September 2023 Book Bracket

September Book Bracket

I was surprised and quite pleased at just how many books I read or completed this month, especially considering that school was in full swing and half the books were physical texts.

 

Frodo's Journey, by Joseph Pearce

This work of literary criticism explores the themes found beneath the surface in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Why I picked it up: This book was for my brother; it came in late, so I figured, what's another week or two? I want to read this. 

My impressions: This book is more like a collection of essays than an actual analysis of Frodo's journey from Hobbiton to the Cracks of Doom. The essays are good for taking a look at what is going on allegorically (yes, I mean that), even going into what kind of allegory Tolkien was working with. The beginning was quite strong, and Pearce does a fine job of pointing out connections between the story and different aspects of the Catholic faith. However. This is a book by Joseph Pearce. That means that there's going to be a lot of connecting of dots that maybe have no connection at all, and making claims based on circumstantial evidence or pretty close meanings of names in different languages or even the sound of certain syllables or letters used in certain names. That aspect of his writing bothers me - but the overall themes that he points out are pretty solid. All in all, this book is good for the Catholic fan of LOTR if they are able to swallow the extra, unsubstantiated content that Pearce includes.

The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien**

The epic trilogy following Frodo and his company as they attempt to save the world from the evil Sauron by destroying a powerful ring.

Why I picked it up: My book-club-of-two gal pal agreed to make this the next book we'd read...which made sense, since our last two books were the previous two in this trilogy.

My impressions: This series is beautiful. the careful writing immerses one in the world, but the story is the real draw. It hits all the right notes, speaks timeless truths, and keeps me coming back for more. Everyone should at least try reading this book once in their life.

The Mindful Catholic, by Gregory Bottaro

A Catholic psychiatrist explains mindfulness and makes a case for why Catholics should practice it.

Why I picked it up: Someone offered to get it for me because the author was coming to speak at my alma mater.

My impressions: Unfortunately, I can't give a clear account of my thoughts on the book alone because the experience was influenced both by the talk given by the author as well as a word of warning from my spiritual director - apparently, this book is raved about by some, but frowned upon by others because it could be dangerous to those who are not well catechized. In any case, I found the explanations of what physiologically goes on in the body during stress responses to be very good, as well as descriptions of mindfulness exercises and what mindfulness is...mostly. What wasn't so great was that the book felt like it said it wasn't just another self-help book, when in reality, I think it kind of is. I tried some of the exercises, and I don't know if they were really that helpful or not - I probably should try it more consistently before I reach that conclusion...if I can be convinced that it is, in fact, okay for Catholics to practice it. I'm not convinced there's a hard-and-fast answer (see https://www.catholic.com/qa/mindfulness-meditation-and-the-church for more information). I certainly disagreed with some of the author's views in his talk, which he may have gone into in greater depth in one of the appendices, but I decided not to read that section. I don't recommend this book to others - there's enough gray area to make this a book I'm not comfortable telling other people they might want to read it. In its place, I'd heartily recommend Fr. Jacques Phillipe's Searching For and Maintaining Peace - which I'm rereading right now myself.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser**

The five Vanderbeeker children dedicate themselves to convincing their landlord to like them and renew his lease of the brownstone to their family.

Why I picked it up: I deferred my hold through the library for this audiobooks at least three times before I decided I just needed to make time for it when it became available to me again.

My impressions: This was a pretty great book, minus three things. The first is the opening scene, where the parents are breaking the news to their children that they have to move, and the kids assume they're about to learn their parents are getting divorced. This doesn't end up being the case, but it felt almost as if the exchange is maybe supposed to be a little funny? Or to show that the worst possible scenario isn't happening? In any case, it struck me as very sad and not the right note for the start of a book that really ends up being pretty great in most ways. The second thing is the use of "fudge" as a replacement word for a certain term, and the third is a seemingly underlying condolence of vengeful thinking or seeking vengeful retribution, with one instance of a child imagining she's stabbing someone's eyes as she uses toothpicks in a science project. Other than these three things, the book is very enjoyable. The kids are all well-developed in their personalities, and we come to love their home and neighbors almost as much as they do. It was cool to have a story set in a very urban city, in a very urban home - having a multi-family brownstone residence is quite a different setting than most books of this type that I've read, where the story takes place in a single-family home There is some obsessing over middle school dances and miscommunication between the older girls, and a boy of interest to one of them, but the book doesn't focus on middle school romance. One girl gets very upset with a sibling, and I don't agree to her shunning of the erring sibling until they reconciled - I think the parents should have stepped in and facilitated that more quickly, but I don't really know anything about parenting. This might be a great book for reading aloud as a family, especially around the Christmas holiday.

The Reluctant Dragon, by Kenneth Grahame**

When the villagers call in St. George to battle a dragon that has moved into the area, a shepherd's son must negotiate peace by means of a fake battle to save his friend, the dragon, who has no interest in anything but quiet living.

Why I picked it up: This book has been on my to-read list for ages and I kept seeing recommendations for it in different places. I was tickled to find out this short story is actually in the public domain, so I listened to it via Librivox.

My impressions: To be entirely honest, I don't get the appeal of this story. I think it's one of those stories that is delightful if you encounter it as a kid, but it didn't do much of anything for me. The characters were likeable or silly enough, depending on who they were, and there was a plot, but neither was exciting enough to draw any real investment from me. It was nice to check it off my list, but it's not one that I'm going to be telling anyone they need to read. I think the only concerns anyone could have about the story is that St. George is depicted as using some unidentified choice words with his horse, and the dragon is depicted as a good guy. Michael D. O'Brien would probably not approve of the taming of the dragon image, but I don't think there's anything actually problematic with this story. It should be fine for any readers wanting to pick it up.

Consoling the Heart of Jesus, by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC

This book contains a do-it-yourself Ignatian-style retreat on how we can learn to love and console Jesus' Sacred Heart.

Why I picked it up: I read another book by Fr. Gaitley earlier this year, You Did It To Me, and at some point I decided I needed to read this book for spiritual reading.

My impressions: Well, it was a Fr. Gaitley book! So there were some parts I didn't love, like the ultra down-to-earth, conversational writing style and some of those acronyms to help aid memory. However, there were also some great stories and takeaways. The main ideas I wanted to remember were jotted down in my prayer journal so I can come back to it later. It was a great refresher on being reminded of my need to trust in Jesus, and it taught me a lot. Some of the Ignatian-inspired meditations were great for imagining and praying through. This is a book where, if you actually want to get something out of it, does need to be treated as a retreat resource or meditation material. You have to try to meditate at some points if you hope try to gain something by reading it at all. I read only the first half of the book because that was the actual book part - the rest of it was appendices. This could be a good read for the people who would benefit from the topic (mercy, consoling Jesus) or enjoy Fr. Gaitley's books. It could be good for high schoolers as well as adults.

Bracket Play

The first round winners had an easy time of it. Fr. Michael Gaitley's work on consoling Jesus' heart definitely outstripped the psychological work on why Catholics should use mindful practices; the fictional work about a family about to be ousted from their home definitely had more heart and interest than the disappointing The Reluctant Dragon; and the original work The Lord of the Rings (which I said earlier would be judged as a whole work in just one month, instead of each of the three books being judged separately in individual months) blew Joseph Pearce's insights on that same work out of the water.

Bene. Tolkien's work, effectively, had a bye since there were six works, rather than the 8 that would have made a balanced bracket. Fr. Gaitley's book had some moments of real impact for me, so I had it winning over the Vanderbeekers book. However, the overtly theological book lost to The Lord of the Rings pretty easily. My only qualm was that a fictional book took the prize over a theological work, but the fantasy is definitely worthy of the prize. It's an incredible work that can reach so many more people than a theological book, which would likely be most appealing to those who are already Catholic. Everyone should at least try out The Lord of the Rings as a read sometime in their life, even if they don't like or finish it.

Books Attempted and Put Down

Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L. Sayers

Harriet Vane decides to return to her alma mater for the British equivalent of homecoming week, only to discover there's a mystery to be solved.

Why I picked it up: I've heard this book recommended for ages from different people; I heard a synopsis that made it sound pretty interesting; Dorothy Sayers is the focus of this year's local Inklings Festival.

Why I put it down: The tone was getting me down. The book was over 500 pages long, and I was in a state that I didn't want to keep pushing my luck. Besides, I was assigned Ben Hur to read, and I figure just one 500+ page book is plenty to attempt at any time. I could see myself coming back and maybe trying it again someday (once I've become that tough-minded reader I keep imagining I'll mature into), especially since I don't think I really gave it a true chance, but it's definitely not the book I need in my life right now.