February 2023 Book Bracket

The Sinner's Guide to NFP, by Simcha Fisher*

This collection of essays from a Catholic wife and mother discuss the real difficulties - and beauties - of practicing NFP faithfully.

Why I picked it up: This book showed up "recommended" on Amazon when I purchased another book. The ebook was pretty reasonably priced and this title was on my "to read" list, so it made sense to purchase it.

My impressions: This book is a quick read, even if you take only about ten minutes at a time to read an essay here and there. I really loved some of her points and her humor was spot-on. I did take issue with some of her comments - one in particular was a pretty strong claim, but she had nothing to reference and admitted that there wasn't much objective information out there regarding what she'd stated. That bothered me. So, I would say this book could be good to read, particularly for those who practice NFP or are interested in doing it, hopefully well - but I have to say, take it with a grain of salt...there's no bibliography for works referenced at the end.

On Marriage and Family Life, St. John Chrysostom

This collection of excerpts from works by a saint are a blend of reflections on Scripture passages and pastoral counsel.

Why I picked it up: I think I first purchased this work from Eighth Day Books because marriage was something coming up in the next year. This was my morning post-Scripture meditation read. I'd seen a few lines of St. John Chrysostom online that I'd liked, so I wanted to read more of his works.

My impressions: I liked that St. John Chrysostom took some time to dig deep into passages from St. Paul as well as the Old Testament story of a servant finding a wife for Isaac, Abraham's son. He speaks to his audience with love and with firmness and intelligence. One takeaway stuck with me and helped me realize that I'm really not my own anymore, but I - my body - belongs to my husband in marriage. It was a solid read and I'd recommend it to Catholics who are married or hope to be someday, especially engaged couples.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie Mackesy

A mix of artwork and short snippets of conversation, this book takes a "minimalist" look at the relationship between a boy and three animals as they wander during the cold, early springtime.

Why I picked it up: I had planned to watch the short film on Apple TV Plus when I had it free for a month; even though that didn't happen, I decided I needed to read the book first.

My impressions: This book has a distinctive art style of watercolors and what looks to be thick ink or thin paint strokes that people might recognize if they've spent time on social media; in fact, I first encountered this author/artist through Facebook pictures. The book is short - probably only 20-30 minutes read if you spend a bit of time reflecting on it as you go. The introduction was helpful to setting the stage for what follows, which is a plotless ramble reflections captured in conversation or monologues. It is, I think, meant to provide food for thought on our emotions - how we interact with others and view ourselves. However, I didn't find this story to be impactful for me. It came across to me as an assortment of sort of general "be kind to yourself, make allowances for others" ideas in an artistic setting. I think some people probably need to hear these things and would be impactful for some readers, but for me, it's not a must-read. I definitely think it would be best appreciated as a physical book, so I'm glad I was able to find this copy at my local library.

Abel's Island, by William Steig**

Abel, a newly-wed mouse who gets caught in a storm and marooned on an island, must learn how to live without the niceties of civilization and return to his beloved bride.

Why I picked it up: This audiobook (available through my local library system) was mentioned in the "Read Aloud Revival" podcast, and I needed something to listen to during parent-teacher conferences.

My impressions: I did not expect much of this book (in spite of the recommendation) - perhaps it was the fact that the cover art looked childish and the characters were anthropomorphic creatures - but I was happily surprised by what a solid story it was. It wasn't a story in which I had to know what happened next, but it had great character development with a strong motivation. It had the intrigue of learning to survive, but it had a lot of heart as well. It was straightforward and had an ending that I appreciated very much. The audiobook version had a solid narrator. I think this book would be enjoyed by children, but also by adults as a read-aloud story or even as a children's literature pick.

Just David, by Eleanor H. Porter**

A talented young violinist is orphaned in the death of his father; while he must learn to live a different sort of life with the hard-working farmers who take him in, he teaches them and those he encounters lessons about life, living, and encountering beauty.

Why I picked it up: This was another book that I started listening to during parent-teacher conferences; it was recommended somewhere online as one of Porter's best books, and it was available for free via Librivox (with the same narrator for the whole book, which I appreciated).

My impressions: This was a solid story - it reminded me of the author's other work, "Pollyanna", which I've watched a movie of, but never read. It was one of those old-fashioned stories where all the loose threads tie together at the conclusion for a feel-good ending. I think this book would be a good read for elementary aged students, but it may not catch everyone's interest. It's just a good bit of children's literature about life in bygone times of the United States.

Books Attempted and Put Down

Meeting Jesus and Following Him, by Francis Cardinal Arinze

This was an audiobook on the Formed app; a cardinal gave a retreat to - I think - the papal household about the priesthood.

Why I picked it up: I wanted to listen to something from the app.

Why I put it down: I wasn't really getting into it because the focus was on priests, and I am not a priest.

Book Bracket

This is one of those months where bracket play is hard for me. The initial round was easy enough to decide, with the weaker works falling to the better ones - the competition wasn't close. St. John Chrysostom's work won over the slightly fluff-read "Just David", although Porter's work wasn't bad. The championship round was the most difficult for me - ask me on a different day, and the saint's work wins over the children's book. "Abel's Island" won today because when I thought of the two, my heart warmed to it more when I thought of it than when I thought of Chrysostom's work. I feel rather guilty that the work of a Church Father loses to children's fiction, but that's where I am right now. This doesn't detract at all from the wonderful things to be learned from St. John C.