 2025
What a month for books! My record of 16 forced me to create a new design for my bracket templates. Instead of listening to audiobooks all month, I read just over half my books, either physically or as ebooks. It helps being on a summer schedule, having access to many free books either via the library or Audible, and having a deadline in which to access those books.
In the House of Tom Bombadil, by C. R. Wiley
A pastor reflects on a strange, seemingly incompatible character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, named Tom Bombadil.
Why I picked it up: I came across this book somewhere and definitely decided that I needed to read it. A friend happened to own it and loaned it to me.
My impressions: This book draws no definitive conclusions on who Tom Bombadil is or what he represents in the story, but the author provides some strong leads to consider, such as Tom's singing, the concepts of mastery and being caught, and domestication. I enjoyed the author showing his love for Tolkien's work by pulling widely and wisely from other sources to make connections with seemingly unimportant elements. This book makes me wish I was a closer reader of texts so that I could pick up on little literary crumbs myself, but I also wished that Wiley had made claims a little bit bolder. I can see how the themes or ideas he connects with Tom make sense, but Wiley didn't help me understand who Tom actually is. Tom can certainly represent happy endings, good domestication, and mastery, but we still haven't come any closer to realizing what sort of being Tom is, which I think any reader who's wondered about Tom wants to know. As much as Tom Bombadil may be a metaphor, he is very much a living, breathing character within the story, and I want to categorize him in my box. Maybe we're not supposed to understand who he is, ever - and that's part of his allure. In any case, this is a quick read and a good one for anyone who's ever pondered the strange fellow with (of all things) yellow boots, but certainly needs to be read only after one has read The Fellowship of the Ring.
I found a quote I liked - of course, it was in the introduction!
"While allegories can artlessly shove meanings beneath our noses, there is no such thing as a story without some kind of morality running through it. And when it comes to fairy stories, the morality very often doesn't hide at all." - Wiley, xiii
Shadows and Chivalry: C. S. Lewis and George MacDonald on Suffering, Evil and Goodness, by Jeff McInnis**
A scholar considers the connection between the thought of Lewis and his literary mentor, MacDonald, as explored through their publications.
Why I picked it up: This had landed on my to-read list and was available for free through Audible. I'd actually put it down for about half a year, but then came back to it when I saw it was still accessible.
My impressions: This academic work dives deeply into the thoughts and writings of Lewis and MacDonald, exploring the similarities and differences in their thoughts, as reflected in their writings. It is probably not the sort of book one would read or listen to to relax, considering all the research that this work dives into, but it provides good information about the ties connecting these two authors. I probably appreciated some parts more because they referred to works I'd already read, while some section considered works (especially by MacDonald) that I've never read, and likely will not, at least any time soon. However, my lack of familiarity with those works did not prevent me from understanding the author or the ideas he was trying to support through referencing the original texts. I certainly feel like I understand some of the disjointed strangeness of Phantastes better now than I did when I first read it five years ago. The first part did get kind of gloomy, particularly when discussing Lewis' poetic publications right after WWI and MacDonald's family losses. This is a good book for those interested in learning more about George MacDonald and his influence on C. S. Lewis, as well as Lewis' engagement with the ideas expressed in MacDonald's writing, but readers will do well to know that this book, as a work of literary criticism, definitely has an academic focus.
Queen of the Sea, by Dylan Meconis
This alternative history graphic novel, set in a different version of England in the tumultuous years when Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, in which young Margaret, who lives on a small island of nuns, becomes more involved in the political plots of he time.
Why I picked it up: A few years ago, I asked a Facebook group about a graphic novel they would recommend I read (for the public library's summer bingo, which ended up not impressing me). This was one of the books that sounded interesting, and I decided it would be one of the books to meet my own personal reading challenge.
My impressions: The art was well done in this book, and I thought there was a good mix of plain, agrarian life and political intrigue. It was interesting and kind of strange to see a graphic novel make a sort-of-Catholic world, with references to saints and religious orders, but all with different names. Even the title (Queen of the Sea) reminded me of the Marian title "Stella Maris," or "Star of the Sea"). I'm not quite to sure what to do with that. The book is pretty large and hefty, but it's not too slow of read because the pictures take up much of the space. I'd say this book is creative and pretty interesting, but I'm not sure that it's one I'd just recommend - I enjoyed it to a degree, but it wasn't a book I'd be likely to tell people they need in their lives. If someone did think an alternative-history-graphic-novel work was just their cup of tea, middle through high-school aged kids could probably read this work, no problem.
33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, by Matthew Kelly
This book, in the style of other 33-day consecrations, prepares readers to consecrate themselves to Jesus in the Eucharist
Why I picked it up: My husband and I went to a local Catholic conference last year, and we were given this book from one of the booths.
My impressions: This book provides some good reflections on the Eucharist and Jesus' importance in our lives in a pretty easy read. I think it was fitting that a book like this should be written during the 3-year Eucharistic Revival happening in our country. It' not the most in-depth book of meditations, but it was set up with good structure and reflections to try to help readers to love Jesus even more. This book is set up so that there's a 3-6 page reflection for each day, so upper elementary and above could probably gain something from reading this book.
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
An orphan grows to love her mountain life with her grandfather and the goats, and after a stint in the big city, gets to share her idyllic, pastoral life with friends she made while away.
Why I picked it up: I picked this book to fulfill a requirement for a reading challenge I'd made. This one came to mind because it's come up in a few audiobooks I've listened to over the last year that reference it.
My impressions: I think I recalled enjoying reading this book to a degree when I was young, but there's also a reason I haven't reread it. I loved the food descriptions - it made goats milk sound so delicious, even though I doubt I'd like it. There is something sweet about the vivacity with which Heidi takes on life, and a pretty interesting segment in the middle when it comes to light that not all is well with her. However, the book is rather lacking in plot, comes across as a bit saccharine, and has some pretty static characters. Now, I can see where this book has some charm to it; I would not mind visiting the Swiss Alps myself after having read this book. This is book is just fine for elementary age kids to read, but I think that there are much better classics out there to be sampled.
The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell
Four kids find themselves stranded in the Amazon jungle after their pilot dies mid-flight, and have to find a way back to civilization - either with or without help from someone who may have passed that way a long time ago.
Why I picked it up: I think I may have come across this book when I was checking if there was a sequel to Impossible Creatures out yet, and if so, if it was at the library.
My impressions: This survival tale had some intriguing elements, including considering the possibilities of finding a lost ancient city in the Amazon rainforest, but it lacked something in its feel compared with many other similar stories I've read. I'd say it lacked the charm of other survival tales, but I know that's not the right word.. It took me a while to get oriented to the fact that this story took place not too long after World War II - there were clues, but nothing definitive for a good chunk of the book. Once again, I found that the author's writing style - specifically, her use of metaphoric language to describe characters' emotions or physical feelings - didn't work for me. She does a nice job exploring (haha) ideas of discovery and what is "best" for a place and doesn't sound preachy doing it. Some of the kids either are stated using swear words (without the actual words being written out), and once or twice, a milder British swear word is included. There's way too much description of a character's snot. But, on the flip side, there are moments when we see children facing consequences for not obeying or respecting boundaries put in place by adults. There are some exciting bits and lots of survival learning moments, but I think the concluding pages were the best and helped conclude the story in a fitting way. This book was alright, and not one I'd actively tell people to go check out, but upper elementary and middle school-aged readers could give this one a try.
Dreams and Images: An Anthology of Catholic Poets, Compiled and Edited by Joyce Kilmer
This is a selection of poems from Catholic poets.
Why I picked it up: This book came from the library of a relative who was giving away her collection. It had been a while since I'd read poetry.
My impressions: I think it's good to sit down and read poetry once in a while, and it had been far too long since I had; however, I'm not sure about the merits of this particular collection. There were a few poems that certainly did touch my heart in that poignant way that poetry does, and I even wrote down a few for myself to revisit later. However, many of the poems didn't do much for me. So many were about Ireland and Irish lore. I didn't have any context regarding the poets and their time - not that it is necessary for the appreciation of poetry, but there were a few moments when I thought that such background information could have been helpful. There were some names I recognized such as Francis Thompson and Gerard Manley Hopkins, but Belloc and Chesterton were not included in this collection. I don't know why these poets were picked, and the criteria for including the poems listed here, which had me wondering if it was just the personal preference of the compiler. There was a major downside with this volume - there were typos galore, specifically many punctuation marks included extraneously and single letter substitutions. These typos sometimes really distracted me from the poem itself, which was unfortunate. I think this is a wide-reaching sampler of Catholic poems, but I don't know that it has enough merit in itself to recommend over other collections of Catholic poetry.
Premeditated Myrtle, by Elizabeth C. Bunce**
Adolescent Myrtle is convinced her elderly neighbor did not die of natural causes in her bathtub - and takes on solving the mystery in spite of Victorian restrictions for girls of fine breeding.
Why I picked it up: I congratulated myself on not buying this book cheaply at a book fair once, since I don't need more books, but I've been curious about it ever since. It was available on Audible.
My impressions: This is a great murder mystery story for slightly more mature children. I loved the characters and the Victorian setting, as well as the excellent mystery storyline. I was able to put some pieces together along the way, but it took to pretty close to the end of the story for me to figure out who did it - then again, I'm not a very perceptive reader (my husband always can tell what's going to happen in movies before I do). I like the spunky main character, who is precocious and pushes against the restraints of her time period without being a pushy girl-power type. She has that precocious personality and it is simply her. On the downside, the main character made a comment about knowing what "young hussy" meant even though she wasn't supposed to; super mild, but something a young reader might be interested in looking up at that point. Younger kids and more sensitive types might not find this book is their cup of tea (see: MURDER, heavy focus on death), but upper elementary readers, as well as adults who miss having new Sherlock Holmes mysteries to read, would find this enjoyable. It looks like there are some sequels, so I might look into it the next time I need a murder mystery.
Give Your Child the World, by Jamie C. Martin**
A woman with a passion for learning and caring about people all over the world shares strategies and books for introducing children to people and cultures the world over.
Why I picked it up: This one was on the to-read list and free on Audible.
My impressions: This is a great guide for people who have a real passion for teaching their children to know and love people and cultures from places where they don't live; however, I don't have that passion. I certainly believe we should care about the well-being of everyone, and that there's so much to gain from reading about people who live in different parts of the world. I just don't think that global consciousness is something that will be as big a part of our family culture as it is for the author's family. I appreciate that she breaks down books for different age groups and gives a brief description of what can be found in the books she includes - which span fiction and nonfiction. I found it interesting that she drew attention to individual books discussing religious beliefs, because while I can see the benefit of doing so if parents want to be conscientious about introducing different belief systems to their children, it's also kind of intuitive that books about different cultures might discuss religious beliefs of people who live in those places. I think the "concerned parent" part of me (even though I'm not a parent yet) says, "Thank you!" But the readaholic part of me also raised an eyebrow internally (since I can't lift a single eyebrow physically) and thought that it was maybe a little much to include that indicator, since it seemed like at least half the books mentioned discussed religion or religious elements. I think there was a pretty good mix of content for each continent, but, at least as far as North American literature goes, I thought there could have been more stories from Alaska and Hawaii (I don't recall there being any from those regions). At least one title that I thought should have been included was missing (Call in Courage, by Armstrong Sperry), but I recognize that, in a world full of books, you can't review and include every single one that relates to this theme. This book is probably a resource best consulted in physical form, but it could be a good reference for children as well as caring adults. I got a few reading ideas from this, too!
Zeely, by Virginia Hamilton**
In this coming of age story, Elizabeth and her brother goes to their Uncle Ross' for the summer, where her active imagination builds a royal background for Zeely, the tall daughter of her uncle's neighbor.
Why I picked it up: This book made it onto my to-read list after I came across it in a recommended list, possibly the book Honey for a Child's Heart. It was available on Audible for free.
My impressions: Not a lot happens in this summertime story, but it has some elements that shine. I struggle with books that don't have a lot going on in the way of plot, so this book wasn't my favorite, but I loved how the children and their imaginative games are described. They seemed so true to life! Their sibling relationship also felt extremely realistic in the fact that they didn't always understand each other or get along all the time, but they still loved each other and liked spending time together. There's a good message about being who you're meant to be rather than dreaming you're someone else, but you're not hit over the head with it - there's a slow build to this realization at the end. There's also a subtle reminder to not let your imagination become more real to you than real life. The level of obsession that the main character has with Zeely was also uncomfortable at times. I guess I was that way with the things I was obsessed with in middle school, but it was usually obsessions with music and stories and made up characters, not next door neighbors. It's refreshing to have a story about African Americans that isn't focused on race-related issues (I say that because it's important for all readers to read about people who look like them having experiences that are common to all people, and not defined exclusively by the evils of racism). It's not a book that I'd plan to reread, but I think it would be a fine summer read for upper elementary students.
Rules, by Cynthia Lord**
Catherine tries to help her autistic brother, David, navigate the world by teaching him rules that aren't intuitive to him, but she struggles to navigate friendships within her own life.
Why I picked it up: I heard this was a great book to read for getting a perspective on what life might be like for someone with autism. It turns out that the main character isn't autistic, but she's the sibling of someone who is. It was available on Audible, and I decided to try it, even though I wasn't the biggest fan of one of the author's other works, Out of My Mind.
My impressions: This well-written story is a great window for people to learn what life might look like if someone in your family has autism. Catherine sounded like a real girl with real problems, hopes, and dreams. She experiences a lot of development and learns much about friendship - how to be a friend, as well as how to accept people as they are. As an SLP, I did have some professional insight into the story's action as well - for example, Catherine was a better SLP for her friend Jason than the speech therapist was - and I really disliked that SLP, who serves as a reminder to beware! lest I become like her. I found her parents were characterized as basically being clueless about her needs, which I found rather unrealistic, even if it made her narrative more compelling. I was bothered that they never seemed to "parent" her, not even discussing with her a better way for her to communicate her needs when she has her final blowup at the end where all her bottled-up feelings come loose in a rather disrespectful and demanding phone call. There's some potty humor or slightly cruder phrases, and some somewhat disrespectful attitudes towards parents at times, but overall, it's pretty tame. One character did communicate that he wanted to die; it was a short moment, but it comes up briefly before things seem to get better for him. I enjoyed the ending, which I was concerned about after having been low-key traumatized by the last pages of Out of My Mind. There are some really endearing parts about this book and it stuck with me in a good way even when I woke up the next day. This would be a great upper elementary or middle-school read, but one I think interested adults can enjoy, too.
The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson**
A book by Sally Clarkson, homeschooling mom in Christian ministry, that explains why the table is such an important place for ministry, as well as the how-to (and some family recipes) to help make it happen.
Why I picked it up: I heard about this one from a relative and had found some of her other work interesting. I originally planned to read it in physical form, but it was available on Audible and went a lot faster that way. I still recommend the hard copy for accessing the recipes.
My impressions: This is a pretty representative sample of Clarkson's work, but it wasn't my favorite. I was already familiar with much of what she said, or found her take on hospitality pretty intuitive. This would be a good book for getting people to think about how hosting others could be a way of serving and bringing others into encounters with Christ. I thought the recipes were a great touch, although only two of them were ones that I decided I want to try eventually. It's a good introduction to hosting and hospitality from a faith perspective, but I don't find it a must-read. This one would be best enjoyed by Christians who have a desire to bring Christ to others through welcoming guests to meals at their homes.
A Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare*
Shenanigans follow when two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, are suddenly reunited and their identities are confused.
Why I picked it up: I'm participating in a second reading challenge this summer, thanks to my favorite local bookstore running a bingo-style challenge. One of the items was to read something by or about Shakespeare, so I picked a comedy I hadn't read or watched yet.
My impressions: As with any Shakespeare play, there were a few parts that were hard to follow, but Wikipedia set me straight. There are certainly several uncomfortable scenes, but almost everything is silly, funny, or plain ridiculous. I suspect I might crack up if I were to watch this, depending on how it is directed, but it certainly has the feel of...a comedy of errors, where misunderstandings, miscommunications, and missed opportunities are the cause of the fun, rather than jokes made by the characters. There is one scene where the wife of one twin is trying to get her supposed husband (who is actually the brother) to complete certain matrimonial offices, and he flirts with the woman's sister, so that would be pretty awkward for anyone to watch - but especially if the viewer was high school or younger. There's a sorcerer called in to exorcise someone (it's a pagan setting, but some kind of Christian theological ideas are present?), and someone goes to eat with a courtesan (but they don't do anything else). So, these elements make it so that I wouldn't recommend this play to high schoolers or younger, but I could see myself considering watching it if the opportunity arose.
Bandersnatch, by Diana Pavlac Glyer*
A scholar looks at the Inklings and their creative process, including how they encouraged or pressured each other, shared feedback, and developed relationships that augmented their creative output.
Why I picked it up: This book has been on my to-read list for a while, and this one helps me complete a reading challenge put out by my favorite local bookstore.
My impressions: This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about Lewis, Tolkien, and the Inklings, or wants to think about how their creativity can benefit from being part of a supportive, creative group. I have thoughts based on the author's takeaways that will probably appear in a separate blogpost. It sounded like this is the author's less academic take on material covered in a previous book of hers, The Company They Keep, so I was grateful to have had the chance to read the (probably) more accessible version first. That said, this book had lots of great research, with some of it being material I haven't heard before, so this is a good book for those who are new to the Inklings as well as fans who are more familiar with some of the research already. I liked the author's take and her focus on how the relationships shaped (and were shaped by) their creative output. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Tolkien, Lewis, or the idea of writing or creating more.
Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time, by Victoria L. Dunckley, MD; read by Coleen Marlo**
A doctor discusses the dangers of screentime and the many numerous effects it can have on children, as well as a detailed plan for how to reduce screen exposure and reap the benefits of a screen-free childhood.
Why I picked it up: A relative who works in the schools told me about this book last summer, before I had my training in March on the impact of screens on development. It was available on Audible and I wanted to listen to it before my subscription ended.
My impressions: This book provides a pretty thorough overview of the issues screens can cause. However, it is important to take the author's professional opinion with multiple grains of salt. I agree with much of what she says, and I absolutely believe her stories about the changes she's seen in many of her patients, but some of her takes seemed a bit alarmist to me. I would say her anti-screen views are a little more extreme than mine, but she has lots of good things to say. I would be interested in looking into more of the research she draws from before believing all the claims she makes, but that's the desire I have when hearing people make claims about how bad screens are. I liked that Dunckley lines out her screen detox in great detail, providing highly applicable, practical insights to the process. I would recommend this book to most parents and adults, with the caveat that there is certainly an anti-screen slant and I don't take everything author says as the final word on the subject.
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
An epistolary tale based on an elderly man's reflections on life, fatherhood, family, and faith, all of which he wants to share with his young son.
Why I picked it up: This was another book I picked up for a local bookstore's summer bingo challenge, but it had been on my radar for a while and I'd heard it was very good.
My impressions: This very reflective book ambles along, but engages the reader with the narrator's relationships, struggles, and insights. I loved hearing the history of his family, especially his fiery Baptist grandfather who worked hard in Kansas to further the cause of abolition. There is not much plot, but I appreciated the book for what it was, and it was something that made me think of Diary of a Country Priest, which was referenced in this book. Thanks to a book club, I was watching for fatherhood specifically, and this book had so much to say about it. I was invested in getting to know characters and pondered along with the narrator. However, I was lost a few times in his more theological reflections, which definitely leaned into Protestant beliefs, one of which concerned predestination. This isn't the sort of book to try to speed read through, but I finished in a few days of concentrated reading. I'd recommend this book to people who want a book with a slower pace and ideas to chew on, especially if they enjoyed Hannah Coulter or Diary of a Country Priest.
Bracket Play
Alright, gang. I'll mostly skip the first round because I purposely set weaker books against stronger ones. Only two probably should have made it to round two, if they'd had the chance - those would have been Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors and Give Your Child the World, which are both good in their own ways, but each rather unique in this field of contenders.
In round two, it was a bit of a bummer to see In the House of Tom Bombadil go, but Gilead was a really good book. I felt bad knocking out both Catholic books by round two, but the two I finished this month just weren't as memorable or impactful. There were some solid books knocked out in round two, but for the most part, there were flaws or weaknesses that accounted for those losses.
Quarterfinals had some great books - a Pulitzer prize-winner, a refreshingly clever children's mystery book, a book about the Inklings and what we can learn from their collaboration, and an in-depth look about potential dangers of screentime and how to do a screen "detox." I ended up giving the victory to Gilead over Premeditated Myrtle because the former was a much deeper and contemplative book, as fun as the mystery was. Bandersnatch, an academic yet practical work, won over the scientific and practical Reset Your Child's Brain. I love the Inklings, and Bandersnatch had a lot to say to my life outside of professional interests.
That meant that Gilead face Bandersnatch - and I say that Bandersnatch one. I'm still wanting to think about how to apply this book to my own life. As great as Gilead is, I'm not going to have it win just because it has amazing writing. It doesn't excite me as much as the other book, so the Inklings have inspired a work that wins yet another bracket.
Half-Read?
This month, I listened to an audiobook in part. I probably listened to half of it, but I skipped too many parts to say I'd finished it.
On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books, by Karen Swallow Prior**
A literary critic walks through a dozen or so classic works of literature and explains how each work is a depiction of a particular virtue.
Why I picked it up: This one was on my to-read list, and Audible had it for free.
Why I skipped so much: I'm a sensitive soul and I skipped chapters that were about more depressing works, such as the post-apocalyptic The Road and Ethan Frome. I really enjoyed the chapter on Jane Austen's Persuasion, and found greater appreciation for works I'm not a huge fan of, but overall, it wasn't something that I needed. If I have to read one of these works sometime, I can always see if I can refer to the relevant chapter, but I'm alright with letting this one go partially unread.
Books Attempted and Put Down
The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage, by Paul Elie**
This book looks at four Catholic American authors of the 20th century.
Why I picked it up: This book was available for free through Audible. It had been on my to-read list at some point, although removed after a time. I wanted to make the most of the last month of my subscription.
Why I put it down: The lives and works of some of these authors looked to be pretty gritty, which I don't usually handle well in my reading material. I also discovered there were many more books that were actively on my to-read list that I could listen to instead.
The Time Traveler's Guide to Regency Britain, by Ian Mortimer**
A historian describes everything you'd need to know about Regency Era British society if you were to time-travel tour it.
Why I picked it up: There's a Medieval version of this sort by the same author I've been wanting to read. Unfortunately, that one wasn't available for free through Audible - but this one was.
Why I put it down: It wasn't bad; it just was a book I didn't want to give a lot of time to. I discovered books I'm more motivated to listen to in the next few weeks and decided this one would get in the way.
Mama Bear Apologetics, by Hillary Morgan Ferrer**
A Christian mother explains ways to share the truth of the Faith with children and how to counteract the culture's lies.
Why I picked it up: I'd seen the cover of this one a time or two and figured I would give it a try since it was free on Audible
Why I put it down: I ran out of time because I had other titles I really wanted to get to before my subscription ran out. I also have heard similar information before since I've listened to many Word on Fire Podcast episodes about related topics.
