October and November
October is looking to be a pretty light month for reading again, so I'm again going with a combined bracket.
The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, by Gary Chapman
Counselor Gary Chapman describes the five love languages, or the five main ways he's found that spouses feel and express love in their marriages; the five loves include words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
Why I picked it up: I was talking to someone about the five love languages and they said they hadn't really read up on them, but they thought they might. I figured now was a good time to reread the book (I'd read it in college for my interpersonal communication class) before I offered to lend it to them.
My impressions: I believe this book (or one of its variations) is an important one for people to read. This is a reread for me and I remembered much of what was in it, but it was good to refresh. I like that the author brings years of counseling experience and real-life stories to bear on his school of thought. His writing is simple and straightforward, so it is easy for readers to understand and quick to go through (200 pages, finished in a day or two). This book focuses on couples who have been married for a while and may desire to rekindle the emotional spark of their relationship, but it nevertheless has great insights even for the single person, as I recalled from my first read. I would highly recommend this book to married couples, and one of its variations to single people (haven't read any, but I'm sure they'd be great). It has immediate applications and can help increase self-knowledge. This is basically the kind of book I think any adult would benefit from reading.
The Awakening of Miss Prim, by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
This novel follows the tightly-laced, modernist, skeptical Miss Prim as a she takes a job as librarian for an intelligent and hard-to-pin-down Man in the Wing Chair in a village that seems caught in a former time.
Why I picked it up: The book I had been reading previously wasn't doing much for me at that time and I wanted a story. This book had been on my reread list for a while.
My impressions: I enjoyed the book the first time I read it, but I had only half understood what was going on. Now, I maybe two-thirds understand what is going on. I found myself caught up in the book and just wanting to sit for hours to read it, which is not something I expected from a book I'd read sometime in the last seven years. It pays homage to the perceived "simpler times" of the past, with descriptions of comfortable gathering spaces for community and delicious-sounding food. I appreciate the timeless aspect of it - excepting a mention of computers near the beginning, this story feels like it could have taken place any time within the last century. I found it interesting that the author left out some of the more typical descriptive details; in fact, there are very few (we know the main character has an upturned nose and honey tones in her hair), and the build of a few characters is suggested, but at most, we hear that individuals are "attractive", etc. It is the personality and character that matters in this book. Many of the conversations, if I'm honest, are not that believable, but they are still charming. There is romance, yes, but it's not cloying. The wider search of the heart for what it truly desires took at least equal importance to the romantic storyline. The book is well written and clearly an homage to Great Books programs, with a mention of Kansas at the beginning, an allusion, I'm sure, to KU's renowned Great Books program and the community around Clear Creek Abbey that seems to have ties to the program. This is a great book for those who have at least a rudimentary understanding of Great Books programs or classical education. The book would still likely be enjoyable to those unfamiliar with such educational perspectives, but it probably wouldn't make as much sense.
The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life, by Kendra Tierney
Catholic mom Tierney explains the liturgical year and breaks it down by seasons and major feast days/solemnities/holy days of obligation, gives background, and shares ideas about how to celebrate these key moments of the Catholic year in one's home.
Why I picked up the book: I heard about this book from a good friend and obtained it for Christmas one year. However, it sat on my "to read" pile of the shelf for a while and I was long overdue to actually pick it up and read it.
My impressions: This is a great resource for those who want (and have energy) to celebrate the liturgical year in ways outside of the liturgy. Tierney's work comes across as extremely orthodox, well-researched, and creative. I learned about saints I was not familiar with before, deepened my knowledge of various feasts and saints I already knew, and garnered some ideas for the not-near future when I might try to put more of these activities into practice. This book is definitely geared towards those with children living at home. I think many of the activities could be done by a single person or a couple, but the effort might outweigh the benefits; it sounds like some of these activities are work-intensive, but can be used as opportunities for teaching young ones about the faith. I would recommend this book to any Catholic who wants to get some ideas about "liturgical living." The only thing that would round out this book would be a cookbook with all the recipe ideas, a how-to guide for all other activities and crafts, and the now-published "The Catholic All Year Prayer Companion", which contains, I presume, prayers to accompany the book.
The Lost Baron, by Allen French
This historical fiction tale about Medieval times follows the page Martin as he advances according to his state in the castle of a baron who mysteriously disappeared.
Why I picked up the book: I had read and enjoyed two other books by the same author and purchased it at a discount at a local Bookaholics store. I was in need of a quasi-fluff read and decided some children's literature, historical fiction genre, was called for.
My impressions: This book is a fine adventure tale, even though it did not have the strongest plot. There was more an overhanging mystery throughout the tale than a forward-moving storyline, but there was plot enough to keep me engaged. I found the tale believable, as well as the character development. There were a few descriptions that tired me, but there was one chapter that I found particularly interesting - it included switching between the perspectives of multiple characters observing or participating in a single event. My one or two words to parents is that all these Medieval characters put a lot of stock in "luck", with a "lucky" penny being a major part of the story; parents might wish to discuss the Catholic viewpoint on luck, etc. before a child reads this book. Also, there are some instances injustice and violence. Otherwise, this book is appropriate for readers of chapter books - probably older elementary and on, especially those who like a good adventure.
Dear Enemy, by Jean Webster
This sequel to "Daddy Long Legs" follows Sallie McBride, a college-educated and somewhat air-headed woman who takes on the task of running and improving the orphanage her friend was raised at. It also follows the development of her friendships/relationships with different characters, all explored in an epistolary format.
Why I picked up the book: I needed a fluff read and this was on my kindle; I'd read "Daddy Long Legs" within the last few years.
My impressions: Definitely a fluff read, it's the sort of story a light romantic comedy could be made out of. It was a pretty quick read and easy on the brain, being very predictable. However, I definitely took issue with and skipped some sections that seemed to promote a eugenics mindset - the descriptions of some orphans and their parents (with problematic histories) announced a perspective that sees some lives as more worthy and deserving and valuable than others, which I did not appreciate. Marriage is also not necessarily viewed as indissoluble, at least in the case of one character. Although a sequel to another book, this tale stands pretty well on its own - all someone would need to know would be that two of the people Sallie writes to are her college friend (main character of "Daddy Long Legs") and that woman's husband. I don't know if I'd necessarily recommend this book to read, but if one doesn't mind reading the sections I disliked, or is ready to skip them, and is desirous of a fluff read, this could be a possible candidate. Definitely not the sort of book I'd anticipate a guy appreciating.
Bracket Play
This is another bracket that has an odd number, so it was decided that Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" would have a buy the first round. The two romantic reads, "The Awakening of Miss Prim" and "Dear Enemy" were pitted against each other. "Miss Prim" won handily due to its substance and creativity over the eugenics-laced epistolary novel. A mismatch happened with the other first-round game, with one book being a children's historical fiction work and the other a niche area of Catholic content. It could have gone either way, but the victory went to the book I am more likely to reference and apply to my daily life, "The Catholic All Year Compendium". This book lost quickly against the favored "Five Love Languages," the book that went on to win the overall competition against another reread. Chapman's book is applicable to everyone in some way, even if they are not married. "Miss Prim", though excellent in certain ways, is not a book that I agree with 100%. It provides food for discussion, but does not have the universal appeal of Chapman's book.
